iWorld
Twitter trends #BoycottAmazon for selling Om printed doormats
NEW DELHI: Outrage seems to be the flavour of the season. Days after jewellery brand Tanishq was roundly criticised for a Diwali-themed ad campaign that promoted cracker-free celebrations, it’s now e-commerce giant Amazon’s turn to face online brickbats. Twitterverse was abuzz today with calls of #BoycottAmazon after pictures of the e-tailer selling doormats with Om printed on it started doing the rounds.
A section of social media slammed Amazon for disrespecting Hindu culture by demeaning the auspicious Om symbol in this manner. Others posted screenshots of themselves deleting the e-commerce app from their smartphones. The trend led to people sharing further incriminating content on the retail platform: of various products and apparel like shorts and underwear emblazoned with images of Hindu gods and goddesses.
I #BoycottAmazon for defaming hinduism pic.twitter.com/S7Pur7a0yz
— TRINATH MISHRA (@TRINATHMISHRA16) November 10, 2020
Amazon has hurt the sentiments of India and Hindus.For this, all Indians should boycott Amazon. @amazonIN @amazon #BoycottAmazon pic.twitter.com/RyaylBnflt
— preeti gurjar (@preeti7401) November 10, 2020
#BoycottAmazon Fipkart is a better counter-part pic.twitter.com/SKxGKEM2Lu
— अरे à¤à¤¾à¤ˆ à¤à¤¾à¤ˆ à¤à¤¾à¤ˆ (@MaaKaBhosdaaa) November 10, 2020
Yet others pointed out the double standards of those calling out Amazon for purportedly offending Hindu sentiments, alleging they’re the same people who burst crackers bearing images of goddess Laxmi (or Laxmi bomb) and leave the streets littered with firecracker remains after Diwali.
#BoycottAmazon This is really Famous banne ki Ninja Technique, bcos They are the same People who burst Firecrackers with Laxmi Mata photo on ( #LaxmiBomb ) it and let the trash Left on the Road after they get orgasm by burning cracker ( Joke ) so where is Hinduism there ? pic.twitter.com/aioQRVlYsT
— SUMEET KUMAR (@sumeetkumar2524) November 10, 2020
For the record, it should be noted that these products are not available in India, but sold on the European and American portals of the site.
This isn't the first time Amazon has landed itself in hot water by getting on the wrong side of Indian customers. Earlier in January, pictures had surfaced of the e-commerce giant selling bathroom rugs and doormats with photos of Lord Ganesha. In 2019, toilet seat covers and mats with Hindu gods were spotted on the platform.
In 2017, then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had demanded an unconditional apology from the online retailer for selling Indian flag-themed doormats. She'd threatened to stop issuing visas to Amazon officials if the products were not withdrawn from the site.
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
