Everything is content in the age of our lord and saviour, Mark Zuckerberg. So when the rupee slips to record lows and the prime minister announces crisis-era measures, Instagram memesters are the first to react. Before newspapers can so much as put together a lukewarm op-ed, reels convey the public mood. Ten points to whoever called it social media.
In the Viral Spiral of India’s austerity era, companies, managers, and evil HRs are the biggest targets. Burned-out corporate cogs are dreaming of calling the BJP office to report their boss, who refuses to grant work from home. Women who cook for their families are posting videos using teaspoons or droppers to put oil in the pan. And many others are posting reels about how they were just about to head out and buy gold but turned back after Modi’s appeal. “Which raees can buy gold in this economy?” is a recurring question.“Modizi, aapke mana karne se pehle bhi hum golden nahi le paa rhe the… Achha hua, aapne mana kar ke ijjat bacha li (Modiji, even before you said no, we couldn’t buy gold… Good that you said no and helped save face),” reel creator Kamalini Mahanta said in a recent video. Her overly husky voice clearly resonated with many; the video has over eight lakh views.
