The Electric Chair

Which newspaper would you rather not read?

No, I didnt mean to put it that way. I dont mean to ask you which is the newspaper you dont like, quite the contrary. Let me explain..

I live alone in a rented place, and much to my dislike, am responsible for it. I have to arrange for a maid, fret when she does not turn up, (coz doing the work myself is not an option, if you know what I mean), order food everyday, wake myself up....you get the picture I suppose. In the same fashion I have to subscribe to a newspaper.

Of course, the intent is to read it; albeit a very weak kind of intent. I have almost given up the ideal of actually reading a newspaper, but by a very strong variant of double think called triple think, have convinced myself that though today, and yesterday and day before that I did not
read the newspaper, one day I shall, and therefore it is but in order to subscribe to one.

So firstly I subscribed to the Times of India. After some days I changed over to Economic times... after all I am a corporate citizen and it does not behoove me not to subscribe to the economic times. Then i realised that ET does not carry any movie/tv schedules and so I asked for TOI on sunday and ET on other days... and made a few variations..

The point being, at some level I am aware that I will not read a newspaper, and at the other level am aware that I will never stop subscribing to one either. Which leaves me with the question: Which newspaper should I subscribe to? Which newspaper would I rather not read?
I think the real brand equity of a newspaper lies in this test. Market researchers should go around asking people which newspaper would they rather not read.

I'd like to write a short story on this theme...Rahul...Help

# posted by A Chrysanthemum by any other name... : 7:10 AM