More Interested “I”
“It became a more interested eye, while the other one just sat there waiting, watching.”
This is a line from Mastercards new “Curious Orb” commercial. Like many physical defects, socially we tend to make fun of people with Strabismus or Amblyopia, otherwise known as a lazy eye. We characterize them as being crazy, stupid, slow, unattractive. We joke about not knowing which eye to look in or feeling like we are always being watched. We joke because we are uncomfortable and don’t know how to deal with it. We avoid talking about it as though the afflicted person is somehow unaware. We try not to look because we don’t want to see like that A-hole who can’t stop staring, while we are that A-hole who has made an inappropriate joke at the afflicted’s expense. Don’t worry, it is only when they are not there, we are hypocritical A-holes rather than in-your-face A-holes.
For all these reasons there are support groups and blogs that offer better understanding and support. Me and My Lazy I is a blog that discusses the social effects of strabismus extensively, as well as her personal experiences with trying to get corrective surgery.
I think we can all see why this can be such a socially debilitating condition. Mastercard has taken a new perspective on this condition in their “Curious Orb” commercial. They are presenting the “lazy eye” as an eye that is curious, that is searching out life and knowledge without the permission or knowledge of the other eye, who is the more complacent of the pair. I like the play on words with “eye” and “I”, the curious eye, energertic eye, all together more interested eye. The renegade eye/I is the one that is breaking out of the mundane existence of the man. The commercial makes a direct link between concepts of self and the eye commenting on other people being who are just watching, but he is engaging with life through his newly energetic eye calling it “this spirited orb of mine.”
It seems to offer a very positive and new perspective on what has been previously acknowledged as socially disabling condition. But the jury is still out on this. Take a look and tell me what you think.
UK (useless knowledge) |2 Responses to “More Interested “I””
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Not sure what I think. It’s always hard to be reminded that people think about this or notice it. Yet the commercial is positive and clever, though I don’t think the intention is to put the condition in a positive light, in fact I don’t think the intention is meant to address the condition at all. They were just being clever. I’m on the fence.
I agree that the intention was not to shed light on the issue, but that certainly is the biproduct. It does seem that in their cleverness they could affect peoples perceptions of this condition. What if it did something as simple as change a persons initial reaction from “they have a lazy eye” to “they have a curious eye” I think that could have a significant impact on that singular interaction.