Skip to content

Pink of Health

Towards wellness
Main navigation
  • Home
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Stories
  • Reviews
  • About
Sandhya Raghavan February 4, 2021 Trending

Myntra logo controversy and a case of Pareidolia

Myntra logo The notorious Myntra logo (Image: Canva, Myntra)

This week, something monumental happened in India. Our countrymen spiralled uncontrollably into a vortex of discomfiture and disbelief. Many questioned their own rationality as fault lines drew sharply, separating Indians into two camps: the ones who could see a pair of lady legs in the Myntra logo and the ones who couldn’t unsee it.

A well-meaning lady running a Mumbai-based NGO was at the centre of this controversy. Blessed with a vision to see obscenity even in the most innocuous of things, the enterprising woman single-handedly took the old Myntra logo down. She saw in the logo a pair of women’s legs splayed apart. Anticipating backlash, as one does in such cases, she even had her findings verified by a doctor, who said that the logo did look like the “delivery position.”

It took her three long years, running pillar to post across various fora, trying to foment enough outrage to bring down the logo. Her efforts bore fruits and Myntra yielded. They tweaked their logo ever so slightly to make it a lot more acceptable to the ladies.  In so doing, she saved Indian women from having to grimace every time they shopped at the site.

But how did the country repay her for her services? We trolled her and accused her of the very thing she swore to destroy — obscenity.

As a reformed pervert who couldn’t get past words like “backend”, “penalise” or  “dongle” without giggling, I know the plight of people who sense obscenity in everyday things. But this lady’s case is different. I am sure she isn’t a perv as many of you make her out to be.

In my opinion, she could be experiencing something known as pareidolia or seeing human forms and faces in things.

What is pareidolia?

Remember when we gazed at clouds and thought they looked like elephants, cars or spaceship? People routinely report seeing Jesus on toast or Vladimir Putin in a flock of birds.

The phenomenon is called pareidolia where we see patterns, shapes, faces and familiar objects in places where they don’t exist. Most commonly, we see human faces in things. For instance, check the froth formation on this cup of coffee.

Coffee Face GIF from Coffee GIFs

elephant rock in ireland
Rock or an elephant? (Image: treehugger.com)

In Kerala, children often get disastrous first lessons in astronomy from their parents, who lie about a rabbit hiding in the moon. Gullible kids fall for it hook, line and sinker, thanks to pareidolia.

rabbit in the moon
Moon rabbit (Image: Philosophy of Science Portal)

Once considered a symptom of psychosis, pareidolia is now recognised as an entirely normal phenomenon. And it doesn’t have to be visual. You can also hear music, hidden messages in sounds. Have you ever tapped your foot to an oddly musical ceiling fan rattle?

It is my belief that our well-meaning friend from the NGO ostensibly experienced an episode of pareidolia when she saw a pair of legs spread out in the Myntra logo.

Why do we experience pareidolia?

Beats me. I am not a neuroscientist. But I’ve read up some articles and studies I found on the internet. From what I understand, pareidolia may have an evolutionary objective.

Pareidolia may save us from danger. Human beings are built with an innate face-recognition system to prepare us for a fight or flight response. For instance, if you see something like a face peering out of the bushes, you won’t stick around too long to find out what it is. You bolt out of there. What if it’s a cannibal lying in wait?

It could up our chances of survival. A study of pareidolia in infants found that babies who experienced the phenomenon were more likely to bond and be cared for by their parents. Thus they were also more likely to survive.

Who is more likely to experience pareidolia?

The religious were more likely to experience pareidolia, according to studies probably because they are more prone to suggestions or are more open-minded. In other words, they are more willing to “see” things.

Neurotic people may also see human faces and forms since they are more vigilant than their easy-going counterparts.

Women, who are more adept than men at decoding facial expressions, may also be more prone.

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Trending and tagged Human brain, Myntra logo, Naaz Patel, pareidolia, Seeing faces. Bookmark the permalink.

0Comments

Add yours
  1. 1
    Why everyone wants to be the victim - Pink of Health on March 20, 2021 at 10:15 pm
    Reply

    […] Myntra logo controversy and a case of Pareidolia […]

    Loading...
  2. 2
    Simone Biles: What are 'twisties' in gymnastics and why are they so dangerous? - Pink of Health on August 7, 2021 at 3:19 pm
    Reply

    […] Myntra logo controversy and a case of Pareidolia […]

    Loading...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Top Posts & Pages

  • Reequil 0.1% Retinol Night Cream review: Mostly great...but
    Reequil 0.1% Retinol Night Cream review: Mostly great...but
  • Falling asleep to Forensic Files: When crime shows become bedtime stories
    Falling asleep to Forensic Files: When crime shows become bedtime stories
  • Why people slurp tea and why we hate it
    Why people slurp tea and why we hate it
  • Subway tuna sandwich controversy: Have you been eating fake fish?
    Subway tuna sandwich controversy: Have you been eating fake fish?
  • How to make tea like a Malayali
    How to make tea like a Malayali
  • Ice cream cures migraine? A delicious theory why it possibly does
    Ice cream cures migraine? A delicious theory why it possibly does
  • Vicks for acne: A remedy that shouldn't work but DOES!
    Vicks for acne: A remedy that shouldn't work but DOES!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 349 other subscribers.

Instagram

Should I write about the best trainers for running and gym?
Sound may hold key to healing, accordign to the findings of a recent study by researchers at the NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
Dr Bharathi Ramesh, Senior Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospitals, Banashankari, Bangalore lets us in on the top lifestyle tips for beating endo.
If you are in your 30s, retinol is your best friend if you want to keep wrinkles, fine lines, acne and hyperpigmentation at bay. After years of buying pharmaceutical grade retinol, I tried the 0.1% strength retinol from @reequil
Can you reverse endometriosis with veganism?
The vaccine is the most effective way of preventing cervical cancer. It has a success rate of 90% and is highly effective.

Facebook

Facebook

Archives

  • September 2022 (1)
  • August 2022 (3)
  • July 2022 (1)
  • May 2022 (1)
  • April 2022 (1)
  • March 2022 (2)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (2)
  • December 2021 (4)
  • November 2021 (3)
  • October 2021 (4)
  • September 2021 (4)
  • August 2021 (4)
  • July 2021 (5)
  • June 2021 (5)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (5)
  • March 2021 (3)
  • February 2021 (5)
  • January 2021 (8)
  • December 2020 (12)
  • November 2020 (17)
  • October 2020 (10)

Advertisements

February 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
« Jan   Mar »
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
Secondary navigation
  • Search

Post navigation

Is napping good for health?
Can you survive on potatoes & butter alone?

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: