Last night I had a nightmare that a taxi driver attempted to molest me. Blame it on all the reading I did last night. A blog post that sadly rings true for probably every woman living in India. Angry twitter updates from Bollywood giving commentary and gyaan on the recent rape case in Mumbai. Facebook status messages.
This narrative that my brain conjured up in my sleep is a reality for millions of women every single day in this country. It has been a reality for me several times and unfortunately, I have little hope that it will never happen again.
Is there a solution? Will there be no end to this violation of women at every turn?
Whenever an unfortunate incident happens, we the people take up to the streets and demand that the government do something. Stricter punishment for rape cases! Faster trials! Increased security!
And then there's Bollywood. All enraged and tweeting as fast as their fingers can type.
Objectification of women may not have been the brain-child of Bollywood, but they sure have taken it to new heights. It seems a movie can't be complete without an "item number" where women are shown as sex objects, to be ogled at and lusted at. And of course there's the ad-world complimenting the whole fiasco. Apparently no ad-maker can thing of a more creative way to sell ice-cream than to show a close up shot of the cream slowly and sensually dripping down the luscious pouty lips of a super-model. And of course there's clearly no other way to sell a deodorant without showing sex-crazed women in bikinis running towards six-abed man on deserted island using said deodorant.
So when things like this happen, I'm sorry, until you can take a little responsibility yourself, your whining on twitter and complaining about the irresponsibility of the government sounds a tad bit hypocritical. The government is not doing anything. We all know that. But what are you doing?
What are we doing as a society? Why do we support these movies and these item-songs and write it off as harmless fun? Why do we tolerate ads that show women in demeaning ways, as objects to be acquired? Why don't we take a stand and realise that our choices in the things we buy, the movies we watch, the places we work do have an impact?
We're all crying murder. We all have our stones ready to throw at the accused as if our own hands are perfectly clean. Are they really?
This narrative that my brain conjured up in my sleep is a reality for millions of women every single day in this country. It has been a reality for me several times and unfortunately, I have little hope that it will never happen again.
Is there a solution? Will there be no end to this violation of women at every turn?
Whenever an unfortunate incident happens, we the people take up to the streets and demand that the government do something. Stricter punishment for rape cases! Faster trials! Increased security!
And then there's Bollywood. All enraged and tweeting as fast as their fingers can type.
"I'm appalled!" says Sonam Kapoor
"I feel ashamed" says Karan Johar
"It's the uneducated, misinformed section of our society who have skewed ideas of masculinity," says Alia Bhat
"Aaaarrggghh! I hate what we've become! We sit around while politicians do nothing to protect women! Has India's youth become so helpless?" says Vishal Dadlani
"So now what do we do take candles & crowds & walk the streets & sign petitions again in protest and plead for our safety.. WHAT?!" says Sandhya MridulThe great Shah Rukh Khan uses big words like "objectification":
"Punishing those responsible for this heinous crime is 1 part of the deterrent. The 2nd, far greater deterrent is to change our own mindsets. To educate our boys in a manner that the respect for women becomes implicit in their natures and they begin to understand that the objectification of women is equally disrespectful to their so called manhood as it is to the women they objectify."Okay, SERIOUSLY?!?!?! You are talking about the objectification of women?!?!!?? Ha ha ha.
Objectification of women may not have been the brain-child of Bollywood, but they sure have taken it to new heights. It seems a movie can't be complete without an "item number" where women are shown as sex objects, to be ogled at and lusted at. And of course there's the ad-world complimenting the whole fiasco. Apparently no ad-maker can thing of a more creative way to sell ice-cream than to show a close up shot of the cream slowly and sensually dripping down the luscious pouty lips of a super-model. And of course there's clearly no other way to sell a deodorant without showing sex-crazed women in bikinis running towards six-abed man on deserted island using said deodorant.
So when things like this happen, I'm sorry, until you can take a little responsibility yourself, your whining on twitter and complaining about the irresponsibility of the government sounds a tad bit hypocritical. The government is not doing anything. We all know that. But what are you doing?
What are we doing as a society? Why do we support these movies and these item-songs and write it off as harmless fun? Why do we tolerate ads that show women in demeaning ways, as objects to be acquired? Why don't we take a stand and realise that our choices in the things we buy, the movies we watch, the places we work do have an impact?
We're all crying murder. We all have our stones ready to throw at the accused as if our own hands are perfectly clean. Are they really?
2 comments:
Well said and yet there is no solution. The ad-makers and movie makers are at fault but so are the women who are willing to play into the hands of these 'creative' experts. The best way to stand up to any form of corruption is to refuse to be corrupt, corruptible. The moment we give in to corruption in any form by allowing it to happen to us, around us or in our knowledge we become part of it! It is not up to the leaders, celebrities or men anymore - it is up to us women - in every walk of life - to be the deterrent! Learn martial arts and self defense, carry mace and chiili powder, do whatever it takes to protect ourselves now but fight the system in the meantime. Lynch the men in the house for watching item numbers and staring at women at the same time teaching them all about self respect! Explain to women why it is important to not cover up for the men in their lives like the grand mother who is supporting her criminal grandson as the demigod of her life! uuugghhh
Amen and amen! It's this hypocrisy that has astounded me for a long time. I really don't understand the choices WOMEN in the film industry make sometimes. This is the most confusing part to me.
But now the real question: What will I do?? That's the tough part.
Thanks for this Tina. I'm sharing.
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