Posted:
That was so weird that he kept asking about the pronunciation of misogyny. Even though he was polite and thoughtful it came across as very patronizing.
To be honest, the fact that Ranbir Kapoor is playing Sanju makes me question his value stance on misogyny. Sanjay Dutt is a problematic character who used women for a very long time in his life. But I will have to see how the film treats it. Same with the Luv Ranjan film. Many people don't think its misogyny but a funny depiction of how women actually behave. But I'll have to see if the Ranbir Kapoor film is any different.
Not just male actors, men, in general, tend to struggle to discuss misogyny or pay parity. It does not always come from a place of malice. It is a mix of social conditioning and experiences. They have not been in a place of oppression to truly understand and speak about it. It is the same reason why white people struggle to talk about race relations or rich people struggle to talk about minimum wage or labor rights.
Coming to Bollywood men, most big names nowadays are from a very privileged background. I don't think we will see them check their privilege anytime soon. On the contrary they are trying to show they are not as privileged as people think.
Most men who speak up about misogyny and pay parity are heavily influenced by women in their lives. Anthony Bourdain (RIP), John Legend and Benedict Cumberbatch were strongly influenced by their significant others. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Mark Ruffallo are influenced by their moms. One exception would be Patrick Stewart whos been influenced by his BFF Ian McKellan who understands the struggle of minorities trying to gain legitimacy.
The most outspoken and influential woman in Ranbir's family is perhaps Kareena, but she wants to distance herself from the term "feminism". Plus she is highly privileged herself.
The most outspoken and influential woman in Ranbir's family is perhaps Kareena, but she wants to distance herself from the term "feminism". Plus she is highly privileged herself.
The two most outspoken women in Bollywood are Kangana Ranaut and Sonam Kapoor. One is a pariah now and the other is rarely taken seriously.
The other challenge is Indian society makes it much more difficult for women to influence men. Indian patriarchy today is still where the United States was in the fifties. It will take a while before it catches up. To Indias credit, its progress has been at a faster pace than the west.
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