Hi Lavanya
This is a wonderful thing - that women should exercise choice and stop watching shows that commodify women.
Its difficult to have such a strong reaction impromptu but yes there should be some attempt to reject it.
But actually exercising this choice is tough for even educated women. Most of us on this forum agree the show is disgusting in its portrayal of Jodha yet we still keep up with the show in some form and discuss it endlessly.
Yes it is tough for those who are habituated or addicted. I have stopped watching post the baby blame as I found it repulsive and deploring. How can you dishonour motherhood? Yes today TV is the most common and acceptable medium for entertainment for women then precisely for this reason the content should be appreciated by them and not despised. But its just matter of switching the channel and unless this power is exercised there will not be the desired result.
When we are in this state, how can we sit in judgment over countless middle class housewives who can see themselves in the new doormat version of Jodha and watch the show in anticipation of what she will ultimately do and if she will ever be able to break the shackles.
No, not watching a serial is not a bad state, in fact the men would be very happy😆😆.
I am not judging the housewives but yes if the TRP meter houses have this privilege that whatever they watch is shoved down other viewers ( Non meter houses) then well they need to be discerning and more cautious.
In this thread or another one, I had posted a study done by one of the leading features magazine and in that women said that there is lack of content on TV and they too are bored of it. Hence whatever comes they watch it and pass away the time. I suspect they are even really bothered about the treatment part. Perhaps they take it as drama.
Second, what is the alternative they have? Yes, some shows portray women differently. But not all shows appeal to all cross-sections. I think the reason why bold women centred shows do not do as well as shows that show weak, helpless women is because women feel guilty of being self-sufficient and equal to or superior to the men in their lives. I know examples of educated women from my family and friends circle who feel guilty of doing better than their husbands professionally or even being better than their husbands in some common area of interest. Women may find it easier to accept Jodha as being a submissive wife than one who can advise Akbar the Great himself because this portrayal does not rock the boat and does not raise disturbing questions about their own choices in their personal lives.
There is NO show which portrays differently, its all same- centrally its the subjugation of women. I am not watching it but I can still bet on it that by default all shows will have a woman getting married and how her husband hates her or her mother in law hates her, conspiracies to separate the duo and yes battle for property😆 and consummation thrown in before and after separation. Next children who will grow up in a couple of episodes and back to shaadi again. This cycle goes on endlessly. Aren't their women who are scientists, chartered accountants, politicians, researchers, doctors, engineers, teachers and so on. Do they not have husband, children? Is there either /or?I have women colleagues who are engineers and are doing better than their husband's but they don't feel guilt neither does their spouse make them feel so. I guess these are more liberal times. Infact one of my very close friend is a gynaecologist and her husband is also a doctor but she is doing very well and getting acknowledged at state level and national level medical associations. I would say its trail of their personality may be conditioning. I would say the women I have met don't take lightly the portrayal of Jodha and some had even stopped watching the show since the return of Jodha from Amer- once they made her subservient to Ruq. Most have stopped watching after the abominable baby blame🤢🤢. Also women in villages are not as weak as portrayed in shows some infact do beat their husband's if they come back heavily drunk 😆. Our ex maid is a strong no nonsense woman and no one dare mess with her. 😆 This is not to negate that yes there is crime against women and they are abused.
On the content part, its less to do with the women viewers and more with the writers who for lack of competence and creativity simply write about shaadi and bachche. Its easy to do that. Isn't it? Isn't there more to life than this?
In fact, on this very forum, I still remember, Jodha was mocked at for being strong and standing up to Jalal or advising him in a crisis. Which means that even educated women have a problem accepting a strong woman. Then how can we judge the TRP Aunties? Who do not have the time or interest to ponder over whether Jodha is being commodified and whether they are harming their own self-interest by watching such a portrayal. Most women simply want to be entertained and see women who are like them. They forget the show after they switch off the TV.
It is unfortunate that a strong characterisation of a woman is ridiculed by few. Perhaps that's why mind sets need to be changed. Moreover look at the larger population who has appreciated the strong Jodha and that's why the high TRPs. Coming to TRP meter houses well till they control others viewing they have to share the blame.
Actually most women do feel bad but they don't know the mechanism to address it. They do discuss the show story at gatherings😆😆 and yes the dresses and jewellery. They don't forget the show, they remember the story😆 and share with those who missed it.
I agree with you mindsets have to be changed. But that will take a long time. Because we see that even education and urbanization and exposure to western notions of feminism and equality of genders has not sensitized women to the need to protest against their negative portrayal on the small screen.
Yes change is inevitable and uncomfortable. It needs to start, it may jump start or may not. Important is that it at least begins. I won't say western notion of feminism but look at Indian history itself -more than thousands of years back we had pretty much equal rights for women. But then as we evolve don't we progress?
Adding here education is empowering and its a must for women.
And before women protest against what they see on screen, they have to protest against their commodification in real life. Only a woman who can assert herself (I mean, positively assert herself and not aggressively ride rough-shod over men) in real life can also understand that the portrayal of a heroine is incorrect and that she needs to protest by rejecting that heroine and the show.
Commodification is a serious issue which can go away only when the demand is reduced and that seems improbable.
The government has to do much more to sensitize women and raise awareness about their own value instead of just mouthing platitudes to "freedom of choice" and expecting women brain-washed by aeons of tradition to suddenly boycott a show that is hardly different from their own reality.
The minister pointed out to the double edged sword, damned if they do and damned if they don't😆😆 If Govt does not do anything, then there are complains for inefficiency and when they do interfere then its moral policing. I believe more than Govt, its the women themselves who need to have self respect and that they are humans who have right to be happy and have a dream.
