Posted:
Hey everyone!
So a few of us have been very disturbed by this sudden social-campaigning used to gloss over other important issues. This is not only because of what happens to a character who is involved in the raising of such an issue only and what it does to the character sketch (Development seems to be too heavy a word for Mukti); but also because an issue such as this has been flattened and trivialised and completely decontextualised.
Here are a few points off the top of my head, and I needed to share them with people on this forum.
1. If women such as Nandini and Navya (who are more comfortable in certain clothes) suddenly have to change their appearance to make a 'feminist' point; then that point is made in terms of a vocabulary and understanding that is made and maintained by men.
Not only does it flatten the violence ( physical, emotional, mental) against women; it also dismisses the realm of 'romantic' relationships and issues like consent and reduces them only to a matter of clothing, which can be taken off and put on at any point. Then, this issue is completely isolated from many other processes that also contribute to said violence.
2. The 'campaign' was restricted to a bar, and came out of 'revenge' for one's friend. Not only was there a conflation of 'we'll teach them a lesson' and 'it's my choice'; it also completely dismissed the point that: IT WAS MUKTI's CHOICE. SHE CHOSE to do what she did. ONLY when she lost control did this became a broader 'movement'.
3. There was NO sensitivity about the terms that were thrown around: HOT? CHICKS?
Commodifying women is not helping ANYTHING even IF said women are called those things as endearment or are consenting to it. THAT makes it a matter of individual choice and shows hypocrisy on multiple levels, one of which is again: If you legitimate the use of certain terms and items of clothing, then you cannot suddenly make pass off your insults as a feminist movement, which has a certain context, which yours CLEARLY WASN'T.
4. I won't even GET into the publicity gimmick of this.
5. Ditto about the political ramifications and why certain politicians invest in certain movements and representations of women.
This is not a rant; this is me being very concerned about how not only women, but also men, and social issues are being depicted( superficially).
I am happy MTV wants to do this, but it can be done in a more nuanced way.
I STILL am a MaNan fan. This is MORE general than specific to this show, but obviously since it came from the show's portrayal, there are no clear lines.
peace
Geet
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