( All Pictures Courtesy : Colors )
I want to express my exasperation, discomfort and absolute helplessness as I am addicted to a reality show in India called Big Boss(Indian Version of Big Brother) which is in its 14th season. I expected some light entertainment but the show has slowly become a platform to facilitate toxic mentality, blatant misogyny and woman shaming. I am a victim of the show and as much as I regret watching it, I am unable to cut all ties with it. It is damaging my mental health and I am feeling extremely guilty of not being able to remedy the situation.
I shudder at the thought of the existence of the nameless and faceless people working for the production house who are unashamedly targeting a poor woman, only because she refuses to be timid, shy and an under-confident porcelain showpiece which is the terrestrial expectation from her. Her confidence is her ornament which should have been lauded and celebrated in an ideal world, instead she is constantly harassed and demonized for exuding the same. In a nation where there is glaring inequality when it comes to men and women, a reality show which is widely watched across the country is spreading a dangerous message which has the ability to further accentuate the theory that "Men have a free pass to be arrogant, rude and violent" but the women should shut their mouths and act cute. According to the show makers, women do not have liberty to say No to coercive advances from men,instead they are criticized for having an objection.Moreover,Women should not make any hand gestures ☝as its too rude, Women should not come too close to men to express their opinion but the same can be done by the opposite sex. It is extremely unsettling and I have no idea how to deal with this.
Without delaying , I want to jump into the issue and raise the topic of Hi-5 👏 between two popular contestants of Big Boss Season 14 Rubina Dilaik and Eijaz Khan as its giving me sleepless nights. For the uninformed, there are numerous fights in the Big Boss House and I am referring to one such fight where Rubina raised her hand ✋ to win an argument against Eijaz Khan.What Eijaz did next was an act of blatant sexism and arrogance, he came forward and clapped the hand of Rubina. My jaws dropped the very moment it happened as I was tuned in to the 24*7 Life Feed . I was aghast at the audacity and impudence because it was an explicit violation of personal space irrespective of gender. Rubina being too shocked at what happened backed off ,broke down into tears but at the same time she did not want to garner sympathy by playing a woman card. If she wanted she could have shouted from the rooftops and make this issue huge but she did not! My respect for her doubled but I am sure even she would not have imagined in her worst nightmare that during the weekend when the host comes and tries to guide the housemates , this ghastly issue would go in favor of the perpetrator and she would be the one shamed and blamed for raising her hand in the first place! According to the host who just goes by the script from the makers, it is Rubina who should draw a line, it is Rubina who should not make any hand gestures to stop nonsensical attacks from the opposite sex, it is Rubina who should BEHAVE! What about Eijaz Khan? Well, the generous host took his side and said " The Boys are Right " ! By the boys he meant the Bully Gang Members , Chameleonic Aly Goni and pesky Rahul Vaidya whose existence on the show is only about disparaging Rubina. So, the three men ganged up on her as she is a woman who does not shy away from expressing her point of views. Two weeks back the same Rubina was dissed by the host for showing her pinky finger to a rowdy female contestant who was targeting her. So when it comes to women on the show, they can not use ✋ or ☝ but the men can come close to a woman's face, threaten them physically, clap their hands without consent, give them the choicest of abuses. Why? Because they are men and "Aggression looks good on Men". I would have been okay if the show makers allowed both the sexes to display equal aggression but the selective criticism of women for being confident and outspoken is torturous to watch.
2 years back we had the revolutionary Me too Movement where many women expressed how they were harassed at their workplaces or in public transport or even worse, inside their homes! I am sure the show makers have educated people in their team including women, are they not aware of the fact that "No Means No? ", if Rubina has problem with Eijaz for touching her hand, even if its for a forced clapping on hand then it is a clear No. It is an act of intimidation which should have been censured. The Show Makers had a wonderful opportunity to spread the correct message to the society but they failed miserably and how!
Coming back to the horrendous episodes, it is entertaining to see the bruised egos of the affected men show up on their perplexed faces as they just don't know how to handle a strong woman. The men have adopted various tools from time to time to put her down, for example, her straight forwardness has been deemed Arrogance('Ghamand') and she has been bashed mercilessly for having "Superiority Complex". Such insecurity is laughable to watch but with the passage of time it has taken an ugly shape . Now, the show is all about putting her down, for example, there's no track of Rahul Vaidya for which he deserves to be on the show for the second time after making a voluntary exit. He literally wakes up in the morning and does Rubina Jaap with an invisible rosary in his hand. His daily routine includes observing her closely and pointing out her mistakes and making a mountain out of a molehill. He has No Game, No individuality and most importantly, No personality to stand on his own feet. He is a part of a gang whose only target is to snatch the trophy from Rubina. In an attempt to do so, they have crossed all limits.
In a recent episode, Rahul drags Rubina's troubled marriage with Abhinav Shukla only to irk her. Of course, being a "Mard" as he calls himself 👤 and with the show maker's encouragement, he has every right to do whatever he wants, say whatever he wants. When Rubina came to defend her husband, she slipped and lost her balance and her hand reached out to Rahul who was standing in front of him. The shameless man that he is, Rahul magnified the issue and started crying foul about being subjected to physical violence. It is extremely funny if you think about it but his hyperactive PR team outside (busy in Rigging Polls on Social Media and Begging for Support from Ex Contestant Fans) is legit making it an issue to garner sympathy from our naïve audience who are susceptible to buying false narratives. I am sure the host would come during the weekend and bash Rubina for losing her balance! Of course, she does not have the right to lose her balance also, after all in the toxic big boss world, a woman is supposed to put on a smile and just look pretty and the men should call out the shots! By the way, Rahul Vaidya also showed his middle finger during the verbal fight but I am sure even that will be brushed under the carpet. Also note, the same Rahul Vaidya who is crying because Rubina lost her balance and touched him had no issues with Eijaz touching her. Hypocrisy at its peak.
Such toxicity, inequality and gender bias is absolutely abominable to watch but like I said earlier, I am addicted, I want some suggestions from the readers , please let me know how to quit this shit show which is damaging the youth of our country by spreading a harmful message. Tomorrow, I won't be surprised if a Rahul Fan calls her sister 'nalli'( a derogatory word born out of insecurity) or an Eijaz Khan fan claps the hand of a woman in public, their retort would be "Big Boss mein Dekha tha, Boys are always right".
https://mindlesslotuseater.blogspot.com/2021/01/watching-big-boss-14-is-detrimental-for.html
Cricket
