Is Ranveer appropriating queer culture? - Page 10

Originally posted by: atominis

Increase fanbase would be to score brownie points among LGBTQIA groups, woke youth, global progressive audience, progressive or woke diaspora.

I am not saying entire LGTBQIA fanbase is up in arms against him.

I just said there is a section among them who fins him debatable.

He has incited DEBATE in sexual minority community.

In a country where there is already stigma against sexual minorities, it is not fair to show them as villains and evil lustbag.

Indian pop culture has always shown non cis het people as either comic caricatures or villains and something 'not normal'.

Imagine playing only one bisexual character all life and that too is an evil invader lusty villain with no ethics.

Yet dressing a certain way and then your PR goes on praising you for challenging heteronormativity and redefining masculinity.

Wah.

Manoj Bajpai and Rajkumar Rao atleast played normal and relatable gay characters who are neither criminals, ghosts or into black magic or possessed by spirits nor perverts or murderers or child kidnappers etc unlike others who have done either comic or villainous characters belonging to sexual minorities background.

I am just asking. I am not speaking on behalf of queer community.

I saw their discussions elsewhere, so thought of asking here.

For perspective.

What others think or what is their view on this.

I personally sort of agree with that section of queer, gay, bisexual, trans community that is fed up of their appropriation and being reduced to an aesthetic and likes of RS and Ayushmaan using their community for furthering own image or appearing woke or progressive or revolutionary.

They want to be noticed for what they are and want own representation. They are fed up of cis het ones taking up their space.

I have seen campaigns like Yes we Exist India, almost relentless in their calling out BW and Indian pop culture, celebs etc. They opposed Sushmita Sen placing trans character in her next project.

While I understand business part of taking a more popular star, I also understand if a section of community feels irked at someone merely dressing a certain way and being hailed for breaking norms blah blah.

Ranveer in particular, stands out because he has never played LGBTQIA characters at all. Except a bisexual villain in Padmavat which was criticised for promoting worst stereotypes about Muslims and bisexual people, back when film released.

Yet he dresses and accessorises a certain way hoping to pass off as someone who redefined masculinity or promotes gender fluidity.

Originally posted by: atominis

A LOT of people totally hate their culture being used as commodity or symbol.

For eg there is a HUGE issue among Sikhs if people wear turban, kada, carry kirpan or sport Khanda symbol for the heck of it or sport Khanda or Ik Onkar tattoos. It is considered disrespect and cultural appropriation. Jacqueline Fernandez wearing kirpan in an item song and dancing with Nihangs in background had created furore some years ago.

I have also seen a lot of religious Hindus dislike if someone wears sindoor or bindi or toe rings or alta, mehendi for heck of it without realising their significance for married Hindu women. They also do not like anyone chanting any mantra and believe one should be initiated to chant a certain mantra or chant only under guidance of a guru.

I had met a Tibetan couple in Dharamshala few years ago and they asked us to do our own prayers and rituals and did not even like us asking about their mantras or sacred symbols or art, artefacts or prayer wheels etc. I was genuinely interested and curious but the couple seemed to be offended why I and my parents even asked them anything about their prayer flags and prayer wheels or mantras.

I have also seen some conservative Christians dislike non Christians celebrating X Mas or attending Midnight Mass or coming to Church especially during Sunday sermons. They glared at me and my Sikh cousin who had simply accompanied our Christian classmate. We did nothing. We tried out best to look respectful and do nothing that hurts sentiments. But some people simply stared at us as if we should not have visited church at all.

Even among Sikhs, for eg, depending on sect, you will find people who do not tolerate it at all if someone else wears dumalla type turban without belonging to that sect.

I have seen a lot of diaspora people irked if foreigners wear bindi or saree or sindoor or chooda as fashion accessory or fancy dress. They find it cultural appropriation and reducing their symbols to fashion or something fancy.

Originally posted by: atominis

They want to see something that is atleast not caricaturing and stereotyping them.

Is it too much to ask for?

On one of the american soaps I watch there was a Lawyer character who was a closeted gay. An to keep his secret he started murdering some people. Is that the storyline people wanna see ?

You are the one dragging unrelated topics like Bajirao.

Lulz. Where did Bajirao come in this?

And how can one quantify fan numbers?

Or provide exact stats of number of fans?

You are confusing it yourself with such responses.

It is not about whitewashing Khilji.

But double standards how he has never ever played a normal (non villain, everyday person) character from sexual minority community, at all. Yet he and a section of his PR project him as some icon challenging heteronormativity, subverting traditional masculinity or being an LGTBQIA ally. Or claim he is a queer icon and has huge fan following among sexual minorities.

Dress a certain way. To appear an ally. But never do positive LGBTQIA characters and the only bi character you played was an evil ruthless invader?

Double standards for sure and using mere aesthetic of a community to appear progressive or modern or woke.

Originally posted by: atominis

I am just asking. I am not speaking on behalf of queer community.

I saw their discussions elsewhere, so thought of asking here.

Can you please share links to these discussions by the queer community? I am aware of cishet men bashing Ranveer when he subverts masculinity. But I have not heard significant concerns from gay or bi men.

Originally posted by: atominis

They want to be noticed for what they are and want own representation. They are fed up of cis het ones taking up their space.

Here you are paraphrasing what LGBTQ feel and want then claim to not speak on behalf of them. 😕

Originally posted by: atominis

I have seen campaigns like Yes we Exist India, almost relentless in their calling out BW and Indian pop culture, celebs etc. They opposed Sushmita Sen placing trans character in her next project.

It would be better if you link or cite sources when you make statements.

There is a lot more nuance. Not all queer folks agree on the issues. A cis woman like Sushmita Sen would obviously never be transwoman. But we have no way of knowing of how Ranveer perceives his own sexuality or masculinity.

Originally posted by: atominis

Yet he dresses and accessorises a certain way hoping to pass off as someone who redefined masculinity or promotes gender fluidity.

By dressing the way he dresses and acting the way he does he IS SOMEONE who subverts masculinity and promotes gender fluidity. He has never flinched flirting with other men and has been very gracious whenever he's been the butt of gay jokes. He's never given a damn about what people think about his clothes or fashion sense and wears whatever he wants.

I have been one of the most historically vocal people on this forum who has trashed Ranveer's fashion. But never have I felt he was trying to pass off as something. He is extra, he dresses extra.

For some reason, Question by TS popped into my head replying to this thread. 😆

"Can I ask you a question?

Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room

And every single one of your friends was

Making fun of you

But 15 seconds later they were clapping too?

Then what did you do?

Did you leave her house in the middle of the night?

Did you wish you'd put up more of a fight?

When she said it was too much?

Do you wish you could still touch ...her?

It's just a question"

Those Sikhs get slammed by traditional and older, orthodox Sikhs.

Mandira Bedi was trashed for her Ik Onkar tattoo at back of her neck.

All Sikh sites and orgs went after her.

Gul Panag was slammed for saying on TV that she is a Sikh but she cuts her hair and thinks cutting her hair does not make her any less of a Sikh.

Diljit Dosanjh got slammed for trimming his beard and wearing a cap in some video online some years ago.

Gulzar gets hate from traditional Sikhs for cutting his hair and shaving his beard. No one accepts him as a Sikh achiever.

Harnaaz Sandhu also got hate from traditional Sikhs for cutting and trimming her hair, not using Kaur in name.

Taapsee Pannu gets trolled all the time for cutting her hair, being in relation with a foreigner, doing films like Manmarziyan which showed Sikhs smoking or have affair. Arjun Kapoor had to fight trolls on Twitter for her after she got threats to beat her up during Manmarziyan controversy.

Late Khushwant Singh used to hate threats and hatemail all the time and had cases against him for writing sardar jokes.

There is always SGPC and others taking offense. You know it.

Endless cases, controversies and online brouhaha over Sikh symbols, tattoos or how Sikhs or their symbols are shown.

I have seen a lot of Hindus of late also take offense at how their symbols are used or shown.

Happens a lot abroad and increasingly in India also, ever since internet came up. All bond over how their faith is represented. Or symbols are used.

Religion is specifically most volatile and people are possessive and particular about how their faith is represented or talked of.

Originally posted by: atominis

If that was so I would be anti LGBTQIA as most boomers are.

Your comeback still stands as invalid and lame.

Look at debate RS incited on Instagram. You are gonna call them boomers? Those are pages which are run by progressive youth or have that demographic as followers.

They are far from boomers or boomer type mindset.

Originally posted by: atominis

You are the one dragging unrelated topics like Bajirao.

Lulz. Where did Bajirao come in this?

And how can one quantify fan numbers?

Or provide exact stats of number of fans?

You are confusing it yourself with such responses.

It is not about whitewashing Khilji.

But double standards how he has never ever played a normal (non villain, everyday person) character from sexual minority community, at all. Yet he and a section of his PR project him as some icon challenging heteronormativity, subverting traditional masculinity or being an LGTBQIA ally. Or claim he is a queer icon and has huge fan following among sexual minorities.

Dress a certain way. To appear an ally. But never do positive LGBTQIA characters and the only bi character you played was an evil ruthless invader?

Double standards for sure and using mere aesthetic of a community to appear progressive or modern or woke.