HD perpetuating another stereotype?

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jjkg

@jjkg

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Posted: 13 years ago

"Strong women can only have "weak" men as partners to have successful relationship"😡😡

For many viewers and IF members, Rishi is a weak man, not a man's man, but a weak, effeminate loser. Appearances aside, his stunned silence, mute defence, meekly accepting beating or berating heaped at him when pushed into a corner cement this impression. His slave like devotion for Indira does not help matters either. Indira on the other hand has lot of anger, does not hesitate to decimate other people's egos, prefers blunt and sometimes brute force rather than subtleties. Thus a strong woman can only be coupled with "weak man".

Sameer and Munna are portrayed as macho, man's man type of characters. Upon slightest slight to their ego, they do not think for a second before launching a devastating counter-attack. No one should ever get the better of them, no matter how wrong they are. Can you imagine Munna or Sameer accepting the beating that Rishi took?

By overtly emphasizing these differences in the male characters, the powers-to-be at HD are perpetuating the insidious stereotype, especially for casual viewers. Tragedy is, in our real life to men like Sameer are thought to be strong men. In US 2000, 2004 and even 2008 elections, the dem candidates were successfully portrayed as sissies and GW Bush as a manly man.

Yet if one looks below the surface, we find that the so called macho men are the weak ones. Sameer has not displayed one single characteristic that can be labelled as strong. Even his ruthless tactics of beating people up into selling him their land is an act of a weak man - a weak man who failed to use power of persuasion to put a winning deal in front of the property owners. Ruthlessness, in itself, is not a bad thing. It becomes bad when it is in pursuit of selfish goals which hurt other people.

I wish CVs had chosen to handle the outing of Rishi's two secrets with much more finesse. Being mute and slack-jawed, accepting his beating did not gain him many admirers. The fact that he showed so much inner strength to pick himself up immediately, forget his own hurt, and go back in service of Vidith and Indira, is lost on viewers who do not hold him in high esteem. Sometimes viewers need to be hit with a 2x4 on the head. Thus Ricki is in desperate need of some in-your-face heroism as well as worldly success. Otherwise he will firmly secure his place in the sissy heroes hall of fame!

I am rambling here. Hence will stop

Edited by jjkg - 13 years ago

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bookworm-ALS--

@bookworm-ALS--

Stunner

+ 3

Posted: 13 years ago

I absolutely agree with you! Mostly men are shown as macho and arrogant types,esp heroes, but that hardly means all good men have to be like that. Rishi has a laid-back attitude, but it's perfect for a girl like Indira. They say opposites attract...after all.
I really like the logic behind your post!

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The.Lannister

@The.Lannister

Stunner

+ 7

Posted: 13 years ago

Originally posted by: jjkg
"Strong women can only have "weak" men as partners to have successful relationship"😡😡

For many viewers and IF members, Rishi is a weak man, not a man's man, but a weak, effeminate loser. Appearances aside, his stunned silence, mute defence, meekly accepting beating or berating heaped at him when pushed into a corner cement this impression. His slave like devotion for Indira does not help matters either. Indira on the other hand has lot of anger, does not hesitate to decimate other people's egos, prefers blunt and sometimes brute force rather than subtleties. Thus a strong woman can only be coupled with "weak man".

Sameer and Munna are portrayed as macho, man's man type of characters. Upon slightest slight to their ego, they do not think for a second before launching a devastating counter-attack. No one should ever get the better of them, no matter how wrong they are. Can you imagine Munna or Sameer accepting the beating that Rishi took?

By overtly emphasizing these differences in the male characters, the powers-to-be at HD are perpetuating the insidious stereotype, especially for casual viewers. Tragedy is, in our real life to men like Sameer are thought to be strong men. In US 2000, 2004 and even 2008 elections, the dem candidates were successfully portrayed as sissies and GW Bush as a manly man.

Yet if one looks below the surface, we find that the so called macho men are the weak ones. Sameer has not displayed one single characteristic that can be labelled as strong. Even his ruthless tactics of beating people up into selling him their land is an act of a weak man - a weak man who failed to use power of persuasion to put a winning deal in front of the property owners. Ruthlessness, in itself, is not a bad thing. It becomes bad when it is in pursuit of selfish goals which hurt other people.

I wish CVs had chosen to handle the outing of Rishi's two secrets with much more finesse. Being mute and slack-jawed, accepting his beating did not gain him many admirers. The fact that he showed so much inner strength to pick himself up immediately, forget his own hurt, and go back in service of Vidith and Indira, is lost on viewers who do not hold him in high esteem. Sometimes viewers need to be hit with a 2x4 on the head. Thus Ricki is in desperate need of some in-your-face heroism as well as worldly success. Otherwise he will firmly secure his place in the sissy heroes hall of fame!

I am rambling here. Hence will stop

completely agree with the bold part.

rishis character has been handled most carelessly in the serial. his was an author backed role! but now they have turned him into some romeo who can think of nothing else other than his lady love. as u said, some in-ur-face heroism is absolutely needed at this stage for rishi. n it need not be kicks & punches...it cud be some clever, intelligent moves on his part which will keep certain people like sam, simi, sharmas on their toes. till now he has always been on the defensive...now i want him to attack! although machismo is an over rated issue sometimes it is needed to silence people once & for all & gain back lost respect

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esha

@blueocean_787

Sparkler

+ 3

Posted: 13 years ago

Totally agree!!! Since INDIRA is HITLER DIDI, so her romeo is a weak guy.

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hrsriks

@hrsriks

Explorer

Posted: 13 years ago

100% agree with you.. Infact I mentioned this on another topic on how he is a little "dumb"..:-(

My initial reaction on seeing him getting clobbered was anger. Anger, not on Sameer or Munna but anger on Rishi because I wanted him to get up, give them back a little bit and then take authority over Indira. I wanted him to drag her by her hand (for a change) and explain to her what exactly had happened...

He cut a sorry figure (as usual) and it was very hard to take...You tend to like a nice guy but in Rishi's case he has been too nice.. too timid... almost like a hapless sheep...😕

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bookworm-ALS--

@bookworm-ALS--

Stunner

+ 3

Posted: 13 years ago

@TM, sorry for spamming,my mob's playing up

Edited by bookworm-ALS-- - 13 years ago

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@twila

Dazzler

+ 3

Posted: 13 years ago

Hey jjkg !!

As always Great to read your Thoughts... Entirely agree with your views... with just a slight degree of differrence about Rishi's perceived Weaknesses. 😊

Rishi...as shown in the initial months of the Show is a not only a Very Warm... Caring...Good Hearted person ( i do not need to go into all those times when he helped Indu , Ishaan , Mandira , Munna Bhaisaheb and so on ... ) he is also an Intelligent Character... and on top of that he is "Smart " ... Street Smart ( In fact it was this that made all of us sit up and take greater notice of him and that is what has made him Special )... a person who realises that while being Jovial and Charming and Funny does endear one to the people at large... but if and when needed he was ready to take on people on their own terms ... See how he never gave in meekly to Indu's Hitlergiri and always not only Stood upto her but in fact gave her back in Good and Equal measure ( giving us all those Lovely scenes of NOK - jHONK b/w the two in the initial days ) 😊

and he knows that when it comes to dealing with the " Bad Ones " ... you have to give back " as Good as you Get " ... the Saving of SN by not only willing to going in for a False deal ...but also Convincing Indu for the same by his reasoned and Logical arguments that sometimes in life you have to make these Choices for the Greater Good , is a prime example of that trait...similarly his dialogues with Jhumpa ... the Clicking of the pic of Inder and Jhumpa ... making Indu realise the true plans of Inder and Jhumpa ...all these are instances of his Knowing that " Jaise ko Taisa... " is the way of life ...

Similarly in all his encounters with Sameer , he has always been shown to be the Smarter one... be it the receiving of that Puppy at the Airport 😊 ... be it the " KITE Encounter " and so on...

it is only with the last Marriage track that we have felt Disappointed with the way the CVs have shown him to be Silent and Meek at the time of the revelation of Vidith's Truth ... Here my take is that the CVs are trying to show that he has been stunned into Silence and Inaction due to his knowledge of the Impact of this Revelation on Indu... his knowledge of the signifiacnce of Vidith in indu's life...the Intensityof the Love and Care he has for Indu in his Heart seems to have sort of Immobilized him at the time of this Shattering Blow that has befallen Indu as well as him ... Of course this is Coupled with the fact that he knows that he is in the Wrong here ... he knows that he has been hiding this All Important Truth from Indu all this while and in his Heart he has always been Unsure of whether Indu will be able to Forgive him even after knowing the Truth... So it seems to be the Sheer Magnitude of this " Secret " that the CVs seem to be trying to Impress upon the Viewers by this seemingly Meek portrayal of Rishi ...

of Course the CVs should not have been soo Over Dramatic ... that Horrible Beating sequence was soo not needed ... just like that Jail Beating scene of Indu was Totally Unnecessary ... God only knows why the CVs seem to have fallen for these Violent... Psycho tracks... what do they hope to achieve with such Horrible Tracks is beyond our Understanding. 😕

But as so many of you have already pointed out that Rishi has already picked himself up... picked up the Broken pieces of his Heart and Body and is Back ... that is the True mark of a MAN... his Strength of Mind and Body ...and i am sure we shall soon get to see our old Rishi back in action ... being Smart and Clever in outmanouvering Sam... overturning all the Dirty Tricks that Sam might throw in the path of INSHI. 😊

Of Course a bit of AHTTITUDE and some Forceful Personality of the Hero is always Welcome... makes for goood Viewing on the Screen and adds some Zing to the proceedings 😃 So we would not mind our Rishi showing some Attitude ...being slightly Arrogant ...Aggrressive 😃 so Bring it on CVs ... we are waiting !! 😃

As for Sam and Munna ...anyone with even a Modicum of sense can see that both Sam and Munna are really Weak and Pathetic Characters ... infact complete Losers !!

Sam ... a Crybaby who runs to his Mommy for everything (hardly the sign of a Macho Man) 😃... Mere Body Building doeth not make a Man Brave... where is the Strength of Heart and Mind ... a Psychotic personality who thinks he can get his way with the use of Brute Physical Strength ... Totally " Characterless " 😃 man who has fallen to the lowest dregs of Humanity... Infact someone who is sooo Disgusting and Pathetic that he is not even worth discussing.

Munna... much as we Love him for his Hilarious antics and his really Funny dialogues 😃. ... there is no getting away from the fact that he is one of the Weakest Characters in the show... a person who has never been willing to take on any kind of Responsibility ... not of his family ... not even of his Wife and Child a person who is Completely Unwilling to do any kind of Work to earn his Living... a person who while pretending to be Macho , runs away to hide himself at the slightest sign of anykind of Trouble... a person who while attempting to Buff his way around with all the Hot air of Empty Talk... is actually like a Scared little Mouse who runs and hides himself inside his Mousehole 😃

OMG... this has become Unforgivably long ...So Sorry for my ramblings... i seem to have gone beyond all limits of Patient Reading ... Thanks to all the friends who manage to read this looong reply without falling asleep . 😊

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HD perpetuating another stereotype?

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