Originally posted by: maha2us
Raji, You needn't feel sorry. Everyone can say whatever they feel and what you said has many good points
Now after talking about the way they show women, how are men shown in the serial? Men are also very much caricatured. Can't the director show a man who is not an MCP? TA and Mohan force their wives to behave in a certain way. Nitish showed his own lack of understanding to Laav when the old woman was there. Prabha had been very cruel. MM behaved in his own odd ways but was cruel to Thulasi for no reasons. Only VR and GP had been shown as kind and understanding gentlemen. I will accept Puvi's behavior. When he found his wife as responsible he accepted her view points and asserted for her instead of misguided TA when TA did something in the store.
I don't think normal men behave like TA or Mohan behaved yesterday. Men definitely can be caring, compassionate, gentle, tender and understanding to their women. Why can't they show a person in this way? A good man appreciates the achievements of his woman and encourages her to thrive in life also. And more importantly. a good man prefers to have an independent woman as his wife with whom he can build trust and understanding and one who helps him and not a submissive doormat. What do you say?
You are absolutely right. By portraying unhealthy relationships on-screen, this serial is perpetuating the image that men want women to serve their beck and call. In reality, this is simply not the case...men do not force their wives to do anything. Instead, there is mutual respect and the odd argument, through which couples learn to coexist and lead their lives happily. I feel as though this serial emphasizes a really archaic mentality (i.e. either the husband or the wife must submit to the other). If fact, for all the examples of women acting as doormats I have listed, there are male examples as well. MM, for one, is unable to really free himself from Padma's control...as much as he may seem to be the "de-facto" leader of his house, it is Padma's word that is law. In this case, it is MM who is the doormat to Padma. The same can be said about Suchi's relationship to Prabha and Bhuv's relationship to Lax. Women are equally capable of being abusive as men.
What I find worrisome in this serial, is the lack of emphasize on independence (as you have mentioned). It seems that, with the exception of Puvi/Sudha, there is really a lack of females who are going to work and are financially stable. Lav, Shymala, Indira and Nit's mom are all fairly well respected but all of them are housewives. In today's society however, this is not feasible. I feel as though this serial started off on a high note (promoting the importance of education, friendship, love and faith)...but now it just a mix of misogyny, misandry, irrationality and idiocy. The character of TA has undergone a massive transformation...whereas in the beginning, he wanted Thuls to study even if she wasn't in love with him...to having an inferiority complex about Thuls potentially getting a job. At the rate this is going, it's going to be like TMS all over again. I really feel that the director is turning every one evil/psycho/crazy/spineless doormats...just to further highlight how perfect Thuls is.
My wish is that this serial would stop reusing the same old Tamil serial cliches (i.e. men are monsters/women are doormats/evil in-laws) and be a bit more progressive (i.e. love after marriage/the challenges of pregnancy and school or work/how having a child changes married life). I'd much rather see a loving and caring T&T, compared to the ones we have now. T&T are fundamentally good people who try to do the right thing...and that is what this serial should show more of. There should be more cooperation and less ego contests.
Edited by autumnsconcerto - 12 years ago
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