Representation of widowhood on television

I was flicking through channels and while I don't watch a lot of the daily soaps I happened to realize that in so many of the shows they've started showing elderly widowed women in a very uniform like beige attire. Is is supposed to represent piety? Whatever the case may be it's kind of like the modern day white sari isn't it. Aren't we supposed to have shrugged off this social situation by now?

@MB,

Great Post! widowhood is for both male and a female, it has equal repurcussions physically and emotionally.So why our society becomes a pariah and expects women to give up not only the colours of their clothes but feeling of joy as well whereas their male counterparts are never questioned nor frowned upon if they decide to get married again.The colorless clothes become a constant reminder of pain and sorrow, and a mark for further discrimination.

Though in many parts of South India and in urban cities there has been a positive trend moving away from it all but still a large section is practicing this injustice. By making them wear a white sari I feel they make them an easy target for taunts and insults.

Most of the daily soaps thrive on the regressive thinking of our society and shamelessly try to sell it just to get those trps, do hell with reforms or social perception.MB, our censor board finds dirty picture offensive for viewers but it doesnt consider glorified rape, DV as harmul, such is the the sate , only money or trp matters!

The portrayal of women on TV is regressive beyond belief.

@Narangi,

Absolutely agree, I think we "the viewers drive some sadistic pleasure when we see the age old social evils being glorified, it swells the pride and gives an opportunity to feel vindicitve about these practices.But at the same time find audience memory and acceptance very fickle, they lapped up strong serials like SHanti, buniyaad etc earlier, now also if there comes a slightly different show like MAryada, BALH, Sasural genda phool etc they get fascinated, even BV got its initial audience coz it promised a take on a social evil, so I feel its a tango with both the partners, Production houses need a constant story with wholesome drama always coz of the time constraits and audience takes whatever is being churned on.Some watch these serials out of sympathy others to see a reflection of themselves or if nothing else for the so-called chemistry of the leads.

Hence more than anyone else I blame IB ministry and the censor board for their hypocritical stand, if they put their foot down and negate a story line with any glorified social evil, we will come a long way.

Repetitively showing the same things conditions the mind to accept certain abnormal behaviour. The elderly daadi, naani type characters are in every show so you barely notice them. If they were young women then we would notice immediately their lack of coloured clothing but since they are not, their style statements don't seem as offensive.😕

I am uncompromisingly opposed to any form of censorship, so I cannot agree with you on this point.

@Narangi,

See I abhore censorship myself, but then at the same time we cannot do away with it, no country is devoid of it. What i push for is a more effective body, which takes prompt action aganst those serials which goes against the grain. Since we cannot do away with the institution completely then certainly we can talk about reforms within itself the body. Its not about deciding what is entertainment or not its about making sure the serials dont blur the line.For examply a very popular show on DV, it has glorified the predator so much and so many times that one can actually feel the pain while watching it , yet there has not being a single disclamer from the actors beore the show begins so that it can help the audience measure the diference between real and reel.

As far as the impact , well , its very difficult to say , earlier I thought no way anyone would agree or sympathize with such characters but one look at IF , at the crazy fandom and I retrack, the stats and the young age-group which are getting influenced and fascinated by such characters is huge, I shudder to think of the whole country.

@charminggenie