This might just sound like an impulsive rant, but today, I got into a debate which sadly turned into a heated argument with a male friend of mine. The next thing that hit me was the idea to bring up this issue on the blog. It did affect me earlier, but not as intensely as it does in this moment after knowing how the mentality of most people has moulded. The topic of discussion, as most of you might be wondering is the idea of 'item songs' being celebrated in the country. I am sure we can have varying opinions and perspectives towards things and I have been a kind of person who has respected all the opinions, even if not agreed to them but this case, somehow fails to get into my head with peace.
At this point, my dear readers, I would like to ask you how many times have you appreciated a boy dancing on chikni chameli or any other item song. So yes, I would refer to the majority right now. Little girls grow up dancing on such songs, be it a family gathering or any other public event and they are encouraged and applauded for it. Deep down doesn't this gets in their mind that it is just another, more effective or may be the only way to get accepted in a male dominated society. The lyrics, the aura, the kind of clothes that the actresses wear and the way she is being responded to- everything is just so demeaning; defying and suppressing the existence of women as an equal gender. I do not blame the makers for this, for they'll only make what sells. Neither do I blame the actors who role play item girls and allow their bodies get objectified. Of course, they do hold a moral responsibility to think about the adverse effects of their roles and what their performance does to the society but it is an individual choice, at the end. I blame the viewers. People who label this as a means of entertainment. What is it that they are getting entertained by? The drunkards in the side light of a female who is half exposing her body for money or the lyrics that basically portray women to be objects of use for men? I just have one question. Will they get entertained in the same way if the same is being performed by their sisters, mothers or female friends? I don't seek an answer to this question. It is for you to think. As Ani DiFranco rightly said, "Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/misogynist. There is no box marked other."
Some people might just say that even women enjoy seeing the male actors going shirtless on screen, isn't that just as wrong? The answer is yes, maybe. The basic idea of this article is to convey that objectifying body and condescending any gender should not be seen as a source of entertainment.
PC : Google images
It is very easy to put the blame on males for everything wrong that happens to women. Item songs have basically fostered eve teasing, I strongly believe. Not just that, they have also led men to think that it is okay to call women 'hot', 'chick', 'sexy', 'maal', 'patakha', etc. Sorry but these are not compliments. They just make us feel disrespected. Coming back to the point, these songs and the way they are celebrated and followed make things seem okay; even if they condemn women. What would you expect from a boy who grows up in a prostitution house? Will he ever respect women or extol their existence? And similarly, a country where item songs are appreciated, will there ever be something called gender equality no matter how many feminists fight for it?
To a friend whom I couldn't get to agree on this, thanks for the idea of the new post. I hope to get across my point through a handful of people who will stop watching/encouraging/appreciating such gross ideas. I hope that all this will stop one day so that India becomes a better place to live in; a place where bodies are not objectified and genders are not discriminated.
At this point, my dear readers, I would like to ask you how many times have you appreciated a boy dancing on chikni chameli or any other item song. So yes, I would refer to the majority right now. Little girls grow up dancing on such songs, be it a family gathering or any other public event and they are encouraged and applauded for it. Deep down doesn't this gets in their mind that it is just another, more effective or may be the only way to get accepted in a male dominated society. The lyrics, the aura, the kind of clothes that the actresses wear and the way she is being responded to- everything is just so demeaning; defying and suppressing the existence of women as an equal gender. I do not blame the makers for this, for they'll only make what sells. Neither do I blame the actors who role play item girls and allow their bodies get objectified. Of course, they do hold a moral responsibility to think about the adverse effects of their roles and what their performance does to the society but it is an individual choice, at the end. I blame the viewers. People who label this as a means of entertainment. What is it that they are getting entertained by? The drunkards in the side light of a female who is half exposing her body for money or the lyrics that basically portray women to be objects of use for men? I just have one question. Will they get entertained in the same way if the same is being performed by their sisters, mothers or female friends? I don't seek an answer to this question. It is for you to think. As Ani DiFranco rightly said, "Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/misogynist. There is no box marked other."
Some people might just say that even women enjoy seeing the male actors going shirtless on screen, isn't that just as wrong? The answer is yes, maybe. The basic idea of this article is to convey that objectifying body and condescending any gender should not be seen as a source of entertainment.
It is very easy to put the blame on males for everything wrong that happens to women. Item songs have basically fostered eve teasing, I strongly believe. Not just that, they have also led men to think that it is okay to call women 'hot', 'chick', 'sexy', 'maal', 'patakha', etc. Sorry but these are not compliments. They just make us feel disrespected. Coming back to the point, these songs and the way they are celebrated and followed make things seem okay; even if they condemn women. What would you expect from a boy who grows up in a prostitution house? Will he ever respect women or extol their existence? And similarly, a country where item songs are appreciated, will there ever be something called gender equality no matter how many feminists fight for it?
To a friend whom I couldn't get to agree on this, thanks for the idea of the new post. I hope to get across my point through a handful of people who will stop watching/encouraging/appreciating such gross ideas. I hope that all this will stop one day so that India becomes a better place to live in; a place where bodies are not objectified and genders are not discriminated.
PC : Google images
PS: Please feel free to add your opinions in the comments section.
