Misogyny is deep-rooted in our daily lives to such an extent that we often turn a blind eye to it or aren’t even aware of it while endorsing it.
In 1985, a Hollywood illustrator published the ‘Bechdel Test’ which is a measure for women’s representation in films. The test has three basic rules:
- There must be at least two women in the film.
- They have to talk to each other.
- Their conversation must be regarding something other than a man.
This sounds quite simple, doesn’t it? However, it would surprise you to know how a lot of films don’t qualify because they cannot meet these basic requirements to pass for equal representation. You can see it for yourself at bechdeltest.com.
The heinous acts of sexual assault, harassment and creating groups solely to discuss a certain individual in an inappropriate manner is truly unforgivable, but we also need to address a major source of normalising sexism. Taking steps such as publicly outing someone or the death penalty for rapists will not do much because you never know how many people may secretly feel that this is normal behaviour and idolise the ones who do take part in this.
The question remain, how do we change the mentality of countless people who watch such films and listen to such music?
We must address the issue where it begins: how people are influenced by pop culture and begin to harbour a sense of entitlement over women or resort to lewd actions because their favourite movie stars portray such characters. It is actually worse when the role played is that of a ‘good guy’ who is unapologetically impenitent about it, which then leads to hero-worshipping.
There have been, and still are, countless films and songs in the entertainment industry which glorify unaccountable behaviour such as stalking, teasing and not respecting the right to say no. In these films, oversexualisation of women is prevalent while their choice to say no to any unwanted approach is shown as some sort of pseudo-flirting; uske na main hi ha hai (her no means yes).
When the male protagonist in a film is shown to engage in acts which would ideally earn you a trip to the jail, a lot of youngsters start believing it to be normal due to the romanticisation of such behaviour.
The Central Board For Film Certification (CBFC) refused to certify a film, Lipstick Under My Burkha citing the reason that it was female-oriented. In an official statement they said, “The story is lady-oriented; their fantasy about life. There are continuous sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused.”
However, the CBFC does not seem to mind when ‘item songs‘ are released in almost every single film, and the male protagonists are shown to indulge in stalking. There is a general disregard for consent in a ‘playful manner’ which is romanticised.
These films are enjoyed and often looked forward to because they are mainstream, have a huge marketing budget, and the general public has accepted the misogyny as the norm, by saying, “It’s just a movie/song!”, “Why are you getting so worked up about it? What can we even do?”
Entertainment does not always have to oppress a certain section. In the twentieth century, Tagore wrote about feminism, being one of the first to introduce it in India. If he could portray women who have a voice and talk about justice, power, dignity and practices which are considered taboo to this day, then why should we not expect the same of mainstream artists in today’s day and age?
These artists need to take a step back, think about the content they’re creating and wonder if it is right to portray unacceptable behaviour in a manner which may lead to people accepting it as the norm because their favourite hero played it.
The same actors are then nominated/awarded ‘Best Actor in a Positive Role’, and I fail to understand what could be ‘positive’ about a man chasing after a woman even though she’s made her lack of interest evident various times. The same man then dances to music sung by artists who have lyrics revolving around money, alcohol and sexualising a woman which is, in general, considered to be the highlight of the film.
So the next time you enjoy a film, ask yourself if you would actually be okay with the lengths the male protagonist is going to for his love interest and if that is justified because he has romantic feelings.
The next time you see your male friends discussing inappropriate topics regarding an individual, call them out, no matter how many times you have to. It doesn’t matter if they’re your friends, they are not good for you. If they still don’t bother to listen to you, then do not associate with them or provide them with an audience because it boosts their ego and encourages them to go on.