Thursday, August 13, 2015

Feminism/Sheminism : In Praise of Tanu Weds Manu Returns

I just read this: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/samina-motlekar-/the-faux-feminism-in-tanu_b_7449256.html .
What a pile of donkey shit. Oh these hazed attention-seeking 'modern' 'feminists'.
Tanu Weds Manu (/Returns) is a  movie. I wouldn't want all the theatres to show movies about the struggles of working class men and women finding barely any time away from their jobs and spend that time talking to the house help or doing the dishes/laundry themselves. Would you? The idea doesn't sound so bad to me now, but only if it is romanticized through and through and with lots of.
Equality.
Who says men and women are equal? Equality is a different matter.
The 'modern' definition Google gives 'Equality' is that of being given the same status/rights/opportunities. Which opportunity was denied to any of them because they were male/female during the course of the movie? This is one aspect the movie does exceptionally well in. It even provides an example for the Jat community to follow. Even I feel bad for Kusum and I'd really like her to be richer/have parents but this is the harsh reality the movie lets through. Regardless, she's strong and hard working. Some of us just get a difficult hand in life. It's the reality. Some of us have it easy. In this movie, that person is the other Kangana Ranaut. (She was so good with the double role that not once in the movie the thought that they were both the same person occurred to me. The roles are intentionally polar opposites.)
Do we even know what tickles the brain when it comes to sexual/romantic relationships? It's not one thing for everyone! However, it is clearly known that most men are known to be attracted towards more feminine looking creatures, which again is dependant on the societal context. Just biology and social influence. Also, men are known to be hooked to novelty(and rats are too : http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2003-10460-015 ) and we know that Kangana provides an escape from the humdrum for the doctor.
If you remember the Salman Khan starrer, Biwi No. 1 Sindoor and Mangal sutra were what drove the husband away! Things have changed and our fawning over the West has become more subtle. Now we want to the lifestyle they have in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and drink frequently and indiscriminately. It's in our blood. Literally. The alcohol I mean. Of course not the Western way of life. We are too original for that. We must have our bindis and colourful sarees. We're taking the 'best' of both worlds. That's appropriately 'modern', don't you think?
This is not even a feminist issue. Meh.
Stop venting your weltshmerz in the name of latest movies to get hits.
Also, talking about men and women being equals.. they're not the same.. how are they equal?
They'll always have different needs, and will contribute differently to the world with their own unique perspective. We can hardly even club them in these categories. Feminists, unless you're activists and saving people from pain in some way, what exactly are you?
On modernity:
We do know that we are (almost) forced into slavery of some kind or the other to fulfil our social contract and partake in consumerism.
This is a draft. I'm posting it because I'm annoyed. You should be too. 

6 comments:

  1. The movie is a business. It did well because it appealed to a set of Tumblrinas, like you should have expected it to (Ref: " our fawning over the West has become more subtle")

    This movie, like all businesses, exploited an idea. The idea that third wave feminism is the in thing all around the world. I say it exploited it well, based on your inspiration for this post, I haven't seen the film.

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  2. These days they really know how to exploit things well. And they have no qualms about it. Look at Dabang.

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  3. Why should they have any qualms about it? Would you have any qualms about exploiting demand for profit in any other business?

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    1. Of course not. You're right. I agree.

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  4. I agree to your thoughts, but then, the movie aimed for business as well, and it did well on that account.

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