My Word With The World: Is Rape Humorous?

enough is enough In a time when the nation and the nation’s capital is mourning the gruesome death of the medical student gang raped in Delhi; when the news media is looking for new revelations in the case for their BREAKING NEWS; political parties waiting to stage yet another protest against the government and the police; people expectantly looking forward to the court’s hearings; here is a question – Is Rape Humorous?

When so much of blame-game is already prevalent and the only response is “enough is enough”, I am tired with all the Hypocrisy!

I might be seen as being cynical, but I don’t bother. It is time to focus on the essentials; need to dig deep and come in terms with the realities.

We have already heard about the hypocrisy of the Delhi protesters, when the girl’s friend and her brother revealed that many passers-by’s - Delhiites did not stop to help, when the girl was lying on the road after being thrown from the bus.

"She told me that after the incident that she had asked passers-by for help but to no avail…” (If passers-by had helped, my sister would have been alive: Delhi gang-rape victim's brother)

Then comes the outrageous statement by the spiritual guru Asaram Bapu who stated that,

“the victim was as guilty as the rapists and could have saved her dignity and life, if she had begged for mercy from the rapists by calling them brothers.” (Godman's remarks on Delhi gang-rape victim draw flak)

And this news piece in Time of India goes onto rightly say,

“A few days ago there was news that a man raped his daughter. One should ask Asaram Bapu, if calling him brother would have saved her from her father's brutal act? Asaram Bapu needs spiritual enlightenment”

And continues with the very first published comment of a student,

“Arshpreet Kaur, 20 | Arya college
I think Asaram Bapu is influenced with the loud drama shown in Bollywood movies, where the actress being raped melodramatically pleads the villain to leave her for God's sake. He seems to be watching too many of these masala movies. Real life is not that easy. In a situation like this, any girl would have responded similarly.”

Proving that not only spiritual gurus need enlightenment but ministers too is the Chhattisgarh home minister Nanki Ram Kanwar’s statement,

“We have no answer to this rising spate of crimes against women. Stars are not in position… Harm can come on a person if the stars are in adverse positions...We have no answer to this, only an astrologer can predict," the state home minister said.” (Chhattisgarh home minister blames 'stars' for crime against women)

But not the stars of the sky but the Stars of the Silver Screen are in the fault. The girl’s brother in his interview went on to say,

“Speaking about his sister, he said she had keen interest in films and was an Aamir Khan fan.” (Delhi gang-rape victim's brother)

Aamir Khan is know for his social activism through some of his movies and the recently concluded TV talk show Satyamev Jayate (SJ) in which three shows were focused on crimes against women (Domestic Violence, Big Fat Indian Wedding & Female Foeticide). Hats off to Aamir for this bold show. People put so much trust in him and in this show that one person Ananya from Lucknow has commented in SJ’s page,

“I sincerely thank you n SMJ team for bringing up such a show..m waiting for the new season… here is a sketch that i made after what all happend in Delhi..i hope ur team n u will one episode for the rape victims..”

The sketch…

Ananya's Sketch

But I feel yet another Hypocrisy here. This same Aamir starred in the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in India, ‘3 Idiots’ which was adapted in Tamil as ‘Nanban’.

Threeidiots2 3_Idiots 3-idiots-movie-wallpaper-004 nanban_movie_posters

For the ‘3 Idiots’ crew “Rape” is humorous! Isn’t it shocking?Watch the following clipping from this movie where the three friends change the words of the Teacher’s Day speech script of another student; where they change चमत्कार (miracle) into बलात्कार (rape) in Hindi and கற்பிக்கும் (teaching) to கற்பழிக்கும் (raping) in Tamil.

So much so that the director of ‘3 idiots’ Vidhu Vinod Chopra said at the International film festival of India (IFFI) that,

"We are in talks with three studios in Hollywood and one company in Italy for the remake of 3 Idiots" (3 Idiots getting Hollywood remake)

Like the medical student who was gang raped, many show “keen interest in films”. Serious issues like rape, ragging, sexual abuses, cuss words all are made to appear as HUMOUR in films.

Here I am not saying that the depicting of women as sexual icons in films and TVs’ commoditisation of women in commercials and fashion shows as the reason for rapes and sexual crimes against women, but on the whole, the Media needs to become more sensible and sensitive; in the way they depict women in movies and commercials and on the afore mentioned serious issues.

My post no way justifies the sexual crimes committed against women, but I am only trying to bring out various other issues related to this that also needs to be protested against and need a change.

What do you think about this? Do not such movies and media productions (commercials, etc.) need to be banned? Write your comments below.