Why #AIBKnockout deserves to be knocked out
The AIB controversy is getting aggravated day by day and the celebs’ and the critics’ reactions just fan the flames and make headlines. With one group of people demanding the freedom of speech and expression and tweeting #WeStandWithAIBKnockout, and another completely contradicting the idea by claiming it to be offensive and tweeting #AIBNationalShame, AIB has become the most debated issue. We are not here for taking sides but still we would like to project our perspective towards it, from a humanitarian ground. We resist even an iota of insult to the female community because such tiny drops of insults have been the genesis of the titanic ocean of patriarchy, which often emits gigantic waves of tsunami to dominate, humiliate and violate women. In the present scenario, women’s modesty is challenged everyday and the AIB Roast is a cherry on the top. We agree that people were warned before watching that the AIB series would employ abusive language and insults to provoke humour, but motivating patriarchy which hampers women’s progress in any means is objectionable. It just aggravates the already-damaged condition of women and they just can’t expect us to stay mum considering it as a “just for fun” activity.
With a plethora of fans following, the influence of the showbiz is immense. Don’t you think celebrities and TV stars influence the audience pretty much and if people see Karan Johar or Arjun Kapoor doing something of this sort, they would certainly be encouraged to follow their footsteps? In a movie or a song or an advertisement, if they watch a celebrity raping a female actor or sexually harassing her, it is natural for most of them to feel, “Shahrukh Khan did it and the movie was a hit, so there is nothing wrong even if I do it”. Is this the right kind of influence? The same is the case with the objectification of women in the movies and we are against women doing item numbers not because they are dolled up in skimpy clothes, but because their gestures and acts highly influence a man to treat every woman like an object and feel that she herself wishes to show off her body. So, we just wish the film industry makes it a point to be more responsible and produce quality content to entertain the audience. We don’t want sexism and misogyny to be sold in any kind of avatar. Yes, we agree that there are many other serious issues to be addressed, but we condemn what they consider to be a ‘petty issue’ because we don’t want this derogatory humour to someday spur another serious issue due to our collective negligence. We respect their freedom of speech and expression, and we just expect them to respect all human beings in return. Also, we are not hypocrites but just humanitarians and that’s how human beings are to be. You only live once, so laugh to the core but never at the cost of another’s humiliation. Be responsible. Be ethical. Be human.
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About the Author: This article is contributed by Gayathri Devi. Gayathri has completed her M.Phil. in English Literature from Tamilnadu. Literature instilled in her the thoughts of feminism. And gradually, she was attracted towards this concept and she says it has changed many of her perspectives towards our community & that is how she landed to Respect Women.
