Greta Gerwig may have persuaded Barbie to become a real woman, in the real world. But had she landed up in India, she would have rushed back to Barbieland.
For here, a fake ‘flying kiss’ has upset women leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) more than the situation in Nuh after communal violence or Manipur’s ethnic clashes. Here, women are either missing or seen as victims.
So spare a thought for them even as you enjoy a “hoorah” moment for Barbie – the film has just become the first one directed by a ‘solo’ woman to gross over $1billion at the box office.
The media celebrated, calling it a “historic” achievement for Gerwig, the director of the film – as well as for women. Yes! You can do it, ladies, you can make a film about a plastic toy and earn millions.
Well, jump with joy if you like but perhaps Barbie’s success shouldn’t be your springboard or inspiration. The dolled up doll extravaganza has been hailed as the “most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century…” (Rolling Stone magazine) and “feminist” by Gerwig herself. Nevertheless, it revels, nay, luxuriates in the razzle-dazzle plastic pink world of Barbiedom.
Better role models for women might be the characters in Hindi series on streaming channels who mirror something akin to the reality many women endure here—and try to rise above it: Kajol’s Noyonika (The Trial), Raveena Tandon’s local policewoman Kasturi (Aryank), all the women in Dahaad – or how about Priyanka Chopra’s flying kicks in Citadel?
Speaking of which, give a big “hoorah” to the women kicking balls – and enjoying it.
The Women’s World Cup 2023 (DD Sports) is a dead winner: it is pure, unadulterated fun to watch. The women take the game seriously, are seriously competitive and seriously want to win. But they play with an abandon that is refreshing. And, they display skills that have the stadiums echoing with “oooh”, “aaah” and riotous applause. Just watch the goalkeepers—in the Nigeria-England game they were like guardians of the galaxy, not just the goal posts.
We’ll return to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand shortly, but first let’s travel to Nuh, after a brief stopover at the Lok Sabha where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s alleged “flying kiss” outraged BJP women MPs. They felt that he had shown “disrespect” to them, said the India Today anchor.
Also read: From Haryana to ‘terror’ on train, TV news is shy to identify victims when they are Muslim
It’s what matters
The fake “flying kiss” was no longer just a kiss, it became a political incident – had it not been for Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaking on the no-confidence motion in the afternoon, the alleged hand and mouth gesture would have been on every reporter and anchor’s lips all day.
Ask yourself this: How could a fake ‘flying kiss’ generate so much anger among women – and the situation in Nuh or Manipur so much silence? Have the same BJP women MPs expressed themselves on either? Happy to stand corrected if they have…
In Nuh, communal violence left behind a trail of deaths and bulldozer demolitions—devastating the lives of men and women. We watched men, men and more men in action, in interviews –we heard men from both sides of the conflict—but where were the women of Nuh? Barely seen or heard even though a report in The Times of India (8 August) stated that, ‘Women and children hardest hit after Nuh bulldozer run’.
In Manipur, the news about two women being stripped and gang raped during the ethnic clashes in May became a political maelstrom that engulfed Parliament, leading to daily protests, adjournments and finally, to the no-confidence motion.
In the relief camps, the media focused on the condition of women and children. As a matter of routine, we saw pictures and videos of them seated on beds, relating their tales of woe… The exception was the activist group of women, Meira Paibis, or ‘torchbearers’ who the media saw as heroines.
Otherwise, women are victims–of the media just as they are of the crimes against them that make the headlines all too frequently. Think of the rape and killing of the minor girl in Rajasthan, the alleged stabbing and hammering of a young girl in Delhi caught on CCTV, the murder of Shraddha Walker… And don’t forget Seema Haider who came from Pakistan, reportedly to marry her Indian paramour but is being portrayed as a “spy”.
All these women, and others, became sensational media stories.
Also read: Indian TV serials are still stuck on ‘evil women snatching husbands’. OTTs race ahead
The cup of success
Which is why, women may turn to Barbie. At least she is successful, even if it’s only on the screen.
The professional women soccer players at the World Cup are real – and really good. They play fast and furious, running from one end of the field to the other with flight-footed speed. There are few set pieces, fewer fouls than the men’s game — or at least so it seems. The women are athletic and talented. It’s a treat to watch.
They play so well, the crowds in Australia and New Zealand are swelling in the stadiums – 72,000 went to watch Australia beat Sweden. The media is eager to feature them – Indian newspapers have daily reports and frequently lead with the tournament on the sports pages – especially, The Times of India—;A World full of surprises’ was its headline for the US’s loss in a penalty shootout to Sweden.
The Guardian UK features the World Cup prominently with 4-5 stories daily. The New York Times chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith has been covering the Cup too – that’s a measure how far women’s soccer has come.
It’s a cup of good cheer. Although Ryan Gosling’s Ken isn’t half bad either…
Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)