We all know what these flowers in a movie is an allusion to have you ever wondered why not show two cacti for violence
The central government recently decided to regulate online news and entertainment portals. This week there has been quite some contention over a Netflix movie scene. The mentioned scene is of a girl and a boy kissing in the front of a temple, Netflix officials have been booked for the ‘objectionable scenes’. However, the objective is not to discuss censorship or the terrifying reality of where we as a nation are headed. I want to request a few more restrictions, offer a few suggestions to catalyze the process of ‘moral cleansing’.
As a 22-year-old maybe I’m corrupted by hope, idealism, love, values – yet to learn the warped ways of the world. Regardless of the logic, you follow whatever it is, I’d assume or at least hope – you would consider rape worse than a consensual kiss.
I recently read someone saying “but it’s important for realism” then why is murder not gruesomely shown for realism. Diarrhoea is barely mentioned forget being exhibited – we know it’s gross and nobody wants to see it. Is rape not disgusting? Do people want to see it?
Katie Russell, from Rape Crisis England & Wales, says, “These scenes are often very sexist, and borderline misogynistic. They’re sexualized, glamorized and using it as titillation which is absolutely never acceptable.”
India ranked as the most dangerous place for women, Delhi has been nicknamed the ‘Rape Capital’. Don’t show rape scenes, don’t glorify violence and war, don’t romanticize abusive relations. Don’t have songs like “Tu ha kar ya na kar tu hai meri kiran”.
Censor out violence. For years now I’ve wanted to throw a glass or a phone or a lamp or take a few swings at a car. All the movie protagonists seem to feel way better after they throw and break things. It seems so fun. I’ve fought this urge and made a mental note of all the countries with a rage room. What of those who act on such impulses?
Being violent, so disgustingly rottenly beastly and assaulting someone makes no sense to me and I never wish to understand how someone can be so evil, so broken, so stupid but I would suppose in that same twisted way seeing it depicted can give an idea to misguided and impressionable youth.
Holding a mirror to society is important; often even a tool to bring positive changes. Many brilliant movies deal with sensitive topics. A clear distinction of whether mainstream medias objective is to educate or to entertain is needed because it is disrespectful and disgusting to hear tone-deaf jokes. Having said that I also acknowledge that airtight containers and a hard line of distinction is impossible.
“Sexual violence and abuse are not entertainment,” Russell says. “There’s a glamorization to women’s naked bodies, the setting of a scene, and then to the violence against women. You can tackle the subject without graphic imagery and without content that is unnecessarily triggering.”
Their goal is money, media would report how many hours did a celebrity sleep for, it would invade the privacy of a politician, it would cross lines. Yet we as consumers choose to draw harder lines by refusing to consume such problematic content. However relying on the nobility and judgment of fellow humans isn’t a very reliable plan if it were then we won’t have a government, CCTV’s, jails and heartbreak.
Censor out that kiss, show flowers, remove all sources of entertainment and only telecast cartoons if you’d like but first please focus on the paramount issues.
Oxford dictionary has taken a progressive step forward (in the year 2020) and has changed sexist definitions and examples. Instead of having offensive and derogatory examples more neutral examples have been introduced in fact even the very definition of woman , bitch has been removed from the synonym of women. It acknowledges that such subtle steps are important. We need to delete the ugly remnants of an unfair world to be able to create a fairer and a better world instead of carrying them forward in these little ways, which keep them alive.
Children behave as they see . A famous social experiment , Banduras Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that behaviour is learned through observation and imitation. Kids who saw dolls being violently treated did the same. Even adults tend to conform to pre-existing norms. If not give a positive nudge at least we could remove the negative ones.
Maybe the entire spectrum of human experiences and emotions should be depicted for it to be realistic, entertaining but if we are filtering let’s start with hate and violence. This little change might not be enough to change the tide entirely however it would be one small step and sometimes it is impossible to know how much of an impact one small step can have
If you agree with me- there is a petition on change.org to remove depiction of sexual violence in movies and television, do take out a minute to sign.
Bhavna Chaudhary
Author & Wellness Enthusiast
