Hey, everyone! So, first let me update you on the whole youtube thing. I'm sure I mentioned it in my last blog. Basically, I don't know when I will be able to make another video. Since coming to India my electronics have gradually failed me and now both my cameras are down. "We have the technology." No, we don't. I'll try to figure a way around this but I don't know if I'll be able to keep the channel running sadly. :( However, I have several juicy issues that I would like to talk about in this post so get ready!
First, let go directly to the title. One thing I noticed about India was all the movie advertisements plastered on buildings, walls, lamp poles, etc. Several move advertisements depicted a man with his hand raised to a female. Sometimes there would be a child in between the two adults. When I questioned my friend about this she, to my surprise, laughed. "It's a comedy," she said. "Very funny." However, to me there is nothing funny about a man beating a woman. The fact is media is a part of every culture and a reflection of said culture. It's common knowledge that women in India are not on the same level as their men. So, could this movie be an example of this knowledge? Also, by showing such acts in a movie, could Indian media be, perhaps unknowingly, further imprisoning women in their society to be victims? Could young men watch this movie and think, "This is how I should treat women."? My answer to these questions is a strong yes, but before I can be a judge, I have to first look at my own culture. The wheels in my mind began to turn...
I thought about movies I had seen in the past and movies that were being advertised now in the US. Honestly, I couldn't think of many movies where a woman's pain or possibility of pain was a comedy. However, one movie series did come to mind. Ever heard of Tyler Perry? I'm sure you have. His movies feature aspects of the stereotypical African American lifestyle that bring laughter ( and sometimes tears) . Now in all his movies that I have seen a woman getting beat on is never portrayed as funny. Actually, many times at the end of the movie, this woman comes back stronger than ever. The reason his movie came to mind was because there is still domestic/family violence that is portrayed in a comedic fashion. Countless times the main character, Madea", is ready to break her foot off in someone's ass (remember she is a master of the martial art " whoop that ass"). She doesn't discriminate in choosing her victims; from her own brother to orphan children to married men who have done wrong. However, why did I consider this funny and the Indian advertisement not so much? Could it be simply because India has a bad reputation for the treatment of women and so I am assuming that their movies must encourage this treatment? (to an extent probably yes)
As I thought about this, what I kept telling myself was that there was a difference. Typler Perry was trying to be funny. It's a joke when I tell my family members I'm going to beat their tails and they say the same back to me. I knew this because it is what I am accustomed and I have actually seen the Tyler Perry movies. I haven't seen the India movies so, therefore, can I be so quick to judge? Perhaps, if I watched the movie I would see that the man was only joking with woman. That it was all playful fun and not some sadistic (is that too strong a word?) film. I didn't even give the film a chance. I judged it by its' cover and not by its content. That was wrong of me. However, the role of women in India is still significantly different than in America. Perhaps, I was wrong about this movie, but in terms of the reality of women in this society, I am confident in my belief.
Wow, this post is getting longer than u thought, On to the next topic! I believe I mentioned this in a previous post. Here, like in China, the ideal of beauty is light skin. You would like to think that educated people wouldn't fall pray to this ignorant belief but yes, even my best friend( who initially tried to deny this part of her culture) admitted to me that she doesn't want to get any darker. The thing is she's already dark, darker than me even( not that I put value on something so shallow). As I walk around India I see women holding umbrellas trying to escape the sun rays, all in the hope that their skin will lighten. They even sell the skin lightner here like they do in China. This saddens me. It seems like every country ( especially Asian countries) has this obsession with light skin, people with darker skin being seen as less and unattractive. With such mentality how does a black woman or man ever find a date? I don't know the answer to that question. My best guess would be that some people can look beyond society's idea of beauty. Thank goodness for those people.
My best friend is smart, beautiful, funny, honest caring and yet just because she's not as "light as milk" some how she isn't at the top with other girls who are lighter than her. I don't get it. I really don't. I remember a few months ago I was doing research on this topic. Like a fool I thought, "Perhaps, in Africa, the mind set will be different. Most people there have brown or darker skin, surely they have not fallen subject to this idiotic sign of beauty." Why am I always so hopeful? Skin lightening cream is sold in Africa as well. There too people want to be light skin. So, much for the Motherland, huh?
If you ask me I blame it on European colonization. Societies were built where the light skin people (Europeans) were on top and everyone else (the colored people) were in the gutter. What hurt even worst was when I tried to explain this to my best friend. To soothe her insecurities she simply said, "You know Indian women are much more attractive than American women. The only thing American women have is light skin and nothing else. And the Chinese are not attractive Here in India we don't like the facial structure." She forgot the fact that I am an American woman. Here people associate America with only white people. She also was blatantly racist. China and India have had issues for years which is the only reason I could think for her to make such a comment. When will people realize that putting down another will not make you feel better and that beauty transcends beyond things such as skin and race. I hope this revelation comes soon but I am a hopeful fool.
Sorry if it was too long guys! Please don't hesitate to comment or give feedback. If there are any grammatical errors please, I apologize in advance. Until next time!
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