The menace of eve teasing told through news stories

If you have any doubts on the menace and seriousness of eve teasing, just take a look at the following news stories. Suicide, acid attack, defamation, and politics- the following stories capture them all. And they centre on eve teasing. It is no trivial, funny or light act. Eve teasing is a serious crime. Wake up to it!

1. Hounded by eve-teasers, girl ends life
   April 20, 2012
   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Girl-ends-life-after-eve-teasing/articleshow/12739034.cms
2. Eve-Teaser killed by victim’s Husband
   April 19, 2012
   http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MP-IND-elderly-man-killed-over-eve-teasing-3135674.html
3. UP minister rubbishes school girl’s rape charges as eve teasing
   April13, 2012
   http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/uttar-pradesh-schoolgirls-rape-eve-teasing/1/184274.html
4. Braveheart girls protest eve teasing, suffer acid attack.
   April 11, 2012
   http://www.financialexpress.com/news/braveheart-girls-protest-eveteasing-suffer-acid-attack/935393/
5. Court slaps Rs 10000 fine on society resident fro eve teasing
   April 11,2012
   http://www.financialexpress.com/news/court-slaps-rs-10-000-fine-on-society-resident-for-eveteasing/935339/1
6. Ghaziabad: Truckers kill man for eve tease protest
   April10,2012
   http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/truckers-kill-man-for-eve-tease-protest-in-ghaziabad/1/183729.html
7. Houses torched over eve teasing row
   March 30,2012
   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Houses-torched-over-eve-teasing-row/articleshow/12466406.cms
8. J&K minister’s nephew arrested for eve teasing
   March 26, 2012
   http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/j-k-ministers-nephew-arrested-eve-teasing-842
9. Crime against women on rise in trains
   March 25, 2012
   http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Crime-against-women-on-rise-in-trains/Article1-830508.aspx

 

 

 

 

 
 

Item songs and Objectification of Women

An “item” refers to an object or inventory. In Indian context, it is also used as a slang to refer to a beautiful, sexy or sensual girl. An “item song” refers to a song in a Bollywood movie where sexy women dance to catchy tunes. Item songs are not new. They have a vast history with many famous women like Helen sizzling onscreen in songs like “mehbooba , mehbooba”/ “piya tu abb toh aa jaa” etc.

Recently, the trend of item songs has really caught on. Bollywood has a queer habit of copying every successful formula. So, once songs like “khallas” (from company) caught the fancy of public, item songs became an inherent part of cinema. Today, they have become a promotional necessity. Almost all movies have a hot sleazy number with catchy music and vulgar/double meaning lyrics. Once a song catches on, the movie gains much more hype. Some songs can actually pull people to watch the movie- even if they leave just as the song ends. These songs can/cannot have a relation to the script. They can come in between or at the end with crew names. This gives a lot of room for “experimentation.”

What sets item songs apart is that 90% of them have female lead. She is, by rule, barely dressed. Mostly, she is the sole girl in a huge group of men where each one is openly lusting after her. She knows this and provocates them further with suggestive dance moves. It is a no brainer that these songs objectify women completely. Just the word “item” makes that clear.  A woman is reduced to an object who exists for male sexual gratification. What is even more bothersome is the fact that these songs promote an attitude/ notion that it is ok to openly lust after a woman because she will enjoy the attention and reciprocate it somehow. This lust leads to harassment in no time. Every time a new song catches on, eve teasers use it to the full extent. Ask any woman and she will tell you how many times she has been referred to as “chikni chameli”/ “bijli”/”munni” etc. Don’t even talk about unfortunate women by the name of “Sheila”. The words “ki jawaani” have become an almost permanent fixture, like a surname, to their names. With competition between these songs rising up, filmmakers have adopted an easy way out. The more indecent and vulgar the song is, the more it will stand out. And there is no end in sight for this downhill spiral. Woman performers of such songs gain popularity as “item girls.” Indeed many have made a career out of it. The disheartening fact is that they become synonymous with sex. They are not seen as an actress/performer who can have a personality different from the one portrayed onscreen. Nobody takes note of their intelligence or talent, once people see skin, their eyes freeze on it. We are indeed animalistic.

Another terrifying point is that kids pick up on these songs very easily. When asked to recite a poem, a child can innocently break into one of these item songs. If he/she keeps hearing them all the time, it is not a surprise that they know these songs by heart. Children might not comprehend the meaning of the lyrics, but they can copy the gyrative dance moves easily. This has to be a dangerous environment for our children to grow up in.

It is a matter of debate if cinema reciprocates society or society reciprocates cinema. In the case of item songs, it is definitely the latter. The fact that one can hear them everywhere from a barber shop to an auto ride helps integrate it into our own psyche. These songs paint a dangerous portrait of a woman. I shudder at the thought of a woman who would love to jump right in the middle of lust eyed men as done by Katrina Kaif in “chikni chameli”. She will surely be grotesquely raped in no time. The songs create a fantasy world where her moves have no further implications on her safety from not one but hundreds of men. No woman can enjoy dancing in such an environment. Sadly, many believe in the illusion. No wonder these songs are a major contributing reason for sexual harassment.

You got to be kidding!

Analysis 10

Product: 4 Composition of ads: Bajaj Allianz insurance; State Bank NRI Services; Bank of India Debit Card; Reliance Mutual Fund.

Found on: (In the order mentioned above) Jet Wings, Page 50, (March 2012); Jet Wings, Page 279, (March 2012); India Today: Anniversary Issue, Page 199 (December 2011); Business India, Page 107 (October 2011)

After analysing advertisements on fashion, consumer good, furniture, liquor etc, I wanted to look at ads from the Banking Industry. I found 4 ads.

The first ad promotes the Bajaj Allianz Insurance Plan. The ad shows the image of a formally dressed man holding a placard with the copy “Retire Rich”. His smile denotes that he is happy with his choice of plan and confident of his future plans. Since this is an ad of a product that requires serious future plans, consideration and implication analysis of choice, the ad uses a male model. The presence of a man is implying that this is “serious business”. Can a woman holding the same placard have the same effect? Through years of constant repetition, some ads have become categorically biased towards a specific gender. This, it is assumed, is because of certain behavioural characteristics associated with each gender.  However, this behaviour has been shaped through human perception and is not biological. Women can be equally serious, calculative, and aware of benefits of a future plan. They can have equally sound judgement on topics like investment and insurance. And yet, this is always considered a male domain. Primarily because it involves making firm decisions and in a patriarchal society, the decision making power lies with the dominant male. To further the argument let me show you some other ads.

This is an ad from SBI for NRI services. The image shows two men finalising a deal. Again, the emphasis is on men when it comes to making business deals and important decisions. Does this mean women are never portrayed in ads for banks and Insurance companies? Yes they are. Let’s look at one below.

This is an ad for Bank of India’s Debit card. They want to encourage people to use it more and have certain rewards for doing so. Predictably, they have a woman who has shopped a lot. Their copy reassures the woman that “shopping is good.” When compared to other ads it is clear that men are supposed to earn and women spend! That is what keeps the economy going. Let us analyse another mutual fund ad with a woman.

This is an ad for Reliance Mutual Funds. It showcases a woman in the worst way possible. She is stupid, incompetent, dumb and awestruck at the advertised offer. What demeans the ad even further is that she is shown dressed formally. So, the ad tries to establish a notion that even if women work, they remain inept, unskilled and dim witted.

The above series of ads re establish certain stereotypes. My problem with stereotypes is that they promote notions that woman are trying to fight against. Repeated exposure to such ads makes people question the judgement of woman. They, as an individual are not taken seriously. Their hearts and emotions are blindly trusted but not their brains. What does it have to be sexual harassment or eve teasing? It is all interlinked. You can play with an emotional person, but messing with a strong headed person requires thought and skill. Portraying woman as stupid makes men more confident that woman can be dominated upon. People abuse only those who they consider weak. Nobody goes and mistreats a stronger contender without a valid reason. All these ads make men believe they are strong. When things boil down to power, physical and verbal violence soon follows.

 

 

Twisted tale of a Perfect family

Analysis 9

Product: SBI Car Loan

Found on: India Today: Anniversary Issue, Page 139 (December 2011)

The ad starts with a bold caption promoting SBI Car loans. Below the caption, some advantages of the loan are highlighted. Accompanying the text is an image of a family. From left to right: Father, Mother, and Son. The father is holding keys of the car. The mother is holding the son while the son is looking at the reader.  On the background, we can see a car and a girl (possibly their daughter) is peeping out of the window with balloons in her hand. Below the image are some more advantages of the loan.

This ad reinforces what constitutes an ideal family. Let us look at the composition. On the foreground, we have 3 members of the family. The father is holding the key of the car. This makes it very clear that he is the decision maker in the house. He has full control over this investment and possibly other future investments. The mother is holding the son with care. This makes it clear that the son is her responsibility. While the man is looking after the finances, she takes care of the children. Can you even imagine role reversals? A woman is holding the key to the car while a man is holding the son? No. That is because male dominance is so deeply rooted in our psyche. Duties are divided based on gender not biology. But the most disturbing part of the ad is how children are positioned. The son is very happy being in his mother’s arms. He is the only one looking at the camera. His mother and father are looking above, probably dreaming of a better future. What about their daughter? She has been relegated to the background. She has been provided with some materialistic balloons and left to her own desires. She is nowhere part of the “perfect family”. Not in any degree as precious as the son. In a culture where sons are preferred over daughters, this ad reinstates the divide. Not only is it promoting gender stereotyping of a man and a woman but also preferential treatment of children based on their sex. Isn’t this highly disturbing?

 

Is she a commodity?

Analysis 8

Product: Mayur- Decorative Plywood

Found on: Jet Wings, Page 175 (March 2012)

The ad is set upon a dark black background. A model wearing a dress made out of plywood is poised confidently. Directed light illuminates her face and dress. Copy Text is placed above the model and the logo on the right of the text.

The model is posing in a classic fashion stance. She has well defined features; a very confident look on her face and the body weight is on her left leg as she tilts back slightly. The copy reads “Fashion for your interiors.” This is the topmost line on the page and sets the tone and reference for the ad. This also means that the model has been completely objectified. She has been used as a metaphor for your interiors. A dress made of plywood makes her look fashionable- just as Mayur Plywood wood make your interiors look fashionable. Moreover, the model’s body has been used as a display case for the different shades and textures of the plywood. Examining the dress makes it obvious that different products are on show over her body. You can pick up any shade from the reference given. The ad treats the woman with complete disdain. She has been stripped off of any personality and turned into a commodity. She is not viewed as a human capable of thinking or making meaningful contributions, but rather as an object to be glazed upon. As I said in my earlier analysis of Bols Ad, such objectification creates a “climate” for violence. Once someone is reduced to an object, it is much easier to treat them like one, with as little or as less regard.

A man’s world

Analysis 7

Product: MiSTAIR

Found on: Jet Wings, Page 145 (March 2012)

This ad shows a full page image of a man and a woman. The man is confidently facing the camera and looking straight at the reader. The woman is almost hiding behind the man and looking at a point on the left. She has her head tilted down so that her chin rests on the man’s shoulder. She is holding onto the man by keeping her hands on his shoulders. In reciprocation, the man is seen holding one of her hands. His other hand is casually inside his jacket pocket.  The copy along with the logo has been placed on the upper right corner of the page.

The ad is strongly focussed on the man. A little too strongly. He has an extremely confident pose that he carries off with ease. It says that he knows he is in control and this is just a way of life for him. His right hand is casually inside his jacket pocket showing he is quite comfortable in the current environment.  His left hand is locked with the left hand of the female model in a reassuring stance. He knows she needs him and he is sure of his ability to take care of her. The woman’s posture makes her look dependent on the man. She is almost hiding behind him, seems vulnerable and needs his reassuring touch. She is holding onto the man making her reliance on him obvious. Additionally, her gaze is fixed on the left as opposed to the man who is looking directly at the reader. This alone shows the magnitude of difference in their confidence. To reinstate these points, the copy above the logo reads “My World. My Rules” Since the ad is focussed on the man, it is implied that it’s a man’s world and so his rules are to be followed. This is quite a chauvinistic view. The ad seems to reinforce that women will remain weak and susceptible without men. He is a stronger gender. This ad can only be made in a patriarchal society.  In my earlier posts, I have discussed the effect of powerful men on sexual crimes. This ad is another piece that celebrates male dominance as a way of life.

 

Defining expertise

Analysis 6:

Product: Volini

Found on: India Today: Anniversary Issue, Page 149 (December 2011)

Two third of the page is covered by the image of a child on her mother’s back. Both of them are smiling at the reader. The girl is dressed in what seems to be a uniform. The mother is traditionally dressed in a sari. While the child hugs her mother, she in turn has her hands protectively around the child’s back.  Just below the image, a bold copy asks the reader who is the expert? It also answers the question from the mother’s perspective saying that her loved ones consider her an expert while she considers Volini an expert on pain. This statement is explained in detail along with the product in the last section.

When I look at image, I see a strong bond between the girl and the woman. This prompts me to assume they are mother and daughter. In the copy, the woman states-very confidently- that she is an expert when it comes to loved ones. The copy then defines the areas she is an expert in- helping her child with her school project (so the assumption that she is a mother is correct), “making tasty recipes for my husband” or sharing advice with friends. That is all! No mention of work, talents, hobbies or interests. And she trusts Volini to be an expert in pain relief. The domains are very clearly defined. In today’s times, a lot of woman who have kids go out and work. Surely, when they talk about expertise they will mention their areas of interest. The ad provides a traditional definition of being a woman. It creates an expectation and says that this is the convention. It does not matter if you work; when it comes to being a woman you need to be an expert in making “tasty recipes for your husband”. Isn’t this highly sexist? And even if the ad is targeting housewives, don’t they have interests outside their family. All areas mentioned focus on serving others. It is assumed that this is what gives her maximum happiness (as is evident by her smile). Surely, she must have some individuality- a corner that is hers. What about that?

These ads promote a distinct division between duties of men and women. One is seen as a home maker and the other as a bread winner. In today’s times, the homemaker is crossing the line over to becoming a bread winner too. For those who are already uncomfortable with the changing ideals, these categories of advertisements add further fuel to fire.

Stereotyping gender

Analysis 5

Product: Fiama DI Wills Bathing Bar

Found on:  India Today: Anniversary Issue, Page 2, 3 and 7 (December 2011)

Since this post compares two ads, let me start by analysing each individually and then in relation to each other.

This ad is for women. It covers a 2 page spread. The left side shows 2 flowers. Top represents incomplete while the bottom represents complete skin care. The right page shows a model with an almost bare back smiling at the reader by turning her face around. One of her left hand finger is positioned under her chin. The bottom shows the product clearly. The color scheme of the ad is green in accordance with that of the product.

Skin of a woman is compared clearly to that of a flower. If a woman pays attention to just moisturising, the flower is lifeless, almost dead. If she takes care of all 6 advertised points only then can her skin blossom. This logic has major setbacks. Skin is the interface where physical interactions occur. It is not possible to alienate the skin from the personality of the individual. When we talk about “thick skinned people”, are we not referring to their conduct? This ad uses beauty to define the image of a woman. What about those who have blemishes, stretch marks, are old and have wrinkles? Are they incomplete, lifeless? The body language of the model makes her seem shy (with a finger under her chin), timid, petite, flirtatious (she has her back to the reader and is turning her hand for a glance), fresh, young and healthy. When these are extended to the behaviour of the woman, a terrifying stereotypical image comes forward. Such ads create an ideal woman who is unattainable in terms of beauty and docile in her nature. Constant exposure creates a mindset where these become standards on which women are judged. If they fail, they suffer.

This is a one page ad. It shows a bare chested model on the right side surrounded by splashes of water. The product is advertised on the bottom left.

The model is showing off ample skin. His hands are drawn back and his chest is thrust forward. He is looking straight at the camera. Splashes of water on his skin are making it gleam. His posture is that of someone who is absolutely confident and ready to face on challenges head on. He is unafraid and in complete control of everything. The copy mentions “Rejuvinate. Re energize.” A man has responsibilities. He needs to rejuvenate himself for another day by taking a bath with the advertised product. This is again quite a stereotypical image of a man.

On seeing the two ads together, stark differences in approach appear. This is the most frightening aspect. Both the ads use conventional stereotyping of a man and a woman. The former is in control, the latter is docile. Why does a woman need all the skin care techniques and men don’t? Don’t we, as humans, have the same skin composition, features and reactions? Perhaps more important is the fact that these ads encourage a defined set of values in each gender. These values cannot interact or interchange. A man cannot be shown as taking care of his skin. That is so against machoism. A woman cannot be rough and tough when it comes to skin. She needs good radiant skin to be “complete”. These gender divisions seep into the culture and further strengthen the existing divide. Men and women are supposed to do and behave based solely on their sex. When someone defies attributes, consequences are bound to follow. So much for freedom! No wonder women are harassed. Men are powerful and women are compliant. Isn’t that how it’s always been? Just look at the ad and you will know.

Good furniture buys obedience

Analysis 4

Product: Natuzzi Italia

Found on: Jet Wings, Page 29 (March 2012)

The ad is set inside a beautiful living room of a well to do upper class family. The room is dark. A window offers the sole source of natural light. . It shows a woman apparently playing with her child. The child is running away while the woman is down on her knees and hands. She seems to be looking up at kid. The kid is wearing dark colored clothes that merge with the furniture whereas the woman is wearing white that stands out.  She has been placed on the right hand side bottom corner and we can see only half of her body inside the frame. A copy in Italian has been placed on the left hand side top corner.

The copy literally translated means “Welcome home”. If we suppose that the home belongs to a family, then the only missing member is the man. This directly implies that the ad is targeting men and inviting them back to a wonderful happy home after a day of hard work. He comes home to a charming sight of his wife playing with his child against the background of elegant furniture. Now let’s analyse the body postures of the child and the mother. The child is quite mischievous. His body posture makes it clear that he has been running around for some time. This raises the question what is the woman doing on the floor. Her posture is especially interesting. This is an animalistic posture. It is often used when parents play “horse riding” with their kids. Unfortunately, the kid’s posture makes it clear that this is not the case here. On a single glance it seems as if the woman is looking at the kid. However, if one carefully follows her eyes, they are looking at something beyond the kid. Therefore, the woman is shown in an animalistic posture looking at someone above the kid. This portrays her as being extremely submissive and she can be easily for dominated and controlled. So, essentially the ad reinforces a traditional belief that if you provide good furniture and home, then your kids will be happy and your wife will be obedient! Even though the woman is wearing western clothes (the epitome of negativity in representing women), she can still be trained to be docile! How? Just give her the advertised furniture!!

Trapped inside a suitcase!

Analysis 3

Product: The Gateway (Hotels & resorts)

Found on: Jet Wings, Page 137 (March 2012)

The ad shows the image of a woman in the right side corner. The woman is inside a suitcase. It is not clear if she is trying to come out or go in. Her bare legs are sprawled out on the floor and we see a glimpse of frills above her knees that suggest she is well dressed. Otherwise, all clearly visible body parts are nude. The model has her hands crossed against her chest as she holds onto the suitcase and its cover. The body copy alludes to a frequent traveller and the potential benefits of staying in “Gateway” for such a traveller.

The ad can be interpreted as follows:

1. The woman is a frequent traveller. As, the saying goes she “lives in a suitcase”. This ad is a direct representation of the saying. The advertised hotel is always at the service of this woman. However upon close examination, instead of being free spirited (which is the basic characteristic of a traveller) the girl seems trapped inside the suitcase by being covered and constrained by the object. Her clothes and jewellery are too perfect to suit a frequent traveller who just “pops out” anywhere. She does not seem to belong inside the suitcase but rather seems a forced fit there. Moreover, her defensive position and abnormal posture leads me to the next assumption.
2. The image used here is extremely provocative and quite suggestive of female submission. The girl is inside a suitcase- just as clothes are. You can pack up your clothes and move at any given time. Therefore, the female body is equated with something that can be moved around on whim. The ad does not state clearly as to whom does the suitcase belong to? This is the most important question because the woman becomes a mere property of the owner of the suitcase. Now let’s look at the body posture of the model. She has her hands crossed across her chest. Her legs are also crossed and the muscles are tensed. She is in quite an unnatural, uncomfortable and absolutely defensive posture adopted to protect oneself. But Nude legs outside the suitcase make the ad sexually attractive. On a whole, not only is she being regarded as a whimsical object but a whimsical sex object even as she is trapped inside a suitcase adopting a defensive posture. To top it, the woman is gazing directly at the viewer with a one sided flirtatious smile. She seems to be enjoying her situation. Who wouldn’t?

Whichever situation you identify with- seeing her as a frequent traveller/ property of a frequent traveller-  both of them boil down to the simple fact that she seems trapped inside a suitcase. Such images reinforce the belief that woman need to be kept under control, within boundaries and limits. She should adhere to rules and if she does not, her rebellion demands a suitable punishment. When the woman is seen smiling, as is the case in this particular ad, it reinforces the notion that she willingly agrees to the above societal norms.