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There are no words really. This poster really makes me all tongue tied and shocked and angry. But what is anger if not directed into healthy discussion. What do you think it says about the relationship between a man and a woman?
Oh My GOD!! This is like promoting Violent relationships!
ReplyDeleteSo have to tweet it!!
I put this pic up and so wanted to call you and ask you to check it out. I have not been out in a while and when I did go, there it was! Right outside lifestyle and this was a really huge poster mind you. Wasnt one of those regular sized one either. I felt like I stepped into some kind of a nightmare. It reminded me of the vidya balan post of yours, somebody goes out to sue her but this one can stay floating out in our consciousness apparently. Anyway, glad Anika doesnt understand these things yet :-)
DeleteReally depressing stuff A! Its so sad that we as a society are not critical about this stuff, like IHM says below!
DeleteI am so glad you out it up! Tough challenge we have got with our little ones of the next generation!
I thought you might like this blog
ReplyDeletehttp://lifeandtimesinbangalore.wordpress.com/
Thanks babe for the link, this is going up my blogroll :-) Started reading some of her posts. Really interesting writer.
DeleteYou got to watch the movie to know it further :P
ReplyDeleteAhh we have a wiseass amongst us don't we?!
DeleteSo much censorship of tender loving scenes, or a kiss or consensual PDA, and this which is actually harmful is not being questioned!
ReplyDeleteExactly!! I totally agree with you on this one. While tender loving scenes are "too forward" these once apparently are grounded in "indian values". Its scary what goes into our consciousness.
DeleteThanks for visiting!
DeleteDid you get my comment?
ReplyDeleteAnd when most Indians learn about romance and sex from movies :|
ReplyDeleteAarathi, please do not get me wrong. I am totally with you on the kind of patriarchal values that Indian movies so blatantly promote. Alas, this is my question - while movies do influence reality, they also, to an extent represent reality.
ReplyDeleteI do not know if you have watched this movie. It was originally a Tamil movie and went on to become a blockbuster. But that apart, it portrays a normal village in the heart of Tamil Nadu where things are still how things are in any Indian village. The protagonist is an extremely ruthless, care-a-damn, taken to violence and misdeeds fellow. The heroine is also a bold, out-spoken, kind of independent, rebellious woman. She likes the hero for his ruthlessness. She has always loved him for childhood. He is initially arrogant towards her but she loves that too. This poster perhaps signifies that relationship they have.
As a stand-alone poster, it might be offensive but as anonymous said, you have to watch the movie. Unlike many Tamil movies, this one places a lot of importance on the female protagonist as well. Please correct me if I am wrong.
There are men like the protagonist in villages in India, of course. Angry, violet, wielding an axe at anyone- i know some of them from Madurai too. But women that are independent and free-spirited? My guess is that the reality about women in tamil nadu or any village in india is far from what the movie potrays (that is, from what you say about the movie, i havent seen it).
DeleteAlso why portray only what the quintessential man is? Why not the women in these villages as well? even if there are a handful of fiery women, what is the lesson for them? Fall in love with badass men because that's whats out there? Men will be men?
Movies take what they want from "reality" to make a block buster concoction, i am not sure mainstream movies are made to promote equality or any such sublime notions. So yes, as i see it, as a stand alone poster, it is definitely offensive and for the right reasons (especially after hearing from you what the movie might be about) makes me want to keep off it for sure.
Thank you for stimulating my mind for sure. I was so angry when i put this up that I dont think all this processing went on in my head then, but I am glad for this discussion and your presence on my blog, as always :-)
The last few years have given me the opportunity to meet a few women from the heart of Madurai and other suburban towns. I was surprised at the differences between them and the majority of what I have seen of women in Chennai for 23 years. These young girls were so much more outspoken, bold and able to stand up for themselves in a tough way. Of course, they were not as broad minded as the city types and still place a lot of importance on traditional conservatism but they were ones who could really hold the ground for themselves.
Delete"Also why portray only what the quintessential man is? Why not the women in these villages as well?" - completely agree on that one.
"even if there are a handful of fiery women, what is the lesson for them? Fall in love with badass men because that's whats out there? Men will be men? " - Ah, badass men. Hmmm. Hardiness and bad - I don't know if we can associate the two. A man is of a horrible breed if he is violent to his women but is a man horrible if he is of an angry temperament? Refinement comes with education, doesn't it? I don't know.
Thank you, nevertheless, for taking my concerns in a positive manner and encouraging a healthy discussion. Cheers! Keep writing! :)
Thanks for that. I agree that there are women everywhere you are strong and amazing in their own right.
Delete"Hardiness and bad - I don't know if we can associate the two. A man is of a horrible breed if he is violent to his women but is a man horrible if he is of an angry temperament? Refinement comes with education, doesn't it? I don't know. "
Hardiness, is attractive even, that's how i met the husband :-) but I am just pointing out,and i am sure you'll agree, the stereotype of the "angry young man" of our movies, and this poster is oozing that to the point of welding an axe (albeit as a caress) at the women he apparently loves. That borders on something else for me.
:-)
What bothers me about this poster is not just the harmful undertones, but a stereotype that it perpetuates. Notice he is slightly higher than her in the poster. She seems to be enjoying this axe weilding love. There is also an anger on his face which I completely dont understand.
ReplyDeleteLike sinduja says, perhaps the context is misplaced because we havent watched the movie. But with posters like this, I am definitely not going to watch the movie.
Also, posters like this, ads like "fair and lovely" all make me wonder how many body image issues and personality types are created without proper understanding of the impact.
If I blabber do ignore. But I am pretty irritated when I encounter stuff like this.
@Srinidhi: "Notice he is slightly higher than her in the poster."
DeleteWow..that was good media text analysis! :)
Hi srinidhi: didn't seem like blabber to me. That was a poignant observation, she is seated lower and appers to enjoy the axe weilding love. I agree about not wanting to see the movie thanks to the poster. Don't even get me started on the fair and lovely ads!! I will hate and abhor them till the end of life. Thanks for stopping by :-)
Deleteoh my goodness. everything about this is terrible.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteThe very purpose of this Poster has been served and the number of responses to this blog proves it !!!!!! That is, to elicit a reaction from the viewers and make them interested in the movie and wonder about the place of this particular pose in the sequence of events. Maybe the axe is a plastic toy ? Why react so violently to just a poster I wonder ! Because I do not find this poster very offensive or violent.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying you dont understand our point of view? I am sure for the purpose of this poster, they probably used a plastic toy but I am just saying it portrays stereotypes that we are all too familiar with and I am not so happy about that. That's it. No need to go into Dalai Lama type dialogues for that :| :P
DeleteHi Miss IFfa!! THanks so much for visiting. Iam going to hop on over and start following you as well :-)
ReplyDelete