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The recent ad by MANforce condoms, on the occasion of friendship day, gave a whole new meaning to friendship between the opposite genders. Here is what our author feels about the same.
Is sex the only reason why a man befriends a woman?
Are women seen solely as sex objects by their male friends?
Well, if you, like me, think that’s a ridiculous stereotype, then you might also want to ask the condom manufacturer Manforce, what they were thinking when they posted an ad with such a degrading message on their Facebook page on the occasion of Friendship Day.
https://www.facebook.com/ManforceIndia/photos/a.285206801527753.63379.183424501705984/1951850084863408/?type=3
The ad says, ‘Hello Friends, Condom Rakhlo‘. Here, F is shown as an explicit sexual position. That too might not have been a big deal as the company seems to be promoting safe sex.
However, it is their caption that got my goat. It says, ‘Just in case you make it out of the friend zone, keep Manforce with you. #HappyFriendshipDay’
I mean, really?
Do men become friends with women with the only hope of getting out of the friend zone and getting sex someday? Don’t you think the company is insulting the concept of friendship by implying that pure, undiluted friendship between the opposite genders is just not possible?
I also have a problem with this term ‘friend zone‘ because it sounds like some sort of a failure zone where guys with the aim of having sexual or romantic relationships with girls have been dumped into, against their wish. How sad is the implication that guys and girls cannot just be friends for friendship’s sake–just because they like each other’s company, just because they have common interests, just because they like talking to each other or spending (non-sexual) time with each other. Imagine, by that logic, no person in a monogamous relationship can have a friend of the opposite sex!
I think the ad insults both men and women by reducing their equation to just a sexual one. Safe sex is definitely commendable between two consenting adults but to indicate that a man should keep condoms handy when meeting his female friend just with the ‘hope’ of getting laid is simply offensive and degrading, in my opinion.
Yes, friends WITHOUT benefits is a huge thing among us humans. Please get it into your head, Manforce!
Kasturi’s debut novel, forthcoming in early 2021, had won the novel pitch competition by Half Baked Beans Publishers. She won the Runner Up Position in the Orange Flower Awards 2021 for Short Fiction. Her read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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