Valentine’s Day: Love Somebody

Valentine’s Day is as simple as just loving someone. It is likely that you know the person you’re buying presents for, or taking out, or hanging out with. Then, there are some others who suddenly find their soul mate on the day of love (extremely rare though).

What I cannot comprehend is why we keep falling for the commercial tricks that keep objectifying women (more than men, mind you)? Not a day goes by when I don’t see women in commercials that promote objectification such as those Axe ads (“spray more get more”), or Slice of Katrina Kaif, or Durex commercials. Why does Valentine’s day have to top that?Boyfriends/Husbands usually get teddy bears, chocolates, jewelry, clothes, shoes, et cetera for their wives. Wives buy clothes and shoes mostly, occasionally a bouquet or chocolates for their partners. Both parties get those gifts partly thinking that this is what their partner wants, and also due to their exposure to the media. Dairy Milk would have a Valentine’s commercial, which contains the happiest couple and a successful relationship, so the partner goes out to buy a box of chocolates.

The media is also responsible for feeding a woman’s brain, and she ends up thinking that the best husband/lover would give her what the commercial says. Industry’s capitalist intentions provide ground for such objectification/consumerism (they say ‘sex sells’), and that ride has taken women along. Now, coming back to Valentine’s Day, why not make this day about love as it is supposed to be?

Why make it about the cost of the presents or things? Many of us have sadly left feelings aside because there are too many flashing images with sexual imagery, which forces one to submit to objects. What they show in such commercials is pretentious and misleading. You might just miss out on the love of your life because she might feel offended by your teddy present.

Why give flowers to your flower? Give warmth, care, love, and affection. Cook some food for your partner, or give a massage, write a poem or a song for love, dance or travel together, and the list goes on. There are so many things one can do apart from buying objects for presents! I remember when I was younger, my boyfriend gave me a collection of all the letters we used to write to each other, with a picture and a beautiful card, and then we cooked together.

That was the best present for me because it showed me how much he cared, and the effort he put in to create something new with the golden old. If he would have just bought me flowers and called it a day, I wouldn’t have kept that memory alive because the deed wouldn’t stand out. Do something other than what everyone else is doing. Make it about love, make it count.

Photo Credit: Rajputro (Flickr)

Jahnvi

A post-graduate student of English Literature, with an interest in Media, Communications and Feminism,

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