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When will the world realise that something they’re casually making fun of is someone else’s reality, and it's not Ok to do so?
On March 27, 2022, American actor, Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards after the latter made a joke about the physical appearance of the former’s spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith.
While Smith is facing serious consequences for his actions, there is very little being said about Rock’s condescending remark that mocked a woman’s medical issues. This made me wonder whether this world will ever move past making belittling and shallow jokes about how a person, especially a non-man, looks.
There are two concerning and serious issues about Rock’s actions – him insulting Jada Smith’s decision to go bald due to her medical condition, alopecia areata, and him doing so without her consent.
First of all, why is it so difficult for the world to accept a woman’s decision to shave her head? Imagine getting diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, shaving your head as a result of that, and then having comedians compare you to a bald fictional character. Would anyone be okay with that?
Second of all, why make a joke about someone’s problems without asking them if they would be open to being mocked publicly?
What Jada Smith faced is the reality of every non-man in this world who doesn’t meet the ideal standards of beauty set by a bunch of misogynists. We are asked to remain silent in the face of humiliation and are labelled as ‘loud’, ‘hormonal’, or ‘reactionary’ the moment we voice our discomfort.
When will the world realise that something they’re casually making fun of is someone else’s reality?
As I think about everything that Will Smith did, I wonder how I would’ve reacted if someone would’ve insulted my wife or girlfriend the same way. Since the answer to that question will be met with a lot of criticism, I will let it remain unanswered in this article.
A dysgraphic writer who spends most of her time watching (and thinking about) Bollywood films. read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
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