As Someone Not Really Interested, I Shouldn’t Have To See Ranveer’s Nudes Everywhere I Go Online!

Are all websites showing Ranveer's nudes assuming that everyone is interested in seeing people naked, or is there no other piece of news more important than a man’s sweaty biceps?

Content Warning: This deals with naked photoshoots of a man. This content warning should be pasted across all online sites currently – here’s why.

I tried extremely hard to avoid seeing the images of Ranveer’s naked photoshoot, but was forced to view them – those images are the first thing one comes across the moment they open any news website these days.

Are these websites assuming that everyone is interested in seeing people naked or is there no other piece of news more important than a man’s sweaty biceps? How has someone’s nakedness become such a huge issue of “national importance”? 

Is this about being enamoured by the male physique?

In my personal opinion, the sensationalisation of the actor’s naked images does not make any sense. Deepika Padukone did not get even half the attention when she became the first Indian brand ambassador of Louis Vuitton. However, her partner has been gaining unnecessary fame just because he decided to unclothe himself for a photoshoot.

Why are all the websites expecting everyone to be obsessed with male nakedness? I know for a fact that I definitely don’t wish to ever see men naked, and I am sure there are many others like me in this world. 

The constant idealisation of masculine nudity brings out the internalised phallocentrism in our society as it expects everyone – including lesbian women, straight men and asexual folks – to be nothing but thrilled to see men without clothes.

Alongside that, people need to stop linking Singh’s nakedness to the expression of female sexuality by making it appear as if he has done women and femme presenting non-binary and agender individuals a favour by normalising nudity. He has not done that. In fact, no masculine presenting cisgender man can ever be treated as a universal sex symbol for individuals of all genders and sexualities because not all of us would want to worship them.

There’s no need to either glorify or moralise nudity

Thus, news pieces featuring Singh’s naked bottom must come with a content warning so that we can decide for ourselves whether we wish to see a man bottomless or not. 

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No matter what all the intellectual tabloids think, I would say that we need to stop treating nudity as a matter of debate and discussion. An actor chose to get a photoshoot done for a magazine and post the same on his Instagram feed.

None of this deserves moralising or glorification because both come at serious costs.

The former questions someone’s choice to do whatever they want with their bodies while the latter makes it appear as if those who don’t feel the need to get nude photoshoots done are not bold enough.

In every way, one should be treating Singh’s photographs the way they treat all of his other photographs without forcing people to constantly engage with them when they aren’t willing to. 

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About the Author

Upasana Dandona

A dysgraphic writer who spends most of her time watching (and thinking about) Bollywood films. read more...

42 Posts | 222,940 Views

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