Starry looks, shortest possible clothes, highest of heels, weirdest of songs, sometimes smallest of roles and a whole lot of make-up, defines a woman’s world in the media industry. How glamorous and tantalizing it seems to be. How fancy and starry it appears. Isn’t it?
Well, let it be. How it seems to be or appears to us is not the concern here. But how it actually is, and what it is that is behind it, is what the actual concern should be to be looked up on! Let us try and peep behind the bars to see how and what it takes to be a woman, a woman in this industry of media! Let us go step by step to every aspect of ‘women being in media’. Because these aspects are often overlooked and misinterpreted by us all!
Dolled up women :
The roles that women play in different movies, T.V serials, advertisements might vary from that of a beggar, to that of a film star. But what remains the same is the way they are dressed up, or rather we should say that what remains the same is the way they are ‘not’ dressed up!(because sometimes they are barely dressed to be categorized under the ‘dressed-up’ category). How weird sometimes it seems, when you see an actress playing the role of a village girl on screen, suddenly comes dressing up like a pub dancer in the mid of a dance sequence. It’s weird to see and hard to digest at the same time. Media should be empowering women, but it is demeaning them instead. Although there’s a lot that media does for women, through various films that are women oriented, T.V. serials that encourage womanhood , advertisements that promote girl birth etc, but at the same time, there is a lot that media destroys as well. It destroys the very dignity, soul, esteem and aura of a woman. In fact, it destroys more, than what it constructs. Probably because there are more no of such demeaning films and advertisements being made as compared to the no of women empowering stuff being made. A woman is only accepted by the viewers and the audience, when she is all dolled up in either a short one piece or an even shorter two piece. It is only then, that she is recognized and appreciated as well. It’s unfortunate of course, but that’s how it is! The very first thing that go noticed about a female on screen is her cleavage, and later is recognized her skills and everything else.
Too Polarized characters :
Characters that actors play, play the most important role in carving an actor’s personal identity, in front of people as well. Coming on to female actors, we observe that the kind of characters played by them are often extremely polarized. That is, they are either way too ‘goody good’ types, or way too villainous! How pathetic it is to see two extremely polarized characters in the same T.V serial. At one side there is this mother world type character who is ever ready to sacrifice every damn thing for any damn person, however at another side is this wicked vamp, who is ever eager to destroy every possible damn thing in the world. Such extreme characterization leads to at one end, idolize women to a superficial extent and at another end, disgrace and dishonour them to another extreme. Such a scenario is very disappointing as it eventually leads to lost existence of the normal women. The fantasized characterization of women is absurd and it is also making the practically existent identities of normal, standard and real women, disappear. And why this happens only with women, and not men is again a complex question. Roles that men often play on screen are quite believable and convincing, then why only women are to be overly fantasized and unduly portrayed.
Irrelevant and inept portrayal :
Be it men’s razor, their shaving cream, condoms or even their underwear. It’s women who sell it, more than the men. Women sell the most irrelevant and most strangest of things, which they have no context to! Even more disappointing thing is that they again have to sell these things in the same manner. That is through showing their skin and displaying those extra inches below the neck line. Woah! How pathetic has the situation become! And what can be done now? It’s people who demand it after all. And it’s people only who are the buyers as well. So, it has to be this way only!
However, nothing in this world has to be just perfect and idol, but still such bizarre situations can be and must be ignored!
Insubstantial roles played by women :
We hardly ever get to see films or T.V serials that are women oriented , or women centric. Hardly something of such kind arrives, once in a while. Most characters portrayed by women on screen are simply materialistic and nothing else. They hardly have soul in them. They lack substance and more than that, sense! Most characters played by women on screen are either the glamorous ones or the glamorous ones!(hope you understand what it means) However, with changing time, things are going better. More no of women centric projects are coming up and people are liking it as well. But still there is a lot of scope in terms of what should be the scenario and what can be the scenario, if we make some real good efforts!
So, Why Is this issue of such importance?
No wonder, you must surely be wondering that. After all, the way women want to dress up and be portrayed is a part of their personal desire and decision as well. Well, yes that’s true, but only to a certain extent! The way women are portrayed in media is a reflection of how people want to see them, like to see them and wish to see them. Glamour, make-up, dressing, etc are simply a part of the nature of every woman. And that is what makes the very soul of a woman as well. But such extremism that leads to ill portrayal of them is simply not acceptable. Of course they have to look beautiful and they must, as well, but beauty does not lie in simply going down the line and treating women as merely objects and materials. A woman has got maximum faces and colours to her personality, and exploiting just one single aspect of her personality (which is her sex appeal) to such an extent is too unfair and unjustified. While we often talk about women empowerment, we barely do something about it. Such ill portrayal demeans women’s status and their very existence in society, which is why it is an issue of such importance.
Women’s day is not about celebrating it with pastries, gifts, lightings, people and stuffs, it should rather be marked as a day when we take a step forward in order to ensure better status and treatment of women.
