Stylespeak By Wendell Rodricks
MISPLACED MORALITY
The nation is in a grip of voyeurism. Thanks to a little known, hardly viewed television channel that should ideally be banned, by not only the film frat but the public at large.
It all began with the very public airing of a teenager who "mobile recorded" his sexual escapade a few months ago. Why he did it has not been properly questioned. That he should have been exposed as a criminal was not even considered. The girl however got her face and sexual antics on an international "trade" site. The boy walked.......... thanks to his underage status.
After that the Indian media was never the same. Pandora's box was declared open. Out flew, a few months later, "a kiss". Tongue tennis between two film stars made a hysterical front page appearance in a Mumbai afternoon tabloid. From there, the rot spread to "serious" television chanels and "respected" magazines.
What is wrong with a kiss or for that matter a private sexual encounter between consenting adults ? Is the state of Indian sex life so dull and boring that we want to see and know what happens in bedrooms ? Are we becoming as depraved as Americans........who care so much about Presidential oral sex with all it's nauseating details ? Is there no sanctity left for a very personal sexual act between adults.
Recently in Mapuca, the law raided two grown up individuals watching porn. Big deal ! Is watching porn for personal stimulation a matter of public consumption or outrage ?
What pornography is, is it self is a debatable issue. Westerners at a time considered the carvings of Khajurao and the holy Shiva Lingam sexually explicit and offensive. Forget foreigners, we Indians (and Goans) have regressed into an era between the dark ages and the prudish Victorian period. How much is too much ? In fashion, for some, it's a micro-mini. Others demand that women's hair and ankles go under a veil. It is obvious that it is all in the eye, and more importantly the mind, of the beholder.
Seen people react to the word "homosexual" ? We immediately begin to imagine what they must be doing. Who does what to whom ? What do lesbians do in bed ? Questions that are more a case of the minds of the people who imagine and are indulging in personal perversity. Honestly, why should anyone begin to think about the sexual act when talking to or about people. Do we imagine our parents, relatives, and friends in the act ??? No !! So, why begin to think what dwell on it. We tend to fantasize about it when we meet gays, lesbians, transgenders and eunuchs ? And then behave hypocritically shocked by it. A case of moral perversity.
A sexual crime like pedophilia is another case altogether. If I had it my way, I would go back to the dark ages to mete out punishment. Public flogging ! Castration !! Death !!! Sick minds who abuse innocent children should be subjected to public humiliation and the death sentence. Full stop !
Is voyeurism also a moral crime ? Organised religions should speak out and make it a sin. On one hand, people were going through a period of fasting and abrtiteance. On the other, at news time, they were tuning to a television chanel to learn more about the infamous casting couch in Bollywood. Perverts !!!
Infamous ? Why does it always have to be film and fashion that get the brunt of the sexual morality stick ? Because we are fearless and honest to admit it ? Because the public feel that public figures should be holy, virtuous and a stop away from Sainthood ? These are public people. Stars, models, politicians, celebrities..................they are in the public eye for reasons other than a bid for the papal chair. Talking of which, I am sure the pope would make a lousy politician. Why then, do the Americans expect Bill Clinton to be a saint ? Mercifully, Indian politicians sexual lives are hidden. I don't want to know about Kalam or Vajpaye or anyone. No ! No! Noooo!!! I just don't want to know frivolous details that have nothing to do with professionalism and work oriented results. It's another thing if public money is spent on mistresses and lovers. But, if there is no abuse there,............it's fine by me. As was the case of the French public, who did not bat an eyelid when they learnt of President Mitterand's mistress. They did raise a concern though that she was not abusing public offices and money. In fact, when the wife and mistress (with their respective daughters) both turned up at the funeral, it was perfectly fine. Mitterand even divided his estate between the wife, mistress and the two girls. Way to go !!
Not so, here in India. Everyone was agog and wanting more details about how a Bollywood villian tried to lure an innocent film aspirant into the casting couch.
Innocent ? Who is innocent here ? Shakti Kapoor or Miss Actress Aspirant ? First she hounds an out-of-work actor for weeks. Then she appears in seductive clothes. Later she arranges a rendezvous in a hotel. Mr. Villian enters the spiders lair that has been cobwebbed with spy cameras and sound recorders. After that .....................
Frankly I don't care what happened after that. The woman acted like she wanted to sleep her way to the top. Once and for all.........Yes ! The casting couch exists. Like it does everywhere. From Secretarial positions to political schemes. But it is a couch that is used by the ambitious kind. Everyone knows it's there. Some young girls and boys use it to get ahead. So, why blame the directors, producers and stars. Also, why couldn't the television chanel gun for a big star like Amitabh Bachan or Shah Rukh Khan ? Scared to ruffle the wrong feathers Mr. Rajat Sharma ? Or would your political right wing friends disapprove of such a move ? If the TV chanel though they would gather more eye balls, they certain did. For a couple of weeks. Now everyone is truly disgusted. Just as well. We need to keep our families away from useless, frivolous pieces of info-thrash.
Information about AIDS or Tsunami prevention loose out to why Brad Pitt left jennifer Aniston. Or why Prince Jug Ears is marrying an aging Duchess of Frump. People eyes would sparkle if I told them Mallika Sherawats bra size. Why should I ? Why should you know ? Are you making her a dress ??? Come on..............why should we care ? They live in another world, a planet away from our Goan lives.
It's time to get away from this voyeuristic ride. Time to get real and realise that some issues between the sheets should stay behind closed doors. Time to get a reality check and send our kids out to play on Goa's hills instead of subjecting them to morsels of misplaced media tripe and mindless television that is making us victims of their scheming ways.
Go on Goa. Tune off that TV, if it is senseless. Get Garcia Marquez or Tagore to replace the tabloids. Step away from the moralistic high ground. After all we do live in proverbial glass houses and we all have deep dark secrets..........that the entire village knows about anyway.
----- The column above appeared in the April 2005 issue of Goa Today magazine ===
