From Kareena, Alia, to Sushmita: Blatant misogyny female actors face
"Shaming is one of the deepest tools of capitalist patriarchy," bell hooks once wrote. Misogyny rears its ugly head around us every day, to the extent that misogynists don't even try to be subtle or mask themselves before unleashing vitriol. A case in point is Indian female actors, who come under the radar for making choices that concern nobody but them. How? Let's examine.
Kareena Kapoor Khan being trolled on third pregnancy rumors
Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently at the end of vicious trolling and moral policing that dangerously teetered on the edge of slut shaming. Once the rumors about her third pregnancy surfaced, trolls unleashed the nastiest, abominable memes—all under the done-to-death excuse of "humor." When a well-known person can be made a butt of nationwide jokes this way, who really is safe?
Here's one such meme about Kapoor Khan and her husband
Sushmita Sen's relationship status is unfathomable for netizens
Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen dominated Twitter for a while recently after entrepreneur Lalit Modi made their relationship public. Unsurprisingly, the internet didn't seem to think that a 46-year-old woman can make her own decisions about her romantic relationships and shoved her under the scrutiny scanner by calling her a "gold digger." Sen responded with her trademark sass, saying that she prefers diamonds instead.
Alia Bhatt's decision to embrace motherhood 'early' in her career
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor announced their first pregnancy in June, roughly two months after their wedding. No points for guessing as, within minutes, social media began to creak under the weight of preposterous memes, all about how Bhatt rushed into things and how she is facilitating a slow death of her career. Isn't it a woman's right to choose when to have kids?
One of the many memes that were made about Alia
Even not having kids is problematic? Trolling Deepika, Katrina face
While our society seems to be working overtime to rip women apart about their timing of choosing motherhood, even not bearing babies is just as much a concern. Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif's names emerge each time there is a pregnancy rumor or confirmation, and trolls collectively opine that these actors should start thinking about it now. Capriciousness truly knows no bounds.
Will this ever end?
It is almost as if well-oiled machinery conspires to pull women down at the slightest provocation and insists that the "lesser gender," no matter how well-heeled, must always toe the line. What's even more despondent is how women partake in this virtual mudslinging just as enthusiastically. Certainly, it will take a lot to undo the rampant internalized misogyny that has corroded several cores.
