INDIAN AD TURNS THE MALE GAZE BACK ON ITSELF AND IT'S AWESOME

[BainsBane]

The Asian film school Whistling Woods is concerned with another kind of "slipper slope" (sic).

Prominent Asian film school Whistling Woods International released a YouTube video on Monday, exactly one year after the horrific rape case in Delhi that became international news and drew global attention to violence against women in India, that turns the tables on men who ogle women in public. The film shows four scenarios where women are subjected to the ever-pervasive male gaze while going about their daily lives, whether talking with friends or just riding the bus. But then a reflective surface, be it sunglasses or a necklace, turns these gazes back on the men themselves.

The video is great, both in its very realistic – and uncomfortable – portrayal of men staring at young women, and also in the message it is trying to send, namely “You look ridiculous and creepy, and we can see you.” All too often, not just in India but all over the world, it seems that men looking at women in public places somehow think they are watching a display, as though women exist on a television screen. When, of course, in reality, women can see the people staring at them just fine, and those stares can make us feel not only uncomfortable and objectified, but downright unsafe. And yet the underlying idea that women going about their lives are putting on some sort of detached performance persists.

According to the video description on YouTube, Whistling Wood International wanted to make an ad empowering women as part of the celebration of 100 Years of Indian Cinema. Hopefully it has a big impact, and not just in India. It’s the sort of message that needs to be heard everywhere.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/11005-indian-ad-turns-the-male-gaze-back-on-itself-and-its-awesome

[cinnabonbon]

1. omg. I am in love

with this ad. And the music too, for that matter.

I think I am going to watch it again.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Great Ad!

Thanks for posting.

[BainsBane]

3. I love the use of the mirrors

Look at yourself. Of course for some, it would have no impact.

[redqueen]

4. Will this finally reach all the men who don't get it?

I sure hope so but I'm sure no one will blame me for not holding my breath.

[BainsBane]

5. Feel free

to post his in GD, if you can stand to.

[redqueen]

6. Ha, I'd love to..

but at last count I think I had near 50 people ignoring me, so it might be better if someone less reviled did the honors.

[BainsBane]

7. Amateur

You need to step up your game. I definitely don't fall into the less reviled category.

[redqueen]

9. Well FINE!

I'm doing it. Goddess knows it deserves a wider audience.

[BainsBane]

10. Of course, it will be viewed here

You know the fascination this group holds. What it won't get is discussion from the regulars.

[redqueen]

11. Yes, good point. It's up now.

And if someone has me on ignore and misses it, I hope they'll see it after it goes viral.

[BainsBane]

60. We did it again

We broke the internet with a little PSA. The things people find to stoke poutrage about.

[seabeyond]

61. sigh... what the men do not get,

is they think they are taking us down. but to many people that do not particularly participate see the bullying and it creates more support.

each one of these battle reinforces what we are saying on du. and honestly, it feels like i am the sacrificial lamb to slaughter. that gets old.

[BainsBane]

64. You really are

Fitman continues his vendetta against you off site, and I recall your being quite patient with him. I refused to interact with him after the first post exchange and PM because I could see what he was.

[Le Taz Hot]

62. Thought you might find this amusing.

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

Bragging about causing a gender war in GD. This is group trolling and shit stirring. The way this group is being used is worse than anything that was ever done in Meta, and that was shut down.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Dec 24, 2013, 06:09 PM, and the Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: The snark is getting a little tiresome, and the women really aren't doing themselves (or the rest of us) any favors, but they didn't call anyone names.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: You need thicker skin. There's a lot of truth in the statement of fact. If it were an OP I might see your point but, no, nothing wrong with this post.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I've no idea why anyone would alert on this. There's no TOS violation here.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I don't see the issue. el_bryanto

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[BainsBane]

63. For God's sake.

Yea, posting a PSA from India is shit stirring. Whoever alerted ought to ask themselves what it means when they can't handle something designed for audiences in a developing country like India. The problem isn't that Redqueen posted the PSA in GD or that I first posted it in HOF. It's that a few people CHOOSE to stomp and pout about a basic message that harassing women isn't cool.

For the peanut gallery, the point was meant ironically. The idea that an India PSA is far too progressive and advanced for some around here says a great deal. Of course that post got about 130 recs, so clearly the vast majority found it useful. A couple of outliers, however, are outraged at the suggestion that men be expected to treat women as human beings. Well dear alerter, that really is your problem. I'ts 2013. Time to act like it.

Oh, and Merry Christmas to you too.

Thanks, Taz.

[elias7]

65. You have misrepresented the reason for the alert

No?

[BainsBane]

68. Misrepresented?

The alert is there for everyone to see. The reason is obvious. It's alert stalking to try to get me to five hides and off the site.

[Sheldon Cooper]

66. But there's no conspiracy here to shut the feminists up.

Nope. Not at all.

[seabeyond]

67. pushback. put up naked women. admitted. pushback, throw up naked women

because there was a psa they did not like.

yes. i think that is about telling us. do not put up womens issues. or a push back. naked women.

and what do they do for a push back with race and gay issiues? because they do not want to be "educated"

i dare them

[ismnotwasm]

69. You know they got issues right?

I just hid every single one of those threads because it's gotten so unbelievably stupid. Plus, the professional part of me recognizes the worst 'offenders' need professional help. Or something. Wonderful spouses or significant others notwithstanding.

One or two scare the crap out of me. I'm not even kidding

[redqueen]

70. "One or two scare the crap out of me. I'm not even kidding"

+1,000,000,000,000

[CFLDem]

8. +100

I think the responses would be interesting.

[Warpy]

22. Obviously not

Look downward.

[seabeyond]

31. they get it. they do not care. they state, they do not NOT care. they do not care they make women

uncomfortable, self conscious. it is about THEM! fuck the women and worse GIRLS. gotta endoctrine the girls at 11 or 12 to know what is expected of them. they. do. not. care.

[Warpy]

12. Unfortunately, it's going to sail right over a lot of pointed heads

But I love the ad for attempting to show creepers just how skeevy they look and why no woman ever returns the "favor."

[BainsBane]

13. "pointed heads."

[Iggo]

15. Hey! If it doesn't completely eradicate rape, then it's misandry!!!

Or something.

[BainsBane]

16. If it does completely eradicate rape

It's misandry, I think.

[Iggo]

18. I never thought about it that way.

Ug.

[seabeyond]

32. creepers just how skeevy they look... POINT. nt

[seabeyond]

14. kind of "slipper slope" ... lmFao. now, i will continue to read. you, funny. nt

[allan01]

17. re:INDIAN AD TURNS THE MALE GAZE BACK ON ITSELF AND IT'S AWESOME

well now . the shoe is on the other foot and makes you uncomfertable eh dose it ?
have stumbed accross some great vids like this on du

[MyNameGoesHere]

19. Not diminishing the message

but I was surprised to hear the singer Sona Mahapatra, she is pretty well known in Bollywood movies. DU is pretty amazing for the message and the unexpected surprises.

[Diego_Native 2012]

20. Is the point that men are not allowed to look at women?

This is a little over the top to make a point, I'm sure.

I can't imagine anyone is saying we should not see the opposite sex, ignore them, pretend they don't exist.

I mean, really, what's the end game here? A completely genderless society? Gender interaction only after establishing mutual permission via some as yet undetermined method? Isn't that what the Taliban proposes, different only in methodology?

And, let's face it, this checking out the opposite sex goes both ways. If you're saying you see a "threat" in a man looking at a woman, then the same should be true in reverse.

Honestly, if you don't want to be looked at or seen at all...stay home.

[BainsBane]

21. Nice to see you're honest about it

"Stay home." Amazingly, even if India men don't get to completely control public space, but we understand that is one of the chief goals of rape and sexual harassment.

[ismnotwasm]

23. Speaking of laughter

[BainsBane]

25. Don't you love when the truth inadvertently comes out?

[Diego_Native 2012]

39. Personally,

it never bothered me at all for gay men to check me out or ask me out. They have a right to find a partner and show their appreciation for beauty as much as heteros. Honestly, I think people leveling charges of "skeevy" intent are transferring their own feelings on others.

[nomorenomore08]

49. Like many things in life, it's partly a matter of degree.

"Looking" is fine - everybody does it. But staring is rude and should be avoided.

Likewise, it's okay to flirt a little, but not if the person has made it clear they're not interested.

[seabeyond]

50. hoenstly, i do not think you listen. starting at 11, 12 for fuckin DECADES. we are there for YOUR

entertainment. really dude. i do not believe that is my role for you in this lifetime.

[arcane1]

26. The point, to put it simply: people don't like to be stared at or leered at.

It's not that hard to figure out.

[BainsBane]

27. If someone reaches adulthood and hasn't figured out the difference

between looking and ogling, it's a deliberate choice.

[arcane1]

28. Indeed.

[seabeyond]

33. there is a difference between seeing a person and a thing. and ya... pretty gender specific. and

pathetic. men look like creeps when they look at a woman as a thing. it is obvious. we see. we know the creep. so, you keep it up dude, regardless how it makes women feel, cause nothing is going to register for you. when the woman is looking back at you, it is not out of interest, or desire, or like, she is looking at you in disgust....

[Sheldon Cooper]

42. Man shaming??

[ismnotwasm]

43. You again?

[BainsBane]

44. "Man shaming"

Are you implying that men are by nature predators, that they are incapable of behaving responsibly in society? What that video depicts is not typical men. It shows predators. It's sad that you can't tell the difference.

[xulamaude]

46. Um, I think you're lost. This isn't GD

this is HoF - a group - and telling women to grow the fuck up is not exactly the kind of comment that is appreciated around here.

Bye.

[xulamaude]

48. At least one jury did something right.

Thank you jurors 1 thru 4.

[MrScorpio]

24. Changing a culture starts with lots of small measures like this

More of the same, please.

[seabeyond]

30. HUGE bear hug. thank you so so so so so much mr. nt

[seabeyond]

29. this is so fuckin awesome and decades of it so fuckin tired. the most ridiculous. about a year ago,

walk up to the line at register. husband and wife, wife closest to me. he just got a glimpse before i got in line and i started watching. tried to inch backwards but could not get a look. started inching forward to look around wife. wife them looks out into the distance pretending she doesnt see. all the while inching, inching. and by the time he got to my eyes, he got a look full of "you are such a fuckin asshole".

so fuckin pathetic. so fuckin old. all the time. the girls/women there to entertain the men.

they look stupid. jsut plain fuckin stupid. and look them directly in the eyes, they look down or away. or get angry.

[pansypoo53219]

34. as long as the males can feel shame.

[seabeyond]

35. for too many, it is entwined in their definition of their masculinity. they do it for them,

as it defines their manhood at the expense.... once again, of the woman

[NuclearDem]

36. Holy shit, what has this one video done to GD?

[ismnotwasm]

38. Broke it

Again.

[NuclearDem]

40. ...

[seabeyond]

52. lol lol. your bad self. nt

[BainsBane]

41. 102 recs

Most people like it. Then we have a few that think women should wear burkas.

[seabeyond]

51. i know. they are still pissed at the rape porn issue. they didnt look good. then there was

another, i forget. again. they didnt look good. then we are having all this fun in here. they dont like that..... this one was the explosion, with all the rec, the last straw.

and it is christmas all. tis the season. dont we know.

[MuseRider]

45. Oh baby oh baby did this stir up

some crap in GD!

LeftyMom, I just replied to you. The best response ever, that I have ever seen anywhere for any reason. You are awesome!

I am going to have to wait until after Christmas to wade through the rest of that one.

One would have thought something this simple would make sense. I guess when your entitlement is threatened in such a basic way, oh what the fuck ever.

[BainsBane]

47. Could you link to this best response ever?

We have my friend and colleague Anna to thank for this video. She posted it on Facebook.

[MuseRider]

54. I am sorry, got so busy and am just now back.

Here is the link. I thought it was pretty funny YMMV.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024214731#post39

Again sorry I did not link to it.

[BainsBane]

58. That's a win

She's sharp.

[seabeyond]

53. yes. lefty and i do not get along. and she has been downright kick ass for at least a week.

i respect.

[NuclearDem]

55. Jesus fuck.

I've seen some misogynistic crap on DU in the past, but this bullshit in GD is just maddeningly, depressingly horrible.

[seabeyond]

56. ya. nt

[BainsBane]

59. It's you, the source of all evil on planet earth

How can you show your face in public!

[BainsBane]

57. It's all the feminists fault for posting an Indian film

that suggests something isn't quite right with predatory behavior. Lord.