Sunday, March 15, 2009

Neeya Naana…give me a break!

I am really curious to know who are the producers of this really horrible program called neeya nana, which is hosted by some dim wit of a guy on Vijay TV! This program is aired on Sundays between 9:00 and 9:30 PM, perhaps with a 100 reruns of the same episode. The topics are usually provoking, well don’t expect if the discussions would be on neo-liberal policies or coalition politics or live-in relationships or domestic violence; it’s usually on something as inane as love vs. arranged marriages or something equally insulting the modest standards of human intelligence. Ok, the discussion that is happening tonight has sunk to an all-time low, which would have stirred or psyched even the traditionalists of the dark ages!

The discussion is between ‘businessman vs. wives–are they happy.’ Firstly, the title: people, business can be done by both sexes and people who do not adhere to any one sex as well. What gave you the right to assume a gender identity for a profession? Nextly, wives! Was this a place where women (well the business wives) could rant their rather indulgent anger on their business husbands? What was it? Were the producers or directors looking at the emergence of any possible domestic violence cases? Or, were they looking at alleviating the ‘misery’ of these ‘housewives?’ Or, was it a sneak, voyeuristic peek into these upper middle class homes? What was the whole point of the title? Didn’t it even strike them that there could be several thousands of business women in this progressive state of Tamil Nadu? What was really amusing was an ad in between that went on list the big women achievers! Was that a miss? Or, were you guys so out of sync with what you were doing? This one was just too obvious to miss!

Next, the panelists: most of the women wore a sindur. This is an interesting point, because this sindur thing is rather new in Tamil Nadu. Perhaps, thanks to Ekta kapoor’s serials, our women, from the land of Periyar and Bharatiyar (who openly declared war on casteism and chauvinism and called a woman who challenged the traditional mores of patriarchy a real woman), have so happily lapped up regressive practices that even their grandmoms didn’t have!

And, all the women continued to simply talk about how the husband wouldn’t pay ‘any’ attention to the household; of course, why would he, if you more than readily, perhaps gave up your career for marriage or the child, or didn’t study so that your parents may not be able to find a suitable groom for you? That’s not enough, there have been love marriages in which the women have done everything to ensure that the man becomes something ‘worthy.’ But, my question is, why didn’t the women do anything for themselves? And, you just find one vague TV program to share your rants or experiences? The men’s responses: typical! Oh yeah, we are so busy, you see; well, who are ‘we’ struggling for? It’s for the family!

My question: what was new about this whole exchange? Is this truly the reality? How come I see something very different? How come in my 7-8 years of working, I have had always had women bosses, except a couple of them? And, how come the corporate board rooms are filled with women? How come big political parties have women leaders? How do I reconcile with the fact that very soon, India might have an Obama moment: when a dalit woman becomes the prime minister? Especially, when I am assaulted with crap like this on prime time? I understand if it were these fictitious, gycerline-dependent serials, because I can just dismiss them at least on principle, especially with their disclaimer and all! Here, you have real people talking terrible stuff! Yeah, all the men are talking about how it is great to hear the child’s first word or how the child plays and the usual the home-bound nonsense! Yes men, that’s what we have always been telling! The women have had ENOUGH of hearing the babies and perfecting the art of creating new recipes, face packs (so that they are beautiful for you and your friends), pickles, home decoration, and all the prescribed stuff. Why don’t the men take over here for a change, after all, it’s the men who have been romanticizing the ‘woman’s job.’

Vijay TV’s program just left me hopping mad about this horribly antiwoman show! Somehow, it feels like the woman has no role to play in her life than just crib about her husband’s attention! Doesn’t she have anything to do? Is she just there to run the homestead for the businessman? And, mind you, the labor is unpaid, and she does not have any job security, she can get thrown out any time, she can be shortchanged, she does not any leave (PL/CL/SL), and every day she works overtime! It left a terrible taste in my mouth… where are we headed…

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have to work amidst such ignorance! I think we can marvel at how they have managed to remain ignorant even NOW!!!

Moushumi

Sridevi Seshasayee said...

Neeya Naana, the talk show hosted by Gopinath. I do watch this show regularly just to know what the public at large feels or how they understand issues and their responses toward the same.

Last night's show titled - " Businessman and their Spouses" !

Firstly, I really felt let down by the debate or the nature of the topic. What echoed in my mind was this - " How Irrelevant?". I still continued to sit through the show. It was very shocking to see how these women participating in the debate turned up to the sets - All of them dressed in glarrring colorrrs, garrrrish make up, over the top over flowing jewellery. Chew it up I say and I force myself to ONLY STRICTLY hear to what they talk ignoring the rest.

The points that came out of the crowd sounded something like this - A man says I earn and work hard for my family, A woman then complains you are always at work unaware of many things at home, A man says major portion of my money goes to her shopping kitty, and then the women say I dress up solely to keep up your image in the society....this crap goes on on on..until the so called liberated forward alternate thinking panelists who come there to suggest a middle path or ideas or views solving the issue at hand - AGAIN A TOTAL LET DOWN. What were you thiking? People who watch this show are either dumb headed fools who really think, this is the NEXT BIG THING to affect the soceity!!! Wake up guys its election time a voice in my head screamed. I totally agree with you when you say how can you give it a gender twist and say "Only Business MAN exists " n there are NO WOMEN running or owning her own business, How dare you potray women as just mere backstage artists running the show, How dare you tell the public that all the rich upper middle class women listen what your busy bussines running Husbands tell you, how dare you potray them as just humans who are only capable of rearing a child, cooking, running the home, dressing up, being a wife etc etc. SO by actually doing this you are strenthing the belief of many of those fools sitting in front of the idiot box to conform to these outdated roles, rules WHATEVER!!! GUYS from Vijay TV if you are reading this hear me out - You have certain responsibility as a media or entertainment hosue!! Dont take us for granted, if you were running out of time and working agaisnt deadlines to broadcast pls never ever do a debate on topics such as these, we would rather prefer you showing the Neeya Naana the story so far or Bloopers show NOT SUCH CRAP....!!!! ###%%%&&&!!!!!!!!

Wake up and see the reality - Women as village sarpanch, Women as ward councillors in and around TN, Women as politician _ Jayalalitha, Women as leading Doctors, Lawyers, Educators,Bankers, Hoteliers,Designers,Authors, Actors, Artists,Directors, A politician who stands out from the REST - MAYAWATI - Thrid Front - Front Runner to the PM post, damn you how can you forget Renuka Chowdhary,Mamta Bannerjee, Kiran Bedi and all those women and many more faceless and unheard of names all over our country or shld i just categorize these human beings who are being exetremely successful in their chosen field - just happened to be Women - God's creation Just like you - MEN !!!!

Anitha said...

Women have so happily lapped up regressive practices that even their grandmoms didn’t have -- ha ha, i like your observations ;)

Happy heart said...

Thanks Anita...:)

Vijay said...

I understand you are pissed off with the show, and showing your anger here...but your post sounded way too arrogant.

In fact, I did watch the show, and it was not that bad. After all, they have taken a cross-section of the society, and projected their life style. Sure, there are some things that are not acceptable on both sides, but you got to realize not everyone becomes or even aspires to become Mayavathi or Kiran Bedi....like it or not, that is the reality and the beauty of India.

I am not a male chauvinist here, trying to justify the male dominated society, nor am I a fan of it.

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