Why Bollywood Will Never Have Its #MeToo Moment
Posted inGender

Why Bollywood Will Never Have Its #MeToo Moment

Unlike Hollywood, the workings of Bollywood rely heavily on intricate filmi family and friends route. To be an actress in Bollywood, and to speak out against one of its own, is to risk one’s career. For every allegation against Jeetendra and Nana Patekar, there are thousands that we hear nothing about.
Reconsidering Eminem in a Post-Me Too World
Posted inPop Culture

Reconsidering Eminem in a Post-Me Too World

Eminem and controversy go together like McDonalds and indigestion – the latter inevitably follows the former. Today, it’s easy to look at his body of work and dismiss it as an offensive collection of regressive ideas. But, maybe, there is another way to look at the controversial rapper.
Aziz Ansari and the Deafening Silence of Non-consent
Posted inGender

Aziz Ansari and the Deafening Silence of Non-consent

After #MeToo and #TimesUp and seemingly ceaseless stories of sexual assault by famous, much-loved men, I dug up my own. Just like the girl in Aziz Ansari’s apartment, why didn’t I just leave? Maybe, because my body went into tonic immobility.
#MeToo: Is it Okay to Feel Guilty about Outing a Sexual Harasser?
Posted inGender

#MeToo: Is it Okay to Feel Guilty about Outing a Sexual Harasser?

Days after I outed my abuser at the height of the #MeToo movement last October, I was overcome by gut-wrenching guilt. A big part of it was seeded in my belief that for the most part, people deserve second chances. Were a few unwelcome dirty messages a crime big enough to warrant the obliteration of his public image?
The 3 Mistakes of Chetan Bhagat
Posted inPOV

The 3 Mistakes of Chetan Bhagat

Dear Chetan Bhagat, you don’t get to play the victim card at a time when women are coming forward to share their stories of real oppression. To whine about how the controversy about your “wooing” chats has prevented you from promoting your latest book only makes you look like a self-serving schmuck.
Hey Indian Men, Let’s Talk About Enthusiastic Consent
Posted inGender

Hey Indian Men, Let’s Talk About Enthusiastic Consent

Over the last weekend, a number of men who spoke the right language, were equipped with the right vocabulary to express the right kind of views on liberal issues were named as sexual harassers. None of these progressive men seemed to know about the concept of enthusiastic consent.
Dear Rakhi Sawant, You’ve Gone Too Far with Your #SheToo Drama
Posted inGender

Dear Rakhi Sawant, You’ve Gone Too Far with Your #SheToo Drama

At a recent press conference, Rakhi Sawant claimed that Tanushree Dutta raped her and muddied the waters of the #MeToo movement by calling it a publicity stunt. Because if anyone knows anything about cheap publicity stunts, it is Rakhi Sawant. It is fine to issue wedding proposals from your commode, but dismissing a movement for solidarity is going too far.