Objectification
of women is rightly blamed for society’s (both men and women) unremitting hostile
attitude about women – mere objects. An old Salinger-era Ivy League saying helps
in making sense of the term “objectification”: “Smith women to bed, Wellesley
women to wed” (both Smith College and Wellesley College are women’s
colleges in the US).
I
have been trying to understand religion for a while and it happened today, most
unexpectedly. And, all it took was just one sentence. Check that, just one
phrase. And, the phrase appears in an article in The Hindu of January 4, 2013, How
much is too much by Anuj Kumar, on how media and cinema help in perpetuating
the objectification of women.
The
phrase reads, “…long-term exposure to regressive images and stereotypes does
play a role …”. The sentence continues, “[A] large number of people still don’t
know how to consume the images”.
What
is religion if not images, in paintings, in icons, in words, in arts, in the
supposedly sacred literature, in chants and prayers of God? What is religion if
not regressive, never stepping out of the past, ossifying God, even as time
marches past? How long have people been exposed to God and religion? Definitely
for a very long time. Religion, of course, stereotypes, and the Ur instance is
religion stereotyping God. In mundane terms, if someone is described as
religious, the next step is to assume that he or she is morality personified. If
that is not stereotyping, what is?
Therefore,
religion does play a role. What kind, you ask? Just what I heard on the news:
an MP saying that when Sita stepped out of bounds, she got herself and her clan
into trouble. This is the regressive image. This is the stereotypical – an assigned
role for women – image. This message has played a billion times over the past
innumerable centuries. And, people still consume this message, this poison, not
even being aware that they are poisoning themselves.
Religion
is the grail that holds the poison, the object, God. Objectification of God is
complete.
Raghuram
Ekambaram
4 comments:
Religion is about how to control people. Just like politics. Or even like the Law.
Nothing sacred about it.
We need it
if we need the gallows!
So, Matheikal, religion controls people through God! The power structure created God as its tool. Thanks for being so specific, and right too.
RE
there is no sound of clap without two hands..Women them self have looked at themselves as objects from time immemorial..objects to be acted upon..men have always looked at themselves as object instruments to act upon the women. Relegion has helped in this collusion and preserved this object object relationship.
Thanks DS sir ... for the first time I am hearing the truth that women have a part to play in non-objectifying themselves.
RE
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