How to normalise free sex?

Anora (2024)
Director: Sean Baker

https://thefutureoftheforce.com/2024/10/31/review-anora-2024/

I was nearly knocked off my socks when I heard that 'Anora' won five Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Director. However, receiving the Best Film award is beyond any rational justification.  

My first impression of it when I viewed it was that it seemed like rubbish. It reminded me of the numerous B-grade films that excited teenagers in the 1980s when they gathered around their friends' VHS players to watch Koo Stark in 'Emily'.

The plot is thin and predictable, and the storytelling fails to present anything new. The storyline has been told and retold in numerous other films, though it serves more as a subplot. For context, this narrative follows a pole dancer who also works as a prostitute and finds herself infatuated with the debauched son of a Russian oligarch. According to her, the correct job title is exotic dancer. They dive into a whirlwind of romance filled with plenty of sex, drink, and other intoxicants. The allure of a grand mansion, a yacht lifestyle, and casino living proves too tempting. So, what is the next logical step? Get married in Vegas, of course, where the chapel can wed anyone 24/7.

This astonished his bodyguard, who was unaware of what was unfolding despite being in charge of his safety. His guardian was notified, and the oligarch parents arrived, eager to resolve the commotion. Next came the amusing part, as they dashed about attempting to annul the wedding. 

The film prides itself on not depicting Russians as mere mobs but rather imbuing them with personalities and emotions, particularly the henchmen, who are not shown as bumbling Russian nincompoops (albeit slightly).

I believe the entire premise of the film is to normalise prostitution as a profession. It is entirely acceptable to be high three-quarters of the time. One can still function normally after perpetually drowning oneself in casual sex, cocaine, and alcohol. Sex workers are portrayed as having their own agency, leaving their 'professions' whenever they choose. Perhaps they neglect to mention the pimps and human trafficking associated with the sex trade. Or is it women empowerment to choose to be a sex worker?

It is an award not for acting, but for how much drapery one can shed and how convincingly one can simulate coital activity. Nothing more, nothing less!

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Breaking the yoke of ignorance!

Benzaiten, Japanese equivalent
to the diety Saraswati.

Saraswati Pooja used to be a vital feature in our household in childhood. The highlight of the whole event was placing our textbooks and getting the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. Thinking we would perform better in studies with Her blessings was naive. Amma did not fail to gently remind us that praying would not make us pass exams. We needed to put in the hours and concentration. There was no substitute for education; it was our key to happiness.

Every Saraswati Pooja reminds me of my childhood of respecting books and learned individuals, irrespective of their teaching styles or content. Then I questioned myself: Can smut be given the same recognition if presented in book form? With all the ill effects that come out of the web but nullified by all the good things it spreads, does it still qualify as a learning tool?

I soon realised that the spirit of Saraswati is the zest of reinforcing to immerse oneself into the ocean of knowledge. It is also a reminder that we are the privileged few whose journey through education is a given right. It is a prompt for us to appreciate those who reached greater despite the odds against them to acquire knowledge.

Ruby Bridges, 6, attending Elementary
School in 1960, accompanied by
US Marshals.

Offhand, I remember the people of my mother’s generation whose parents thought a child’s job was to take over the lead of feeding the family as soon as their bodies transitioned into adulthood, which can be as early as 14 for a girl and 16 for a male. My mother’s desire to continue studies and fly high was clipped prematurely after her primary Tamil school studies, and my uncle had to literally stay away from his family to earn to finance his upper secondary school studies.

Salutations also go to the first lady doctor and the first lawyer in countries where education for females was considered dangerous, tilting the patriarchal-matriarchal societal balance. They went against the grain and gripe of their communities to succeed. A family with an educated female will end illiteracy in that family.

Thought also goes to Ruby Bridges, whose parents had the courage and wisdom to enrol her as the first black girl in an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. In 1964, Norman Rockwell immortalised the scene of Ruby marching boldly ‘like a soldier’ accompanied by US marshals in a painting. It later became an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement.

Even though specific religious iconographies have been included in celebrating Saraswati Pooja, its essence is secular. Appreciating the power of education on society does not convert students to give up their cultural beliefs. All faiths encourage their congregations to expand their knowledge and minds to the vast expanse of wisdom. Saraswati Pooja is a mere conduit to this realisation. It is also included as an Ayudha Pooja (Weapons' prayer), as books and knowledge constitute our weapons in our daily lives. It used to be swords and farming utensils. As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, this pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity.

So, I do not understand why a non-governmental organisation in Malaysia, Thiravidar Humanitarian Organisation, vehemently opposes the Saraswati Pooja celebrations in Tamil schools. They claim it is a religious activity; as such, it should not be held during teaching hours but to maintain the focus on education. That is precisely the point; celebrations like Saraswati Pooja would ignite true wisdom to separate the wheat from the chaff. This Malaysian NGO is an extension of Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics, primarily anti-Hindu. Their current aim in life is to eradicate Sanathana Dharma, just like humanity is trying to crush COVID and Dengue. The Malaysian NGO is parroting their masters across the seas, the same land their ancestors fled for a better life.

Dr Joshi graduated in 1886 from the Women's
Medical College in Pennsylvania.

Why were girls in the 19th and 20th centuries prevented from attending school? It could not be something engrained in the Indian society. Many crucial human activity departments are represented by goddesses, not male demigods. If Indian society was indeed patriarchal, why would Goddess Durga represent courage, Laxmi to wealth and Saraswati to be linked to knowledge? As though emphasising the role of the fairer sex in our society, Saraswati Pooja is part of Navarathri, the nine-day celebration of female divinity. Something must have happened in between. Could it be that the rapacious hunting of invading barbarians into India forced families to tuck their daughters far away from their invaders's lustful eyes? Over generations, they became better at being unseen and unheard, soon occupying second-class status in society. Just a thought!

 © Norman Rockwell

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How they converge and diverge?

Lady in the Lake (Miniseries)
Season 1, Episodes 1-7.

An intriguing miniseries set at a time when Black Americans had an understanding with Jewish Americans. Even though Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to declare all slaves to be free, in reality, the Blacks still received the short of the stick. In so many instances, they were discriminated against. The law was not in their favour either. The Blacks had to prosper by themselves despite the restrictions. Some beat the systems and joined the mainstream, while others prospered through an alternative economic system. The evidence of their successes includes the Harlem Cultural Renaissance in the 1920s and the numerous legislative gains through the efforts of the NAACP (North America Association of Colored People).

Many of the African-American associations worked in tandem with many Jewish bodies. The Jews also felt the discriminatory vibes of the predominantly Anglo-Saxon majority of America. The earlier interactions between Jews and Blacks were not cordial. Many Jews became land owners and were ruthless businessmen who earned the wrath of the poor Blacks. Things changed later. 

During the Civil Rights Movement, many of the laws of the day, including the Jim Crow laws, were challenged by the movement with Jewish lawyers. Jewish leaders participated in numerous marches organised by Rev King and others. The 1955 to 1966 era is sometimes called the Golden Age of Black-Jewish relationships.

After 1966, the cooperation turned cold as the Jewish community moved higher in the economic class whilst the majority remained poor. Another possible explanation for this rift is the popularity of Islamic-based groups like the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X and the Panthers. The 1967 Six-Day War in the Middle East made many Black leaders and personalities, including Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, express solidarity behind the Palestinians and condemn Israel and the Zionists.

Set in the 1960s USA, this miniseries is mainly the story of two ladies trying to prove to themselves that they make something out of their lives. A 40-year-old Jewish lady who had to give up her writing ambition to get married and raise a child in a conservative, suffocating Jewish household gets an epiphany of sorts to break free from all this bondage. This happened after the much-published murder of an 11-year-old Jewish girl. She itches to investigate the case on her own accord. Through the episodes, we see the challenges she has to face to break from the mould of what is expected of a mother and a lady of the era.

In another parallel story, a young, ambitious black lady of about 30 tries to break from the clutches of poverty and the mob to make something out of her singing and provide a promising future for her kids. She needs to extricate herself from the crime-inducing society and the lure of the gangsters and their promise of a good future.

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A veiled glance?

Laapataa Ladies (Missing Ladies; Hindi; 2024)

Director: Kiran Rao

At first glance, I thought it would be an Indian culture-bashing offering—one that ridicules some out-of-date traditional practices and tries to showcase how ridiculous India really is. Perhaps it would also include a couple of corrupt policemen on the side to drive home the point. I was wrong. It turned out to be a simple story about women empowerment, told in a simple manner and mainly using new faces, minus the glitz and razzmatazz typically associated with Bollywood.

It starts with two newly wedded couples travelling in the same train compartment. As per practice in the conservative societies of the Hindi heartland, brides are expected to wear full veils to show chastity. The funny thing is that both brides donned the same saree colour and had about the same body constitution. Hence, in the dead of the night, in the confusion of almost missing the train station, Deepak alights the train sleepily with the wrong bride, Jaya. Deepak's wife, Phool, gets down a few stations later with the other groom.

Both couples soon realise they have the wrong girl. Phool refuses to leave the railway station till her husband comes looking for her. The long arm of the law takes a long time to rectify the confusion. The interim period shows us that Jaya really has something up her sleeves or, rather, under her ghunghat (veil). Phool undergoes a baptism of fire to realise she is more than a helping hand to her new family and that she can stand on her own feet.

After much confusion caused by Phool's ignorance and Jaya's conniving ways, Phool and Deepak reunite. Jaya's dream comes true. Happy ending.

The practice of brides and married women wearing a ghunghat (traditional veil) tickled my mind. Many societies view it as a portrayal of chastity. In reality, it is nothing like that. 

In ancient India, during the times of Muslim invaders, the Muslim victors would often go on a victory lap, rewarding themselves. As per their religious scriptures, the Muslim soldiers are entitled to keep the captured women as sex slaves. Imagine Hindu women running away from their invaders, chasing them on horseback. Wearing a veil must be a sure way to hide their Hinduness, hence escape captivity. I think, over time, the veil became a saving grace and soon got imbibed as a daily wear. Soon, it was imposed on women to safeguard themselves and be viewed as a sign of purity. Temple-going ladies, too, follow this practice to show reverence. To prove my point, we do not see this, i.e. ladies scarfing their heads in temples, in lands not conquered by Muslims like Tamil Nadu. Food for thought.

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It's good to be bad?

Animal (Hindi; 2023)

Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

The mafia controlling Bollywood used to dictate to the Indian diaspora the whole over what constituted Indian culture. For a long time, they determined what ought to be screened as art and indirectly influenced the Indian way of thinking.

They said songs are a must, so be it. They handpicked heroes and heroines and defined what Indian beauty was. They ensured dynastic continuity by continually launching doyens' offspring's careers. More often than not, the juniors tanked at the box office. Nevertheless, actors with real talents lost out due to a lack of patronage. The paymasters, aka mafia, chose who would be the main star and who played second fiddle. Preferential treatment was the order of the day for heroines.

OTT platforms became a shot in the arm for second-rank filmmakers and actors not under the umbrella of the mafia. Movie themes became varied and more thought-provoking to accommodate Indians, who were clearly becoming more erudite and exposed to world affairs.

Watching 'Animal' reminded me of the Bollywood doyens who are still stuck in their own ways. Though outwardly Bollywood seems to promote literacy, women empowerment and liberty, they feel it is perfectly alright to shove thrash down the throats of those who still live smitten by the glitz and razzmatazz of the nostalgia of the yesteryears, when indeed the silver screen was in its golden era.

Being contradictory is an understatement. As India evolves to become the soon-to-be third biggest economy in the world, Bollywood stereotypes India as a basket base where law and order are non-existent. Ladies have improved their educational and economic standards over the years. Yet the filmmakers feel it is okay for a female character to lick the protagonist's boot to prove her love. Can anyone justify having an affair by quoting that that was the only way to save his father from assassins?

The main message I got from the movie is that everyone needs to be an alpha male and pick their mate. If they lack the prowess of alpha, they can be a poet or musician, tell sweet lies, and pin down their mates anyway! That was the law of the jungle, but since humans are animals but left their cavemen lifestyles long ago, the rule still stands.

The filmmakers thought if 'Kill Bill' and 'Pulp Fiction', with all the senseless killing and gore, could do well, why not 'Animal'? The things they forgot are, firstly, they are not quite Quentin Tarantino. Secondly, the audience came to watch a mainstream Indian movie, which is generally family-friendly, not a fringe ‘artsy’ restricted offering. The fact that this film still sizzled at the box office baffles me.

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Fighting the system?

Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016)

Director: Alankrita Shrivastava

This is one of those movies which could not be screened at a film festival in India because the censors could not clear it for public screening. I was later accused of being too 'female-centric' and pornographic in its audio and visual narration. After a few cuts, it was passed for viewing.

The fact of the matter is that they cannot be too kosher when the theme of the story is about female sexuality and its suppression thereof. To be frank, this 2016 film is mild compared to what people in 2023 can access on their streamed platforms in their dialogue and boldness in showing skin.

On the subject matter, one cannot help but compare it to 2023'sAmazon Prime's 'Four More Shots'. Both may appear to be talking about women's empowerment or feminism. At deep scrutiny, one will realise that the emphasis is different, poles apart. It also shows how the women's movement had evolved from one demanding their deserved rights to equal opportunities to one which wanted to dominate the other.

'Lipstick Under The Burkha' shows how ladies of a time screamed discrimination and yearned not to be pushed down from doing their own thing. It tells the story of four ladies who want to escape social oppression. A teenage girl from a conservative Muslim family dreams of a carefree life where she dresses up like her pop idol, Miley Cyrus - dressed sexily, with makeup and accessories that go with it. Forced to don a hijab and spend time in the family business of tailoring, she wants to participate in a band, wear sexy clothes and join the popular clique of students. To sustain her secret lifestyle, she goes shoplifting.

Next, a hijab-clad housewife is living a fearful life with a hostile husband who wants sex on demand and refuses contraception. The husband hardly brings home money but rejects the idea of his wife going to work. The wife, on the sly, works as a door-to-door salesgirl and a very good one at that. She even wins the best employee award. One day, she spots her husband in the romantic company of a young lady.

The small-time beauty parlour artist wants to be able to see the world. She desires to escape the rat hole she lives in. She lost her father at a young age, and her mother worked hard to sustain life. Her mother wants to get married as marriage assures her a respectable place in society. She knows because she went through hell trying to earn some money. The mother tries to matchmaker a groom. The groom wants to make her a full-time housewife, but the girl has a sizzling affair with a photographer who is only interested in her body. They plan to elope.

The final character is a 55-year-old spinster who is a respectable figure in her colony. She plays a matriarchal figure in handling day-to-day issues. Her secret indulgence is reading trashy romance novels. While babysitting some children at a pool, she is tricked into jumping into the pool. The children's swimming instructor offers her swimming lessons because she cannot swim. She develops a crush and starts stalking the instructor, engaging in phone sex. The instructor has soft spots for another girl and assumes the caller is the girl he fancies.

All the clandestine activities finally come out into the open - the shoplifting, the part-time job, the plan to elope and the double life of the 55-year-old spinster. The ending is not pleasant, highlighting the double standards of society. It is predominantly patriarchal and cultural as well as religious teaching just gives an authoritative seal of approval for it to continue. 

On the other hand, 'Four More Shots Please!' (FMSP) gives the vibe that its message could be anti-establishment, anti-patriarchal or downright anarchical. The four ladies again, seen in FMSP, range from a divorcee, one in the marriage market for a suitable match, a free-spirited bisexual, to a lawyer who all share a common bond. They enjoy meeting up in a drinking joint, overindulging and pouring out their hearts' discontent about life with no restraint. It is said to be India's answer to the U.S.' Sex in the City' (SITC). LUMB and SITC try to educate their viewers about an entity called female sexuality or the lack of its awareness in India (in the case of LUMB). In my view, FMSP portrays all males as shallow and evil. They paint a picture of Indian ladies swimming in a cesspool of male toxicity. To be able to stay afloat, they need to fight the patriarchal society, the system and fellow members who are immersed in the system.

Hindu temple in Lahore

Even under slavery or apartheid, people were not in unison supporting the status quo. Pockets of dissent were heard from people who were victims as well as those who benefitted or were not involved in it. One should assume that if the other party is not one of them, they must be against them. Jews would not have escaped Germany. Pakistani Hindus are still able to fulfil their Vedic requirements despite the presence of an intensely hostile environment against idolatry there! It is the system, not the people. But then, people make the system and can be herded to change their thinking, which could change the status quo.

N.B. Why is the lipstick generally red? It is postulated that sexual arousal increases blood perfusion to the lips. In fair-skinned females, lips assume a redder hue. Hence, the application of red lipstick entices the observer to see what is in store!

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Runs deep?

It has happened many times before. It also feels like a ritual. Mother-to-be would have an ultrasound done. She would ask if the baby was okay. Once she knows everything is fine, she will pop up the next question. Is it a boy or a girl?

Talk about all the milestones that science has surpassed or the world has changed with social transformation and women's empowerment; it is pretty comical to see how the response usually is. It is by no means mutually exclusive, but it is seen in the majority.

If male genitalia is observed, the mother, the husband or the rest of the spectators, who would sometimes be her sister, mother or mother-in-law, would burst into laughter, which in my mind sounded like joy, not comedic. I even had a mother-in-law who went on to give a loud cheering clap. She must have been a cheerleader in her previous life.

Conversely, a similar atmosphere would not be observed if a girl is suspected. As if hoping for the opposite, one of the 'spectators' would blurt out that things would be more precise in future ultrasound examinations. Then another would go all philosophical to say that the gender did not matter; as long as both mother and baby were healthy, anything was alright. To me, that sounded like sour grapes.

I thought the local demographics brought these people to my attention, but a recent event changed my perception. Somehow, I landed up at a relative's baby shower celebration.

For the uninitiated, a baby shower is a public announcement of the impending arrival of the family's newest member. In the South Indian diaspora, at least, it is like a last hurrah for the mother-to-be to be feted before she is worn out with eye bags of sleepless nights and worry lines of uncertainties of baby demands. As it is usually done for first-time mothers, this is the last call to be dolled up for public display. Before this, she would have been the bride.

So, after the rituals of the elders and relatives blessing the soon-to-be mum, the highlight of the day started. A giant balloon filled with helium gas and confetti of a single colour and covered with a dark-coloured plastic bag is punctured. The confetti rushes out, denoting the newborn's gender as predicted by ultrasound. The gender had apparently been kept as a secret between the soon-to-be parents. Even the immediate family members were kept out of the loop.

When blue confetti burst out of the balloon, it would have been pink if it were a girl; everyone around me yielded a shriek of exhilaration. Some members were even seen congratulating the soon-to-be father for a job well done. The confusing thing is that the female members of the invitees were all smiles, belittling their own kind. It was not that the family did not have a shortage of boys or anything like that.

I wonder if they were excited it was a boy or if their secret prediction or betting proved correct. Even though outwardly they gave an impression that they were modern, from their sense of dressing and revealing of body contours and silhouette, did they subscribe to their idea that the firstborn must be a male? The traditional thinking is that men are born leaders, and the firstborn will ensure the continuity of the bloodlines. I wonder.

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