Good boys don’t watch porn!

So the last couple of days have been eventful! India won against Sri Lanka. Voting began in Uttar Pradesh. And three ministers from Karnataka resigned, amidst accusations of watching pornography during when assembly was in full swing!

TV news channels aired footage of the ministers Laxman Savadi (Minister for co-operation),  CC Patil, (Minister for women and children), and Krishna Palemar (Minister for ports) using a mobile phone to watch a porn clip.

Excerpt from Mumbai Mirror:

‘The two ministers, who were sitting next to each other, had no inkling that television cameramen had taken position in the gallery right above them. Savadi, bored by the speeches, began fidgeting with his cell phone. As cameras zoomed in, it could be clearly seen that a porn clip was playing on his phone. Patil then leaned towards Savadi and got completely immersed in what was on show.The duo watched the clippings for almost 10 minutes, with Savadi holding the cell phone under the table. They looked up only after the day’s proceeding ended.’

On being caught red-handed, the ‘honourable’ ministers came up with a host of explanations…

1)      Savadi claimed he was watching an incident of rape of a woman, not ‘porn’, to “prepare for a discussion [in the assembly] on the ill-effects of a rave party” in the state recently. (Well! Really?! But why DURING the session?)

2)      Savadi also claims the clip was of a ‘foreign woman’ and NOT a Bhartiya nari (‘Indian woman’). (Right! He was not watching an ‘Indian woman’ so he has clearly not offended Indian culture!)

3)      ‘I am not a criminal. It was not my phone’. (Reminds me of the lame excuses kids use at school!!)

4)      ‘We are not so uncivilised as to watch porn films’ –  CC Patil, minister for women and children. (So, only uncivilised people watch porn?!)

So what is the outrage all about?

1)      Gross misconduct

Is the problem ONLY with watching porn? I don’t think so. Many people watch porn (Wiki says – ‘More than 70% of male internet users from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month’).

Watching porn does not mean you are a ‘bad person’. ‘Good boys’ also watch porn! But the point is, when and where do you watch it? The objection is neither on feminist nor religious grounds, but on code of conduct and accountability!

Each session of assembly costs money – the tax payer’s money. Take a look at this article that talks about Parliament assembly disruptions costing Rs.2 crore per day!

Assembly (or ANY place of work, for that matter), has a code of conduct, rules and some basic responsibilities. Whether the ministers were watching porn or not, the question still remains – why were they doing it when the house was in session?! Even if we were to be as gullible as one can possibly imagine, and believe, for a second, that the ministers were indeed watching a gang-rape in order to prepare for a discussion, there is NO EXCUSE for doing it during working hours!

2)      Hypocrisy

Isn’t it surprising that people having the power and authority and who claim to be ‘moral police’ themselves often contradict themselves by their actions? Let’s look at the following examples.

Does the name ‘Pramod Muthalik’ ring a bell? Members of the Sri Ram Sena group had threatened to punish or marry off any young couples found together on Valentine’s Day. They were also the same thugs who had beaten up girls ‘in a pub’.

While people in power advocate ‘upholding Indian culture’ they resort to gross physical violence without batting an eyelid!!

Remember the controversial ‘Slutwalk’? Many groups of people in India protested ‘against’ the movement for its use of the word ‘slut’ as well as the thought of ‘women dressing like sluts’. Apparently, the movement was not allowed to take place in Karnataka, because it was ‘against Indian culture’! Excerpt from Times of India: “The vice-president of a women’s organization in Malleswaram called me and said that if any women were seen in skimpy clothing during the Slutwalk, they would be beaten with brooms”

On one hand, authorities ban a movement against rape, and on the other, they vicariously do the same by watching porn?!

Interestingly, on the lines of what Andhra Pradesh top cop said, Minister C C Patil had recently assumed the role of moral policeman, advising women to ‘know how much skin they should cover!’ so they can avoid getting raped – “I personally don’t favour women wearing provocative clothes and always feel they need to be dignified in whatever they wear.”

 

Makes one wonder, was the woman in the clip dressed inappropriately, perhaps ‘arousing’ the curiosity of an otherwise ‘civilised’ man?!!!

 

Such incidents only prove one thing – the sleaze is in the mind of the criminal/perpetrator! Therefore, instead of pretending to respect women and Indian culture (and then watching porn during an assembly session!), perhaps they should focus on being sincere in their work, for starters!

3)      New lows all the time!

For a country whose image has been severely tainted with scandals and scams, we seem to find new lows all the time!

BJP leader Manohar Parrikar has supposedly just said proclaimed:

“There are people all across the country who do worse things. Congress leaders have chopped women and burnt them in a tandoor…Then there was the Bhanwari Devi case (from Rajasthan). They (the three BJP ministers in Karnataka who resigned yesterday) were only watching and not doing it!!”

The three ministers are perhaps not the ‘first’ people to engage in this deplorable act, but they sure can be the last!

Why are our standards so low? In UK, ministers were forced to resign for over-claiming expenses. In India however, we live through a new scam each day! The 2G spectrum scam, Nira Radia tapes, Commonwealth games scam, Adarsh housing scam… the list is endless!!

AND YET, ALL IS FORGOTTEN.

We hit a new low each time. This is one such case!

The BIG question now is – What will India decide? Is resignation enough?

This link refers to the weaknesses of the cyber act, due to which the ministers CANNOT be booked by the cyber police!

Will the ministers receive any punishment at all? Or will they get away (as always), because as they claim, ‘good boys don’t watch porn’!!

Year of the Tiger?

Apparently, as per the Chinese calendar, 2009 was Year of the Ox. But, what will all the scandalous news of Tiger Woods on the prowl, this definitely was Year of the Tiger, and for all the wrong reasons.

Read this exceptional article for a quick summary of the Year of Deception, as the author terms it!

Many people are outraged at Woods’ deception, and think sponsorships falling out ‘serves him right’!

I think otherwise. For a couple of reasons.

1- Nobody, absolutely nobody is a saint. If Woods has been unfaithful to his wife, then he is not the first (and certainly not the last) man in the world to do so. People assumed he was a perfect husband, and it was this belief that was hurt most, in the infamous car crash that brought the whole scandal to light!

2- The reason corporates sponsor(ed) Woods was his golfing success, and not on him being a ‘faithful husband’ or a ‘role model for the next generation, due to his impeccable character’. I think what appeals most to people is ‘SUCCESS’. Woods was successful in golf, and therefore people were attracted to him, because people identify with role models and believe they can become successful like the champions themselves, in whatever field they choose. Accenture, for example, was also piggy-back riding on this huge wave of success.

I would be shocked if Woods’ affairs were never known to anyone, or never been rumoured about. Quite unlikely, that ‘womanzing’ (as it were!) to this extent, could be kept under wraps for so many years, don’t you think?!

3- I have a (probably) skewed image of Western culture, where I believe many people do not quite believe in ‘one man/one woman’ relationships. (Now, this is entirely an image derived from Hollywood, which is why I said this is a probably skewed). So, the fact that the media and public are outraged at Woods’ dishonesty surprises me.

Anyway, I am not as worried about Woods’ reputation or his career, or the suggestion that ‘he has sinned, and ought to be punished’ as I am about the self-assumed moral policing that people are doing. Who are these people, who shout out loud, that someone else has ‘sinned’. Who are these ‘perfect virtuous souls’? It would be quite interesting to meet them!

Can anybody forget a certain Miss Lewinsky, who became almost as popular as the personality with whom she was involved? But, public apology by Clinton AND ACCEPTANCE by Hillary Clinton is what clinched the deal with the public. We assume its a case of ‘alls well that ends well’. Ofcourse, the apology and acceptance was staged at the right time, and even now, people regard the Clintons with respect.

What’s more? Lewinsky became a celebrity AND a role model (?!!) AFTER the scandal broke out!

Not so in the case of Woods. He is no more a ‘golfer’. He is now a ‘womanizer’ and cheat!

I do feel sorry for him. He certainly deserves to be bashed, for not respecting that beautiful institution called ‘marriage’.

(If you asked me my reaction had this happened with me, I would be furious, and devastated. Ofcourse, if there was this huge a fortune at stake, then I too would follow in the footsteps of Mrs Wood 😉 )

However, I don’t think public outrage is justified. Afterall, if people took him for a role model, it is they themselves, who assumed other virtues in him. Why ostracise him for their own beliefs?

Plus, I think this is all simply ‘Breaking news’ by the media, for the public to lap up.

One well-rehearsed apology, and a wife who is willing to play along, and all is forgotten! Woods could have hired a PR agent to bail him out of this!

Again, I am not suggesting this ought to have been done. All I am saying is, the entire scandal would be forgotten in a few years time. Ofcourse, it will leave an indelible mark on Woods and anything associated with him.

But otherwise, people will forget. Life would go on, just the same. Until, the next scandal hits the news stands. Does anyone really care?!!

What is your take on this?

(Interestingly, 2010 is supposed to be Year of the Tiger 🙄 🙄 )