By Vinay Kumar
Bangalore’s Lemon Tree Hotel (one of a 18 city chain) apparently features this ‘joke’ in the women’s loo. On Facebook today, Anoushka Kapoor posted an image of this amazing piece of wit writes, “read this ‘joke’ in the bathroom stall in Lemon Tree Hotel in Bangalore. I don’t know where to begin. I can’t even call this sexist, it’s blatantly advocating rape culture. Rapes can only ever be minimised if and when we stop treating consent as a matter of humour. Humour that relies on bringing down one sex/treats consent lightly/treats women as sex objects is not funny. This is NOT funny. This is rape culture. Share to raise awareness. I am shocked beyond words.”
Earlier this year, film critic and writer-director Raja Sen posted a picture of a sexist sign at a pub in Delhi’s Hauz Khas village that was soon all over Twitter.
https://twitter.com/RajaSen/status/718036629470904320
The restaurant later apologised and said that it was put up in “light humour”.
Witty or punny posters while waiting for your food or while you’re taking a tinkle can be fun, but what if they make you want to spit out your food out or mess up your aim instead?
Here are some popular Bangalore pubs with some “light humour” of their own. Apparently light humour must always be sexist and indicative of some ongoing war between men and women, in the way light music should always have Kishore Kumar.
Is the ‘current girl’ the devil?
Location: Jimi’s Beer Café, Koramangala.
Sit or stand? Depends on how hard you hit your head.
Location: Watson’s, Ulsoor
Because husband = infant? (Are they working in cahoots with Kellogg’s?)
Location: Toit, Indiranagar
Why this microbrewery shouldn’t complain if you don’t visit again.
Location: Toit, Indiranagar
This piece has been updated.