We watched the newly viral women’s empowerment video that Vogue released recently. Right off the bat, it felt wrong that it was written, directed and produced by men because we are running out of women writers and filmmakers, right? It also hurt when they put Zoya Akhtar in the video because she’s written, directed and said it all and so much better than this “empower” video even if you only watched the last scene from her debut film Luck By Chance.
Nevertheless, we took a leap of faith because every now and then even a man can hit one outta the stadium. But then when we couldn’t get past the rhetoric, we decided to read into the video, just in case, y’know, we missed any subtext. Here is what we heard.
My black and white. My slow-motion. My choice.
To use the words naked and body and soul and spirit.
To sound like deep in a diamond ad.
My choice to not talk about anything real that I do
But everything that I do that associates me with you,
And your life as a man. Your baby, not mine.
What you can and what you can not.
My choice to say the words sex and lust and bindi,
Reinstating the stereotype of minxy and brown.
To think of pregnancy as size 50 because
An actual fat woman could only be in a #VogueCower video.
My choice to not talk about my work, my job, my career,
My medical problems, my everyday discriminations
But instead to talk about how I could be into girls.
My choice to abuse poetic license like a blogger
who has just discovered the oxymoron,
My choice to make you think of me as a goddess
infinite, unattainable, all powerful, apathetic.
My choice to be the other in your fantasies.
My black and white. My full HD. My slow-motion.
Wake up. You have loose motion.
March 30, 2015 at 7:39 am
lavsmohan so freakin’ brilliant.
March 30, 2015 at 7:41 am
natashabadhwar And men!
March 30, 2015 at 7:42 am
Oh I totally love the men with theladiesfinger too!
March 30, 2015 at 7:48 am
chasingiamb ghaatidancer why so fuss about a single video? They have got a right to free speech and they are saying their mind.
March 30, 2015 at 7:49 am
chasingiamb ‘love, lust and bindi in the same sentence’ *dying*
March 30, 2015 at 7:49 am
theladiesfinger trite copy, visually unoriginal, & typical use of the female form. About looking, not doing. Superficial notion of choice.
March 30, 2015 at 7:49 am
twarzo ghaatidancer Completely agree with you. 🙂
March 30, 2015 at 7:50 am
NishSwish ha ha
March 30, 2015 at 7:51 am
chasingiamb ghaatidancer it’s very disappointing that people are throwing anything at those who want to express their minds.
March 30, 2015 at 7:52 am
twarzo At the risk of sounding childish, we have a right, too, yes? And when a brand is putting forth something to go viral… chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 7:53 am
theladiesfinger so glad that you call out the bs.
March 30, 2015 at 7:53 am
twarzo …at least they should try to send a powerful message? not just jump on a bandwagon. Wouldn’t you expect that? chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 7:53 am
twarzo ghaatidancer It’s good to have conversation about these things, yes? Vogue does a video. Public has a range of responses. It’s good
March 30, 2015 at 7:54 am
chasingiamb lavsmohan hii
March 30, 2015 at 7:54 am
ghaatidancer agree with you on second point.
chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 7:56 am
NigelBritto Hilarious! That last line just nailed it. U0001f602U0001f602
March 30, 2015 at 7:58 am
twarzo That’s where i’m coming from. When such a brand, with such resources and potential,does something like this, it’s sad. chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 8:00 am
ghaatidancer chasingiamb ghaatidancer chasingiamb We do expect a powerful message from such a brand, I got it.
March 30, 2015 at 8:00 am
twarzo 🙂 Thank you! Appreciate the fact that we discussed it. What are your thoughts? chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 8:06 am
ghaatidancer I think big brand or personality are not only responsible for this sort of things. We should also evolve ..1/2
chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 8:06 am
ghaatidancer eveolve ourselves and take responsibility.
chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 8:10 am
JediKhare I could not have put it better. This just sums up the whole damn thing.
March 30, 2015 at 8:15 am
arfunnnnn HAHAHA. OMG THAT IS AWESOME.
March 30, 2015 at 8:25 am
priyankac19 Madam let it be, please share your vishesh tippani on AAP war krupakar_m
March 30, 2015 at 8:31 am
NigelBritto ha ha! I have no idea why everybody’s raving. I mean it’s great marketing but let’s not take it so seriously
March 30, 2015 at 8:34 am
chasingiamb Dei.
March 30, 2015 at 8:35 am
priyankac19 krupakar_m #KumarBakwas ke baare mai kya vichaar hai aapke #ExposingKumarVishwas
March 30, 2015 at 8:38 am
ghaatidancer what’s your views on this? chasingiamb
March 30, 2015 at 8:45 am
twarzo ghaatidancer chasingiamb I would like to know if anyone here is ok with their partner having Sex outside marriage.
March 30, 2015 at 8:46 am
twarzo ghaatidancer chasingiamb if u so wanna b open to options. Don’t get married. And ya dnt cry if u get cheated on. Accept HIS CHOICE
March 30, 2015 at 9:08 am
YES! Thank you for saying it so well!
March 30, 2015 at 9:12 am
WinterrSocks ghaatidancer chasingiamb if it’s an open marriage.
March 30, 2015 at 9:12 am
WinterrSocks ghaatidancer chasingiamb I think this is an specific scenario not the general one.
March 30, 2015 at 9:16 am
otherwarya ey:)
March 30, 2015 at 9:29 am
RadhikaP_ OMG hahahahahahaha!
March 30, 2015 at 9:30 am
Naina What did you think of the video?
March 30, 2015 at 9:31 am
RadhikaP_ Few minutes of my life I cannot have back.
March 30, 2015 at 9:32 am
Naina Hahaha, I feel you.
March 30, 2015 at 9:45 am
Its quite easy to sit back in front of a screen and make criticisms, they are welcome of course but why criticize when you do nothing towards this change? In my opinion, this video has sent a whole stream of thought running through otr society and it needs to be appreciated.
March 30, 2015 at 9:55 am
visually_kei theladiesfinger Been wanting to read this, office server has blocked this site,thanks to the keyword. Talk about empowerment!
March 30, 2015 at 10:37 am
Lol. this is good.
March 30, 2015 at 10:40 am
this is too cool!
Loved this line – My black and white. My full HD. My slow-motion.
March 30, 2015 at 10:48 am
love it!
March 30, 2015 at 10:56 am
Guess its about time we learn to appreciate some effort someone is trying to make for bringing about the much required change. The video is great and the message is even better. Its easy to sit and pass negative comments. Lets see if this forum can come up with something better !!
March 30, 2015 at 11:01 am
That’s kind of what I heard too… Thank you!
March 30, 2015 at 11:17 am
i disagree with the video but this critique is equally pathetic
March 30, 2015 at 11:45 am
Lalitude it was quite vague! Give me the parachute ad any day!
March 30, 2015 at 12:50 pm
MumbaiCentral theladiesfinger Exactly. it’s a thought catalog post turned into a video with too much editing and really, this is feminism?
March 30, 2015 at 12:58 pm
ChristinaMotha Well said. Also, the video is meant to cover every facet of women in society.
March 30, 2015 at 1:32 pm
WinterrSocks ghaatidancer chasingiamb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhjOnXGXpHo
one more video.
March 30, 2015 at 2:00 pm
So the video is bad because it’s made by a man? Who’s sexist now?! Dear Ladies’ Finger, here talk to the hand – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhjOnXGXpHo
March 30, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Are there any ladies here who find something wrong with some of the ideas conveyed here? If yes, which ones?
March 30, 2015 at 2:16 pm
VeeBee123 Just did. LOL.
March 30, 2015 at 2:22 pm
twarzo ghaatidancer chasingiamb I have seen this. this is why. The original video doesn’t make sense.
March 30, 2015 at 2:27 pm
WinterrSocks what are your views regarding flow of such content?
March 30, 2015 at 2:31 pm
twarzo is just poisoning young girls who cant decide for themselves whats right and wrong. This video provokes to make mistakes n b proud.
March 30, 2015 at 2:37 pm
strangie great piece!
March 30, 2015 at 2:41 pm
WinterrSocks yeah. Moreover, it applies for both genders and one gender pays for mistakes for another one.
March 30, 2015 at 2:43 pm
twarzo hence do not support something so biased. 🙂 #VougeEmpower
March 30, 2015 at 2:45 pm
WinterrSocks Yeah, you are right. What do you think one should do spread awareness regarding this sort of prevalent thing?
March 30, 2015 at 3:25 pm
MumbaiCentral theladiesfinger check out this spoof of #MyChoice which was taken down by YouTube
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153242890466528&id=741076527&fs=4
March 30, 2015 at 3:58 pm
anshuMor I was nervous sharing it lest the feminist brigade charges on me!
March 30, 2015 at 6:33 pm
PadmajaJoshi sweet
March 30, 2015 at 7:18 pm
PadmajaJoshi
March 30, 2015 at 7:25 pm
Word.
https://www.facebook.com/smallEpics/photos/a.952450771451034.1073741825.170891269606992/1041359332560177/?type=1
March 30, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Fyi, feminism refers to empowerment of women economically socially and politically, it has nothing to do with man hating.. Get the facts right.
The video does not discriminate against men but empowers women to believe and know that they are free to do as they please. Meaning everything is possible. The personalarrangements of a relationship is not for us to judge.. Or assume. We are free to make choices, basically, so we should as we please without worrying about what everyone else thinks, given the consequences of our actions. We generally have seen in the past that men have been accepted in society after committing all of the mentioned as we know as see for ourselves, I mean, its totally believeable right? So why not give a women that amount of room instead of trying to find fault just cause you can. Its ridiculous how we’re so insecure that we pull anything down just cause we can..
Unfortunately its accepted and celebrated when people in this Indian society fight each other but rare to see appreciation. The next day something goes viral cause its appreciated, someone has to jump up and find its faults.
March 30, 2015 at 9:20 pm
The word feminism refers to equality of gender.
March 30, 2015 at 9:21 pm
Your mind is closed, let it free!
March 30, 2015 at 10:20 pm
and see*
March 31, 2015 at 9:52 am
This is just a marketing ploy. Vogue, a magazine that has women in provocative clothing and poses, doesn’t really give me the whole women empowerment vibe. They’re just exploiting the current trend to sell their product. They couldn’t care less about women empowerment. Plus, the page isn’t accessible anymore on their website, which clearly shows that people saw through their bullshit.
April 2, 2015 at 6:53 am
praymurray TheDebrief it’s interesting that every single one of these videos gets shot down – so much so I always worry about sharing them
April 2, 2015 at 6:53 am
praymurray TheDebrief which effectively silences them. As I say – interesting.
April 2, 2015 at 6:59 am
Redwoods1 TheDebrief I actually think the all publicity is good publicity rule works on the Web-it’s still going viral, and it *is* an ad
April 2, 2015 at 7:00 am
praymurray TheDebrief Yes, and interesting that it’s from Vogue – the ultimate peddler of female objectivity.
April 3, 2015 at 2:59 am
Everyone just wants war or to protect themselves with ego. I appreciated the work so I could show my father how the world is changing, but damn women are loosing it too.
April 3, 2015 at 3:00 am
Revolution is patheticly slow in this country. I pity!
April 15, 2015 at 7:56 am
ChristinaMotha Men don’t understand equality here..very few do..Hence this video is taken wrong