aakrutipatel

I found this article very compelling not only because I am a POC but because it discusses various issues of diversity within Hollywood but also within other foreign movie industries such as Bollywood. Though it is easy as a POC to point the finger to the male-white group of actors and producers/directors that make up Hollywood, foreign industries often don’t get questioned or critiqued, at least not under the same microscope. I find it interesting how because the motive of all movie industries is to make profit, they must cater to their audience. While Hollywood claims to be catering to its male-white audience because that is what the viewers want to go pay their money to watch, Bollywood seems to be catering to its NRI audience. This is interesting to me because as an NRI, I personally prefer Bollywood films that take place within India or any other native country and have content that centres around life within these countries. However, I am aware that by making films in Western countries, it would attract the Western audience. This subgroup of the NRI is interesting because we want to see south-asian content but through a Western lens and upon reflecting on it, I realize that Bollywood is getting better at catering to the NRI’s needs. Not only are they shooting in Western countries but they are also slowing including content that Westerners are more familiar with such as more intimacy (more specifically kissing, which was unheard of before movies to the likes of Dostana that started appearing). Obviously, by not being a resident of India who grew up in those specific circumstances, it is difficult to understand how they feel about these movies, however, I do know that most of these newer movies are rattling cages, especially for members of the Brahman caste who do not want the youth to be exposed to these new themes of partying, teenage rebellion, issues concerning the LGBT community and movies that question and/or critique longstanding Indian traditions and values. Despite these longstanding traditions and values, I feel it’s refreshing that Bollywood, in certain aspects, wishes to move past these and embrace new times because though their may be catering to the NRI audience, it could be argued that they are also catering to a suppressed but very present group of people within India who can relate to these new themes in recent Bollywood movies.

The part that resonated with me the most in this article is the whole idea of “Friends” not having an end-goal and that the idea of keeping it simple by just telling the story of six friends trying to navigate through life together was enough to make the show so time-less. The overall simplicity of the show is, at least in my opinion, what makes the show so nostalgic and loveable.

Though it is true that the show, among many other past and present, does not have a diverse cast or supporting actors, I would argue that for a show coming from the 90s, it was way ahead of its time in certain aspects. For one, it did not shy away from certain ‘sensitive’ topics such as same-sex marriage, pregnancy or sex before marriage, and interracial dating. Another thing is that it also did not shy away from current issues and topics throughout its decade of airing. The first few seasons we see Chandler gleefully showing off his first laptop, which by today’s standards seems prehistoric but as the seasons progress and the decade unfurls, the show’s content and ideas progress with the decade in order to not only keep up but to stay up-to-date.

All this together, along with the brilliant writing and effortless relationship between the cast and consequently the characters is what makes the show so timeless.

What I appreciate most about this article is not only how it deals with the issue of desensitization concerning violence against women, but how it suggests how audiences are so desensitized that they begin to ‘blame the victim’. This whole notion of women, or more specifically ex-girlfriends, being so temperamental to the point of inflicting self-harm and lying about being raped is unfortunately a common issue today. Whether the rape is real or not, victims of rape will always be questioned or doubted. By having this broader issue being portrayed in a movie through the character of Amy Dunne for the greater audiences, it is easy for Amy to become a token example of what women can be capable of. However, as Kathleen reflects, the movie is not about Amy representing all women, it is only a movie. The story, whether as a novel or as a movie, is entirely fictional and the reaction by the audience use it as ‘proof’ to categorize women and give them the description of ‘crazy’ is not what the author or director intended. It is also an important note to make that their is no intended villain or protagonist but rather a chronological story of two people who meet, fall in love and soon realize that their love was not what they expected. Both of their actions and reactions determine the consequences, not just Amy’s and not just of women in general.