The day started off with a lively debate on one of my Whatsapp groups. One of the group members started off by posting about Sunny Leone’s “Walk the Talk” session with Shekhar Gupta and that he was really impressed with her answers. Another one called the media “bikau” because he didn’t think she was such a big star to be featured on “Walk the Talk”… And then a statement which said why prime time slot for her ? A porn star.
Well I got interested at this stage and my response was that she is just a porn star and when we can have terrorists, murderers, enemies of the nation and banal idiots being lauded as “great” on prime time TV, why not her ? She atleast is not killing anyone – she offers a different form of happiness through her work as a porn star. No jokes here, it’s in all seriousness. Then the debate went on to say porn is damaging … Well, here’s my view. Smoking is damaging too, and people still smoke. Porn movies are definitely damaging but I would be happier if people watched a porn movie instead of shooting people down !! The fact is, rather than having to explain why Yakub Memon who helped kill hundreds of people was being hailed as a martyr, it’s easier to explain to children what Sunny Leone does. Terrorism glorified is just what became ISIS and its attracting young minds.
Sunny Leone has had her struggle. I have huge respect for that struggle. Most “family” movies have dirty double-meaning dialogues and they get rated a “U” … I would cringe if I had to watch “No Entry” with my parents or with my nephew. It remains the sickest movie that I have watched and luckily since it was on a flight, I just switched it off after a few minutes. Porn movies are clearly classified. Yes, you need to keep children away, but it’s easier to keep them away when the rating is appropriate ! The level of violence and the unpalatable dialogues in our movies, and prime time coverage of terrorists are worser messages to our children.
The discussion then got onto prostitution and my stand is that it must be legalised. Prostitution will always exist, it is the oldest profession on Earth and the prostitute needs to be respected as another citizen of the country. There are many girls forced into the profession and legalising it will atleast protect them from rapes and violence. The spread of sexually transmitted diseases can be controlled by insisting on the usage of condoms and health certificates can be issued. College kids engage in prostitution as a way of earning a quick buck and legalising it will require them to register. Social Upliftment of the prostitutes is possible only when they are accorded legal status.
Our culture needs to evolve into a more inclusive and mature one. Our ancestors wrote the “Kamasutra” and the modern day Indian is struggling to be inclusive of prostitutes, while happily accepting and even lauding those who prostitute their integrity :(.
Our Whatsapp debate was interrupted by RaRa’s interaction at NMIS and some of us chose to waste a few precious minutes watching the idiot fumbling over rehearsed lines…. Junk on Prime time is acceptable but not Sunny Leone. How strange is that – we are OK to watch a complete brainless twit mouthing off some inane stuff and even dumber sycophants are hoping to foist him on us as a “leader” …. The lesson to our children is, find a famous surname, or have loads of money and you will be considered a “leader” without doing anything. Sunny Leone has worked hard and she is an intelligent, independent woman whose career happens to be about offering adult entertainment … She got nothing on a platter. Isn’t that a better lesson for our children ? Shouldn’t we teach our children to accept all types of people as long as they behave with integrity ? Sure, you can explain that being a porn star is not a great profession and that porn movies are damaging and hopefully your child stays away from it, but remember they will be exposed to porn. If they have heard you explain it, they will have a healthy respect for those who choose it as a profession but will have no curiosity to watch them.
Sunny Leone gets my vote. I hope she leads a happy life and continues to have the gumption to live life on her terms. Drooling men can be treated, dead ones have to be reborn. Guns kill. Porn doesn’t. This is not an endorsement for porn, but just putting it in perspective.
Every profession has its struggles……its time we stop pointing fingers to others without thinkng abt it…..absolutely agree with ur viewpoint!!
Thank you 🙂
Bindu, I didn’t watch the talk show, but what you said has aroused my curiosity. I will when I can. Yes, I absolutely agree with what you wrote, every word of it!
Thanks Kaushik Ji.