Weekend musings - 05
Dove's BS of #StopTheBeautyTest, the end of Homo Sapiens, and the wonderful film Mary Queen of Scots
Commerce, Empires, and Universal Religions
eventually brought virtually every Sapiens on every continent into the global world we live in today.
Today religion is often considered a source of discrimination and disunion. Yet in fact, religion has been the third great unifier of humankind according to Yuval Noah Harari. It is also a fact that more people have been killed in the race of proving the might of a single religion than in any armed war.
Last night I completed the British film - Mary Queen of Scots streaming on Netflix. The movie is based on John Guy's 2004 biography Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. A wonderful drama showcasing the rivalry between Mary Stuart, Catholic Queen of Scotland, and Mary's twenty-eight-year-old cousin Elizabeth, a Protestant Queen of England – unmarried, childless, and threatened by Mary's potential claim to her throne.
The movie has many layers - how a woman can rule society and the inner fight between different sects of a religion. But above all, it is Elizabeth’s fear that her cousin Mary is far more beautiful, mother of a child, and competent than her. There is a debate that she never met her cousin but the movie says she does and she refuses to pardon her. (The movie is a wonderful watch for both the ladies - Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie).
“Queen Elizabeth I: Your beauty, your bravery, now I see there's no cause for envy. Your gifts will be your downfall!
Mary Stuart: Should you murder me, remember you murder your sister... and you murder your queen!”
The latest Dove ad says “To Stop The Beauty Test.” The ad that is timed well to the upcoming Women’s Day festival is another marketing BS that brands are trying to own in the times of “Brand Purpose.”
I am not here trying to show the weak side of a man. I consider myself privileged but think hard. Don’t you think that every conversation starts with good looks. Why do companies send their good-looking people in business pitches? Find me a god that is not good-looking? Why has been Serena Williams looked down even though she has won 23 grand slams? Why do we always say - Today you are looking so good.
Now let’s come to the relationship side. Pick up any matrimonial column the ad starts the girl is good looking and seeking a handsome, well educated, and settled guy. On the other hand, the guy is seeking a good-looking decent girl.
Today’s dating websites are all about inclusivity and open for all genders, start with looks. Be it Tinder or Women’s first Bumble starts with the first picture. Who wants to read what interests you and your perspective. It starts with good looking profile picture.
Why did Instagram become popular? It showed people how to become beautiful with filters. Starting from makeup to food styling it is all about good looks and presentation. Now you have fairness creams for men so that you don’t have to secretly use the fairness cream used by your mother or sister.
I have been in the same phase. I have always thought my mother gave all her good looks to my brother. My brother has good looks and a powerful brain. It never made me jealous but obviously timid. I also kept buying the whole good looks thing until I realised that these are momentary.
There are exceptions - Odisha's 29-year-old Pramodini Roul, alias Rani, decided to brush aside the traumatic memories of the acid attack and entered into wedlock with her long-time boyfriend Saroj Sahoo, 30. The couple tied the knot on Monday and Roul described it as the "best day" of her life.
The attack scarred her face completely and left her blind in both eyes, yet it didn’t stop Roul, from getting back on her feet, putting the culprit behind the bars, and trying to lead a happy life.
"It’s strange that it took 2 men to change the course of my life. One, a man in a uniform who took an oath of ‘service before self’, who couldn’t comprehend a simple ‘NO’ from a girl. And another, a simpleton who saw a girl in her most vulnerable state, became her biggest support and pushed her to be the best version of herself. But most importantly, who waited for her to be ready," Roul wrote on her Facebook page.
I am neither Roul nor Saroj but I am happy that I have such people in my society.
Similarly, the latest Red Label tea ad of acceptance is an epitome of BS. We all know how our society treats transgenders - in daylight, you will find them at signals begging for money. We will give them a rupee or two since it brings good luck or something like that. In the night somewhere near such signals you will find them selling themselves.
And the Red Label ad is showing that we will accept tea from the hands of a transgender. Let’s first stop having different lifts for maids and security guards in society.
More than acceptance shown in the ad this news warms my heart - Chhattisgarh police recruited 13 transgender people as constables in four districts of the state. Even this is the beginning but these are real and initial steps of acceptance.
The ad world should be in its utopian world and create ads for awards. Stop trying to show real stories that are outright BS.
Sometime back someone told me that I should cheer up and be strong since my father is sitting up somewhere up and giving his blessings.
I wanted to scream and say - “how the Fuck do you know.”
Basically, we know jack shit and believe in stories - one of the reasons why HomoSapines has survived so long.
When my father passed away I would be awake for nights trying to figure where he might be. Is he gone somewhere in heaven/hell or has he taken a new life? If he has taken a new life then millions of people are dying every day who maintains the entire system. Is it automated and how is it decided that who takes what life. There is no scientific evidence only religion has answers to it.
“Consider our body as a machine. After death, it has stopped working and that’s about it,” said my good friend.
All of a sudden my mind asked so where did we come from if we are machines? All my life I had put my faith in God and religion. I never looked from the other angle. And that leads to me to Sapiens - A brief history of humankind. Interestingly the book was already there in my library. I had bought it a few years ago and finally, in 2021 the time came.
The End of Homo Sapiens is the last chapter of the book, where the author argues how Homo Sapiens is now beginning to break the laws of natural selection, replacing them with the laws of intelligent design.
Bionic arms are one such example. The Human Brain Project hopes to recreate a complete human brain inside a computer. And the 1818 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Prophecy - the story of a scientist who tries to create a superior being and instead creates a monster.
However, the real question facing is not “What do we want to become?” but “What do we want to want?”
“We are more powerful than ever before, but very little idea what to do with all the power. Worse still, humans seem to be more irresponsible than ever. We are consequently wreaking havoc on our fellow animals and on the ecosystem, seeking little more than our comfort and amusement, yet never finding satisfaction.”
I have finished the book and I have never been so intrigued.
In the acknowledgments section, Harari mentions a special thanks to Jared Diamond - “Who taught me to see the big picture.”
And I am on to my next book by Jared Diamond - Guns Germs and Steel, a short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years. “A book of big questions and big answers,” says Harari.
The book was also waiting for me in the library to be picked up.
Do you think that a book has perfect timing in our life?
I haven’t planned anything for 2021. No new diary and no writing what I want from life. But strangely I know what I want to read in 2021. There is no magic here or some hidden message from somewhere but a choice made by me.
Life has simplified from the time I have started reducing my faith in God. I have simply removed the cushion - “Everything will be fine because he/she will take care.”
I get up face it and fight it. Or just go back to bed and fucking crib. The choice is mine.
Somethings will become better and somethings will remain fucked or become worse. My job is to keep doing the things that give me peace.
Looks like I have done enough to ruin your weekend. So makeup time.
Check this video reaction of a baby girl trying chocolate milk for the first time. PRICELESS!!!
And my song of the week from Hussnain Lahori giving goosebumps for “Tere Jeya Hor Disda.”
P.S. All thoughts related to God and religion are mine and not meant to disrespect anyone.