An interesting feature of the IPL is the presence of cheerleaders. During the opening weekend of league play, the Washington Redskin cheerleaders did a dance number for shocked/delighted Indian crowds. Following their lead, each team has its own set of cheerleaders, who dance around the boundaries in the same fashion as NFL cheerleaders do on the sidelines.
In Saturday's matches, I was surprised to note that the cheerleaders wore extremely revealing outfits. The exception were the Chennai Super King girls who, reflecting the still traditional ethos of the city, were fully clothed. However, during today's matches, cheerleaders for the Mumbai Indians covered their midriffs and legs and those for the opposing Deccan Chargers went a step further and wore reasonably demure Indian-style outfits.
Why the change? Apparently, the cheerleaders have caused quite a stir among conservatives in India, who find the whole concept "vulgar."
I find the whole hullabaloo to be ridiculous. Here's why:
1) I think Indians have a skewed concept of vulgarity. How are cheerleaders in short skirts more vulgar than the content of a typical Hindi movie, with all the gyrating and suggestive imagery/lyrics? It's pretty hypocritical for high level ministers to run around and comment on cheerleading when the very elements the criticize are present in their own region's media.
2) In the link posted above, one of the cheerleaders comments:
"We do expect people to pass lewd, snide remarks but I am shocked by the nature and magnitude of the comments people pass here (in India)" cheerleader Tabitha from Uzbekistan said.
"Be it a 70-year-old or a 15-year-old kid they all letch at us and make amorous advances.
"We are living in constant fear of being molested," she bemoaned.
Sadly, this is an experience shared by many women I know (especially foreigners) who have either traveled through or lived in India for some period of time. My running theory is that this can be chalked up to repression. Short of a large scale cultural education in how to treat women (which is definitely needed in many parts of the world), perhaps the very presence of cheerleaders can go so distance in lowering the "shock value" of sexuality in India, thus helping quell the kinds of wolfish behaviors that happen in regimes of repression.
4 comments:
'perhaps the very presence of cheerleaders can go so distance in lowering the "shock value" of sexuality in India'
if hindi movies can't do change culture on the streets, how will cheerleaders be able to? cheerleaders are more like the women in the movies - performers on display - than they are like an average woman!
The cheerleading mishegas continues:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/04/30/cricket.cheerleaders.ap/index.html
Valli, you make a good point. I guess what I was trying to say was that putting this out in the open in a fashion that runs outside of the traditional hindi movie package might be beneficial in terms of acclimation.
There is this belief among men in India that if women wear revealing clothes, they are doing so to attract male attention, and therefore they are "asking for it". There are countless movies where the male lead chastises the female lead for her revealing outfits after saving her honor from slavering goons (the message being that she invited the harassment). Needless to say, from that point on in the movie, the lead female appears in demure clothing, leaving the half-clad gyrations to the vamp.
(Serious question here - Why *do* women wear revealing/skimpy clothes
other than when they're at the beach or the weather is really hot, or they're making a fashion statement at an awards ceremony?)
I completely agree with you.
Since this is anonymous, my own uncle, who is 60 now looks at girls(even teens mind you!!) showing even the slightest of skin and starts hitting on them or looking at them. But he makes his daughters wear grandma clothes and forever preach family honor .
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this is the case with an educated , old man.
imagine the young guys in the streets!!!
terrible.
women should be able to dress how they want. agreed in the west too, some guys comment. but their threshold is so high. they only comment if the girl is super pretty or she is dressed in maybe underwear.
whereas in india, u can show your knee or wear a tight t shirt and turn some men on.
repressed society sucks!!!!
most women i know from india, who are abroad never wantto go back. now i know why!!!
at first this concept of "family honor"needs to change and then everyday women have to startd ressing however they want and this might reduce the dangerously low threshold of the indian men.
again, i have also met some wonderful indian men, who are very cultured but half the men there are not.
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