Monday, April 16, 2007
Richard Gere Causes India Controversy
Richard Gere sparked a huge furor in India this weekend, after he appeared with Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an Aids awareness event, and planted some big kisses on her. Public displays of affection are taboo in India, and in reaction people started burning effigies of Gere and beating them with sticks.
Shetty reacted to the protests today, telling the Press Trust of India, "I understand this is his culture, not ours. But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such manner."
Source
Labels: Richard Gere, Shilpa Shetty
For a society that has been deeply damaged by colonialism can one think of a more offensive image of a white guy grabbing a daughter of India and forcing himself upon her? It is so symbolic. It is right in line with the image of the white colonist forcing himself upon a country and just taking whatever he wants.
Richard Gere should pay the ultimate price for this.
What bothers me however is those who would blame Shilpa Shetty for this.
Too often women victims of rape in India are blamed for what happened like they wanted the rape to happen or it was their fault the rape happened even when the truth might be that the rapists brutalized them and they couldn't stop the rape from happening.
While of course Richard Gere didn't actually rape Shilpa Shetty, I still see this whole "Blame the Woman Victim" dynamic in place. From what I saw from the video Shilpa Shetty did nothing to cause Richard Gere to act the way he did, and was in fact as shocked as everyone else was that he would act in such a disgraceful manner.
We need to defend this daughter of India, not blame her for this white man's assault upon her.