Is Bollywood objectifying women?
That’s the take of an article in Aerogram which describes “scantily-clad female performers” being added to song and dance numbers with “no narrative tie to the film’s larger story.”
These dancers or actresses are simply known as “item numbers,” which writer Anam Syed compares to “soft porn.”
But when you think about it, are item girls really unique to Bollywood? Just look at the reality competition show Dancing with the Stars.
Much of the appeal to that show in watching amateurs dance is the sex appeal of the performers.
I mention this not to excuse the objectification of women, but to point out this objectification is more a condemnation of media and stereotypes in general.
Read the article in Aerogram which goes into much more details and let us know what you think.
