(Background: Veena Malik is a Pakistani actress who appeared on the Indian reality show Big Boss 4.)

This post is about media responsibility and our culture…Take a look at this article written by Maura Kelly on Marie Claire’s website…

Excerpts:

“yes, I think I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I’d find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair.”

“But … I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It’s something they can change, if only they put their minds to it.”

Can you imagine a newspaper or magazine publishing inflammatory articles about race, gender, or religion? Why is it OK for them to publish cruel opinions about overweight people?

I don’t think the author should have been prevented from expressing her opinion, but what gets to me is that she was given a national platform to do so, which only reflects the magazine’s own prejudices (for people who don’t know, MC is a women’s magazine, which like other similar magazines has been making money off people’s prejudices for years)…

What was the Editor doing? How hard could it have been for him or her to say, “Hey, Maura, we get your point about obesity being a health problem and we shouldn’t be laughing about it on TV, but can you tone it down a bit and be less cruel?”

Do you think CBS would have given the green light to a sitcom about cancer? I think not…So, where does this prejudice against obese people stem from? It stems from our (wrong) belief that all obese people have become that way because of their unhealthy decisions and that obesity can always be prevented…

So, what do you think?

Sample of comments:

“Sorry Mr. Pankah Vohra. That is pure bile and your bias shows!!! The fact that you did not mention Ilayaraja in your article shows how biased you are against Tamil film Industry. Ilayaraja, by far is the greatest composer in Indian film industry throughout its entire history bar none and if you didn’t know it then you are obviously not qualified to comment on matters related to music. That is enough for me not to read any further. Rahman is certainly not in the level of Ilayaraja, but he is not as incapable as you paint him to be.Your bias shows and shame on you!!!”

“Ya amit Take critism from a guy, who smell like sarso ka oil , and is brutal and dirty like the paki punjabi taliban isnt it”

“You’re a frog who dwells in a well & think that’s the whole world. What do you have to be proud of, other than silly nothings?
I’ve never heard Illayaraja & I never will. Tamil music sucks, just like stupid Rajnikanth. Take it!”

“Illayaraj’s Hindi scores are nothing short of pathetic and anyways Tamils have done nothing for the country. Can you name one Tamilian freedom fighter?”

“mahabali are u related to Phoolan, dirty north Indian, they have destroyed the name of iNDIA WORLD WIDE, DIRTY SMELL LIKE SARSO KA TELL , WHEN U SEE THEM JUST STAY AWAY”

“Mr Vohra is punjabi Hindu ,similar to muslim Punjabi taliban in Pakistan,so u guy know his mindset. The whole of India till Kashmir is the territory of South Indian dravidian u ,guy came from central ASIA Mr Vohra u go back there and swim in sands,dont bring ur dirty mind here,u scoundrel jealous punjabi”

“Mr Vohra is a jealous,uncultured north indian .He has again downplayed the achievements of Mr Rehman ,who is a genious.Mr Vohra is Hindu Talibn north Indian,who is comparing rehman with older generation singers.Rehman is Mr rehman and ur are as usual jealous Mr Vohra.People from North Indian are uncultured , who pee and shit on the roads in Bombay .Do u have any opinion about that Mr Vohra. All people responsible for dirty behaviour in India are from Bihar ,UP ,MP,Gujrat and Punjab,and these are the people getting beaten up in Australia ,due to there Sarso da smell.So Mr Vohra ,I sugest u F OFF.”

and they go on and on…

Why are Indians so sensitive? Why must everything become a personal issue? Why can’t we accept criticism? Why must we always be defensive? If this crass parochialism continues, India is doomed…

Don’t EVER criticize your husband’s sense of aesthetics

Me: The nail cutter and letter opener do not belong on the centre table…They don’t gel with the decor and anyway, the living room is no place for them…Can you please put them away?

Husband: Who says they don’t belong there…The centre table is the most practical place to keep them since I spend most of my time in the living room…Why should I have to go all the way to the bedroom to get them? As for gelling with the decor – they blend right in…

Me: They go with the decor? Are you nuts! What do you know about aesthetics?

Husband: You are right, I don’t know anything…That’s why I married you…

What? You haven’t heard of him? Which planet do you live on? He’s the pop culture phenomenon of the week…He’s the JetBlue flight attendant who cursed out a rude passenger via intercom, grabbed a few beers, and made a getaway using the emergency landing slide…

WOW! What an exit…What a hero…

I myself have never been able to live the dream of quitting a terrible job in a heroic fashion…

The closest I’ve come to being heroic was when I walked out of my first job at a small media planning and buying agency…Reason? I wasn’t given a raise because I didn’t ask for it…You see, I didn’t like asking for money – I still don’t…I expected to be given what was due since my evaluation was good…So, when the cheque came and I saw that I hadn’t been given a raise, I left it on my boss’ desk and walked out…Just like that…He called me later that day and apologized and said since I hadn’t asked for a raise, he thought I didn’t want one (???)…He tried to convince me to return but I had my pride and my parents’ roof over my head…

Later I heard he had referred to me as that green idiot who didn’t know the ways of the world…

I was no hero because FB and Twitter didn’t exist then…

I was no hero because I had walked out on my spindly legs and not slid down a chute with a couple of cans of beer…

I thought of reporting my boss to the income tax department anonymously, but I only thought of it…Guts to hai nahin…

So, here is my advice to those who are unhappy in their jobs – strike when the iron is hot…Be a hero and send Twitter into stratosphere even if you are evicted from your home…

Can you claim to be writing true stories when you might edit, exaggerate, or even make things up?

Are all personal blogs lies? If people choose to write only about funny, quirky, happy parts of their lives, are they lying by omission?

Now, about my blog…

Do I lie by omission because I choose to write about happy and interesting things? Yes, I guess…Do I think you are stupid enough to believe that my life is a bed of roses? No, I don’t…I believe that you are smart enough to realize that this blog is not a straightforward diary of my life, but an edited selection of pieces of information I choose to share…

Where do you draw the line? Do you even have one? If you don’t, how do you find the courage to cross it?

If you’ve declared yourself to be a strong and independent woman, don’t go looking for help from your husband

Some time back, I had a heated exchange with my part time cook…She was rude to my daughter which made me go ballistic…I asked her to leave immediately…She got angry and started screaming…I got angry and started screaming…After I ‘threw’ her out, I went to my husband and said:

Me: Why the hell didn’t you intervene?

Husband: Because it was between the two of you

Me: So, it was OK for her to be rude to M?

Husband: I didn’t say that

Me: Aren’t you my husband? Aren’t you supposed to support and protect me?

Husband: Support, yes…Protect, no…I support your decision to fire her but why do I need to protect you? For 9 years you’ve been telling me that men and women are equal and that women can take care of themselves, so where does this business of protecting you come from?

Me: So, if she had hit me, you would have just stood back and watched?

Husband: Yup, I love good catfights – MEOW!

What is the option for publishers? Should they just get rid of hardcovers or should they reduce prices to stay afloat?

Will e-books destroy the publishing industry?

Don’t go fishing for compliments as it may backfire on you

Me: Do you love me?

Husband: Hmmmm

Me: Do you?

Husband: Oof! Don’t ask me such silly questions

Me: If you had many wives would I be your favourite?

Husband: I guess, but since right now you’re the only one I’ve got, you’re also my least favourite