This Women's Day, if I could have one wish from the universe, it is that ad filmmakers stop feeding us this utter nonsense about 'superwomen'. Really. Just. Stop.
Can you imagine a superhero movie where all that the man with super human powers does is housework, housework, and oh more housework while smiling pleasantly all through? Yeah, didn't think so.
Dear Oriflame and the many other companies wanting to join the 'Women's Day' bandwagon, stop glorifying patriarchy and imposing this many-handed Durga fantasy on ordinary women who have exactly TWO hands and could do with equitable gender division of labour at the home front, equal pay at the work place and heck, the right to be pissed when all of this is denied to us.
Stop your condescending campaigns that have an all-understanding woman as the heroine. Oh look, she's cooking. Oh look, she's helping her husband wear his tie. Oh look, she doesn't mind that he's forgotten their anniversary because he has an important meeting. Oh look, she's running to look after the baby. Oh, she's an entrepreneur too in the middle of all this. Oh look, she has ZERO time for herself and isn't that SO FABULOUS? No, No, AND NO, you idiots. It sucks.
Yes, there are MANY women who have zero time for themselves, women who are treated with indifference by their families, women who have to do it all because nobody else will get the job done if not for them. But while we can acknowledge this, there is absolutely no sense in glorifying this situation. It is NOT a happy place in life - although it beats me why we even have to spell this out to you.
Most women I know who lead such lives are certainly not smiling happily all through it. They're frustrated and hopping mad that things don't change no matter how many times they voice their pain. They're frikkin tired and exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally.
You know what would be nice? For that smug husband to move his ass on an everyday basis and contribute to the housework and childcare. For the family to recognise that this woman is overworked and DO something about it that changes the dynamics within the household. Not this terrible sing-song routine that means NOTHING and has her looking sooooo touched for no reason whatsoever.
There are no superwomen. Period.
Please stop feeding us these patronising let's-throw-a-bone their way because it's Women's Day tributes. And for women who're getting misty eyed about these ads, do you really look that way when your husband doesn't remember your wedding anniversary, you have to cook and clean AND take care of a wailing baby in addition to being a hotshot entrepreneur? Yeah, didn't think so.