The Choice Conundrum

These days there is a new video that goes viral almost daily. Some are senseless, some are sensible, some thought provoking, some funny and sadly a few of them derogatory and quite disgusting! Living in an era where no publicity is considered bad publicity, how do we discern between the good, bad and the ugly? We make a choice. But what is 'choice'? A seemingly simple word that carries the best of hopes for humanity. Choice is a decision made by a rational adult mind based on its intellectual quotient and emotional pull with a sense of responsibility for the outcome. Many of a man's social and personal interactions are a product of choice. Democracy is a product of choice. Freedom of expression is a form of choice. So, there it is, a word that becomes the cornerstone of our lives. But our decisions more often than not are not choices but are reactionary deeds to the circumstances and times, readily conforming to the biases and stereotypes. Every once in a while comes a thought process that questions these stereotypes puddering  us to clean the slate of our minds from biases and see things in a new light. 

No, the latest Vogue Empower video featuring Deepika Padukone isn't one of them. A mediocre attempt at questioning biases by a magazine that creates many such shameful stereotypes. These dime a dozen kind of clips keep floating around all over the net and barely cause a ripple.  The unprecedented negative reaction to this video is mind boggling especially when it is not really for the right reasons. All the focus on the lines mentioning sex and lust (which were probably inserted for their shock value) Suddenly, we find the prudish amongst us running helter skelter and some in the journalistic world penning reasons why sex (outside or within marriage) doesn't or shouldn't empower women. Looks like a random sentence purporting intimacy as a choice by a woman is more shocking than actual reporting of adulterous actions committed by men. With every choice comes responsibility and accountability. As bad as it sounds, infidelity is also a matter of choice by individuals who are willing to face the consequences regardless of their gender. Yes, my dear it can be the choice of a woman. A bad choice, perhaps, but not anymore or any less than it is for a man.