After reading The week, a weekly for nearly a decade, I just gave up on it. Not as in just giving it up, but I literally jerked my hands in the air and the magazine landed in a corner of my room. I do accept reading a few excellent editorials and articles occasionally. The week brings news and interviews which are already covered by dailies. However, there is nothing more than a summary which I love and so I subscribed to it. But repeated hammerings at my ego by a so called writer of gossip called Shobha De finally got to me. I quit reading it.
Week after week, De's only task is to hit out at every man, boy or anything which goes around in pants or remotely resembling knickers. Her food for thought is usually the crime section of any newspaper right from man beats wife, or any news on rape, or eve teasing. In the end, she has her own set of rules on writing as below.
Rule 1* - A man, a boy, men, boys, gentleman, gentlemen, loafer, etc(Male)
Rule 2 - has committed, have committed
Rule 3 - a rape, a murder, beaten, tortured, written something bad, a new act of government, commented, eveteasing, etc
Rule 4 - against woman, lady, women, ladies, girl, girls(Females, feminine, weaker sex)
Any of her writings must fulfill all the above conditions subject to the one below exception.
Exception 1* - Suffice to say, not all men, - her current husband and sons as applicable, ain't despicable. They get a good mention, at least in passing. Her ex-husband in contrast gets a full novel.
If you have read any article written by her on for ex., say, finance, sports, politics, technology or anything without men being cast in the role of the sodomist, villain, cheapo, blah blah, I’ll shave off my moustache.(Both are non existent- such an article and my moustache)
At this point we need not, as yet, draw conclusions. For 10 years she has repeatedly stuck at the male ego(non existent, in my case. Does it even exist after marriage?) as a venomous snake would to its offenders. Hmmm, in between she did write those'read if you have lots of time in your hands' novels - Starry Nights, Socialite Evenings, Sisters, Second Thoughts, Spouse-The truth about marriage, Uncertain Liaisons, etc. Do you want me to provide her cliché writings? Not necessary. There's only one cliche as per De’s formula.
Is that limited vocabulary? No, it isn’t, what is limited is her choice of topics and boy! She is pretty consistent at that. This leads me to suspect that she has been most grossly mistreated by men. There must be some reason to that constant beating of drums, er., men.
She was born to her mother and father. However, the father should be held culpable for the crime.(the first mistake committed by any man on her). Now would it have been different if it was otherwise - is in dispute, I do not know, but a crime was definitely committed. And so, she was born.(Without getting personal, I’ll leave it at that)
As a side effect, I fail to conclude if men are at fault for giving her the degree in psychology or she is at fault for leaving a lucrative modeling profession. She lucidly gave journalism a new name. If you remember the gossip columns she wrote for(Stardust, Celebrity, Society) then you understand the only journalism she is capable of.
Ok, I'm no male chavinist, and I won't deny that being a male, there are certain advantages. But then, there are specific advantages to being a woman too. Casting aspersions on the entire male species, repeatedly, to gain specific advantages in her'not in the limelight' career is pointless. Would you have noticed her, if not for her writings on men?
If The Week wants me to continue reading it, then I would like them to put a warning before her article starts – ‘Statutory Warning! De’s articles can be dangerous to male egos and lead to a general loss of confidence.’
Let's give her a big thumbs up - she has been successful in her sexist wars. She was born to a man, married men(that’s plural), wrote gossip on men, made a livelihood out of it and now she also owes her success in writing -to men! My best wishes to her.
As the saying goes – ‘May your life be like toilet paper. Long and useful’.
