Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 286
July 2, 2020
Fuck You ‘Fair & Lovely’
The hashtag ‘#FairandLovely’ was trending on Twitter on Thursday and piqued my curiosity. Obviously.
For the uninitiated – ‘Fair and Lovely’ is a widely popular skin whitening cream in India. It promises to make dusky women ‘fairer’. If only it were that easy. A quick google check and the reason why it was trending was apparent.
‘Fair & Lovely’ cream rebranded ‘Glow & Lovely’ – screamed some headlines. Unilever, the company that owns the cream thinks that ‘Glow and Lovely’ sounds more ‘inclusive’. But who the fuck are they trying to kid? It’s still a bloody skin whitening cream.
A product that promises to make your skin light, is a lot different than a product offering you a healthy skin. This superficial tokenism to change names and ‘re-brand’ themselves is not fooling anyone.
There are a lot of people arguing that even if fairness creams like these were banned, it’s not going to end the prejudicial attitudes Indians have towards people with darker skin tones. Sure. I agree. But that also doesn’t change the fact that the existence of these creams helps re-enforce and strengthen those attitudes. These products are basically telling you – FAIRER IS BETTER.
A lot of us are starkly aware that products like ‘Fair & Lovely’ only feed on the insecurities of young women and girls, making them believe they are not enough. And I feel so strongly about this issue because I have grown up hearing people say shit like “oh, she is not as fair as her mother” or “poor thing, she gets her skin color from her father”. Chatty Indian aunties do not know how to whisper discreetly. And their words stung. Thankfully, I was always a pragmatic child. So after the first few seconds of feeling hurt, I would just decide that they were ‘mean bitches who were better off ignored’.
Although, all the hoopla over the cream does remind me of little things I never really paid attention to. Like how my maternal grandmother whose skin tone was a lot lighter than mine would always use ‘fair and lovely’. There were times when she asked me to use it too. It was always in good humor, she would never comment about my skin color.
But I would be lying if I said that there haven’t been times when I wished I was indeed ‘fairer’. What with all our Bollywood songs, ads, poems and pretty much everything in the world subtly telling us that ‘lighter skin is prettier’. But those insecurities have long died. I have never paid a dime for skin lightening creams and never will.
With increased awareness over these beauty products, Unilever has been trying really hard to change the image attached to its best-selling cream over the last few years. They’ve tried changing their ads. While earlier they would feature dark women, who would slowly transform into ‘fairer’ ones. These days, the ads show women who are already fair, glowing like a tube-light after using the cream. I am not even kidding.
Sample this old ad of the same cream, where from the left to right is the supposed skin color transformation. (After usage of the cream, of course)
Now look at one of their newer ads. The woman is already pretty light colored on the extreme left, but at the right, it’s just photoshop. Nobody’s skin glows like that. Give me a break. Those guys are STILL trying to feed on the insecurities of young women and selling them horse-crap.
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Our skin color or it’s glow level does not define us.
SO FUCK YOU FAIR AND LOVELY. OR GLOW AND LOVELY. WHATEVER.
P.S – On a completely unrelated note – I published my second book ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out.
Death & Darker Realms #17
“For days I didn’t bleed
The nightmares began
Loathing of the seed
Regret despite plan
Yes, it was agreed
The tree had to grow
Seeds were freed
Reap what we sow”
First few lines from poem number seventeen in ‘Death & Darker Realms’. Wrote this one last year. It dwells on an issue that is rarely talked about in poetry or even fiction for that matter – women who do not want children.
For the full poem, you could get a copy of “Death & Darker Realms” on Amazon. Following are some country specific links –
If you are not into poetry, then maybe you could check out my debut fiction book “Love, Loss, Lockdown“, a collection of short stories set against the Covid19 pandemic. It’s free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
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July 1, 2020
40th Book – I am the Kraken
For some strange reason, I assumed that my 40th book for the year was going to be a small quick read, and boy was I wrong! ‘I am the Kraken: The Buccaneers’ Relic’ by Micah Kolding is a big book of adventure meant for kids. Guess I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I was younger, but it’s definitely a fun one for the age group it targets.
The book follows the story of Destiny Curry, a 16-year-old, who finds herself in an alternate world, where pirates still rule the oceans and wild creatures run amok. Most of the names of the characters were really weird and funny, like there is a character called ‘Tankini’, I think I cracked up every time a reference was made to the moniker.
While I am not a big fan of books with pirates and monsters, Kolding weaves an interesting & elaborate tale and keeps you hooked to the story. There are all sorts of interesting things happening and you wouldn’t really know what to expect. Like a Mermaid that fancies belly buttons!
P.S – On an unrelated note – I published my second book ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out.
June 30, 2020
What Needs To Be Said
Since it’s the last day of ‘Pride Month’, I want to share something on the theme from Quora, a Question-Answer site.
Somebody requested me to answer a question that went – What do you want to say out loud on the occasion of ‘Pride Month’ 2020?
Here’s my answer from June 19th –
Just yesterday, in view of ‘Pride Month’, I published a list on my blog titled ’10 Nations, 10 Gay Films’. The films are non-tragic and largely feel good movies from 10 different countries.
Now I usually do not promote my blog posts on my social media pages, but I thought maybe I should share the post, considering it’s ‘Pride Month’. But I did think twice before sharing it. Wondering if it could make some people uncomfortable and then thought ‘to hell with them’.
Here’s a screenshot of my conversation with a friend –
Translation of my first message – I have been doing LGBT posts these days and I even shared one or two of them. And I thought ‘should I?’, Since I don’t ever promote my blog posts anyway. But then I would think again ‘it’s all right, if there are any homophobic people on my list, they will un-follow me. Good riddance. But at-least if someone in the closet reads it, they will know they have allies.’
And here is what I want to say out loud to people who may not be a part of the LGBTQ community but are accepting of them – LET THEM KNOW.
It’s important that we talk about it now and then, raise the issue at home, let people know around us that IT IS NOT UNNATURAL. (Homosexuality has been found in animals and it’s just weird about how most ‘educated’ people are not aware of this fact)
I remember getting into an argument with my dad about homosexuality in 2018. I think the topic came up because there was a newspaper lying around that talked of the Indian Supreme Court’s decision of decriminalizing gay sex in India.
Funnily, even boyfriend (now husband) was around at the time of the argument and he nudged me to not argue too much on the topic. I mean obviously it wasn’t my problem right? But I have friends who are gay/lesbians, and I don’t appreciate anybody thinking they are ‘abnormal’ and need to be packed off to correctional facilities.
I know somebody who came out to their parents last year and their folks were horrified and wanted to send them to a ‘reformative centre’. This wasn’t happening in some movie, or in some far off land, this was happening to someone I knew, someone I hung out with. Just heart-breaking.
Small gestures, something as simple as putting up the LGBT flag on our statuses to show that we care and understand, can go a long way in helping someone know that they are not alone in their ordeal. That there are people they can talk to.
So speak up and show you care.
P.S – On an unrelated note – I published my second book ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out if you are looking to read something new.
June 29, 2020
Duck & Dive.
It’s pride month still and I read my first LGBT themed book this year. It’s a novella called ‘Duck & Dive’ by G.B. Ralph and was a quick and fun read.
The plot focuses on Arthur, a closeted man on the verge of turning 30, who has decided to come out to his childhood best-friends. But something or the other always comes in the way of his ‘coming out’ plans.
There’s no drama, no complications in the story and that makes it an easy read. It has all the makings of a fun gay romantic comedy. Grab a glass of coffee/wine or whatever it is that you like on the sides while reading and get yourself a copy. Especially if you looking for something that’s chick-lit, but with a gay lead.
A lot of it is very relatable. I took a screenshot of a page where the hero whines about how he never gets to celebrate his birthday his way, and sent it to a friend. Because it reminded me of him. There are very few characters in the book, which is a boon, because you never get confused about ‘who is who’. I usually have a hard time following a plot with too many characters.
The only hiccup with this book – it’s a pretty predictable. But enjoyable nonetheless!
P.S – On an unrelated note – I published my second book ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out if you are looking to read something new.
June 28, 2020
Death & Darker Realms #16
“She was like the hurricane”, he grinned
Soft at first, like the autumn breeze
Embracing you in its balmy wind
Giving the dying air a new lease”
First few lines of poem number sixteen in “Death & Darker Realms”. I still remember vividly what inspired this poem – the 2014 cyclone Hudhud. Was in Vizag at the time. A bunch of our windows had been shattered by the winds and a huge tree in front of our house had collapsed. First there were pleasant winds and soft showers, lulling you into believing there’s beauty in it. And then the storm would suddenly unleash its fury.
For the full poem, you could get a copy of “Death & Darker Realms” on Amazon. Following are some country specific links –
If you are not into poetry, then maybe you could check out my debut fiction book “Love, Loss, Lockdown“, a collection of short stories set against the Covid19 pandemic.
Bulbbul – A Review
With just about 90 minutes runtime, the new Netflix film Bulbbul seemed promising from its trailer. It has been directed by Anvita Dutt, who is also credited with the screenplay. And the screenplay is quite irritating.
The overtly red tones over the sets to symbolize horror and the overwhelming amount of smoke pervading the sets make no sense. The big problem lies in the fact that the makers seem to be confused about whether they wanted this to be a horror film or a thriller. This confusion comes across in the screenplay. And the slow pace, despite the short run-time, doesn’t help.
Set in the early 1900s, the story follows Bulbbul, a pre-pubescent girl who is married to a very rich and significantly older man, but finds herself falling in love with his younger brother. ‘A child bride grows up to be an enigmatic woman presiding over her household, harboring a painful past as supernatural murders of men plague her village.’ – says the Netflix description.
Tripti Dimri who plays the titular lead character is truly the hero of the film, her metamorphosis from a shy, demure girl to a confident, cocky woman is worth applause. Rahul Bose doesn’t have a lot of screen-time, despite playing twin-brothers, but does his parts well. However, as Bulbbul’s husband, his character arc is phoney.
Somewhere towards the climax, the movie does have its high points. There was one scene that gave me goosebumps, not the scared kinds, more like the ‘woah’ kind. But even that scene was quite predictable. Oh and that’s another big trouble with the film – it’s pretty predictable. In the very first ten minutes there is so much foreshadowing done, that an avid movie watcher can easily forecast a lot of what is going to happen.
While it might be the case that the makers deliberately tried to make the whole plot mysterious and open-ended, but it comes across as a muddle. If you want to make a horror film, go all out with the crazies. If you want to make a thriller – keep it real. They just blur the lines and mess up a film that had a lot of potential. However, it is definitely worth a watch. And those who are open to artistic liberties might even like it a lot. Guess I would give it a 6/10.
P.S – On a completely unrelated note – I published my second book – ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out if you are looking to read something new.
June 27, 2020
Love, Loss, Lockdown
It’s been a week since I published my second book ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’ and the family has started asking questions like “how is the book doing?”, “How many copies did you sell?”. Awkward.
“Quite frankly, my poetry book did better in its first week,” is my standard response. And also the truth. My poetry book even made it to Amazon’s ‘bestsellers’ list within the first week. No such luck with the new one.
Not like I am not aware of how difficult it is to gain any visibility as an independent author. Especially for someone writing general fiction. In a world where people would rather watch a quick film than read a book, sometimes I dread that there will come a point in the future where the writers versus readers ratio will become lopsided. Like 500 million writers catering to 400 million readers.
I really can’t decide if it’s a boon or a bane, the fact that my writing break has coincided with a pandemic. For those who aren’t aware – I quit a rather nice job with a leading national TV news channel in August 2019. The idea was to do a little travelling and then focus on writing. I published ‘Death & Darker Realms’ in December. Finished a novella (which I still have to proof-read) by February and then the Covid-19 pandemic virtually shut down my nation by March end.
Days before the national lockdown was announced, I thought to myself “hey, maybe I could do a short story collection loosely based on the pandemic”. By May, I was done writing ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’.
While paperbacks are available in U.S, U.K and some other countries. For some reason, Amazon does not publish paperbacks in India. And I do have a publisher to print paperbacks in India, but they are based in Chennai, a major metropolis, where a lock-down is still on, so they cannot make deliveries right now.
A lot of those who live in India keep asking me for a paperback version. And while to some I simply say ‘nope, no paperback in India’. For those who are closer to me, I take the liberty to launch a bit of a rant, “there is a lock-down still on in some parts of the country, non-essentials are not being delivered. I can’t complain about the lockodown when my book is loosely based on the same damn thing, can I?”
Although I totally understand people wanting a paperback, because till early 2019, even I had a mental block against e-books. And now I am so comfortable with e-books now that I don’t even bother with my kindle and just read them on my phone (on the kindle app)!
Anyway, if you are still with me, please grab a copy of “Love, Loss, Lockdown” and help support an independent author. It’s a collection of 10 short stories. Following are some country specific links –
If I’ve missed your country, look for it on Amazon or on your kindle store.
A Whisper From Me To You
Just finished reading book number 38 for the year. It’s called ‘A Whisper From Me To You’ by Indie author Andrew Allen. It’s a short stories collection that was quite a breeze to read. Two of them reminded me of a brilliant animated series I saw recently on Netflix and thought they could make for pretty cool animated adaptations too.
My favorite was one with the wolves and pigs, a fun story with a witty twist to an age old tale. Most stories in the book are very different from each other and explore varied themes.
What I really liked was the fact that the author chose a diverse timeline to set them in. While the first story starts with a space pod set in a distinct future, the last one goes back to medieval times when witches were burnt at the stake.
Glad I stumbled upon the book on twitter!
P.S – On a completely unrelated note – I published my second book – ‘Love, Loss, Lockdown’. It’s a collection of short stories, so check it out if you are looking to read something new.
June 26, 2020
Death & Darker Realms #15
“Your familiar scent
Too far has been sent
A whiff does come back
But love it does lack”
These are the first few lines from one of the shorter poems in “Death & Darker Realms”. It’s a collection of 40 poems.
This one has been inspired from long distance relationships. Have you ever been in one? What are your thoughts about it? Because there are two contradicting phrases that can define them. Either “out of sight, out of mind”, or “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. You either end up loving each other more, or the distance grows into your heart as well.
Also, if you are interested in discovering new poetry, please grab a copy of ‘Death & Darker Realms’ on Amazon. It explores themes like death, depression & dysfunctional relationships.
Following are the links –
Please check your country’s Amazon if I haven’t listed it or just on your kindle/kindle app.
P.S. You can find me on Facebook, GoodReads and Instagram
