The richest guy on the planet and the inspiration for memes across the internet just bought free speech for $44 billion only. Advertising agencies had a field day when the news broke, trying to prove their creativity in the most “out of the box” way possible.
But what are you going to do about it? Will you continue to remain silent every time patriarchy lashes out in the most artful way possible? Will you continue with your chores while your privileged spouse keeps a score of the cricket match just because you are told “it’s normal”?
Will you ever make use of this free speech button that has been gifted by Mr Musk to the world?
“Ahh! Here comes the bloody feminist! Twisting every piece of news into an unstoppable, whiny complaint of how women are always the victim.”
Of course not! We aren’t that cliché! Are you not following the Johnny Depp domestic violence trials?
But did you know that according to a study in 2019, women still do the heavy lifting when it comes to domestic chores and taking care of the child?
While there are husbands who mop the floor or do the dishes pretty frequently, a modern urban Indian woman dressed in crisp professional attire still dives headfirst into the kitchen after battling traffic and returning from work.
Aren’t you going to speak up against it now that free speech is on the horizon?
That was a story from inside the walls. What about the ones happening at family functions, graced by our beloved aunties? The moment you enter some “Bhai ki Shaadi“, be prepared for some creepy staring, not from that good looking guy at the other end of the room, but from the colourful ladies in the front row.
From internalised colourism to final verdicts on the sleeve of your dress, comments are going to go through your ears only to be replayed on loop at night.
Now that the richest man on Earth has promised you free speech, aren’t you going to take advantage of it to revert back to our dearest aunties?
If all the answers are still a no, then why did poor Musk shell out $44 billion just to give you the gift of free speech? The consequences of Musk’s free speech acquisition are for another day. But for the time being, it’s better to focus on the things happening at home.
Yes, it’s hard. Speaking up against these subtle incidents of sexism and discrimination at home is like digging through ancient rocks of toxic patriarchy and societal rules. But once you commence the digging, there is no looking back.
Take a dose of inspiration from Dashrath Manjhi, the man who single-handedly carved a 360 feet passage in the mountains, making a huge difference in the life of his villagers.
So can you. By digging through the years of silent submissiveness to rules for women, you can make a difference in the lives of thousands of urban divas who are still too silent to speak out despite the green signal given by the man who just brought free speech for you.