Fashion industry strikes again: glorification of rape on Indian bus

Goodmorning all, I'm always a bit behind when it comes to international news and gossip, so I'm a bit late with this news. Since these pictures have been posted, social media has responded with disgust and disbelief. Allow me to express those feelings, too.

Here's the article, 5 pictures from the series titled 'the wrong turn', shot by Indian photographer Raj Shetye. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140805/lifestyle-booksart/gallery/online-world-expresses-outrage-over-nirbhaya-inspired-photoshoot

Sigh... Again, I can't say pictures like this, coming from the fashion world, really surprise me. What does surprise me however is the guts the photographer had to do this shoot in an Indian bus. You will probably remember the case in which a 23 year old female was brutally beaten and raped in a bus on december 16, 2012, by 6 men. This woman died because of her injuries 13 days later in a hospital in Singapore. The event shocked the world and finally made us all realize that violence against women sadly enough is still a hot topic. For more information about this case, I suggest this wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Delhi_gang_rape

I'm all for artistic freedom and I must say, I've seen worse fashion pictures, with models posing like corpses or with fake bruises all over them. BUT, the context and underlying idea of this series of photos is just wrong on some many levels. This is plain mockery. Violence in all forms is something I'm not that eager about. Violence against women really grinds my gears because too many victims are not acknowledged. Too many women are left alone, laughed at, even abused again or murdered if they step forward with their stories. And before anything happens, something extremely disgusting has to take place before we all open our eyes and start doing something about it.

I don't think I'm lying when I say that the fashion world appeals mostly to women and gay men, and there's nothing wrong with that. The fact that this world constantly keeps on picturing women as pieces of meat ready to be violated on the other hand...  How can you be a woman and support this garbage? What are they trying to sell with this photoshoot? The idea that rape can be fun, at least if you are dressed in some €500 designer dress? Rape does not include a fun-factor. How did this idea take form? But most importantly, why on earth did people think this was a good idea?

Luckily, almost always when dirt like this pops up, the backfire on social media is giving us all some more hope in humanity. But addressing something as distasteful is one thing. Wouldn't it be great if some lessons on ethics and women rights were presented to certain models and photographers? And more importantly, womens magazines? Best thing would be if we didn't need all that, if we had a fashion industry that's not based on money, picturing women as lustobjects, and MONEY. But without those 2, we wouldn't have a fashion industry, so let's get working on that moral code!


Mary Jane
pissedofpenguin@gmail.com