The Facebook world has been thrown smack into the centre of controversy yet again and just in time for my next set of musings (insert high-five emoji). I mean, girls wearing full-sleeved shalwar kameez moving their hips ever so slightly (and awkwardly, ya!) to the tunes of Beyoncé in a crowded street in Old Lahore? Yes, that’s totally in my wheelhouse. For those of you living in witness protection (which is probably why you don’t know what I’m talking about), a brand called Do Your Own Thing (DYOT) recently released an advertisement where a small group of girls staged a flash mob in Anarkali - a super ‘backwards’ area in Lahore. The video instantly went viral (like, obv) and the city of Lahore was yet again divided into two camps - those who appreciated the boldness of the video and those who thought that it was a shameful excuse for what they believe feminism should be. The only thing in common between both camps was that no one was really sure what the brand was trying to sell.
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Lahore, Pakistan. Midday. Zara and her friends are eating lunch at a local coffee shop when Sahar, an old classmate, walks in. Rumor has it that Sahar’s marriage has been on the rocks, and she is back in Lahore to figure some things out.
The choice of a Beyonce song also came under fire from some quarters on social media
Some thought it was all for show (which it was) and so it had no real substance or feminist message (which it did)
Anam: (lowering her voice) Oh my god, guess who just walked in? I can’t believe she’s showing her face in the city after all the rumours…
Sanam: (also lowering her voice) I thought her husband kicked her out or something. That’s what I heard at least. He caught her drinking with a bunch of randoms at a bar. (Pause) Or maybe it was the other way around…
Zara: (rolling her eyes) It’s all conjecture. Who knows what actually happened. So many girls get married to insane men abroad. Like, people are getting divorced every second.
Sanam: No, I heard that she doesn’t want to get divorced but the guy’s family is super upset about the drinking thing. Maham said that they’re forcing him to get a divorce.
Anam: Is she pregnant? She looks fat.
The video, taken down after intense criticism on social media, showed a flash mob of girls who suddenly begin dancing to a Beyonce tune in busy Anarkali, Lahore
Sanam: No, she’s not. I bet it’s the depression. Bechari (poor thing) , I wonder what she’s going to do now. Getting married is hard enough as it is. I can’t even imagine what it would be like living in this city with a divorce stamp.
Zara: (noticing that Sahar was making her way to their table) Be quiet guys, she’s coming here.
Surprisingly, the ‘pro’ camp has been relatively silent as compared to the ‘con’ camp. Although a few people shared the video and mocked the con camp, most Lahoris were simply upset. Some thought that the idea of taking off your burqa and dancing was demeaning because, well, you can dance with your burqa on (which is right and someone should totally do that in France, but it definitely shouldn’t instigate so much hate, right?). Others thought Beyoncé was the wrong music choice because they assumed that no one in Anarkali would know Beyoncé (you’d be surprised how many people know Beyoncé). Some people, however, had much bigger beef with the ad. They considered it to be culturally inappropriate and insensitive. They thought that it was all for show (which it was) and that this meant that it had no real substance or feminist message (which it did). For one, it got people’s attention, which is really hard nowadays with Kim Kardashian busting a new awful fashion trend everyday. Second, it’s this whole idea of women reclaiming public spaces, which I totally dig, you know? And third, since when did the idea of women making bold statements (effective or not) or doing something different become a US thing? Does the USA have a patent on everything cool or controversial? Uh…I think not, babes.
P.S. women do run the world. Open your eyes and see.
***
Sahar: (aside). I bet those stupid bitches were talking about me. They’re right though. I may not be getting a divorce but things are looking pretty bad. (Pause) What is the big deal with me going out for a few nights with some friends? Nadeem is hardly ever home. (Sahar is struck by a sudden fit of anger) And damn Nadeem’s stupid mother. (Pause) And is stupid grandmother! Who the hell are they to decide what’s right or wrong for me - or for their cowardly mummy daddy thirty-two year old son? All the women in that house are crazy. Uh…I should have asked him if his grandmother was lucid before I married him.
