LET’S BULLY WITH SATIRE !

The other day - whilst the three of us sat discussing what image comes to one’s mind when the word ‘Bully’ is uttered.

[Disclaimer - none of our conversations actually make any sense in the beginning - but luckily more times than not they have ended up with an epiphany.]

Back to the image, we anonymously agreed that it’s generally of a man. Same with murderer. Same with terrorist. Same with a politician. [Stay with me - it’s going somewhere].

Now, while women have excelled in every field. 20 presidents in the world currently are women. We are collecting Nobel prizes, Grand Slams, Gold Medals. We still haven’t perfected bullying. Women are not dominating the crimes. We are either winning the Peace Prize or we are Ellen DeGeneres. Miserably, failing to understand the balance.

‘There is a very big difference between being a bully and a bitch.’ Himali says and you know what? She couldn’t be more right.

The term ‘Bully’ was actually coined in the 1500s - as an endearment meaning "sweetheart" or “darling’. In fact, for the next whole century - it had a positive tone. Until the 1700s when things changed.

So, if you look back at the history - being a bully was never about disparaging someone. It had a pleasant meaning to it.

‘But how do you get your point across without being a nightmare?’ Niharika and I asked with gleaming eyes. As if the Dalai Lama himself was going to chime in.

‘Bully with satire.’

‘Wait. What?’

If you are a working woman - at some point or the other you would have faced the dismal. Your views, your opinions, your ideas not being taken seriously. I work in a field dominated by women and I, to this day, face it.

And, If you are single and dating in a city like Bombay for over a decade - there have been multiple instances where you are expected to make the hour long trip [8 kms away, IYKYK] with no sight of an Uber ever booked in your direction. “Please understand, all the fun places are beyond Andheri, bro.”

Or one of my favorites - the unasked for snide backhanded compliment about your appearance - weight, hair, makeup, clothes or even the lack of it.

Fight for your rights. Fight for your voice. Fight to be heard. Fight to be acknowledged. Fight for your safety. Fight for your freedom. Fight for your Uber rides.

If you have to fight fire with fire. An eye for an eye.

In a world, that’s filled with the new definition of bully -how do we fight a bully without actually being one ?

‘The goal is not to murder or hurt somebody or eat dosa with hands because all can spoil your nails - the point is to use sharp biting satire to make them take you seriously. Buck up girls, because the fight is not over yet.’