The Rising Trend of Item Songs Sexualizing Women

 

Item songs are nothing new to India – especially if you’re watching Bollywood movies. These musical interludes are designed with the sole purpose of enticing people to see that particular movie and have very little to do with the plot itself, or the rest of the music for that matter. Some critics have even gone so far as to say these songs have no place in a movie at all! And yet, they persist – and in recent years, their prominence has even increased.

Item songs have become an integral part of any Bollywood film since the 1980s and are mostly found to be extremely sexist in their content and intent. Item songs are defined as songs where the female leads dance seductively, thus making them an ‘item’ being sold to the audience.

Item songs are common in Bollywood films, and some have been so popular that they have crossed over to other countries as well. They feature beautiful, scantily clad women and are often accompanied by heavy dance routines. Although item songs may seem like harmless entertainment, there has been controversy surrounding them lately due to the growing sexualization of women in India. 

A new study looked into this issue and found that while people were offended by objectifying behaviors in general, they were much more tolerant of the objectification of women than they were of the objectification of men...and this was even true among feminists.

Why Item Songs Are Demeaning?

An item song is a song that depicts men ogling at and lusting after women. These songs are usually played during dance sequences in movies. The way they’re typically presented, they’re demeaning to both men and women. To men, it paints them as sexual predators who can’t control themselves when a beautiful woman walks by. 

To women, it implies that their only value comes from their looks—and also suggests that all men want from them is sex. Both of these ideas are harmful to society as a whole—and especially to young people who see these images over and over again in popular culture. There is nothing wrong with appreciating beauty, but there’s no reason to depict sexuality as something dirty or shameful; there are many other ways to appreciate beauty without objectifying others.

Why Do Indian Films Keep Coming up With New Ideas to Sexualize the Female Body?

As recently as a few years ago, item songs were reserved for actresses with character roles in Bollywood films. Today, item songs have become an integral part of even mainstream films. They are generally perceived to be innocent fun and are enjoyed by many. 

But what exactly is an item song? An item number is defined as a song in which a female actor performs seductive movements either to entertain men or tease them. In other words, it’s about using sex appeal to sell a film. And that’s not all; women actors are often asked to wear short clothes that reveal their midriffs or backsides during these numbers. At times they may also dance provocatively on camera with male actors who can sometimes be half their age. 

What could be so wrong with all that? Isn’t it harmless fun? Is it necessary to sexualize women just because they’re on screen? The answer to both questions is no. There are several reasons why we need to stop objectifying women through item numbers: In today’s world where equality between genders should be a given, treating one gender differently from another isn’t fair. How can we expect men and women to respect each other when society doesn’t treat them equally? Furthermore, it sends out a message that women aren’t equal in our society, and most importantly, as an ‘object’.

How Can This Be Changed?

I think it is safe to say that item song can get very racy. Some even border on pornography. But why do we need item songs at all? If you’re going to make a song about women being sex objects, then you are simply preaching to a different choir. The majority of people in our country watch movies for entertainment purposes and not to be preached at. Instead of putting women on display as items, how about we put them on display as empowered individuals who can think for themselves and make decisions? 

How about we stop treating women like children and allow them to live their lives as adults? How about we celebrate women for their accomplishments instead of reducing them to nothing more than a piece of meat? And most importantly, how about men start respecting women instead of seeing them as mere sex objects? 

There are enough problems in our society today; let’s not add any new ones. It is time for us to change things around and treat each other with respect and dignity regardless of gender. We should be encouraging each other to succeed rather than holding each other back because of gender stereotypes. Let’s work together towards a better future where women aren’t reduced to just an object or an idea but rather seen as human beings who deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Written by - Aastha Monga

Edited by - Kritika Sharma