Why do adverts for the Pro Wrestling League stereotype the genders?
Women shouldn't complain if their bags are heavy while men should be fighting with hands, not their remotes. Really?
The Pro Wrestling League, a team-based wrestling league based on the model of the IPL and the ISL, begins on December 10. And host broadcasters Sony Max have come up with some "interesting" adverts to promote this new league
Their advertisements poke fun at how today’s men and women have become softies. In the female version shown in the above video, the narrator mockingly starts off with, “Yeh aajkal ki chodiyan shopping bag uthane mei thak jaati hai” (These girls these days get tired just by picking up a shopping bag).
Similar progressive sentiments are shared in the men’s version, where the male narrator sneeringly begins, “Yeh aajkal ki launde... break-up hone pe rote hai” (These guys these days weep when they break up).
Both the commericals end with the message that the aforementioned guys and girls could be made tougher by being exposed to the Pro Wrestling League.
While there’s no doubt that the ads have created a buzz, the stereotyping about the gender roles does leave you wondering. Men are not supposed to cry, they’re not supposed to use face cream, and they’re only supposed to fight. It’s a similar story in the ad featuring women, even if slightly toned down.
Six teams representing Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Mumbai, Haryana and Bengaluru will take part in this one-of-its-kind wrestling league, which starts today, December 10, and goes on till December 24. Some of India’s biggest wrestlers like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Geeta Phogat and Narsingh Yadav, along with other international stars, are slated to take part.