Controversies that should not have happened in 2017

As a nation of the ‘easily offended’, we as Indians really need to work on what topics and issues to outrage over. Another year is about to answer the curtain call, and these are the controversies that should not have happened in 2017!

Whether it was the ‘Uninstall Snapchat fiasco’ based on a rumour, or phase two of that useless controversy that caught poor Snapdeal in it’s jaws, to the even more disturbing Padmavati row where world-renowned Bollywood actors and director had bounties placed on their heads, the controversies that should not have happened list is an utterly silly, yet alarming one.

In no necessary chronological order, let us begin with the most memorable, juvenile, irresponsible and damning to the Indian reputation worldwide, the Snapchat controversy.

Under the guise of a hurt Indian pride, millions and millions of Indian citizens did their ‘unnecessary’ due diligence when a rumour circulated online. It was about an ex-Snapchat employee who claimed CEO Evan Spiegel referred to India as a poor country.

Insulting, yes. True? No one knows.

It escalated to a level that sounds like it came straight out of an Adam Sandler movie! People began to uninstall and downrate ‘SNAPDEAL’, a totally unrelated and very Indian ecommerce platform.

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*shudder*

The poor guys suffered for days until everyone realized what was going on, and by then our WhatsApp graduates had already done the damage.

Next on our list and episode two of worldwide embarrassment for India was when people were offended by a picture of Goddess Durga posted by pop star Katy Perry.

Katy intended it to portray her angry mood and used an image of Goddess Durga with it, without any undertones of insult or disrespect!

current mood

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Apr 18, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT

Well, since controversies are born in places where logic ceases to exist, some Facebook and Instagram users found this equation of an angry mood, and Goddess Durga to be offensive. They proceeded to ‘scold’, abuse, and threaten Katy Perry and calling her very nice names.

Also one guy literally called her a satanic bitch and ended his comment with #illuminati and #Godbewithyou. I AM NOT JOKING.

Priyanka Chopra, Narendra Modi, respect for your elders + Prime Minister and Indian culture.

Soooooooooo, Priyanka Chopra and the Prime Minister coincidentally happened to be in Germany for an event, and look, whether you’re the Prime Minister or an international star, meeting either, it calls for a picture doesn’t it?

Priyanka Chopra posted a picture of herself sitting and chatting with Narendra Modi, smiling, and it was all rainbows and sunshine until…

HOW CAN YOU WEAR A DRESS AND SIT WITH YOUR LEGS CROSSED?!!! OMG SHOW SOME RESPECT TO OUR ELDERS!!!

Omprakash Mishra, sexism, artistic freedom and RAPE THREATS.

We all know the Bol Na Aunty Aau Kya guy and all that transpired, and then began to spiral out of control as it progressed from memes and events to shout ‘Bol Na Aunty Aau Kya’ to rape and death threats.

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Omprakash Mishra’s ‘fans’ began to abuse, and sexually threaten a reporter from The Quint who had created a video in response to the popularity of the song, and the vulgar lyrics of it.

Padmavati, Indian culture, religion and bounties for heads and noses!

Okay, you know everything that has transpired around this controversy and if your sanity is intact, you may also understand how utterly infuriating it is that something so grim can take place in the world’s largest democracy!!!!!

I mean bounties on the heads and nose of an acclaimed Bollywood director, and actress, on Live television and no action is taken. Instead, the filmmaker, fearing his own safety and that of infrastructure had to postpone the release of his film. A film that is based on a work of fiction, Padmavat, written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. A story that finds no mention in history otherwise.

https://www.facebook.com/FilmPadmavati/videos/1605720432817977/

Regardless of the existence of the queen and her sacrifice, the film has not released yet. No one has actually watched it and people have already determined that it violates some religious and ethical code.

Smfh.

PEHREDAAR PIYA KIIIIIIIII IN THE HOUSE.

Okay hear this. 9 year old boy from a royal family. 18 year old girl. MARRIAGE.

Yeah we are having the same thoughts right now.

Now the controversy that surrounded this television show was legit, and the only controversy this year that I can say was not a complete shit show, but cmon. WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THE SHOW AND GIVE BIRTH TO SUCH A CONTROVERSY!

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My problem with this fiasco is just of all the people involved in the making of a tv show, like directors, producers, actors, channel heads, makeup wala, costume wala, set wala, chai wala, no one said that okay guys, broadcasting a way too creepy 9 year old stalking his to-be 18 year old wife on national television does not sound like such a good idea? No one?

AND THE SHOW ACTUALLY HAS FANS AND SUPPORTERS!

Thankfully it's off air now.

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Okay so now let’s circle back to Snapchat for a while.

The most popular Snapchat filter yet. Yeah you got it right. Dog filter.

Now if you ask me what the Dog filter has to do with controversy, let me ask you this.

What if you put the Dog filter on the Prime Minister’s face? Yep. Controversy.

All India Bakchod, the perpetrators of this heinous ‘insult’ to Modiji were forced to delete their social media posts after torrential abuse.

Stand up comics can't really make funny jokes, so they make such memes to shock.

— Songbird (@oxymoronic_me) July 13, 2017

Tanmay Bhat & Rohan Joshi are ppl who will put dog filter on PM Modi's pic at night and wake up shouting no freedom of expression in India.

— Digital Detox Startup (@BhargavPurohit) July 13, 2017

C'mon guys it was just a filter!

Mersal, Southern India and BJP’s insecurities

The ruling party, freaking out about a short scene in a movie from down South criticizing their already widely panned move, force the filmmakers to cut the scene, only to have it resurface on the internet multifold, trending across the nation.

So South superstar Vijay, in his film Mersal, criticizes the government’s ambitious GST, and the people in power decided to silence it by forcing the filmmakers to cut the scene. Obviously, they have not been keeping up with their history lessons because trying to silence a dissenting idea is like the worst thing a government can do. It always backfires man.

The BJP said that the information in the scene is incorrect and misleading, although we all know how that works in our country. Upon seeing that there was no stopping the Mersal leaked scene from raging like wildfire on social media, the BJP IT cell went into maximum overdrive trying to ‘discredit’ actor Vijay by trying to spread the word that his name was Joseph Vijay, implying his defiance and criticism of the government was due to his religion.

Now if that wasn’t enough, some damn old buffoon of a politician tweeted Vijay’s personal details (voting card and another document) to prove his point. Just crass.

So these were all the unnecessary, avoidable, absolutely idiotic and mindless controversies that should not have happened in the first place! 2017, I can't say I'll miss you much.

2018, please be good.