Kunal from Blank Noise spotted this poster in kerala only recently. If anyone ever happens to get find this film- do contact us asap!

Thanks

Blank Noise

MIND THE GAP. STREET PERFORMANCE. 1.2.3

The performance is a part of MIND THE GAP showing at Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore.

Blank Noise Action Heroes- Soumya C Shekhar, Nora, Marjorie and Jasmeen.

The performance is on from the 17th to the 19th of April 7-8 pm ( tues. wed. thurs)
You are invited to participate.To participate in this evening's event or tomorrow's call us at 98868 40612

For those of you coming tomorrow, please come wearing something that challenges your comfort level. The action is simple, easy and FUN!

see you soon!

review: Deccan Herald by Marta Jacimowicz

CHEAP GIRLS?

Thankyou for responding to the CHEAP GIRLS POST!

Your responses led to the construction of images for MIND THE GAP!

Here are some of the responses we received via email:

1.
Perceptions differ.
For one, a sleeveless blouse with a sari is a come-hither.
For another, red lipstick is 'asking for it'.
Yet another thinks a salwar -kameez without a dupatta is being shameless.
Girls wearing shorts ,even when it's 45 degrees in the shade? Are you kidding? Sign of too much freedom being given to the girl!
These are male pereceptions mostly.

But then....

What do you say when a girl in a burqa with her head covered is whistled at?
When a mother of two,covered from her neck to ankles,taking her kids for a stroll in the park, is subjected to leery comments?
When a young girl going to college in a bus,dressed in a shapeless loose churidar-kurta, is pawed at by unknown hands,leaving her fuming & almost in tears?
When 40-year old middle-class working women in saris,waiting at a bus-stop, are the target of obscene vernacular film songs by cycling romeos.
Think about it!

2.
The line in the sand that separates a woman from her right to safety is drawn daily by the men who make the decision to molest.
If I was wearing a sari and got robbed, no one would ask if i asked for it.
If I was wearing a pair of jeans and was robbed, no one would ask me if i asked for it.
If I was wearing anything at all and was raped, everyone would want to know if i asked for it.


3.
ALMOST EVERYBODY ON THIS EARTH THINKS THAT FASHION LIES IN THE SEXY CLOTHES THAT REVEALS ONE'S BODY . BUT WHAT I THINK IS THAT FASHION LIES IN YOU NOT IN YOUR CLOTHES .SO WEAR WHAT SOCIETY EXPECT FROM ITS GIRLS AND NT WHAT SHOW'S YOUR BODY.
SO WEAR THOSE STUFF THAT IS COMFORTABLE AND APPRECIABLE.

4.

To begin with its always been a Man's world and woman a mere distraction in the path of a man's achievement. Once this belief is firmly in place and we accept the fact that our personal law is actually based on Manusmriti that holds woman as the root of all evil, it is not so hard to comprehend the behavioural pattern of the society towards eve teasing and the like. I have had so many discussions with people around me regarding the same that i cant keep count and the answers one gets are appalling. One takes some time to come to terms with the fact that members of a civilized society are capable of such unreasonable thoughts. Once even this overwhelming feeling of strangulation is overcome, one can proceed to take in the illogical notions of this society. My friends, who are actually BE students hold that it is up to the girl to ensure she keeps away from the reach of predatory male impulses as its only natural of the male species to get provoked by our presence and of course act on this "natural impulse". And if you did foolishly or negligently fail to avert the consequences that a man can impose on you, its you , the girl who needs to be blamed rather than the perpetrator himself. This logic extends to only those girls whom the society looks up on as "conservative", "traditional" or to put in other words "decent". These standards of decency are hard to be ascertained as one may dress "decently" but at the same time behave slutty. Once the victim is outside the purview of "decency" in every sense of the term, then the perpetrator's action is justified and also rightful on his part.
The logic of " she asked for it" is roughly equivalent to holding a culpable homicide victim responsible for the acts of his aggressor. Its his presence and proximity to the aggressor that provided him with an opportunity to physically assault him! Had the victim had enough sense to stay clear of his aggressor's path, he could have reasonably averted such an unpleasant incident.
Being a law student, I find it impossible to speak without looking at the legal aspect of the argument . The law explicitly states that one can never abandon one's fundamental rights either voluntarily or otherwise. To state that an "inappropriately" dressed woman naturally abandons her right to life is a mockery of our legal system and justice that we are supposed to guarantee one and all.
To conclude, all I can say is that so long a woman abides by the rules of this ever fickle minded society dares to impose upon her, she can ensure sympathy for herself, if victimised but being a woman one should never hope for justice in this man's world.

Promiscuity though an invitation is not a license to rape.......................Its along time ahead before our society can even grasp this statement.


5.

I believe that one can draw such a line solely for oneself.
I dont think there is any such thing as "cheap girls" or crossing the line
..

No one ever asks for it.

Regards,
Priya.



Well,
i think it will be the short clothes.
sometimes even the strongest of lechers do turn away
at some of the 'sights' in delhi summers.
very short tight tshirts, which leaves less to
imagine, a remeniscent of the school days, with very
low waist jeans.
normally it wont be that revealing, but it turns
obscene when the person sits somewhere. it do puts
everybody in a unease, the guy next to her also the
better dressed female nearby.

personally i think clothing is ones own attitude and
free will, but basic decency should be maintained. ive
seen the elderly cringe at the sight of it :)

well, it do leave a negative impression on people.

somebody,
25,pstgraduate,delhi


6.

My aunt thinks wearing a sleeveless is not decent

My mom believes a girl should wear a kamiz salwar dupatta when visiting relatives, jeans and kurta are fine as well

My father doesn't care, or so do I think coz he ain't got no daughter

I believe a woman looks beautiful in just whatever she decides to wear and once she does it confidently.

A stare or a comment either ignored completely or responded back in full content, whichever way one decides to do it, is where the line is drawn.


7.

Generally speaking,its not a matter of being 'CHEAP'.Its the people's mentality. I agree,wearing short clothes or those crossing-the-line kinda clothes for outings like shopping can be looked down as cheap but apart from that it's the people-the MALE population.I,being a ching,if dressed in sleeveless or not-sleeveless clothes is stared at as if am wearing nothing at all.Men pass lewd comments and give looks that disgust the hell out of me.So,whats the point but of course you have to know what to wear during different type of occasions. Again seriously it all depends on the mentality.
Asenla

I think what I wear is because I FEEL comfortable wearing it. NOT, because I want to make an impression on others or I want other people to judge me based on my clothes. There is no right or wrong with dressing. The judgement lies in the eyes of the beholder and if he/she/they have a problem then TOUGH! THEY CAN DEAL WITH IT!!

Defining a bad girl (Courtesy my grandmother):

Shorts
Short Skirt
Low Cut tank tops
Boob tubes
Bikinis
Tight T-shirts
Lose hair
No bindi


Good Girl:

Salwar Kameez
Sarees
Half Sarees
Oiled Hair
Bindi
Bangles

Whats wrong from the college I went to?

Sleeveless anything
T-shirts too short to cover your butt
Short Skirts

According to me:

Sexy:

Skinny black jeans
Short Black skirt with tights
Sarees

Cheap:

Anything Synthetic

Lose:

Fishie pants
Long skirts
2nd hand clothing (Hippiefied)


8.

There isn't any "asking for it". No matter what you wear, walking peacefully down the street minding your own business is just that -- walking peacefully down the street minding your own business.

9.
Peaceful ethnic tribes existed and exist till today where women dress scantily (or dress like they are "asking for it") but are respected n not eve-teased left right and center.
For example, the warlis in thane district ... the dress their women folk wear would make our urban jeans and short-tees look like burkhas ... yet their menfolk do not find it "asking for it" and they have a peaceful coexistence.
The sex starved (or should I say, not-so-open-about-sex) psyche of the society manifests into "asking for it" is what is my inference. Note also behavior changes from city to city. The other day I was in Chennai (my first time there) with friends, some of them girls and we were at the beach. We sat down. All the girls, who were all laughter and jokes till then, suddenly became nervous and glanced here and there. When I asked them they said their tee shirts would go up and they would get loadsa comments from guys as "this is Chennai!". They woulda sat down without a care if it were Bangalore/Pune/Mumbai ... (I dont mean to comment on Chennai per se as I have hardly seen Chennai ... am only quoting the girls verbatim)
Point being a reserved/conservative societal backdrop also has an influence on what can be labeled as provocative or inviting of eve teasing - call it "asking for it" if u like :-)

Kartik

Annie's post Transformation of a slut

Participate in Mind the Gap

We welcome you to join us this week at Max Mueller Bhavan, CMH Road in Bangalore.

This week's schedule:


1.

You are invited to contribute to the building testimonials of clothing. Pls bring along a garment to donate, discard so that it can add to our collective stand ' THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ASKING FOR IT.' The clothes project concludes the second we build a 1000 testimonials in the form of garments. For those of you in Bangalore, please bring a garment you were wearing when you were 'eve teased'/ sexually violated on the street and add to this installation of garments. When these garments count 1000, they will be installed on the streets of different cities/ countries.


2.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 7-8 pm we will explore -- through performance -- issues of body perception and clothing. Please call Blank Noise at 9886840612 or e-mail at blanknoise@gmail.com for more details and to sign up to participate. Note: In order to participate, you must have a saree, a burka, and/or clothes that you consider provocative.


3. Friday April 20- public discussion. details coming soon. all are invited.

4. Saturday April 21. 5-6 pm. We invite you to join us in dispersing testimonials of street sexual harassment in the neighbourhood.

Please call Blank Noise at 9886840612 or e-mail at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com for more details and to sign up to participate. See you soon!!

reviews: Deccan Herald

MIND THE GAP- INVITE

On April 13th, 2007, Max Mueller Bhavan will host the first public exhibition of Blank Noise. The exhibition will present a documentation of the project through a multi-media arts installation using photographs, sound and video. It will be centred around the debates of looking and the gaze, and of modesty. The exhibit, Mind the Gap explores personal boundaries and forms of control as practiced in changing urban India.The exhibition proposes to bring forth and challenge common attitudes towards women and street sexual harassment.

We thankyou for supporting us and making this exhibition possible. The exhibition opens on the 13th evening at 7 00 pm and is on for an entire week (14th- 21st) from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Visitors will be participants in the true BNP way! Pls bring along a garment to donate, discard so that it can add to our collective stand ' THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ASKING FOR IT.' The clothes project concludes the second we build a 1000 testimonials in the form of garments. For those of you in Bangalore, please bring a garment you were wearing when you were 'eve teased'/ sexually violated on the street.

Through the week we will also have street actions, and performances. Stay tuned to sign up and we'll keep you posted!

We start the show at Max Mueller Bhavan with a street intervention on CMH road itself. This action will be repeated thrice in different garments/ stereotypes.

All those interested in participating, call NOW. 98868 40612

Max Mueller Bhavan is on CMH Road. Bangalore. See you there!

The transformation of a slut

Confession: I have used the word 'slut' whilst referring to another woman. I have regretted using it.

In fact, I regretted using it within ten seconds of it having escaped my lips. It wasn't about what she wore. I wore less. It wasn't about make-up. She used none. In retrospect, it was about anger, and a shade of envy.

This is about four years ago. I was sitting around with a couple of young male friends. They were talking about the difficulty of getting girls to attend parties. They asked me, half joking, if I could get them through to some girls.

And stupidly, sanctimously, I shrugged and said, 'I don't know any girls who'd go out partying with strangers. Well, maybe I know one. She's a bit of a slut.'

The boys reacted unexpectedly. They exchanged glances and one said 'Shhh. Don't ever use that word for a woman.'

My humiliation has rarely been so complete as it was in that instant.

What had been going on in my mind? Did I disrespect girls who went out with boys too soon? But I too have hung out with men, when introduced through other friends. What did I disrespect about the girl?

It took years for me to figure out what and why. I envied the girl a little. She did what she wanted. She seemed not to be afraid of being judged by her family or other people like me. It is a different story that a lot of her recklessness and defiance was rooted in her fear of being judged by her own city-bred peers, of not 'fitting in' in glamourous circles. But I did not judge her because of her fears; I judged her because of mine.

There was another reason why I was so flippantly moralistic. The man who shushed me had not been paying enough attention to me. And I craved his attention. I wanted to win his approval, somehow. To show that I was better than those 'easy' girls he hung out with. After all, all my life, I had been told that men like girls who play hard-to-get; that they respect girls with the hands-off approach.

Unfortunately, the effect was opposite to the one desired. But the good thing was that I was immediately chastened, and flung into self-reflection. Here was a man I liked and, in an uncomprehending, instinctive fashion, respected. And whose respect I may have lost.

I began to think about why I respected him - not because he partied, not because he swore and provoked and argued. Perhaps, because he was one of the few men I'd met who was neither awkward around me, nor aggressively friendly. He seemed to ask nothing of me and never crossed any lines - physical or social. And never once did I fear either him or his morality.

Never again has the word slut crossed my lips, or even my mind.

In fact, when a bunch of us journalists were outside a restaurant, an acquaintance leaned over and whispered - 'See those girls? They're sluts!' - I was surprised.

The women being referred to were in tight jeans, skirts and halter tops, lots of mascara, no male escorts.

I asked, 'How do you know?'

'It's obvious.'

I simply noted that the clothes were very smart, and considered asking them where they shopped.

'See! They're waiting to get picked up,' she continued.

'Are they?' I said, in a deliberately bored voice, and turned away.

MIND THE GAP