The alpha male
Animal begins and ends with the protagonist imitating a monkey making lewd gestures at a young woman who is bathing. The entire scene had absolutely no relation with the movie whatsoever. The hero is touted as an alpha male, and there’s a 5-minute speech on who an alpha male is. One who fights and protects, and unlike weak men, doesn’t do silly things like poetry.
He compliments his friend’s big pelvis, unbuttons at the sight of a woman, walks around naked, cracks crass underwear jokes, and when his wife reprimands him for his foul temper, he blames it all on what lies between his legs. The man is obsessed with body hair, there are constant references to shaving the chest and genital area. Sigh…
What makes matters worse, are Animal’s women. Having secured an admission to Princeton for MBA, his wife falls for his alpha male personality and leaves everything behind to get married. He hurts her, but of course out of love. He engages in an affair outside marriage (of course, to spy on that woman) and this lady ditches her fiancé and blurts out her secrets, the moment our alpha male makes love. Wife and mistress just kiss, forgive, and move on.
A man who really doesn’t care about anything or anyone beyond his needs and his ego
I could go on and on, but I guess the point that the makers wanted to convey, was here’s a man, a powerful one at that, endowed with lots and lots of brawn. He can kill, destroy, and massacre in the name of his family. And what we end up seeing on screen is a spoilt brat, a Man-Baby who screams, and demands food, alcohol and cigarettes.
The antagonist has a screen time of 10 minutes, during which he slaps all his 3 wives and celebrates his Suhaag Raat on a couch with a room full of guests. He dies, so his younger brother pledges to marry his wives, to which they happily agree. Slow claps?
The movie is one man’s idea of being Manly, violent and angry. With a lesson on how Good Women should be, meek and forgiving. If this isn’t a classic example of misogyny, what is?
So, as I generally do, I happened to review Animal and post it on a popular movie review page on FB. Within moments of my post going live, I realized how this movie turned out to be a massive hit.
I was getting trolled and how! And trust me, all men
I had mentioned in my review that misogyny aside, the violence and bloodshed was intolerable.
And so, there were like 50 comments, telling me, that not Animal, but it’s my review that’s unbearable. Bakwaas, 3rd class, terrible they had deemed it, claiming to have read only 2 lines.
Were these people so offended, that they couldn’t even read the entire review? Anyways.
There was one who said, “You Didi are the problem.”
There were others like, “Apna Gyan Apne Paas Rakho.”
“Tum Toxic Ho, Movie Nahi.”
“I read the first 2 lines, saw your name, realized you are a woman, so I stopped. Useless review.”
“Violent yes. But where’s the misogyny, lady?”
“Hope this director makes more such movies, so Bekars like you can write negative reviews.”
The weirdest guy went ahead and said, “She’s Mallu, obviously.” Still wondering what that meant.
And of course, each of the comments had a prefix name to call me, “Didi, Behen, Dude, Bro, Mallu and most importantly, Pseudo Feminist.”
There were a few less insolent ones who couldn’t help but wonder, “Why do you watch it with a Woke Feminist lens? He is flawed but loves his wife and sisters. What’s the big deal.”
Thus, for whole 2 days, the trolling continued.
I have posted negative movies about some movies in the past, but never have I been flooded with so much hate. What do I understand from this?
Probably all the supposedly alpha males getting triggered by my review?
That Animal is some kind of a cult classic that all these men immensely appreciated? Maybe it is. Even then, am I not entitled to my opinion? Or is it because I’m a woman who bashed a Man, an Alpha Man at that? And it hurt their little male ego?
Also, perhaps the mythical Alpha males are real, they do exist. And they are loved and worshipped. Like the protagonist’s character and of course, the maker.
But most importantly and quite obviously, it goes to show that despite all talks of empowerment and equality, we as a society are failing. The majority of us, sadly young men, still adhere to that regressive and patriarchal idea that Man alone is the Strong Protector, the Provider, who controls his many women, to bring balance in the world. In the process, if he hits or hurts, what’s wrong? He apologizes too, doesn’t he?
The actor and the director won awards and walked home with a lot of moolah. But not before leaving an indelible impression on many young minds, igniting the false manhood in them. There are hundreds of them glorifying Animal, telling us that This is what a Man should be like. Alas.
To think, one movie review showed me the true face of our society, what so many men take us women for. Objects of lust before marriage and Karvachauth observing Pativrata Nari post-marriage.
And if a woman, as much tries to discuss a different POV, about just a movie, these men would troll and insult her, shut her up. They can’t handle criticism, because I’m a woman?
I for once didn’t respond to any, I can’t stoop to their level. And while I’m saying that, the lead actor has won an award and announced a sequel, which he promises would be darker, and more ‘Manly’.
