I recently saw a post by a friend recommending The Bold Type on Netflix. While I’m ‘trying’ to stay clear of mainstream television, I decided to watch a couple of episodes of this series and I am happy I did.
Now into the second season, I have to admit that they have pushed the boundaries on important topics about race, gender, diversity, hierarchies, sisterhood etc. I don’t agree with each of their narratives on what it means to be ‘bold’ but that’s ok (for now). They are off to more than a good start. And hopefully the series will inspire a number of women around the world to change their perspectives, enable others who are already relatively/more woke to feel confidence to voice themselves more boldly and maybe incite more waves of thought provoking mainstream series.
Watching The Bold Type and a number of other movies and series in the recent years has made me realize that at some point I could also continue my life’s vision to change mindsets through film / television as a medium. Creating content for mainstream rather than fringe / arthouse could be my focus and be more impactful.
So what would some of the themes I’d like to see change in mass market television:
- How about the protagonists straying away from drinking (and drugs, smoking, sex etc.) as their go-to to release stress at the end of a hard work day or to celebrate life with friends? What could we replace these ‘socially accepted’, media perpetuated cultural norms with?
- How about we see people from different genders being comfortable in their skin and not needing to suppress / dismiss / shame the other genders now that they feel empowered, powerful and woke?
- What would it look like to see an example of a housewife / househusband / stay-at-home parent as someone who is/can be ‘bold’, strong, liberated, content, balanced and selfless, worthy of genuine appreciation, instead of needing to go out to achieve, succeed, earn more money / power / status / external validation to be balanced and content? (Does not mean that all people who go out and work focus on the above… but how many people globally just love what they do and do so for the sheer joy of doing it?)
- How about portraying the beauty and ‘overwhelming joy’ (wink!) of a slow, action-free life? How about making stillness, minimalism, simplicity, faith / religion / God, peacefulness/Zen and the likes popular (and even cool)?
- How about a whole range of series embracing and popularizing people who have learnt to be themselves and don’t see the need to be someone else? Show how they are thriving by being themselves and not others? Portray scenarios of many, abundant pies rather than people competing fiercely for a scarce slice of the same pie?
I can start with myself.
I can realize that this shifting of mindsets is bigger than me.
I can learn to be content with just moving the needle by 0.000,001°.
I can start small through experimenting.
Herein lies my moqshaa (liberation). Daily.
