Los Angeles Times reporter Claire Hoffman has a must-read article this weekend in that paper’s West magazine on Joe Francis, who may be the most repulsive individual in America. He is the founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” soft-porn franchise, advertisements for which have been polluting cable television for nearly ten years. Those who, like me, believe that this sort of barely-legal exploitation is a lot more dangerous than is hard-core porn will find here a cornucopia of material to bolster their view. The way that Francis and his crew prey on drunken 18-year-olds and induce them to debase themselves on camera (there’s even a $1,000 bonus for recruiters who get a girl to bare herself right after midnight on her 18th birthday) is vile beyond belief. What goes on in the crew bus is even worse. Francis clearly hates women: whenever he has to deal with a woman on a professional basis he becomes vulgar and threatening, as the reporter learned when he pinned her to a car and nearly twisted her arm off, and later when he called her a c**t and threatened to kill her. This is the kind of article that a paper runs only after its lawyers have pored over every comma. Even Defamer, the LA Gawker franchise, calls the piece “jaw-dropping.”
So what’s the desi angle? Well, the farther I read the more I got riled up that Francis’s company is called Mantra Entertainment. Now I’m a writer and I believe in playing with words, and I don’t think any word is ever absolutely off-limits. But come on, this is disgusting. Mantra?
A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. … They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. … They are intended to deliver the mind from illusion and material inclinations.
I’m sorry, calling your porn and degradation company Mantra just ain’t right. After searching a little for other business misuses of common Indian spiritual terms, I found that mantra is by far the most-abused. Sure, there’s a Karma Digital Corporation, at least one Karma Entertainment, a Nirvana Corporation that builds real estate in Costa Rica, a Nirvana memorial park in Malaysia, a Juggernaut Entertainment (oh no, not again) in Chicago, the Ashram Galactica Grand Hotel at the annual Burning Man festival, and of course the sinister Dharma Corporation of the TV series Lost. But mantra is on a whole ‘nother level:
- Mantra Restaurant (Boston)
- Mantra Lounge (Milwaukee)
- Mantra Lounge (Seattle)
- Mantra Brand Consulting
- Mantra Vibes
- Mantra Recordings
- Mantra Lingua bilingual children’s books
- Mantra Resort, Spa, Casino (Punta del Este, Uruguay)
What is it about this word that has spawned so much commercial use? Am I over-reacting when it makes me feel queasy? And what other egregious (or amusing) uses of desi cultural terminology have you run across in the business world?
I’m reminded of a store sign I saw in Mumbai some years back – “Hare Krishna Meat Market”, complete with an image of the blue deity playing a flute
Also, I recall The Donald trying to sue some Indian restauranteur in Atlantic City some years back because his place was called “Taj Mahal”.
These words are entering the cultural lexicon of the West – “guru”, “yoga”, etc. have been in it for some time now.
Once I was fairly reduly lectured by a young caucasian “hippie-esque” fellow at Peet’s Coffee in Menlo Park, CA about what goes into chai (that they sell as a premix, of course). Did he see my skin color and put 2+2 together?? I had to politely tell him the tale of how i grew up smelling the substance every morning and ow my mother gets major headaches when she does not have hers, HER way, daily.
At least “chai tea latte” (double oxymoron if you will) has been reduced to “chai” at the major coffee chains.
😉
There are (were ?) some porn stars performing under the stage name “India”. I doubt anyone can be prevented from adopting any name no matter how sleazy their line of business. Unless of course they rip off an already trade marked name…
Vikram – the term “India” is a bit of a western adaption, so i’ll let that one slide. Now, if porn stars and pop stars (India Arie, anyone?), etc. start calling themselves “Bharat”, i may raise an eyebrow. 🙂
Tamasha Theatre (London) Tamasha Hotel and Restaurant (Bromley, UK) “There’s only one name that adds colour and spices to fine Indian dining” Tamasha TV (Your Persian TV) Hotel Tamasha (Kish Island, Persian Gulf) Really poor choice of name, I think. Maybe it means something else?
Om Records (SF, CA) “The United Nations of Future Music”
My “faves” in NYC: Kama & Sutra.
Sure, but doesn’t part of the blame lie with these women who are willing to let themselves be used in this manner? Does that necessarily qualify as ‘exploitation’? I mean, these girls do choose to get drunk and all that goes with it in this kind of environment, right? And no, this is not ‘blaming the victim’ thing, I am questioning the fact that these women should be considered ‘victims’ at all.
And of course, there’s always the question of the demand for these videos. Lots of people are paying good money for this shit, aren’t they partly sharing the blame?
It is degrading but in American society this is par for the course. The guy who has the loudest horn will win. If Mantra is marketed with porn for long enought time the meaning will degrade and will be associated with that. But saving grace is that not many people know that GGW is a product of Mantra E.
A word that is more abused than Mantra is ‘Swastik’. Now I can’t use that word without all sorts of negative connotations that get conjured up with that word.
Dude, that LA Times article was intense. You realize what a sicko Joe is, and all I can think is as a writer how Claire risked it to put everything out on the line like that.
Vat! slow news day, eh Siddharth?
but I bite.
there’s all manner of indics naming their little start-ups obscure names from the hindu epics… but it take this is a vent on the non-indic usurpation of OUR culture -gah-.
there’s prana clothing and climbing gear. i’m pretty sure no indic has the right BMI to go climbing and the oil doesnt really let one get a grip on the rock. so this must be a non-indic squeeze.
also, there’s lululemon’s logo. that is a really low blow… holler if it doesnt register at first glance.
As Apu was saying, this is one of those words, probably going back to the 1960s fascination with many things Indian and the subsequent ’70s popularity of TM that saw the word “mantra” become commonplace in US everyday vocab.
What amazes me about these videos is how cheap naked female flesh has become in this country and how 50% of the blame for that rests with the girls who strip so willingly for the GGW cameras. It’s sad really that after all the struggles that women before them went through to be taken seriously for more activities than just breeding and cleaning the house, and how many women still do, the girls who flash the camera (and more) are just underlining and bolding the message to all the drooling guys out there “Yessir, my greatest value is in my 20-something perfect body, no más. After that, as I get older and the body’s not so flawless, my worth in American society will have declined precipitously, and that’s just fine. By then you can move on to the next pack of lithe lovelies and toss me and my sisters aside.”
Beyond that, don’t any of these girls ever face negative repurcussions afterward? I remember thinking that last week after I saw the ads running on FX or Comedy Central: I’d love to see a reporter like Vanessa Grigoriadis do a story on what life is like for these girls after they take their few bucks (or do they get a residual on every copy sold?) home and try to lead a normal life, and every guy on campus (and probably a few professors) starts hitting on them non-stop, and when word gets back to their parents. Nobody gives a damn?
BTW, have any desi girls shown up on any of these GGWs yet?
yes. I remember distinctly , those desi mangoes in a wet tshirt.
I agree with everything the post said about the nonsense that is Girls Gone Wild. I also am a bit put off by the use of the word “mantra” in this particular instance. But, my objection ends at my being offended and voicing that offense. First, I don’t think anyone should EVER be put in the position where there he/she must worry about language police coming out to get them (I get the feeling that you would agree with me on that point). Second, in what way is this more offensive than, say, calling a football team the Washington Redskins? If we get all riled up over this, shouldn’t we get all riled up over that as well? Also, at what point do you draw the line? I notice that you mentioned a Nirvana Corporation and Park, but we all know that post 1991, when you say the word Nirvana the first image that comes to mind is a trio of flannel clad rockers. What differentiates the band from the corporation and park? I guess what I don’t understand is why you put the word “mantra” on “a whole ‘nother level.” The word itself is not a “holy” word like “Om.” He is not desecrating sacred verses of the Ramayana, the Gita or some other actual mantra. It is just a word that has been misused. He is ignorant for choosing such a word but I will only object to the use of language when I am SURE that its intended use is to offend or humiliate. Until you offer evidence that he chose the word specifically spread ill-will, I can’t help but feel as though you are over-reacting.
Not the name of a business, but the use of words by the business is what’s dismaying HERE in a picture I found from a visitor to the House of Blues in LA, and a plate full of their “chicken friend chicken”.
I also think that the word ‘mantra’ has already been out of the realm of ‘Indic’ connotations for a while in terms of usage: corporate ‘mantra’ for instance. Kind-of like the word ‘Guru’. It’s an inevitable process with language, I guess.
Don’t really see why we need to get our chuddies in a bunch over this too much. Indians take English words/phrases and use it in ways which may range from amusing to offensive. (I’m sure SM has posts on that which I’m too lazy to dig up 🙂 )
Now Joe may be a jerk, but this entry is BS. Are women not responsible for their actions? Last time I checked, being drunk has not excused poor judgement and behavior. They got drunk, signed a waiver, and flashed a camera. If they were sexually abused, then that is one thing, but flashing a camera is another. Women love to push for equality, but the minute they find themselves doing stupid things, they revert to being innocent victims. Camille Paglia nails this phenomenon in her writings. Modern feminism wants it boths ways.
Isn’t the most popular brand of bidis in India called Ganesh? I don’t think these things matter as long as people don’t deliberately attempt to denigrate a culture. Mostly it’s the opposite – people tend to value the name they choose for their business. Of course if someone particularly sleazy decides to use the word mantra it can be annoying but I guess we just have to shrug it off.
I also don’t see anything wrong with naming a meat buisness after Krishna. The meat-man was probably a devotee of Krishna. In India most things have more to do with tradition than any sort of belief system. Unlike the US, which is why the plate of chicken (in #12) with the word ahimsa around it, is rather funny.
I do find images of gods on sandals and underwear offensive, but that’s quite different.
I am really interested in the evolution of Claire’s article. Did she set out to do a regular story which went awry (the shoving, pushing, etc)? Or did she expect the boorish behavior from her interview subject? All said and done, GGW sales will soar after this article…..
Do you think a G(ay)B(oys)GW enterprise would have been shut down by now?
I guess there have been many Indian/Hindustani/Saskrit and vernacular languages that have found their places in Oxford Eng Dictionary. Like juggernaut for example. If someone uses juggernaut while descrbiing a rock show or mardi gras he is using English – not offending the sentiments of hindus. So if the company that owns the ‘girls gone wild’is named Mantra…he is just doing the same.
I guys should just chill than over reacting to it. There have been many equally bad and worse depiction or usage of these words in Indian media itslef…
I guess there have been many Indian/Hindustani/Saskrit and vernacular languages that have found their places in Oxford Eng Dictionary. Like juggernaut for example. If someone uses juggernaut while descrbiing a rock show or mardi gras he is using English – not offending the sentiments of hindus. So if the company that owns the ‘girls gone wild’is named Mantra…he is just doing the same.
I guys should just chill than over reacting to it. There have been many equally bad and worse depiction or usage of these words in Indian media itslef…
Nirvana Memorial in Malaysia… If it’s the same one I pass by frequently enough to remember, I think that they provide services for the families of deceased Buddhist women, preparing their bodies for cremations/funerals. “Nirvana” is a Buddhist term too, and appropriate in this case.
That aside, I’m peeved to to hear about Mantra Entertainment too. But I don’t feel a greater annoyance than when, say, someone incorporates a religious element into pop music…. The co-opting of the sacred in such a way that makes it both popular and profane is the most prevalent form of post-colonial cultural imperialism. It may look like it’s just a bit of bindi here or a bit of mantra-chanting there, but it makes me deeply uncomfortable. Wht makes me even more uncomfortable is to see how some people can only accept their own heritages when it’s offered to them, often distorted and dumbed-down, that way. I think it’s important to wonder — what makes the validation of the Other so important to so many people when it comes to personal cultural affirmation?
Not judging by the commercials I see for Guys Gone Wild I see on Logo 😉
To be honest, I don’t even know where to start with this post. I wish it had just been on the topic of the LA Times article rather than the word use, which is obviously a minor offense compare to, say, twisting someone’s arm behind them and then later softly asking the same person for a kiss. The juxtaposition is a bit disturbing and it feels weird just talking about how the use of “mantra” is offensive.
Unless, of course, it’s siddartha teaching us all a lesson about priorities, which I wouldn’t put past the incredibly intelligent fellow.
The exoticization of Indian hallmarks isn’t something brand new though. It’s a shame that a pornography company is using Mantra as their brand-name, but at the same time, in an America which has transformed Yoga into a multimillion dollar industry. In some sick perverted mind-twist, “mantra” was used to equate cheap trashy American porno to a sublime experience.
But this just always happens — bitching about it now is so…pointless because facets of Indian culture have long been mis-branded for the sake of “exoticization” in Western cultures. Even those cultures are defined by the way they “degrade women.”
We’ve just gotta take it with a grain of salt.
Anyone else feel something like pride at Claire Hoffman’s article? I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite so brilliantly written from/about the entertainment industry. applause
My personal favorite is when she uses all the times Joe makes fun of her intelligence (qwerty typewriter) and is generally boorish and condescending (we love our little reporter), to fabulously mirror back his own loser-dom. Smart is sooo sexy:)
And to all those who have been ranting about women wanting it both ways or whatever: That was hardly the point of the article. In fact, Hoffman bends over backwards to show that no, these women don’t view themselves as victims–that they are having fun. What she does do, is very nicely, lay out ways in which GGW (in particular Joe Francis) could/does abuse the contracted agreed upon pacts made in each of the videos. You are in a public place, you get drunk, you sign a waiver, take off your shirt, we will film you. That is what the girls agree to–wisely or unwisely–whatever. What they do not agree to, is sex in the bus w/ Francis or the cameramen. Or having your arm twisted off because you pissed off some clown.
Sorry guys, but I really wish you had written on the original article than this…stuff about ‘misuse’ of Indian words. Languages borrow words from each other all the time. So what if the Vesterners use it in a different context. Nothing to get your knickers in a twist about.
Personally, I’m more concerned with the few commenters who claim that the girls themselves hold responsibility for their actions. Sure, but they were drunk. They can’t consent. Rape law states that a drunk are unable to consent to sex.(Unless both parties were drunk, of course. The way I see it, the corporation is taking advantage of women in a vulnerable state. So no, it is not their fault.
Just to add, of course women who were sober when they signed the waiver bear responsibility. However I wouldn’t be suprised if the crew fed the girls drunk or drugged them.
Excellent points by Filmiholic in post #9.
Regarding the word (mis)use, something which received some publicity here in the UK a few years ago is the fact that one of the most famous bingo gambling organisations is, somewhat ironically, called Mecca.
One of his earliest lawsuits I think was from a woman who appeared in the video, was put on the cover, then joined the PTA of her childs school eventually. I doubt they get any residuals, they most certainly have to sign release forms.
Claire Hoffman’s article is one of the best I’ve read of all year. I’ve heard a lot about how debased and predatory GGW and its king pin are – charges I don’t disagree with – but I’ve heard little about the mindsets of the women (and girls, by some definitions) agreeing to participate in seemingly humiliating activites. Are they playfully goaded into a inebriated state of mental plasticity or are they at least somewhat aware of their actions and willingly acting out sexual messages that they have subconsciously internalized?
And for those who believe that Joe Francis is in dire need of a comeuppance, Darnell Riley is way, way ahead of you.
yo meena, saurav & co,
um, the way we select material for this blog is by looking for desi angles. since GGW doesn’t have an obvious desi angle (unless someone wants to watch all the videos and look for desi participants), i seized on Francis’ choice of a desi cultural term for his company name, as an opportunity to blog this story in the first place. get it? without the desi angle, i wouldn’t have been able to blog this extremely compelling and important story. so i guess i should thank Francis for the name choice after all.
riffing on other desi cultural name uses/abuses is just an extra. call it stirring the pot.
as for the LA Times article, i totally second what Sonia says in comment #22. and, it’s interesting to see how many people still don’t get that even if people sign consent forms etc., it still can be (and is) degradation and exploitation.
peace
This seems like a really hard topic to discuss. Its partly a discussion on what i assume is third-wave feminism (although i might be wrong about the naming as i’m not really too up on the way the eras of femininism are termed). I wouldn’t even know where to begin on that discussion, not being female, although i think all people have a stake in the outcome of the feminist movement. it also gets to consumer-culture, media culture, the new wave of technology. how much of the new commercialization of sex is driven by consumers versus the producers. The whole question is wrapped up in multiple processes; poor versus rich; consumer versus producer; man versus woman; young versus old, among others. it calls also into question, must this be one versus the other? is it really that way, or are these cooperative ventures, if unevenly distributed. this also goes to the heart of human relations in a way
I believe there’s a well-known waste management company here in the UK called Sita.
Thanks Siddhartha for posting this story.
Judging by the content of the article, I think we can diagnose Joe Francis as a psychopath.
As far as exploitation: if a poor man offers to sell you his kidney for a chance to be on camera, a t-shirt and a thong, and you buy it, is that exploitation? (Assuming it were legal.)
Also IMO, the fact that alcohol is nearly always involved, shows that the activity is exploitive. If they can’t get sober people to do it–or in my example, wealthy people–you have to ask why…
the above was too negative a remark to induce you to check out prana’s link – but you might be interested that two of their featured climbers are guys called omprakash and sagar, definitely an indic thing there. i dont like rock climbing, but bouldering gets my juices flowing – the screaming pain in the shoulders, the stretch in the groin, the knees shaking uncontrollably and the moment wen one drops off from the side of the rock in to the lake (hopefully) — and so i was quite tickled to see them profiled. amazing athletes these folks. go out and climb a rock taller than thee, it’ll add you a whole new perspective, literally and figuratively.
Read in last week’s issue of New York magazine that Coty Brands Frangrances were very nervous when Hip Hop Highness and Jivamukti practioner extrodinare, Russell Simmons, named his new frangrance Atman. That’s right GOD. Apparently, the Coty e-team were nervous that, well people (of color, I assume), wouldn’t resonate with such a name. Oh, and I think it’s safe to bet that neither JESUS, Yaweh, G_d were naming options.
The Sweet Smell of Simmons Russell goes to the mat for GodÂ’s being sexy, mainstream.By Beth Landman
Russell Simmons thinks the suits at Coty need to get their chakras checked. After the success of fragrances from his ex-wife, Kimora Lee, and P. Diddy, Simmons was asked to come up with his own scent. Simmons, a yoga freak, mixed up a batch of spiritual oils and called the fragrance Atman, a Sanskrit word that means “divine self” or “God” in some traditions. But the marketing minds at the world’s biggest fragrance company (brands include Calvin Klein, Nautica, and J.Lo) didn’t see the fit with his hip-hop following. “I’m not a perfume dude, but they were after me to do this,” says an irritated Simmons, who says he plans to donate his proceeds to charity. “We had quite a standoff. They told me God doesn’t sell, God isn’t sexy. I think God is sexy.” Still, the cologne tested well and will be on shelves in September. A Coty spokesperson says, “Coty was scared by these uncharted waters. God wasn’t something that we thought was mainstream, but Russell was so passionate about it. If you are going to work with Russell, you do it his way, and now it makes perfect sense.”
The not so subtle subtext of this post is that Joe Francis’ degradation and exploitation of women stems from his sexism, as evidenced by his violent treatment of Claire Hoffman. But if we were to take sexism out of the equation by allowing ourselves to be informed by gay pornogrophy, we’d find that degradation and exploitaion remains. Why?
Siddhartha implies that a woman’s role in society is determined by human relations of domination, like those underlying sexism. But I suspect the reforming of our most intimate private lives by our egalitarian principles will prove to be problematic indeed.
Aside from the misuse of mantra issues, what I was most disturbed by in this article is that Joe Francis seems to repeatedly escape taking responsibility for raping and exploiting women, but the single person who attempted to blackmail him (with his own exploitive footage of Joe) is now in prison while Joe is free to continue. What a twisted situation.
manju, with all respect, i imply no such thing. as soon as the verb “is determined by” gets deployed, chances are i don’t agree. i think life is subtle and ambiguous and that the unintended consequences of actions almost always end up, in the long term, more decisive than the intended ones.
now with respect to GGW, i think your comparison with gay porn (and why just gay, by the way?) is specious. there is a huge difference between GGW, in which the women are basically preyed on, encouraged to get drunk, and pushed well past the line from play into sexual coercion (at least the article makes it seem that way) — oh and by the way, not remunerated for their services except with baseball caps and other trinkets — and on the other hand porn, in which actors are paid to do scenes that are scripted in advance and to which they agree, as professionals. porn is fiction as well as paid performance; GGW is unpaid, and all too real. so there is an immense difference here, and while some people may argue that all pornography is inherently exploitative (i am not getting involved in that discussion), i think most of us can agree that something like GGW is multiply exploitative, not only sexually but also economically and even generationally, since francis is almost old enough to be these girls’ dad.
peace
OK, fair enough. Forget “determined.” I think, correct me if I’m wrong, you were tying in Francis’ treatment of Hoffman with GGW’s exploitation and degradation of women; and perhaps a more general correlation between sexism and this form of pornogrophy. Which brings me to…
I was trying to take sexism out of the equation and see what happens.
Intersting argument on why GGW is exploitative but porn not. I’ll leave it to others to deconstruct. I do agree that the voluntary tranaction of money for services makes it less exploitative (though i’m sure many critics of the free market will disagree) thought the factors of age differnce and drugs & alcohal are probably still at play.
Anyway, one persons exploitation is always another’s free will. My point is only that the ancients in virtually every culture realized that sex was dangerous and often interwined with violence and degradation and therfore needs to be controlled. They bascicly informed us that left to its own, all hell will break out.
So we see all hell breaking out and we look to the underlying superstructure of sexism rather than the obvious culprit, nature.
Dont forget the Buddha Lounge in Las Vegas. Though there does seem to be a Buddha lounge in every major city.
The biggest thing that blew my mind was a article in the Chicago Sun times called “Karma justice” about a guy getting caught stealing real expensive Buddha statue in front of a steak house and how it was karma that caught him. You would think that the bad karma would be to have a Buddha statue in front of a STEAK HOUSE, but then I remembered that most people in charge of information are idiots.
did you know, my dear chap – that the dalai llama is quite fond of beef – not all buddhists think the same way.
So we see all hell breaking out and we look to the underlying superstructure of sexism rather than the obvious culprit, nature.
Manju — are you saying rape is part of human nature, too?
Yes. Apes practice it. Sexual domination is so common among various cultures, including gay culture (which I think is important b/c we then cannot reduce this desire to the social construct of sexism) that I think there must be a significant natural component. Feminists are beginning to realize it as many of them are looking quite honestly at the dichotomy between their own desire for sexual humiliation and their egalitarian politics. “the politics of the blowjob” make for quite interesting reading (seriously).
I don’t deny that nurture plays a role, but even then, sexual conditioning from early childhood may be just as intractable as nature.
We may use a different language these days, but it is really just old world wisdom. Liberate sexual desire from social constraints and you will open up a violent can of worms.
Hee, hee.. sour grapes. Oh those badmaash girls taking their undies off… they must be being exloited, right? It wouldnt happen that they’re just sexually liberated, or slutty or naughty or whatever you might call it?
Francis reminds me of the guy who’s the head of American Apparel, Dov Charney. Sounds like these two have the same ideas about management and leadership styles.
As counterpoint to Manju, constrain human nature by social constructs and all hell will break loose.
Would this topic be a discussion on societies less constrained in matters dealing with sexuality or nudity or pornography? My experience in say, the Scandinavian countries leads me to think not. Societies that place a premium on “morals, values, etc.” tend to show the worst patterns in these matters.
Speaking of which, doesn’t it sound odd we here provide the training, driving school, etc. for kids to drive at sixteen but don’t spend the equivalent (or more) on matters related/leading to what shows up in these videos. Easier to get worked up, show a moralistic strain, and wag a finger …
Francis appears to be a textbook psychopath, many of whom are extremely successful in life – non-empathetic, no remorse, self-centred, smooth-talker, manipulative, amoral, easily bored, promiscuous, no consistency between what he says and what he does (“I love women!”.) I thought the most brilliant part of the article was the ending, in which Hoffman gives a snapshot of Francis as the classic abuser – “I love you baby, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, you know I love you” – without ever once in the article calling him such.
I continue to be surpised by America – if I remember right the once mayor of Spokane was thrown out of office because he offered some 18yo guy a job in a gay chat room. And police in Texas broke into a gay couple’s bedroom and accused them of sodomy …But this GGW guy who is such a sleaze preys on young women in public and is rich and famous. Jeez…What stops the authorities from investigating him more aggressively?
You’re thinking of a sociopath, m’dear. =P
I think it’s behaving like a parasite. Just because someone gives one an opportunity to exploit/mistreat them, it does not mean one should exercise that option and then somehow attempt to justify it by “blaming the victim”. The alcohol & coercion factor makes it even more abhorrent — it totally overrides any considerations of “consenting adults”.
Hmm. I think the Romans and ancient Greeks would have disagreed, to some extent…..
That depends on whether you view fundamental human nature as being benevolent or malevolent. That’s a whole other moral, biological, philosophical and theological argument.
It depends on whether the emphasis on disciplining/controlling sexual desire and the consequent behaviour is predominantly “self-regulatory” or, conversely, imposed externally via social constraints etc. In modern Western society it’s mostly the former although of course this is still within certain societal moral and legal limits. Certain other societies around the world, in the present day and historically, take a more hardline stance with regards to imposing this from the outside and thereby monitoring/regulating sexual behaviour and interaction between individuals where there is a “risk” of sexuality being a factor in the equation and possibly triggering “immoral” behaviour, even if the people concerned are mutually consenting adults.
Broadly-speaking, I agree with both of these assertions. Excessive liberalism — to the point of “absolutely anything goes” — is a very bad idea, but so is the opposite extreme. In fact, excessive control-freakery results in certain basic aspects of human nature & behaviour becoming exaggerated in the minds of those who are being controlled (along with those who are doing the controlling), and causes an unhealthy preoccupation with the subject — both a puerile attitude to sexuality and, to some degree, paranoia with regards to the impact on oneself as a result of exposure to potential “temptation” and the perceived “illicit” behaviour of others.
Hell, we know all this from the presence of these traits/attitudes within many quarters of conservative South Asian society, but it also applies to certain other parts of the world too.
I was tickled to read that the Nirvana Memorial Park in Malaysia was mentioned, originally from Malaysia i can say that the term Nirvana and some other sanskrit terms are also used by our buddhist community. We have a large buddhist community and ‘wesak’ a buddhist celebration is a national holiday in Malysia. The Nirvana Park is owed and operated by the buddhist community for burials and so on..
What i am disgusted about is the use of some of the actuall mantras by the serials that we see on star plus or zee, many a times i have heard these mantras being chanted as part of the ‘serial jingle’. Even bollywood does not regard anything as sacred..