What’s the story?
Popular sports presenter Mandira Bedi has become the latest victim of objectification on social media. On Thursday, she posted a picture of herself in a bikini enjoying some quality time in the swimming pool on her verified pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Moments later the post was flooded with derogatory comments, commenting on her figure, her character and disgustingly, asking her for one-night stands.
In case you didn’t know…
Mandira Bedi is a popular sports presenter, host and actress. She became a household name as a presenter after the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003. She continued her hosting duties at the ICC Champions Trophy in both 2004 and 2006 as well as the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007.
Bedi has also fronted the coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2 for Sony Max and IPL season 3 for British Network, ITV.
The heart of the matter
Objectification of women on social media is one of the most pressing issues in today’s world. Previously, we at Sportskeeda had highlighted how women associated with professional sports are objectified on social media.
Also Read: The objectification of Indian women in professional sports – an issue that is going out of hand
From Sania Mirza to Jwala Gutta, women are subjected to all kinds of unwarranted abuse and salacious comments on a daily basis. A month back, cricketer Mohammed Shami had to face flak from religious fanatics on social media when he had uploaded a picture with his wife. And now, the trend has caught up with TV presenters as well.
Some of the comments on Bedi’s photos were far too obscene and disgusting. The comments section included lewd remarks and horrifying requests.
A few of the comments:
Parallels from history
As mentioned earlier in the piece, this is not the first time that women associated with sports have been subject to smutty and vulgar remarks on their appearance.
Also Read: Just because I look or dress in a certain way, it doesn't mean I'm 'easy to get': Jwala Gutta
Sania Mirza, Jwala Gutta, Mayanti Langer and a host of other women associated with sports have spoken out about the filthy language in the comments section of their social media pages.
Sportskeeda’s take
It is absolutely disgusting that some people, even in this day and age, still perceive women only as objects.
Mandira Bedi has done good work as a presenter and host, and she should be applauded for it. Posting pictures of herself in a bikini does not mean that she is cheap or available. It is time something is done about the objectification of women. Maybe, just maybe, stringent cyber laws will help. For now, one can only block these perverts.
