Toxic masculinity’s take on surrogacy

CHENNAI: Who said that salons only bring out the beauty in a person. They also unmask the ugly inner side. This reporter was witness to such an uncovering (of character) when he visited a salon for a regular haircut.

The media reportage on the birth of twins for Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan via surrogacy elicited distasteful remarks by the male customers there.

A couple of college students set the tone for a dose of toxic masculinity with their opening remarks, “Why surrogacy?” Obediently responding to their catcall-summons was a hairdresser, who wondered, “Why should she marry if she will not beget a child?”

Notwithstanding that it’s about a woman asserting her reproductive freedom, another rusty male mind joined the party, and said, “She’ll lose her beauty if she delivers a child. Hence, surrogacy.” Out came another apologist of patriarchy, arguing, “Hey! She’s not as beautiful as you imagine. I’ve seen her in close quarters at a movie shooting spot.” “No, she was beautiful earlier. Of late, she has turned ugly,” complained another voice, adding a few undesirable words about the star-couple opting for surrogacy.

The banter of the band ended with a consensus that the actor should have conceived a child of her own.

It was a perfect trifecta of patriarchy, misogyny and men’s sense of entitlement over a woman’s choices on display, which is sadly a common among most men, irrespective of age and socioeconomic factors.