Heidi Fleiss and Shahrukh Khan – Spot the Difference!

Farzana,

I didn`t see this before. Great point here!

``Also, why does it have to be commercial sex? Are we being told that women cannot have flings? Do all men with moolah end up in brothels? No. They have one-night stands, or find arm candies, or have no-strings-attached liaisons. Can women not initiate such relationships?``

Aisha Sarwari

Yes the idea of opening stud firm for females customers is fantastic.Males can buy sex if they desire.In the same way women are also free to do that.I am also very eager to work as sex slave for women.Please help me in getting connected to the needful ladies of mumbai/delhi.

I earlier published this as an i-log (on February 12, 2006) but after some reflection, I firmly believe that this inspired work more appropriately belongs with the source piece which inspired it – a little like in Geometry books how theorems are followed by corollaries – so here it is.

Black Coffee

“Have some coffee, Mr. Khan!” the lady at the reception counter said. She had crooked teeth. The sign at her desk said “H. Fleiss”. She did not seem impressed by my name - perhaps she was not into Bollywood - or perhaps some people are simply not so easily impressed.

There was a calendar-size poster on the wall. It contained the inscription - “Remember, in this holy site you must leave your cravings, your peeves, your anger, and your conquests behind you. Only then you can be emancipated - otherwise you remain a formless fantasy. Freedom is wanting. And wanting is empowerment”.

The coffee had a pungent smell and it tasted funny - I saw no cream or sugar anywhere.

There was a supersized barrel feeding into the coffeemaker - and it was a good thing that it was supersized - the crowds (which had thinned somewhat) had been slurping up the coffee as if possessed. The coffee had appeared to almost run out - but it always seemed to replenish itself somehow.

These were devotees - all waiting for their turn to pay obeisance to the lingam inside.

“You can go in now!”

I shrugged. It was quite futile to explain to these hordes that I had a different religion and held to a different faith - and how does one so explain when virtually all the people around you are idol-worshippers! Besides, isn`t role-playing my specialty?

The inner sanctum was only dimly lit. One had to climb several steps to get to its high level. Evidently, the devotees had been pouring water over the lingam (funny, I never saw any of them carry water with them!) for it was extremely wet and slippery.

The walls were full of written words - words in many colors, in various shapes and sizes - most that I simply had not the ability to read - and some only looked like scribbles but some of them appeared to be almost divine.

The lingam was different from any I had ever seen. In fact, I was not even sure it was a lingam. It was huge. A series of thin lines criss-crossed its surface - like red blood tissues. The uppermost portion appeared to be partially covered with a thin hood-like covering - then extended a foot or so downward and to the back, before splitting into what looked like two arm-like structures - most of it appeared to be hidden.

It was also probably soft to touch - it was even sensitive to vibrations in the air and it appeared to actually shrink in response. Then even the walls seemed to vibrate, and when they did - the words all danced. The channel around the lingam appeared to suddenly fill up. It emptied into a spout which was connected to a pink pipe which vanished into the wall.

I walked back gingerly - it was highly slippery.

“Thank you for visiting. There is no charge.” The lady at the reception said. Her eyes had a hopeful glint. She handed me a donor form - “You won`t happen to have a hundred million dollars or so?”

Why do people always think movie actors are made of money? Anyway, I was not going to tell her how much money I had (what if bhai-loags decided to offer me physical protection in consideration of economic advantage). Or she might even be an agent for the income tax department. They use lady agents all the time.

A sudden thought struck me. “Hey, how come there are no women here?”

She smiled - the crooked teeth were plainly visible. “Perhaps they all got sent to the other side of the town. To that newly opened farm - especially for ladies - they DO have a significant charge.” Evidently, men and women do not pay the same prices.

Just before I stepped out, she handed me a small package. I took a quick look inside. I could not believe my eyes - it could not be .... - perhaps I was mistaken and it was just a small replica of the “lingam” inside.

“We provide one to every devotee who visits here. This is courtesy of the temple...”

A crisp little note said in small print - “Batteries not included”.

As I headed for the door, I noticed what had eluded me earlier about the supersized barrel. It was connected to the wall behind with a pink pipe which projected from it.

(Note: Inspired by Farzana Versey’s article “Heidi Fleiss and Shahrukh Khan – Spot the Difference!”, published on February 6, 2006.)

i always thought salim (whatever his real name) was a good writer --

I tried to take another look at this article after disregarding some of the redundant hyperbole (which probably adds to its appeal in some ways but also costs it some credibility). So here is another (short) take.

It is simply a mistake to dwell on a “woman’s perspective” now-a-days. The variability within women is far more than between many men and women in general. (In the US, we were unable to pass the Equal Rights Amendment primarily because of opposition from a section of women and currently, many of the most vocal opponents of abortion rights are women.) Therefore, the gender is probably incidental in the situations you describe. (I would like to emphasize that discrimination based on sex has not completely gone away – not even here – but the picture is a lot murkier than it used to be twenty years ago – made more complicated by the widespread use of sex-appeal as a marketing technique – and the emergence of a section of women who try to obtain advantage (usually at jobs) using the same.)

In the same way, I think it is a mistake to talk of a “male prism”. Such neat divisions have ceased to exist.

You make several assertions as facts which are simple opinions – and not well-supported ones.

Shah Rukh’s movie appears to be a fantasy and certainly should not be considered a measurement standard for how (Indian?) males view female sexuality.

My negative opinion of Ms. Fleiss’ motives was explained earlier. Also, I won’t repeat some of the arguments I already made to another interactor.

Lastly, marketing ploys by individuals should not be confused with genuine class stands on serious male-female issues – in any need of vigorous countering the way you do here – the only result was that some interactors concluded this was a “light” article – and treated it as such. (Several people here have implied that this article was not written in serious vein – I am not so sure of that.)

ooops that first ``I`` should have been ``She`` as in nadira... (this is in reference to #77)

I agree with the general thrust of #78. However, are we not all judging some one or other in one way or the other. The article you put does it. The questions you raise do it, the comparisions you make do it. Putting one aspect in the left hand and the other on the right you are forcing a comparision and a judgement.

My grouse is not questions - but the shear volume of them. And not one straight answer. A good writer does two things: raises questions in the readers mind, and provides them with some framework for developing possible answers. Only one thing is done in the article above, the other is missing - unless you suggest reading your whole body of work - going back to god knows when! failing to do that one is left with a few familiar points of reference, and we go for them ...and hence the rather pat definitions/destinations etc.

Re: #55 by

---

...

---

[This article reeks of ``men are from Mars and women are from Venus`` syndrome, with a few well chosen bandages for the men.]

I do not subscribe to such pat definitions and destinations hardly ever direct you to a person`s thinking. However, there are certain vital differences between the genders and sexuality is one of them. Yes, I do ask too many questions because embedded in them are the answers -- and each one finds their own.

Re. your post #77, I do not want to get into details I have read about the suicide case, but even earlier a young model had killed herself. That case is in the courts because it was said that she did it due to a failed relationship.

Again, I will not sit in judgement, but men too have failed relationships. The reponses are invariably different. Men commit crimes of passion; women rarely, if ever, do. Men commit suicide when there are finanical problems or failure in job/education. (Girls too do so in the latter case because `tests` of any kind extract a huge premium.)

A woman who ends her life may not blame anyone, but does the environment not affect us, bludgeon us, force us into following rules?

Believe me, a daily battle is a war within oneself and very draining.

- - -

A general note:

Discussions keep a board alive and often add to the article. It is not the number of people that matters but what they say. It has been requested several times that people should not go off at tangents for it is your posts that will get filtered out. A bit of baiting/humour among interactors is fine; there is no intent to be starchy here. But reductionism that has nothing to do with the subject at hand is off-limits.

the strenght of characters is the key re#76. I lived life to the full (within her terms) and faced the consequences, the other could not take it any more. One led a full life within her terms and didnot blame anyone for it, the other lived her life (from what you say) on her terms but the death appears to balme the world for her inability to cope.

Two bits of news that make one wonder how alone people really are.I am putting this up here because it has some relevance to how single women cope...

Hindi cinema`s veteran actress Nadira died a lonely woman. She essayed mainly strong characters -- they call those vamps, don`t they? -- and smoked and took the initiative with men on screen. For her time, she seemed way ahead.

She lived pretty much on her own terms. Or did she? She had an independent mind, but how often she spoke about her craving for a normal life.

Her brusque words may have hurt, but they were probably her only defence against a world that insinuates and sneaks up to you, and then tries to overwhelm you -- only to leave you stranded.

She did not complain. Even when she cried when prodded with questions in interviews, there was a silent strength in those tears. It takes courage to open yourself to such scrutiny.

She lived to be 74 despite all the daily battles she had to face, mainly with herself. That is bravery in my book.

Just when this news had sunk in, I read about TV actress Kuljeet Randhawa committing suicide. I have probably seen her face in commercials, but I cannot remember her in any serial.

She left a note saying that she could not take the pressures of life anymore. She lived alone in Mumbai and they say that she was always very exuberant on the sets; others in the building where she lived say she was a recluse.

Again, two different persona. She has blamed no one for her death. She was over four decades younger than Nadira -- she probably fought her battles too, like all of us do. And one day she picked up a dupatta and hung herself from the ceiling fan.

I know very little about her. Had she dragged on her life for 40 more years would she have found happiness, companionship, love, success? Would she then be called brave by the likes of me? Does anyone know how to measure uncertainty?

ajiib daastaa.n hai ye
kahaa.N shuruu kahaa.N khatam
ye ma.nzile.n hai kaun sii
na voh samajh sake na ham

ye roshanii ke saath kyo.n
dhuaa.N uThaa chiraag se
ye Kvaab dekhatii huu.N mai.n
ke jag pa.Dii huu.N Kvaab se

kisiikaa pyaar leke tum
nayaa jahaa.n basaaoge
ye shaam jab bhii aaegii
tum hamako yaad aaoge
ajiib daastaa.n...

mubaarake.n tumhe.n ke tum
kisiike nuur ho gae
kisiike itane paas ho
ke sabase duur ho gae

ajiib daastaa.n hai ye
kahaa.N shuruu kahaa.N khatam

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Brilliant!

Vikash

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts