Is there a word for that? Part I
Is there a word for Things that you don’t agree with on principle but you don’t mind there immediate outcome(s)? I don’t think there is.
Let me illustrate what this means before we get to why we even need a word for something so precise? And believe me we do. Considering this is the first in a part of series I wish to write, let’s make some ground rules. I’d be using some topical situations in and around me to instantiate the need for these words. Also, it surely helps if you’re sugarcoating strong opinions with some lexicology lessons, especially in this climate where almost everyone seems to take offense. A lot of these example are tongue-in-cheek and may exhibit my varied beliefs and might reflect poorly on popular sentiments. Watch out for those and flag me for not knowing what the hell I’m talking about. And most importantly, if I’m suggesting a dire need to invent some new words I might as well come up with a new word at the end.
So, back to this specific word. It reflects an ideal scenario where something that is not considered a perfect solution for a set of people conjures the outcome or part of the outcome that is favorable to that same set of people. Lets talk some examples here before it gets very complex.
Ban on Chinese Applications by Indian Government
In June 2020, the Indian government decided to ban TikTok along with 58 other mobile apps that were deemed in a statement to be “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order”. It was a strong decision, one that was certainly fueled by public opinion and general sentiment of the country after the tensions at LAC across the Indo-China border. The move, however bizarre, could’ve been envisaged pretty comfortably considering the anti Made in China movement across the country, even though the the ban was attributed to “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”. Well, Facebook doesn’t currently have any localized data storage in the subcontinent even after the recent localisation push and it doesn’t seem to have been banned. Yet. So, we might as well throw that argument in the bin. The other accusation over TikTok is that it incites violence, promotes cyberbullying and pushes sexually explicit content. I don’t think there is any social media platform that doesn’t have the same condemnation and can be labelled as completely safe. It’s the internet and the humans on it, not the individual platforms, that should shoulder blame. I simply think banning everything in the way is not the way for a democratic country to proceed.
Also, some would argue that this was a starter for later things to unravel. An appetizer for further boycotting of relations between two superpowers. An amuse-bouche to an all out trade war. But with India’s manufacturing ability yet to evolve and a trade deficit favoring the Chinese, the uproar to boycott Chinese products seems highly unrealistic. Rather, we should focus on developing our own domestic market and compete within.
So, I’ve successfully incriminated myself as being opposed to this decision. That’s part one of the new word idea; finding effectiveness in the same outcome is the second. What is the effectiveness of banning TikTok (and others) then, if I’ve spent all this while defending them? Well, it’s TikTok. That’s more or less it. The app is bland. It’s content is mostly untasteful and dare I say the word, ‘cringe’. I hope you get the need for this word, at least I do and feel strongly about it considering I find myself defending a lot of things that I don’t really care about.
Let’s talk another example. That might make it more easy to comprehend.
Scapegoating of nepotism in Bollywood in response to death of Sushant Singh Rajput
Sushant Singh Rajput was 34 when he died by suicide at his apartment in Mumbai. He was apparently suffering from depression for at least six months. He was a successful actor and had a huge following and there was no surprise in the following clamor for the elite in Bollywood not being there for him and reasoned his television background for the classism against him which led to his ultimate demise. I don’t know if all this is true. Neither do I know if Bollywood did really fail him and could’ve done better to save a young and promising actor’s life. It’s not even certain if Bollywood was the reason for his descent to anxiety and depression. What I do know however, is that scapegoating individuals is wrong. Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar seem to be the ones on the end of huge public scrutiny. Why? Because, they did a talk show.
If you’re aren’t already aware, on the same Koffee with Karan episode that Alia Bhatt famously announced to the world that she didn’t know who the president of the country was, turns out she was wishing someone’s death also. Way to go to make someone regret an interview multiple times. “Kiss, Marry, Kill” is a popular social game. She was given the choice between Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput. Turns out she chose Sushant for the Kill part and now people are firing at her all guns blazing by watching a 20 second clip answering a stupid interview question. I can’t believe people actually took that seriously. Koffee with Karan is not meant to be taken seriously. Also, if she answered Ranbir or Ranveer, would that be okay? Are the same people saying that it’s okay if the other two die? I know fans of Sushant feel sad and want to find a representative and an individual to shower the blame on, but how is abusing a 27 year old actress who shared the industry with him the answer?
Okay, now for the second part to the same scenario. The blame after taking the individuals out of the equation is basically on the inherent nepotism in Bollywood. Nepotism in Bollywood is real and an actual detriment to the Indian cinema. And I don’t mind people questioning that at all. Just take the stupidity out of it.
One final example. Look out for the same tropes.
Indian Soap featuring a contentious relationship
I remember sharing an article from Buzzfeed about the anger towards the Indian soap opera “Pehredaar Piya Ki” back in 2017 and a friend asked me why I was so vehemently defending a melodramatic soap when I deride these almost all the time. I’ll be honest, I actually didn’t want to defend this one. But that’s exactly the point.
On principle, I absolutely loathe the uproar this show which aired in July 2017 on Sony TV got. The show was cancelled (restructured actually) after 30 episodes (which is not a lot considering how long Indian soaps generally last) on the grounds of being unpalatable to the audience. Why then was it revoked that early? Well, because it featured a relationship between an 18 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. And some of the people who’d have derided the contentious relationship would have been the same who absolutely love Game of Thrones in which Tommen and Margaery are a couple. Tommen is a 10 year old boy in the books while his wife is an adult woman. I’m not comparing an Indian soap with a fantasy show but that’s the point. Child marriage in India is not a farce. It does exit, you know.
I don’t think a creator should have to wonder whether audiences would accept the premise or not. But then I watched a couple of episodes of this stupid show and like all others it’s a 30 minute dud filling airtime with no real writing and incapable of capturing real emotions. Why did I even mention GOT in the same sentence as this show? I don’t agree with the premise of this show and the idea of another boring and bland Indian soap but I really want the writers to have some freedom of expression to build something, however controversial it might be. Still don’t mind this particular show being shut down though.
What’s the new word?
Lets come up with this new word now. So, what are we looking for? Part one of the term is unprincipled. An idea or a thing that you don’t agree with. The subsequent part would be a positive outcome out of the aforementioned unprincipled idea. An effective result out of something detestable.
REPROBATEFFICACIOUSNESS(n): getting a positive outcome from an unprincipled idea. Portmanteau of Reprobate(Unprincipled) and Efficaciousness(Effectiveness)
