It was not Padma Shri awardee and one of India’s finest designers Wendell Rodricks’ birthday yesterday.
But he pretended it was, just to crack this joke on his private social media timeline.
The original post by Wendell Rodricks
He has found himself in a pickle ever since.
Among the flurry of birthday bumps that landed on his timeline – some chuckling that they too were victims of similar abuse -- a few dissenting voices could also be heard, questioning the appropriateness of the post.
Amongst the flurry of responses, Kimmy Sheorey wrote.
There was another response that unequivocally berated him for joking about child sex abuse, calling it “a hideous crime” that “scars you for life”. The post added: “Some things we aren’t meant to lighten up about. This is one of them.”
There were, of course, groans that followed on whether we have all lost our “collective sense of humour”.
Rohini Killough also commented on the post.
When asked, Mr Rodricks sent us this response.
He said: “This is a joke and a stupid topic. Those who don’t have a sense of humour connected it to the #MeToo movement for women. Fact is the #MeToo nor women were mentioned. What made me smile was the fact that a spank of a baby’s bottom gives the breath of life. It’s a cute thought. Most loved the joke. Only four were against it as they took it personally. Following up to this was a Singapore girlfriend who quoted the immortal words of Bette Midler who said 'F…k them if they can’t take a joke'."
We shall not repeat to Mr Rodricks, a champion of social causes himself, why private jokes invite scrutiny when they are shared in a public platform.
We are still struggling to comprehend a report recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau.
The report says 106,958 cases of crimes against children were recorded in 2016. Of these, 36,022 were recorded under Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.
Read also: Failing our children
And just today, an eight-month-old girl is fighting her own battle after being raped by her 28-year-old cousin, who is also a father.
Read also: Father, 28, rapes 8-month-old cousin; girl stable after three hour surgery
She is stable though. And hopes she doesn’t become the butt of jokes in future.
