Beyond Binaries - Media, Representations And Trolling

Author: LawSphereX

Category: General Law

Published: 2026-08-23T18:28:22.69039+00:00

Updated: 2026-08-26T17:11:50.05+00:00

BEYOND BINARIES: MEDIA, REPRESENTATIONS AND

TROLLING

Aarya Sharan, Amity Law School, Patna Shivani, Amity Law School, Patna

ABSTRACT

The essay explores the concept of gender constructs in society and examines the role of mass media and social media in the gender constructs of male, female, and non-binary identities. Through critical analysis of various mass media platforms—movies, advertisements, nudity, and social media trends and campaigns—the essay presents its involvement in reflecting and shaping the social norms. It also hunts around media’s contribution in changing society and challenging prevailing irrational social constructs of gender. Moreover, the essay discusses the general understanding of gender by the public and its widening spectrum in society, making gender a more diverse concept. The essay suggests best media practices that can be involved to create and deliver more realistic content to the audience, which can truly connect to them and their way of expressing.

The essay aims to understand the role of gender constructs and their instruments, along with their impact on presentday society. The study presents reinforcement of traditional views on gender roles and stereotypes and how, with the change in society, they are being challenged. With recent patterns and trends, examples from present-day society, and cases involving social media interactions, the essay examines the reshaping of gender and transformation in society. The study ultimately promotes inclusivity and fairness in media.

“Gender is not something that one is; it is something one does, an act or more precisely a sequence of acts, a verb rather than a noun” – Judith Butler from Gender Trouble (1990) As Butler introduces the idea of gender as performative, it highlights how gender roles are enacted through repeated behaviours. The interconnected concepts of Sex and Gender play as determinants of social roles, social identification, and custom-ethical norms. Gender and Sex though interconnected but stand different in terms.

Where ‘Sex’ refers to the distinguished biological factors and characteristics to determine individuals as male, female, and non-binary identities, completely based on biological factors of anatomy and genetics, ‘Gender’ is a social phenomenon that specifies social roles, looks, responsibilities, and behaviours associating biological sex to social stratification/social beings—male, female, and non-binary people. The influence of these social constructions can be seen in every aspect of present-day society, in its every dynamic, its relationships, and every form of structure. Even the societies are often organized and administrated based on the association of sex to the social construct of gender. It has been a part of society rooted in cultural and ethical norms, social life, education and work, expression, freedom, and rights.

Society based on this ground is typically male-dominant, where men perform as leaders, financial supports, and prominent public figures, and women are projected as weak, dependent, and walled into domestic work with nurturing roles. These social constructs have brought rigidity in the roles and responsibilities of binary and non-binary individuals. As a result, individuals are bound with little freedom to express, and disparity of power, status, and opportunities has been widened up between the oppressed and the oppressor. Often, when one does not perform or act in accordance with these norms and challenges the gender construct, it is considered to be antisocial and rebellious, but sometimes such situations promote the evolution of societies.

In modern times, many movements have rigorously challenged the existing social norms for gender equality and the growing demand for recognition of non-binary individuals. The feminist movements, profound theories, and literature put forward the concept of gender diversity and gender equality. This has widened up the spectrum of gender and challenged the prevailing binary construct of the society. These movements have been a pedestal for equality among genders, recognition of non-binary identities, and have reshaped the concept of gender.

An extremely important role in forming and strengthening gender norms and impacting people’s views, their way of thinking, and their actions and behaviour is played by media. Media, which may include various platforms such as television, films, movies, dramas, advertisements, and and social media in a modern media context Blogs and vlogs have been an instrument for presenting both stereotypical roles of male and female, as well as, in modern days, for advocating and acknowledging gender diversity. Though the typical TV shows and dramas have presented the same existing social norms, the emerging social media platforms and trends have provided people with the opportunity to express their gender identity. Media and Gender Construct Since early times, media has been creating and delivering content that adheres to the stereotypical gender norms.

These contents include portrayals of males as powerful, independent, confident, focused, and well-established, and, on the contrary, females as dependent, motherly, supportive, and emotional figures. Women have also been frequently objectified in dramas, movies, and videos where their bodies, appearance, and confidence have been commercialized. These representations have been associated with the belief of social norms. The advertisements media has presented stereotypical norms to children of young age, where boys are associated and introduced to color ‘Blue’ and given to play with robust, action figures like toy guns and cars, while girls are associated with color ‘Pink’ and introduced to caring, love-giving emotions and given cooking utensils, Barbies, and dollhouses to play with.

Advertisements do not limit here; they present and sell products linking them to masculinity and femininity, where household, beauty, and fashion-related objects are advertised to women associating them to female roles and goods like gym equipment, automobiles, and properties are promoted to males as they are fit for using them as per their social role. Advertisements particularly play a significant role in this. The depiction of women in advertisements is questionable, objectifying female bodies by showing photos of female bodies molded in the shape of soda bottles or used to make sexual jokes next to the photos of women eating food in fast food ads, like the ones in Burger King advertisements. Gender Construction of Binary Identities The society creates, defines, and binds characteristics of ‘manhood’ to male. Since a very young

age, a boy is introduced to the concept of masculinity, associating him with the color ‘blue,’ providing him with hard, passionate toys like toy guns and cars to play with. They are told to be tough, have self-resilience, and have emotional control, as these traits are the way an ideal man should act and behave with others. They are taught to perform authoritative and dominant roles in relationships, both personal and professional. They with these traits are felt fit for professions like in politics, the workplace, as army men, and leaders. Physical strength is often associated with masculinity. Men are expected to be strong and full of power. Since childhood, they have been introduced to physical challenges, sports, and strength training. Growing up, they are introduced to other traits of masculinity, like being independent and financial supporters.

The ‘ideal man’ in society is believed to be enough for himself and his family to look after all issues and be providers. They are anticipated to be financially strong, successful in their respective careers, and gain wealth and reputed status. This is not where masculinity is limited; it is often linked with sexuality. That is, being confident, aggressive, and having dominance in sexual relationships is considered to be characteristics of ‘real’ machoism in the later stages of a man’s life. The development of female gender roles is a long-established social occurrence influenced by cultural customs, institutions, and media. From a young age, girls are conditioned to represent tr aits such as compliance, nurturing, and humility, while cultural expectations frequently constrain their ambitions in education and professional fields.

Family expectations, workplace prejudices, and marriage conventions strengthen the notion that a woman's main role is as a caregiver instead of an autonomous decision-maker. Advertisements significantly influence beauty ideals, linking a woman's value to traits like fairness, slimness, and overall physical appearance. Adolescence strengthens gender-based behaviors, undermining assertiveness and autonomy. In adulthood, woman frequently face expectations to place family above individual goals, encountering workplace discrimination and societal pressure to adhere to conventional roles as mothers and spouses. Even in older ages, women are evaluated more on their caregiving skills than on their personal accomplishments. These enduring frameworks influence women's chances, identities, and self-views, perpetuating patriarchal standards through generations.

These constructs, despite their evolution, persist in shaping gender dynamics, restricting opportunities, and reinforcing patriarchal frameworks in various areas of society.

Following these social norms of masculinity and femininity, media has also represented binary identities versed in these characteristics. Media portrays these characteristics but lacks in presenting their vulnerable side. Entertainment media presents movies in which men are full of aggression, anger, possessiveness, toxicity, violence, complete carefreeness, and heroic sense; are powerful; have well-maintained body figures with cuts and abs; and have some other common manhood-linked traits, with some explicitly written and delivered in harsh tones, words, and voice. Movies like Kabir Singh and Animal presented toxic and violent content to the audience, covering it up in the blanket of man being possessive and protective for one’s they love and care for.

The movie Drishyam is based on protagonist Vijay Salgonkar, who by all possible ways, using his intelligence, safeguards his family in a tough situation. This movie presented an emotional side of the protagonist but lastly, as always, made the man perform all the heroic responsibilities. Challenging certain media representations, there are sources of entertainment that truly picturize the vulnerable, emotional, and caregiving side of males, completely in contrast to the usual strong, heroic characters. Chhichhore, a movie of its kind, presented an emotionally vulnerable side of man, the role of friendships, and talked about the mental health complexities of them.

Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper, a web series, offers different characteristics of a man, initially representing him as a financial supporter of his family and a strong ideal male protagonist, who lately becomes a sex worker, though for retaining his financial status. This concept challenges the pre-existing norm of society, where generally females are associated with the role of sex workers and males are dominant in sexual relationships. The drama presented a caregiving, intimate man to the audience, who offers emotional and physical needs of women clients and learns to respect their privacy. The whole concept is unique in itself and against the typical unavailability of emotional men in the common Indian society. The influence of media and entertainment industries like Bollywood, Tollywood, Bhojiwood, Hollywood, etc.

on Indian society is profound and multifaceted, thereby shaping cultural, social, regional and ethical norms, often setting unrealistic lifestyles and ideals, high beauty standards, sex-specific roles, certain behavioral changes, and social values. The industry's prominent impact is evident not just in its movies but also in the way actors, actresses, prominent

public figures, and media personalities promote certain products, outfits, and lifestyles. For instance, India's as well as the industry's obsession with fair skin has long been a part of the social and national psyche. Celebrities endorsing fairness creams like Fair & Lovely have drawn significant criticism for reinforcing problematic beauty standards. Yet when songs with controversial lyrics like “Chittiayan Kalaiyaan,” which refers to fair skin primarily, are directed and produced, they emerge as blockbusters, and the criticism often remains superficial or shortlived. This disparity reflects a deeper societal issue, which is the industry's ubiquitous reach that enables it to set trends and standards that pervade at all levels of society, ranging from beauty idealization to material aspirations.

The industry's, especially Bollywood's, deep-rooted obsession with fair skin is also displayed through the inclusion of white dancers as a symbol of glamour in the background of the music videos, which has become a trend. More frequently, such practices have become a mode of sexualization of gender. Even when there are ongoing conversations about diversity and representation, one can see how the industry remains slow to make a gateway for these outdated standards, which have been practiced for exceptionally long. The way it glamorizes certain looks or behaviors can subtly reinforce biases even while more blatant forms of endorsement, such as fairness cream ads, promotion of certain body types, etc. , face public backlash.

In many ways, the industry's role in shaping public consciousness is immense, and the obsession with it reflects not only entertainment tastes but also deep-seated social values. The media's and industries portrayal of beauty, gender, and class continues to shape everyday perceptions of society as well as an individual. thereby creating a complex cycle of influence between cinema and society. In the name of creative liberty, item songs have been a part of the showbiz industry for an exceedingly long time. They are male dominant tools of shameless woman objectification. These songs hardly add any value to the story and are kept in the movie for a cash grab. These objectifying songs displaying obscenity and nudity must end, but there is no end to it.

Ironically, the movie and the stars who lecture us on feminism and empowering women are the ones objectifying females, their body parts and types, and their roles. They sell it, and we buy it (such filthy contents), and this goes on in an infinite circular loop. There seems to be no end to these

kinds of contents, which spread vulgarism, which hampers the mindsets of the youngsters, including people belonging to various other age groups. The use of item songs has become common and significant in determining whether a show would run as a blockbuster or flop in theaters. The display of such songs plays a significant role in destroying youths, degrading values, ethics, and cultures, and gender equality through the objectification of particular sex body parts like women and transgenders. Slangs from item numbers are used by youngsters for the objectification of male, female, and transgender body types, a major cause of eve-teasing. We hardly hear about ‘item boys’ but have heard a lot about ‘item girls. Female dancers doing item numbers are referred to as ‘item girls,’ which is so derogatory. Surprisingly, the mass audiences do not find these terms and songs problematic.

You cannot cry for women's safety while treating them as mere objects for publicity stunts and TRP gameplay. The dancers are often heavily underpaid for such songs. It is a way of women allowing women's objectification and sexualization, as the singers giving voice to such songs are often women. One should understand that it's not a creative work but a social harm. Gender Construct and Non-binary Identities Ignorance is one thing, but ignoring someone knowing their real identity is more cruel and disheartening. Even after generations, we are still stuck differentiating between binary and nonbinary identities. We forget that above all we need to be humans incorporated with the values of humanity.

Talking about the transgender community on a global as well as national level, they are one of the marginalized communities who are often misunderstood, ridiculed, used and abused, and denied their basic human rights. Transgenders often face rejection from their families and society as well, leading to financial insecurity, homelessness, lack of employment opportunities, and lack of medical care. Schools and colleges do not provide inclusive environments, leading to mental health issues, including depression and suicide, due to their social exclusion. Due to lack of formal education and social acceptance, many are forced into begging or sex-related work. Hate crimes, harassment, and police brutality remain major concerns among many others.

But with the evolution in society and an increasing demand for more inclusiveness of identities other than binaries in all the spheres of work, like politics, etc. , India is slowly stepping forward

towards their better representation. For instance, transgender individuals like Shabnam Mausi and Joyita Mondal have entered politics and judiciary services, respectively, becoming India’s first transgender MLA and India's first transgender judge, respectively. In modern times, a new umbrella term, LGBTQIA+, has emerged, which has a very broad and diverse spectrum of individuals, including those groups whose sexual orientations, gender expressions, identities, and intertextualities vary from the typical societal norms. The letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, while a newly added symbol ‘+’ represents all other individuals having other aspects of recognizing themselves, which also includes pansexual, demisexual, non-binary, and many others. Despite the prominent movie industries, such as Hollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood, etc.

, producing more than thousands of movies annually, they have rarely focused on the portrayal of hardships, mental agony, and struggles faced by the trans community, a topic that still remains a taboo. Culturally and historically in India, homosexuality and non-binary gender identities were not always considered a taboo, as ancient texts like the Kamasutra have references to same-sex marriage, and various Hindu scriptures and mythologies have examples of fluid gender roles and transgender characters. For example, Lord Vishnu’s transformation into Mohini. Another leading example is from the Hindu epic Mahabharata's transgender warrior and fierce character named Shikhandi, the daughter of Drupada. Therefore, literature also has a history that is inclusive of all types of diverse people and the plays of their critical roles in sacred mythological stories.

Before the arrival of Britishers in India, the trans communities had an inclusive and respectful position in Indian society. But after their arrival, Section 377 of the IPC, 1860, was imposed, which banned the transgender rights, depicting their conventional colonial mindset. The Supreme Court, in 2013, in the case of Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation, criminalized homosexuality, setting a major setback to the LGBTQ community in India. However, in 2018, the Supreme Court again explicitly overturned its 2013 judgment. Thus, legalizing homosexuality in India. In the case of Navtej Johar v. Union of India (2018), it talked about the relevancy of the right to privacy covering an individual's sexual orientation. The Supreme Court declared Section 377 of the IPC, 1860, unconstitutional and decriminalized consensual homosexual acts.

With the changing scenario, the representation of transgender and other non- binary identities is also evolving in Indian movies and media, which were once not considered a part of the mainstream society.

Currently, there are many trans women, men, and others, both in global showbiz and the Indian movie and media industry, who are shattering the glass ceilings. Leyna Bloom is among the ones who made history as the first trans woman to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Others in the row are Laverne Cox (a four-time Emmy-nominated actress and prominent equal rights activist). Movies like Laxmii (2020), Nagarkirtan (2019), The Danish Girl (2015), and Super Deluxe through their storyline attempt at humanizing their character largely revolving around their sufferings and exclusion, unlike their past comic roles.

Taali (2024), which conventionally refers to a clapping gesture associated with the trans community symbolizing their cultural significance as blessing givers during marriages and births and the stereotypes faced by them, is an Indian web series largely revolving around Gauri Sawant, her personal and legal battles, including her pivotal role in the landmark case of NALSAR v. Union of India (2014), in which the Supreme Court recognized transgenders as a third gender, among other guidelines to the government giving the community full recognition in the eyes of the law without being subjected to any kind of discrimination. The court also held that no third gender should be subjected to any medical and biological test that would invade their right to privacy and interpreted dignity under Article 21 of the Indian constitution, which talks about protection of life and personal liberties.

Nagarkirtan is a tragic Bengali movie for which actress Riddhi Sen won a national award for her performance as a trans woman who goes through various hardships in this movie. Social Media, Trolling, and Gender Construct Social media platforms emerging as the new and biggest entertainment media source have also given their bit to the gender construct and trolling, which is a multifaceted issue in modern society. At the same platform where individuals are free to express themselves and voice their views and feelings, a sad reality of cyber trolling builds upon them.

Social media in the digital age has not only been built as a platform to come up with feelings and issues to express and deal with, like cyberbullying, mental health issues, and sexual harassment and campaigns like #MeToo, #NanhiKali, #GoodNewsIsGenderFree, and many more, but at the same time, it has been a hub of trolling, bullying, harassment, and a place where all kinds of content are welcomed, which includes both positive and negative obscene content.

The famous example of the use of hashtags is the awareness campaign #MeToo against sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and rape culture of women and girls specifically, which started in

2006. Many survivors broke their silence and openly expressed their stories using the hashtag

without any fear. It again gained global attention in Hollywood during the #MeToo movements when famous producer Harvey Weinstein was allegedly accused of high-profile cases of sexual assault, rape, and harassment, among many others. Casting Couch is another exploitative and problematic practice prevalent across multiple industries. It's all about the exploitative use and abuse of power of asking sexual favors in exchange for roles, career upliftment, and future work opportunities by the senior artists, casting directors, influential and dominant producers, handlers of media houses, and many others. Talks about this practice aren't new to the showbiz industry and aren't limited to specific sexes, as there have been multiple and serious allegations from time to time about it.

Like many other countries with prosperous entertainment industries, India has also not been immune to this practice. The recent Hema Committee Report findings have made shocking revelations reflecting upon the same issues in the Mollywood industry. The reports have sent shockwaves not only in the Mollywood industry but in the entire nation because of the involvement of big stars, directors, producers, and other artists. It reveals the darker side and bitter truth behind the bright lights of the camera. The committee's prolonged battle for the publication of its report is a leading example of how a patriarchal and lopsided legal system can be shaken when there is sustained public pressure and when people raise their voices against the system without stepping back.

The entire executive committee and its office bearers of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists had to resign after facing serious allegations of sexual assault and misbehavior issues raised by many women. Frequently, men are prevented from discussing their abuse experiences due to the societal norms that associate masculinity with power and emotional control. This hinders victims of harassment from being sincerely heard when recounting their experience. The prominent chef Vikas Khanna disclosed his encounters of sexual harassment multiple times throughout his initial days of his career and found it difficult to talk about. This brings out the importance of the #MeToo movement, advocating that cases are not gender-specific, and men are still facing challenges in voicing up their experiences. Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc. , are crucial in providing

opportunities to both men and women, breaking economic barriers by building their own businesses despite the economic disparity, promoting entrepreneurship ideas, and often challenging the traditional economic gender constructs by providing an open platform for LGBTQIA+ community representation and for various feminist and gender equality movements through the use of hashtags for widely spreading it. “My marks matter, not my facial hair. ” -Prachi Nigam These are the words of Prachi, the girl who topped the 2024 UP 10th Board exam with 98. 5 percent, She had a beautiful message to convey even after huge social media bullying and trolling. She is calm, composed, resilient, and positive.

Yet again the trollers displaying their stereotypical mindset of how an ideal female body and her appearance should look like, judged about her physical looks, her facial hair caused due to PCOS in which there is hormonal imbalance in female body. Later on, in an interview, Prachi could be heard talking about the effect of trolls on her. It broke my heart to hear from such an ambitious girl saying if she could have scored 1-2 marks less, she wouldn’t have to face hate comments. Not every groundbreaker is as strong as Prachi. Some succumb to the online harassment and bullying regardless of their accomplishments in life to such an extent that their very notion of accepting themselves the way they are starts changing gradually.

The viewers, who include everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, associate themselves with the unrealistic social media standardization of beauty, glamour, dresses, clothing, etc. In order to try to fit in with the ongoing trends, which usually ends up making them obsessed with it, making them lose their own authentic self-identities, leaving insecurities for life long within them. Social media takes control over their life, their day-to-day choices. This is how social media and its trollers play a huge role in shaping and constructing gender-specific roles and looks. It's not just one girl's story, but there are other women like Cerin Honeycutt and Harnam Kaur who suffer from the same facial hair problem due to PCOS whose achievements have been overlooked, but they are standing up against these beauty standards set up by society and flaunting their beard.

The society fails to understand them and show empathy. Harnaaz Sandhu, the pride of India, who was crowned as Miss Universe 2021, was also

subjected to online hate and criticism and was body shamed because of her weight gain due to celiac disease. Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Harrett, always dreamt of becoming a model and broke all traditional stereotypes of how an ideal model should look by becoming the first plus-size Miss Universe contestant and again received backlash for her weight. These incidents show that even beauty queens aren't spared from such negativity. It's high time to bash the stereotypes. While going through the comment sections and the content, one can easily find sexist and abusive remarks more frequently objectifying females, youngsters, or the trans community. Content creators use the derogatory words and statements in the name of creative liberty to grab the public eye and views, often sexualizing everything.

From the moment we become conscious of the world around us, we are bombarded and fed with all the misogynistic outlooks in life by media. While there are male creators, the majority are engaged in content creation of physical training, sport commentaries, automobile and tech reviews, and more, which are typically associated with the male gender construct. There are creators like Bake with Shivesh (Shivesh Bhatia), Siddharth Batra, Ankush Bhaguna, and English Wale Sir (Shiv) delivering content beyond stereotypical norms of masculinity. These creators are some of the best in their expertise— cooking, fashion, trends, makeup, and education—something completely challenging to the social norms. Nevertheless, these creators encountered challenges of societal stigma and backlash, a lot of online trolling, and negative comments.

Facing all the negativity and setbacks, they have stood strong and fostered and are fostering gender diversity in all different industries. Men are often seen as emotionless due to societal standards that link masculinity with strength and emotional restraint. This perspective affects their parental rights since fathers are frequently perceived as less nurturing than mothers due to the long societal construct of motherhood. As a result, men struggle to secure custody of their children after divorce since courts generally favor mothers. In the custody case of Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s son, the Delhi High Court, India, held that a mother does not possess exclusive rights over a child and highlighted the notion of emotional availability of a father in a child's life.

Moreover, the limited focus on fatherhood limits opportunities for parental leave, reinforcing the belief that raising children is primarily a mother’s responsibility. These prejudices impede

men from advocating for shared parenting duties. In the recent years, Virat Kohli, the famous Indian cricketer, was mercilessly trolled over his parental leave, questioning his commitment towards the Indian team. This misrepresentation reinforces harmful gender stereotypes, often normalizing violence against vulnerable, young girls and boys. Favorite shows of children also instill negative expectations about what girls and boys do to fit in their roles, how they should act, and what they should look like. This sets a false standard for them, shaping their perceptions and fostering negative attitudes between gender and their roles. Since the very beginning, women have been associated with makeup and beauty standards. But with the evolving times, social media has seen the emergence of male makeup influencers who are challenging traditional norms of gender roles.

These influencers have dismantled barriers and have led to conversations on the importance of gender fluidity roles in cosmetics and the beauty business. Deep Pathare and Shantanu Dhope believe in expressing themselves through makeup and experimenting with their looks through their media platform. Shantanu is often seen advocating for LGBTQ+ rights through his special galaxy- inspired flag-eyed looks featuring a rainbow of color. Issues like homophobia and transphobia are also being addressed by various strong communities of diverse people. LGBTQIA+ influencers like Sushant Divgikr, crowned as Mr. Gay India 2014, and Dr. TH Gummaraju, who is a proud transwoman and a doctor, are acing and breaking all stereotypes with their stunning content. Pronouns such as them/they or he/she or he/she/they or he/him have become a common way of expressing identities on Instagram .

Media Best Practices The role of media and social norms can be said to be interrelated. Media presents visuals as they have been accepted in society, and society accepts and adopts what media presents on the basis of social norms. The strategies that can be used by media to reduce harmful stereotypes, challenge irrational social norms and practices, and promote inclusivity of the diversity in society, which in a positive, fair, and responsible way portray gender equality and gender diversity, are termed media best practices. These practices are suggested to be included in the creation and delivery of content to the people, as they have significant power to foster the concepts of gender equality, eradicating old irrational norms, and widening the general understanding of gender by the public.

Efforts can be taken to present different characters played by both binary and non-binary people, which are not restricted by the social norms.

These variations in representations of roles will connect to people more as they will be closer to human being experiences. This does not limit gender inclusion only but also demands positively portraying all races, classes, and abilities. More pleasing and real-to-life experiences can be attained when visuals are based on real-life situations, narrated, or written by gender-diverse people. Having onboard such diverse people will surely boost the experience of the audience. Content that is made beyond the concept of stereotypical body shapes, figures, looks, ages, races, and skills, which in a true sense can challenge these existing stereotypes and welcome the audience to truly connect and associate themselves with what and how they feel and foster self-acceptance, will surely put and create a huge impact on society.

There exists pay parity between male and female influencers in the technical and gaming fields, where women may face discrimination or harassment or sexist remarks, which limits their opportunity for sponsorships and brand deals. Male influencers often get paid more for every sponsored post they put on social media than their female counterparts. This may lead to positive changes in society, where gender is not limited to being a social norm but truly a way of expression chosen and created on their own. Conclusion Movies and media platforms have played a significant role in shaping the sociocultural, genderbiased construction. This representation of various identities, including the binaries and nonbinaries, influences how society perceives and interacts with them.

With the evolution in the showbiz industry, there is a gradual shift in the representation of diversified groups of individuals advocating and breaking many age-old societal norms and taboos based on gender roles, their sexual orientation, and equal representation in a dignified way. Even though contemporary cinema has made strides in defining and structuring gender diversification, there is still a long way to go.

There should be a proper regulatory framework and censorship against the absurd and abusive sexist remarks, vulgarism, and nudity for the social media trollers and content creators who, in the name of creative liberty, spread negativity on social media platforms Social media today has become a breeding place for harmful stereotypes and misinformation, which have both negative and positive effects on the understanding of the public, who are also the consumers of these platforms, often affecting their understanding of gender roles and sexual

orientation. The media platforms should become a safe place for everyone irrespective of their gender identities. The culture of promotion of item songs in movies, a common way of objectifying and sexualizing women and transgender people, should be regulated and stopped at the production level itself, as after its release it’s not easy to stop it at the consumer level. The culture of giving best item song awards in the cinema industry and foul talk on women empowerment displays hypocrisy, as already prevailing issues aren't addressed properly. This prompts a further question: whether the entertainment industry is to be blamed or the audiences. Why do we blame the showbiz industry when the Indian audience is to be blamed for accepting cheap and vulgar content? At the end of the day, it's their business, and they are serving what's the demand.

If in the name of entertainment, any garbage is being sold, audiences are willingly paying for it. The viewers are only one piece of the puzzle. While the audience is not wholly to be blamed, the entertainment and media industry also bears responsibilities for delivering authentic and high-quality content, which may leave an everlasting positive impact on the majority of the viewers. For instance, if an animal is served the same kind of food, the animal will never understand that there exists any other better food or that there is even a possibility of it. Thus, it's not solely the animal’s fault, but the person who serves the animal is at fault too. Advertisements are all about influencing human behavior by playing on various human emotions like love, courage, fear, pleasure, etc.

Sadly, even at a youthful age, they are not immune to being objectified through their clothing, bodily postures, and gestures, far more than boys. Survivors and victims of casting couch, sexual and mental assault, harassment, and rape irrespective of their gender identities have come forward and shared their stories through media platforms, which is a positive side of the media. There are also rising concerns about fake accusations of such acts for popularity, money, and revenge against the accused, which need to be tackled. The cry of workers of the industry must be acknowledged. The media and showbiz industry can play a deciding role in challenging traditional gender roles by hiring and supporting LGBTQIA+ members as writers, content creators, and actors, which can play a pivotal role in their social and economic upliftment.

Gauri Sawant, an Indian transgender activist bagged the spotlight after her portrayal of the real-

life story of transgender woman adopting a child in Vicks advertisement. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, another trans rights activist, Bollywood actress, and the first transgender person to represent in Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008. Their presence in the media and showbiz industry has marked a significant moment for trans exposure. The news channels, talk shows, streaming platforms, documentaries, and movies have started providing them mediums for voicing discussion on social acceptance issues related to their rights. The entertainment and media industry, including social media platforms, is a complex platform where creators and influencers are both welcomed and loved and discouraged and trolled upon how they act, behave, talk, and express. It totally depends on the consumer of the content how they welcome and react to it.

With modernization and gender diversification, where people are welcomed to showcase how they truly feel by their community and fan base, others just simply masked behind usernames to troll them and bully them. It is a platform where some foster and behave as per social norms and others do what they love to, express who they are, and challenge these socially constructed norms. Together let us strive towards making the media and showbiz industry a better and safer place for every individual irrespective of their gender.

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