Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.
This is the reality of social media nowadays. A classic example of this is two recent events – one, where Rajkummar Rao was criticised for getting chin fillers and two, where UP boards topper Prachi Nigam was incessantly trolled for not removing her facial hair and ‘grooming’ herself. There is no winning on social media. Our world has become so cynical that toxicity, despite being advocated against, has become normalized that we tend to mistrust a person who is genuinely kind.
Another example of this is Babil Khan, who was at an event for Tiffany & Co. and apologised to a woman wholeheartedly for mistakenly blocking her from the paparazzi.
While the paparazzi were taking her pictures, Babil mistakenly came in front of her and when he realised, he profusely apologised and moved aside for her to carry on with the photoshoot.
Here’s a look at the video:
Just look at the way he is apologising 🥹🤌🏻
We are in love with #BabilKhan🫶🏻#zoomtv #bollywood #bollywoodnews #irfan #irfankhan pic.twitter.com/VM9OQLYEaj— @zoomtv (@ZoomTV) May 8, 2024
However, a section of people started trolling him for…basically being nice. It makes no sense! What Babil did is what any decent person would do. But people are calling it “overacting” and comparing him to “manipulative gaslighting men” saying that his ‘niceness’ is a “performance”. Have a look:
He gives off massive pick me energy. Overtly sorry, overtly polite, just like those soft spoken manipulative gaslighting men do😂 https://t.co/PAiO3g4Fhx
— Jags (@jagsstfu) May 9, 2024
There's something so spectacularly insidious about a man who makes a whole performance out of being nice. Like who even are u when ur not performing https://t.co/HFvcu3R2Pj
— pls im a 𖤐⋆⭒˚.⋆ (@chonkychihuahua) May 9, 2024
this is how leftist men with SA allegations act btw. sooo overtly apologetic and cringe. https://t.co/c8WOelhzDm
— woolf (@mizandries) May 9, 2024
that one “leftist feminist” male friend before harrasing you on a random tuesday evening: https://t.co/C9vANHYqdB
— bombay bandar (@bandarmoment) May 10, 2024
these type of men are scarier than scary men https://t.co/54GGRBcZyO
— baby formula (@enoughofmeok) May 9, 2024
How final year seniors behave with 1st year girls on freshers’ day just to get into their pants https://t.co/xi0HTN1PIU
— Raymond (@kapoorempire) May 9, 2024
babil khan is kind of a guy who says to you "we live in a cruel world" after molesting you at sleepover https://t.co/mk1N1J2H54
— AbeyPyrro (@AbeyPyrro) May 11, 2024
On the other hand, there were plenty who came to his support, especially journalists who have interviewed Babil Khan and can vouch for the fact that he is, in fact, a decent and well-raised man with such niceness coming naturally to him. Have a look:
The public response to this is a reflection of how cynical we are today.
The general expectation from a man is soooooo low that someone being kind is contrived as either a) an act, or b) a weakness.
We are full of cynicism. https://t.co/or0cBKSCdF
— Joe (@josephradhik) May 10, 2024
He needs to be left in a room with Sandeep Reddy Vanga to restore the ecological balance. https://t.co/emt1YbXGDx
— mara hua jeetu (@IndieKnopfler) May 9, 2024
Our bad for not acknowledging his sincerity. It's kinda funny how some folks laugh at guys with manners, education, and respect for women. https://t.co/xnaNeudTqx
— yourweirdcrush X (@Yourweirdcrush1) May 10, 2024
It's kind of overdoing but people reactions frustratingly shows their weakness among women I mean it's not that big issue violence on women celebrated these days and kindness seen as overdoing or fake 😂 https://t.co/3i5lLDipeZ
— Aamir (@Aamir11419334) May 11, 2024
People keep saying he is overacting but genuinely some people ARE like that. They are apologetic. Overly expressive. He honestly comes across genuine. I think we as humans are just not used to this sort of “sorry” and “thank you” culture especially in desi society so people…
— Hihi Gadid • 🇵🇸 (@bigbrownenergy) May 9, 2024
Unpopular opinion: I feel this whole conversation around Babil getting increasingly hateful for no real reason. For anyone who's actually heard him speak in interviews (not just out of context snippets), would be able to gauge that he speaks with sincerity, and as a young man,… https://t.co/glUnhbydnP
— Nikhil Taneja (@tanejamainhoon) May 10, 2024
Honestly when they make fun of a person for being nice (by assuming it is fake) it says more about them rather than the other person!
— Geetika (@geetika_j) May 10, 2024
Any decent person would have behaved the exact same way. Just because the society has become so toxic that we even judge a small gesture of kindness as fake.
— Arti Singh (@artijourno) May 11, 2024
As someone who has interacted closely with him, I second that. I don’t know why he is getting so much hate. Every interview that I have done with him has brought forth a well-spoken, well-raised, sincere and sensitive young man
— Priyanka Roy (@priyankaroy2706) May 10, 2024
What has the world come down to, where such a small act of kindness is also seen with cynical eyes?