Former Roadies judge Raghu Ram has ignited significant public outrage with his provocative comments on the “Two Girls & Two Cups” podcast, where he claimed that women are primarily responsible for men’s mental and physical health issues, including early deaths and suicides. His remarks have sparked widespread backlash across social media and entertainment circles, with critics condemning his sweeping generalizations about gender relations. Raghu Ram’s Contentious Claims About Female Aggression During the podcast episode, Raghu Ram recounted his experiences on Roadies, describing encounters with women he characterized as being more aggressive than men. He remarked that certain female contestants displayed aggressive behavior that left a lasting impression on him. “There were some women in Roadies that our ears turned red, smoke came out, and we fell on the floor,” he stated. “Their decibel levels and language… when girls get down to it. Girls are not gentlemen. Even when men are fighting, there’s still a limit. Women don’t have that limit. They get so screechy, and what they say is very hurtful. We get very scared.” The Emotional Vulnerability Argument Raghu escalated his controversial stance by connecting women’s behavior to men’s reluctance to express emotions. He asserted that women claim to want emotionally open men but ultimately reject those who do. “Girls are a huge problem because they may say they need emotionally open men, but they don’t actually want them,” he stated. “When a man turns emotional, they reject him saying, ‘You’re like a girl! We’ve lost respect for you.’ Because of girls, guys don’t share anything.” Most shockingly, he claimed that men would rather suffer fatal health consequences than open up to women. “We’re happy to have a heart attack at 60 instead,” he declared, arguing that men prefer surgeries and early death over experiencing rejection from women. He further elaborated, “How bad can it be? Heart attack? Bypass surgery? We’ll do that. But I won’t say something vulnerable to a woman. When a man does, women use that against him.” Linking Male Health Crisis to Women’s Expectations Raghu attempted to support his claims by citing statistics about male suicides and health issues, suggesting they stem from women’s conditional respect and expectations. He claimed that 75 percent of suicides in India are among men, with half attributed to financial pressures, and suggested this reflects women’s expectation that men must earn respect through financial provision. He referenced an example of a woman in his YouTube series “The Audition Room” who stated she wouldn’t respect men who don’t earn, questioning the fairness of such conditions. Growing Controversy and Public Reaction The podcast remarks have generated considerable criticism from social media users and entertainment observers who view Raghu’s statements as misogynistic generalizations that oversimplify complex issues surrounding mental health, gender relations, and societal pressures. Critics argue that his comments ignore the nuanced factors contributing to mental health crises and present a divisive perspective on gender dynamics. This is not Raghu Ram’s first brush with controversy. He was previously criticized for his response to a contestant’s controversial remarks about dog meat on India’s Got Latent, and for laughing at an insensitive joke about Deepika Padukone’s depression.
By – Sonali