Got done completing the first season of @netflix’s new and appallingly retrograde show, Indian Matchmaking. What follows is a brief thread. 1/

First, I’m curious to know what made @netflix select Sima Taparia, the matchmaker. It appears that some extremely wealthy NRIs in the United States may have connections to Netflix? 2/

Second, the matchmaker Sima Taparia— a woman who treats marriage like a business transaction — uses patriarchy, caste, class, religious superstition, and overall idiocy to enforce the most backward, regressive, and rigid practices of Indian society. 3/

Third, I was struck by the affluence of the families picked for the show; families living in both the US and India. What was particularly troubling was to see accomplished Indian women born and raised in America subscribing to all manner of boundaries sold as tradition. 4/

Fourth, it was appalling to witness the in-group mentality prevalent in these families. It’s astonishing that none of the Indian American women could find one decent man from the 500 varieties of non-Indian men in the United States. The clanish allegiance is revolting. 5/

Fifth, the stigma toward divorced women is disgusting, which is further enforced by controlling parents. @netflix should be made aware that there are many divorced women who are single parents living happily in India. 6/

Finally, with the exception of a few, the men in India were chauvinistic. Modernity is not just about wearing expensive jewelry or driving around in flashy cars. Modernity is a mindset. And marriage is an overrated institution that forces women to obey crappy rules. The end. 7/7