Comedian Anu Menon changes name for Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad campaign
In a unique take on household equality, Anu changes name to Anil to see ‘if this is what it takes to get men to #ShareTheLoad’
Anu Menon, the comedian famously known by her screen name Lola Kutty, has taken to social media to highlight gender inequality at home. To support the recently launched Ariel STL movement, Anu’s video shows her changing her name to Anil— her husband’s best friend, to prove a very important point. Known for breaking stereotypes and addressing relevant questions about the society we live in through her innate sense of humour, Anu brought attention to gender inequality in the sharing of household chores through the video she posted on her social media handles after she saw laundry detergent brand Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad #See Equal film that deeply affected her.
Anu Menon’s name change is a satirical take on the reality of today where men take pride in sharing the household chores with other men be it roommates or hostel mates but shy away from partaking equal responsibilities at home with their wives.
“The recent #SeeEqual to #ShareTheLoad film by Ariel really got me thinking about the disparity in the division of household chores. The question that it raised stayed with me – if men can split the chores with their friends, roommates, brothers… then why not with their wives? Clearly, unconscious bias stemming from stereotypical gender roles comes in the way. So, in my own way, I want to fuel more conversations around this. And if changing my name to my husband’s best friend’s name can get the attention of men and has potential to bring about change, then why not?” says Anu Menon.a
