Tommy Genesis Row: Blue Is The Sacred Colour

A reminiscent figure of the Hindu goddess Kali, Canadian rap artist Tommy Genesis (Yasmine Mohanraj) stands tall, defiant, with her skin painted a vivid blue- a sacred colour in Hindu mythology. For many, she evokes the fierce goddess Kali, symbolising the divine feminine, revered for her cosmic power.

In a room painted blue, draped in shimmering gold and an elaborate nath adorning the brightest of reds in her bindi, lipstick, and nail polish, Genesis blends religious imagery with provocative gestures with a “Namaste” here and a salaciously held crucifix there.

The artist has set off a cultural uproar with her “True Blue” music video due to her unmistakable resemblance to one of the most revered Hindu goddesses. The imagery is powerful within the context of the video, but for many Hindu devotees, it is deeply unsettling and disrespectful.  

Indian Hip-hop artist Raftaar called on his audience to report the video for hurting religious sentiments. Expressing his outrage on Instagram stories by sharing a screenshot of his report to YouTube and stating, "This is a mockery of my religion.

This shouldn’t exist." Panther, another hip-hop artist from Delhi too was offended by this video, as he expressed on his social media account. However, it is important to note that the artist who has her roots in India has not made comments on her resemblance to the deity. 

Since then, the comment section of Tommy Genesis' social media accounts across platforms has been flooded with views, likes and comments pouring in – several calling her slurs, asking for taking down the video and a few in support lurking amidst hateful comments.

The Genesis of Blue Hue Controversy

In Hindu mythology, blue is no ordinary color—it’s a sacred marker of divinity, symbolising the infinite sky and the cosmic void. Several Hindu gods and deities like Ram, Krishna and Kali have been portrayed in deep shades of blue - a reverent shade.

Kali, the fierce goddess of destruction, is depicted with dark blue or black skin, reflecting her as a force that annihilates evil and liberates souls. Her blue hue has been described in ancient texts like the Devi Mahatmya as a signifier of her boundless power and feminine rage, making her blue skin a revered symbol for millions of Hindus.

Art historian Kajri Jain notes in Gods in the Bazaar (2007) that 19th-century chromolithography, through presses like Ravi Varma’s, popularised these blue-skinned images in mass-produced calendar art, but the colour’s use stems from ancient scriptures. But there’s more to the imagery of Kali than her colour blue. 

The divine feminine “Kali” is often represented as a deity so huffed up in rage that she kills dozens of “asurs” and wears their severed heads sewn in a garland, a defining detail that is missing from Genesis’ video. Even the untamed tresses adorning the goddess’ head were missing as Genesis puts her long hair in a slick braid hanging below her knees. While several peculiar characteristics of Kali remains missing in the costume of the artist but that has not stopped the outrage.

While one can argue that her colour blue makes her look more like a sci-fi character from James Cameron’s multi-million dollar movie franchise 'Avatar'. But for many Hindus, the resemblance to fiercest of goddesses in Hindu mythology, “Kali” was unmistakable. Here, the Hindu sentiments were hurt yet again.

The video’s sexual undertones and cross-religious imagery has intensified the backlash, as blue is inseparable from Kali’s sacred identity as well as Hindu mythology. Using the hues of blue as a body makeup, especially with provocative elements has been criticised as trivializing of a deity. Genesis’ video has been viewed by many as a disrespectful mash-up of sacred symbols, fuelling accusations of cultural insensitivity.

Of Misogyny Masquerading As Piety

One could argue on the interpretation of the video or the need for criticism and even outrage, to some extent because religion is a matter of personal faith. However, the most glaring contradiction in the backlash is its misogyny. The self-proclaimed critics claim to defend Kali, a goddess symbolising fierce feminine power and rage against oppression as believed by the Hindus, yet Genesis is called slurs like “slut,” “prostitute,” and “randi” to protect the goddess’ honour.

“Start reporting guys, no MDC should insult our culture”, reads another comment under the YouTube comment section of the video. MDC here stands for what most Hindi-speaking Indians would know as an abuse to one’s mother. And one is supposed to shut their eye to a situation this ironic.

A viewer on YouTube cheekily commented how Genesis has managed to offend every religion as folks flee to her comment section to protest, express outrage and call for mass reporting. A comment read, “Just because you have the freedom to express your feelings does not mean to insult or mock anyone's religious sentiments As a Muslim, I condemn the way you choose to express your artistic abilities.”

This moral outrage cloaked as cultural defense is worded with violence of gendered nature. The cognitive dissonance of the audience peaks when they use gendered abuse to defend a female deity who is seen as the reflection of female autonomy and rage.

Religious Outrage And The Fight For Artistic Freedom

 Similar outrage was faced by Sri Lankan filmmaker Leena Manimekalai faced similar gendered hatred following her 2022 documentary Kaali, which depicted a smoking, queer-friendly goddess. She was called names and branded anti-Hindu. Following the social media outrage, leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party filed a complaint against Manimekalai with police in Delhi. Groups opposed to the documentary soon joined the bandwagon by burning Manimekalai’s effigy and issuing death threats.

Not much has changed in India as far as artistic freedom is concerned when it comes to art inclined to or depicting religious figures.

Genesis has now joined the big leagues, the OG provocateurs like MF Husain, Salman Rushdie, and Charlie Hebdo, raising a vital question: is her art blasphemy, or a diaspora woman’s bold reclamation of her roots?

“With all my respect, I’m an atheist and this is pure art. Kali is goddess of death and rebirth and Tommy is talking about her own rebirth, this new album will be very personal for her and there’s a reason why she chose this to symbolise this as her empowerment, I may be wrong, but this is what I feel about this music video, let’s just appreciate this song for what it is, this is not a place for hate or stuff like this, Tommy is an amazing person and her intentions are never negative,” read another comment supporting and reinterpreting her work.

Artists challenging sacred imagery have always faced relentless backlash, whether it is Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, which sparked a 1988 fatwa and global uproar for its perceived blasphemy, or MF Husain’s nude goddess paintings, which led to vandalism and his exile in 2011. The pattern persists with Leena Manimekalai’s 2022 Kaali documentary, where a smoking, queer-friendly goddess drew FIRs, death threats. Globally, Charlie Hebdo’s 2015 Prophet cartoons triggered a massacre, that left several journalists dead in its wake.

With continuous attacks on the artists and their freedom to create, the outrage against Genesis’ latest video echoes censorship and a chilling effect within the artistic community leading to muzzling of dissenting voices. The gendered and violent nature of the outrage in defense of cultural and religious symbols reflects growing intolerance and cognitive dissonance in the audience. Genesis’ video highlights just how deadly the stakes are for provocative art.