Viral kiss in India reignites double standards debate after Rubiales

The viral kiss that reignites the double standards debate: from Rubiales to India

A video of two women kissing in public is spreading like wildfire on social media. According to initial reports, it was filmed in India. While in Spain the Rubiales kiss with Jenni Hermoso is still costing its protagonists dearly, here the reaction ranges from indifference to jokes.

The reference to the former president of the Football Federation is no coincidence. Back then, the non-consensual kiss led to Rubiales' downfall and the loss of sponsorships. In the Indian video, no one is calling for resignations or boycotts. The difference in treatment invites an uncomfortable reflection: social punishment depends less on the act itself than on the context and the power of the person who commits it.

Scandals with a market price

Some commenters argue there is no reason to be scandalised and that the controversy is overblown. Others point out that, for less, careers were destroyed in Spain. Both positions have an economic corollary: when public opinion turns against a figure, brands flee, contracts collapse and the value of fruta plummets. In the Indian case, with no well-known faces involved, the cost remains a mere anecdote.

Attention as currency

The debate dies down within days, as usually happens with viral cycles. Neither the Indian courts seem willing to act, nor will the protagonists lose multimillion-dollar contracts. The conclusion is that, in the attention economy, not all scandals carry the same price: it depends on who kisses, where the kiss happens and, above all, who has the loudest voice to turn it into a trend.