Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).
The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.
Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.
Professional disagreements are managed carefully to protect family harmony. Public Restraint vs. Private Affection
The romantic storylines of Rajasthan extend far beyond the state’s borders. With large Rajasthani diaspora communities—Marwaris and Jains in particular—spread across India and the world, the tension between tradition and modernity plays out on a global stage. Mansi Choksi’s book The Newlyweds: Rearranging Marriage in Modern India explores these dynamics, shining a light on young couples who buck against arranged marriages in the pursuit of true love, illustrating the challenges, shame, anger, triumph, and loss that such collective actions set in play.
: Traditional romantic storylines strictly forbid marrying outside one's caste or community. Violating these rules historically carried severe social penalties. www rajasthani sex work
This ideal has profound implications for workplace relationships. In traditional Rajput households and businesses, romantic entanglements that cross caste, class, or professional hierarchies are not merely frowned upon—they are understood as potential threats to honor. The workplace becomes a site of constant negotiation between personal desire and social duty, mirroring the tension at the heart of the Padmavat legend.
: Misunderstandings based on communication styles, pacing, and workplace etiquette. and Proximity Rajasthani folklore
In reality, Rajasthan has high rates of honor crimes (e.g., 2022 case from Jodhpur where a Dalit man and Rajput woman working in same textile unit were murdered). Romantic storylines in Rajasthani cinema and folk theater often soften this brutality by shifting the tragedy to past eras or adding supernatural elements (ghost lovers).
In artisan communities, romance and marriage often serve to strengthen professional output. ballads ( khyal
Sex workers’ rights groups like the (West Bengal) and the National Network of Sex Workers (India) advocate for full decriminalization—not legalization—meaning removing penalties for consensual adult sex work, including brothels. They argue that decriminalization would:
Healthcare Access for Marginalized Women - Public Health Reports
The construction of Rajasthan's famous forts and Havelis serves as a frequent backdrop. A royal patron falling in love with a master painter or architect is a classic trope, where artistic collaboration acts as a proxy for courtship. Cultural Foundations: Honor, Duty, and Proximity
Rajasthani folklore, ballads ( khyal , ravanhattha songs), and modern popular culture (e.g., TV series like Rajasthan Ki Rani or films like Padmaavat ’s subplots) use work settings as romantic crucibles.