Not In My Backyard, Thanks

I spent the better part of last week with my relatives in a town just outside of Edison, N.J. Imagine my delight when I heard that Time magazine, a publication I have always wished I could work for, printed an article about Americans of Indian descent in Edison. I was delighted to discover that Edison has one of the largest Indo-American populations in the United States; some figures I have seen have estimated that about 20% of residents there are Desi, and I was intrigued to see how it would be recognized.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to the read. Then I found out a little more about it. Joel Stein's "My Own Private India" came out at the beginning of the month, so if you're a Desi, some irate friend or relative has most probably forwarded this to you. Since I was in vacation LaLaLand, I totally missed all the controversy, which is interesting when you consider that I was in the area ... you'd think I would hear about this on the news.

What was advertised as a humor column reads as a xenophobic rant. Writer Joel Stein grew up in Edison and is shocked to find his once "mostly white suburban town" overrun by Indians. He said he intended this piece to be a satirical look at immigration, but the language he uses is often times nothing more than offensive.

You can read the article yourself and decide whether it has any comedic merit:
My Own Private India

I've read some blog postings where young Desis toss around the idea that if comedian Russell Peters made these same comments, we'd all think they were funny. I have to disagree. While the bit about Guido-Indians is marginally funny, trying to make a joke out of the practice of Dot-busting is just not cool.

Here's a taste of his humor: "Eventually, there were enough Indians in Edison to change the culture. At which point my townsfolk started calling the new Edisonians "dot heads." One kid I knew in high school drove down an Indian-dense street yelling for its residents to "go home to India." In retrospect, I question just how good our schools were if "dot heads" was the best racist insult we could come up with for a group of people whose gods have multiple arms and an elephant nose."

In the late 1980s, a New Jersey gang known as "Dotbusters" attacked and killed a man. Last month, Indian immigrant scientist Divyendu Sinha was killed in what is suspected to be a racially-motivated assault. Sinha was murdered in Old Bridge New Jersey, a township that is located within 13 miles of Edison. His death came little more than a week before Time published the Stein piece. I'm not sure what the timeline is like between putting the magazine to bed and publishing it, but you'd think Time would have been more sensitive with this story given Sinha's recent death.

I could sit here and tear apart Stein's entire article, but it's been done before. The Huffington Post actually printed a series of guest columns in reaction to Stein's piece, so I will direct you to these:


Joel Stein's Beef With Indians Hurts Everyone

The "Hilarious" Xenophobia of Time's Joel Stein (This one's written by Kal Penn)

Joel Stein and the Curry Problem

I just want to say this: I'm all for freedom of speech. But I honestly can't find any merit in Stein's piece. It failed as a satire. And he just comes off looking like an ethnocentrist. Time let me down on this one. Intolerance (against any racial, ethnic, religious group) is not something I want to see splashed across my magazine.

Talking 'Bout My Generation

If you hear me dropping the phrase "generational differences" in reference to my various cultural observances all too often, there's a book you can blame for that. I've been reading Jean M. Twenge's sociological text Generation Me and it has been an eye-opening experience.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the behavior of twenty-and thirty-something Americans. If you've ever wondered why we're all so damn self-obsessed and neurotic, you'll find an answer within these pages.

Sometimes, reading the book was painful as it forced me to confront some ugly truths about myself and made me realize I'm not as special as I perceive myself to be. Alas, conditions I thought set me apart from the crowd (ie: delusions of grandeur, relationship retardation) are really rather common amongst my peers. I highly recommend Generation Me to both members of the age group, as well as to our parents and employers.

Starbucks: Now Tolerating Freeloaders

Imagine my surprise when one recent night on the 5:00 news Lester Holt announced that Starbucks would now be offering free Internet access. What year is it, 2007?

At first I thought maybe college had spoiled me. In school, I had access to free Internet anywhere I wanted it. The campus library? Check. The Student Union and Quad? Check and check. Random grassy patches where people gather to study? There too. A coffee shop without wi-fi was unheard of. In my mind, there was no greater pairing. What self-respecting pseudo-intellectual or academic hasn't killed a day at their local coffeehouse?

I had taken it for granted that Starbucks would offer free wi-fi. But apparently, prior to July 1, 2010, one had to pay to hop on a wireless network at the nation's most famous coffee chain. And even then, there was a time restriction. Those dinosaurs! Why were people still going to that joint?

I'm sure not if all Starbucks operate the same. As much as I can remember, my campus Starbucks had free wireless. And I've been able to get on a free network at the Barnes and Noble in my city with a Starbucks in-store since it opened two years ago.

But, the fact remains. For a brand that claims to "inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time," Starbucks has been slacking.

And when you think about it, it's even more than slacking. Starbucks has been elitist in their attitude. Their policy of Internet only for those who can afford it is not very customer friendly. Some wireless providers make you pay $5-$10 a sitting! With prices so high, it's as though they didn't want people to use their Internet. They took so long getting with the program that now I don't really care to get with theirs.

I'd much rather go down to my neighborhood fast-food joint to connect to the Internet for free. You know there's something wrong when Popeyes, Subway and McDonalds get free wi-fi before Starbucks. I've been told Starbucks is a great company to work for. As a consumer, I don't support it. You'll see me patronizing local shops, where the coffee is cheaper and the attitude isn't so uppity.

Aziz is So Not Boring

If you enjoyed host Aziz Ansari's performance at the MTV Movie Awards (and who didn't with his R. Kelly big f-you to BP song and the skit featuring Taavon the Swagga coach teaching Zach Galifianakis the "I Don't Know Dance"), you need to catch his stand-up special.

I watched Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening this weekend on Comedy Central and it seriously had me cracking up so much that my mother, who had been napping in her room got up and asked me, "What's so funny?"

I have seen his R. Kelly bit before on late-night shows, but it still held up. Aziz has the manic energy of a little kid hopped up on sugar. I love it. I can understand why Kanye West would want to hang out with him. I would want Aziz to be the entertainment at my house parties too.

Thank you for being a friend, Rue

Rue McClanahan, one of America's favorite grandma's, passed away last week at the age of 76. Her death means that only one Golden Girl, Betty White, remains to uphold the legacy of the iconic TV show.

McClanahan portrayed Blanche Devereaux, the show's saucy Southern belle/harlot. Though Golden Girls premiered a year before I was born, thanks to Lifetime and Hallmark, young people everywhere have been devouring re-runs like a rich piece of grandma's cheesecake for the past two decades.

The TV show might have focused on a group of retirees, but its reach was widespread. Golden Girls set the mold for latter fearsome foursome shows, such as Sex and the City and Girlfriends. Blanche was the original Samantha Jones, a sexually liberated woman in a time when the idea of a promiscuous older woman was unheard of. She practically invented cougardom.

Any one of the fans of that show can name the character they most identify with and rattle of all the lyrics of the theme song. Seriously, this could be a great bar song. Start it next time and see how many people know the rest of the words.

For her role in the popular show and other hits "Maude" and "Mama's Family," McClanahan will be sorely missed. Thanks for being a pal and a confidant. I will be watching a Hallmark Channel marathon in your honor.

Really, Is She Human?

Not to hype Jersey Shore any more than it deserves, but I saw this picture of Snooki and couldn't help but think, Damn she looks like tandoori chicken. The Jersey Shore sneak peek is supposed to premiere Sunday in promotion of the MTV Movie Awards. As much as I loved the random ridiculousness of the first season, I suspect season two will be full of that awful self-consciousness that seems to afflict all the MTV "reality" shows.

A Mother's Day Treat

With Mother's Day winding down, if you're feeling a little bit underwhelmed, I have the perfect solution for you: watch the British TV show Skins.

Whether you're a mother or a child, this show is guaranteed to make you appreciate your loved ones. Skins is excuse the phrase, the mother of all teen dramedies.

I have a not-so-secret secret: teen shows are my guilty pleasure. I guess I just have a soft spot for over-the-top story lines. As a kid, I was really into Saved By the Bell. As a college student, I moved on the Degrassi, which blew my mind because it seemed so much more topical than SBTB, I mean school shooting? Whoa, that shit got real. Then last year, my friend Mike introduced to me to Skins, the show that is probably best known for launching the career of Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel. This show, with its nudity, graphic sex and drug scenes, among other you-can't-see-do-that-on-American-TV moments, makes Degrassi look like preschool programming.



Watch a Skins mini-marathon and you will feel both emotionally drained and also, you will gain a whole new appreciation for everything in your life. Now in its fourth season, the show follows two sets of schoolmates (the first two seasons focus one group who graduates and leaves the show, and seasons three and four feature a new set of friends). Each episode plays out like a train wreck. There's usually a high point for the character the episode is based on followed by some sort of cringworthy moment. You can't take your eyes of off it. You NEED to know what happens next.

The reason these kids have ridiculous lives is because they run around wild. For the most part, their parents really could care less and it's the emotional scarring their families have caused them which serve as the catalyst for their (often) selfish actions.

In the spirit of mother's day, I will give you a taste of the show. The most notable mothers on the show either:
A. Abandoned her young family and does not attempt contact with them
B. Bails on her son without so much as a word, rendering him a virtual orphan
C. Conducts an affair with her husband's business partner while her kid's at home
D. Are lushes/drug addicts/possible exotic dancers
E. Forced her son to leave the country

As you can see, these kids are messed up. And throughout the series, some amazing things happen to them. But mostly, some unbelievably shitty events occur to throw roadblocks in their lives. I guarantee you, you watch this show, which in the US can either be seen on BBC America or can be downloaded from www.e4.com, and you will want to call your mom/dad/son/daughter/etc. just to let them know how much you love them.

Ginga-cide

Lately, one music video's been receiving a lot of attention. Though I love the video for the Lady Gaga-Beyonce colab "Telephone," I haven't discussed it on this blog, because frankly, I feel like it's been dissected on every other blog.

Rather, there's another music video that shares a few elements with the aforementioned short film that I would like to talk about today. The mini-movie that is roughly the same length and has drawn as much controversy as Gaga's video, but that you may have heard less about is MIA's "Born Free."

That's because the 9-minute long film from the UK-artist has been banned from YouTube. Why? Well, just watch the video below to see.

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Don't have the attention span to watch a 9-minute film? I'll summarize. "Born Free" is less a music video and more of a political statement. The music part of the music video is secondary to the imagery. "Born Free" depicts what has been referred to as the "genocide" of the minority group of ... wait for it ... redheads. It is violent, to be sure. There is full-on nudity. And it is very graphic.

Does the explicit nature of "Born Free" warrant its removal from YouTube? A spokesman for the site has been quoted as saying, "On YouTube the rules prohibit pornography or gratuitous violence. If the content breaks our terms then we remove it." Though extremely disturbing, I don't agree with MIA's video being banned from the popular broadcast site's airwaves. I've seen some truly sickening stuff on YouTube, both in terms of nudity and violence, so I think the site needs to cop to the real reason "Born Free" was taken off the site.

I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that young, white red-haired kids are executed at gunpoint in the video. It's truly fucked up. And when I was first heard about it, I remember thinking, MIA, why? There's barely any music in this music video! I thought perhaps she was just trying to be reactionary. That's sort of her trademark.

Then I dug deeper. As the daughter of a Tamil revolutionary, she is a known political activist. Through some research, I found out MIA has been rather outspoken on the topic of Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka during the Sri Lankan Civil War. If you live anywhere other than Sri Lanka, you may not have heard of this genocide. According to some reports, tens of thousands of members of the Tamil ethnic minority were massacred by the Sri Lankan government in 2009 alone. The government denies such actions, of course.

Honestly, MIA did something really smart with "Born Free." I've blogged before about how redheads are a silent minority, especially in the UK. Showing redheads (especially children) being rounded up and killed in such a gruesome manner, MIA has created a call to arms. I've seen pictures of real executed children in Sri Lanka; let me tell you, that is disturbing.

People in the UK or US may not have ever heard of the plight of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, but they know and can relate to redheads. MIA's "Born Free" is not shocking just to be shocking; rather, it aims to shock the viewer into a realization. By depicting a genocide targeting the red-head population, MIA demonstrates that this could happen to you; it's not just the concern of some faraway group of people. Now if only we could transfer some of the outrage over this video to outrage over the treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Funny Find

Last night, I caught a rerun of Late Night with David Letterman, which featured comedian Danny Bhoy, a guy I am now officially in love with.

Why? Maybe it's the Scottish accent. I find Craig Ferguson to be super hi-larious, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say I find Scottish accents funny.

But there's more to it. I like that Danny, similar to Aziz Ansari (another one of my comedy crushes) comes from an ethnic background, but doesn't make his comedy about it. Sure Danny Bhoy doesn't look like the typical Scottish person, but what does that look like anyway? James McAvoy? [Well, if all Scots looked like him, I'm going to have to move there.]I didn't realize that he was Indian until I saw the spelling of his name and researched him.

Sure, it would be easy to make jokes about being an Indo-Scot. I'm not even sure that's a real term. I'm sure that background makes for a comedy goldmine.

Though his international status is cause for joke, it's not his only bit. I'm going to look out for this guy in the future. The Indian diaspora is perhaps the most far-reaching in the world and it is fascinating for me to see a Scottish desi. I hope he gets a break.



*Note - had to post a different video because CBS has a copyright on the Danny Bhoy bit. So enjoy this video from him on tour in Aussieland.*

"Hair" Do

"Black people wear their oppression on their heads." So says Rev. Al Sharpton in Chris Rock's docu-comedy Good Hair. I finally got around to watching it this weekend, and while I wasn't in love with the movie, I do recommend it, because I think it starts an interesting dialogue.



So about halfway or more through the film, Rev. Sharpton hits on some strong social commentary, which is that the black hair industry is a system that enforces economic exploitation. The most fascinating part of the movie is when Rock tracks the progression of the weave, from its origins in Tirupati, India to LA hair salons. You see people trek to one of the most holy temples in India to offer their hair to the god Venkatheshwara and you realize that while the temple has created a steady business from selling hair, shrewd businessmen keep the profits for themselves.

You see women bent double at hair looms, in what appears to be a sweat shop for hair. Those people don't see the money either. Cut to women in LA who allegedly spend thousands of dollars on their weave. The people at the top make the big bucks and screw everyone else over. Now that we're all aware of how shitty the hair industry is, how it takes advantage of consumers and producers, are people going to go natural all of a sudden?

No. Absolutely not. There's so much this documentary fails to cover. First of all, Rev. Al Sharpton, man who has worn his hair relaxed for decades, why aren't you setting an example for the community? Is it because you have knowledge of the oppression and therefore about it all? No, I didn't think so.

There's just so much political and social meaning behind the idea of "good hair" and Chris Rock only ever scratches the surface. I applaud his endeavor, but I can't help but call out Good Hair for being superficial. Look, Chris Rock is a comedian. The problem here is that he keeps the tone of the film too light. In his reasoning, the only factor in relaxing one's hair or choosing to get a weave is a preference for European (or Asian) hair. So, according to him, there's one type of hair that's favored above all. Ok, Chris, I'll pretend to buy that line of thought for a second. But tell me, why? Yeah, he never does.

There are a variety of reasons women choose one hairstyle over the other. I've had friends of mine experiment with natural hair only to realize that it is too high maintenance. Thus, they choose relaxer.



The other thing? Chris Rock is a guy. I want to know why we never got to see his wife in Good Hair. Is her hair 100% natural? I'm sorry, but men just do not face the same societal pressures as women when it comes to physical appearance. At the risk of sounding like a pretencions sociology student, what Chris Rock and Ice T can't seem to wrap their heads around is that women's bodies are ascribed with meaning regardless of what we do. Get your hair relaxed, buy a weave, you're trying to act white. Go natural and you're a rebel. A woman can't just be.

At the end of the movie, Chris Rock brings up two subjects that I really wish he pushed. First, he talks to men about whether hair factors into their preference for mate. And here, you get Ice T and some men at a barber shop stating that they'd choose a white woman with natural hair over a black woman whose hair requires high maintenance. Herein lies an attitude that while I don't think wholly explains the desire for "good hair," demonstrates the double standard that perpetuates the idea of some women having better hair than others.

The second subject? White girls wear weave too. How about a follow-up film, Chris? Or better yet, how about a follow up from a woman's point of view? I hope that's not too radical.