Perhaps Hindu leaders should lighten up
2 July 2005, early afternoon
Perhaps Hindu leaders should lighten up, says DiManno. Perhaps DiManno should work harder at not sounding like a bigot as she writes about the controversy surrounding the Bollywood Cowboy event held in Toronto.
The thing is, I don’t actually think Bollywood Cowboy was such a big deal, since it seems obvious that ACT were just totally ignorant about most everything. Now, the fact they somehow think Bollywood and Hinduism have anything to do with each other is sad, but hardly something to raise a furor about—especially since it is a good cause they are working to help.
That said, there are people much more religious than me who don’t want to see Hindu gods turned into pop icons. Everything DiManno is ranting about seems to miss the point of the Hindu communities complaints. To pretend Catholics wouldn’t object to a Sexed-Up Space-Pirate Jesus is wishful thinking. More so, even she doesn’t seem to realize that Bollywood and Hinduism having nothing to do with one another—besides the fact that those god damn brown people are involved with both. Worse yet, her generalization of the community at large is disingenuous. She goes so far as to suggest the Hindu community is full of bigoted backwards homophobe zealots. Maybe she gets her memos from the Conservative Party of Canada.
”[Bollywood Cowboy] demonstrated a callous disregard for non-European values and beliefs.” To which DiManno replies, “Oh please.”
Well, that’s certainly a tough argument to rebuke.
Suck it up Pakis!
I don’t see what Pakis have to do with this. Pakistan is a Muslim state. Damn Lankies.
I sometimes wonder if Rosie DiManno actually believes in what she writes (along with some other outspoken writers) or if she’s just interested in selling papers. I mean, I often say all sorts of shit just to irritate people. It can be entertaining.
by rishi on July 2 2005, 4:42 pm #
I thought the ACT had already apologised?
What does the Hindu community want?
I think I do agree with some of DiManno’s comments, although perhaps not her presentation of those comments.
by Stix on July 2 2005, 5:17 pm #
Oh I agree with most of her sentiments, but she comes off as intelligent as Coulter with her presentation. I don’t think this is as big a deal as it has been made out to be, but for none of the reasons she outlined. Her article could totally be summed up with the phrase, “Suck it up Pakis.”
by ramanan on July 2 2005, 5:52 pm #
I disagree with you in one sense. It is a big deal.
You know, what I found most irritating about the event was that they had almost no south asian performers and they darkened the white people’s skin so that they would look brown. Um, how could they not realize that would be offensive?!!
Next year I suggest that they have a slavery motif, dress white people up in black face and sell them to the highest bidder. Maybe they could dance around a fire pretending to be African cannibals. Anyone who complained about that would clearly be overly sensitive and homophobic.
You are totally right though that her essential sentiment was “suck it up you silly, backwards, ignorant, invisible pakis”. Grrr. People need to be way more frightened of angry brown people. Get on that, will you?
Sigh. Anyway, Happy Birthday man.
by Mahi on July 3 2005, 3:23 am #
Mahi, all good points. I still find ACTs ignorance harmless for the most part—they just seemed a bit clueless. I find DiMano’s ignorance more offensive.
People need to be way more frightened of angry brown people.
True Story: Very late one night, my friend Yathavan and I are walking back to his car along College St. near Kensington Market. This drunk white dude stumbles out from nowhere and approaches. I thought he was going to mug us, but he asks, “Hey, do you guys have any weed?”
I replied, “No, but you’re next to Kensington Market so you can probably find some in there.”
“No man, I don’t know what those guys in there are like. I mean, I came over to ask you guys cuz you looked pretty harmless.”
It’s funny, because I had figured he’d come over because he thought two brown guys had to have been drug dealers. We were both disappointed we didn’t make a more intimidating pair of tamil people.
by ramanan on July 3 2005, 4:15 am #
Baby, you’re not the norm.. I could see Dave being a bit more intimidating though, except when he starts talking and then it’d be all downhill from there. Hm.. Anyways I’m glad you don’t look like you’d be a drug dealer or too much like a tough guy. :)
by sh!ma on July 3 2005, 12:47 pm #
That article is pretty condescending and ignorant…
The comparison to Catholicism isn’t appropriate because Hinduism still suffers from an ‘exotic’ image, it’s still the ‘other’ and when an oblivious fashion show uses its imagery to add some spectacle to their show they further that image and cheapen the religion
the same can’t be said of catholic symbols like the cross because they’ve been established in western society and receive implicit respect… i dont think we’ve seen the day that you could say that about our multi-armed multi-coloured gods in Canada
im not religious at all but i see this as cultural ignorance and that’s why it’s offensive, no need to endlessly berate the fashion people though, just educate them and its all good
and dimanno is retarded, as usual
by Ananthan on July 4 2005, 12:49 am #
Happy Birthday RAM-the-man! :)
by Liz on July 4 2005, 2:08 am #