I watched "Unnai Pol Oruvan" last night. Thanks to my brother Kapil for the links. I was expecting a lot considering it was a Kamal movie. Unfortunately I wasn't too impressed with the movie. I wish they would stop making all these message movies. But if you absolutely have to make a message movie, at least make a movie with a decent decent script that incidentally has a message. When you set out to make a movie with a message, but it also has to be commercially successful, you're starting off with a handicap. You contrive ridiculous scenes where actors spout off lines that when you consider the urgency of the situation in the movie are downright ridiculous. The script had such glaring holes, that you could drive a 18-wheeler through them.
Here's a sampling. You have a guy that calls you with a threat, and instead of taking it seriously, you lecture him, on the morals of what he is doing. Yeah, I'd like to see that from the police. Oh, and you periodically go off, "Are you serious!?", "Is this true!?". Juvenile writing. And then you have a scene in the end where the protagonist just gets off saying easily, there weren't any bombs planted in the first place. Why then go to the trouble of the establishing scenes earlier in the movie, like in the bus, train, mall, etc.
This movie had a lot of potential, no seriously. Possibly along the lines of "Kaakka Kaakka". However, it was so badly directed, badly acted, badly wrote that it was mildly funny. The one redeeming factor was the absence of the usual ridiculous song-and-dance sequences. But it still would easily be one of the worst Kamal movies.
It was the first Tamil movie I've seen in a while though. So it was good to watch for that reason. However, it begs the thought, if a Kamal movie is this bad, how bad have other Tamil movies got!?
Just thought I'd share my 2 cents on the subject. What do you guys think!?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Cricket and Benny Lava!
A lot of my friends here in America love to bait me because being Indian, I'm so passionate about cricket. I explain to them, you guys think people are nuts for football here in the south, that's nothing. Cricket is nothing short of a religion in India. It's the drug of choice for most people in the sub-continent. All I get is *smirks* But that's ok, as you might've heard on Seinfeld, from a cabbie, who was probably Indian btw, "Smugness is not a good quality!" And Seinfeld, is awlays right, wait a sec, I meant, always right.
But back to the subject. To these smug americans, I say: "A ha, a fan is born, more to the point, An American fan is born.."
Ta-da..
The next step in World domination is to... make sure everybody speaks Tamil. Hmm.. How do we do this!? I'm thinking. *light bulb moment*
Yes, Yes, we change the name of our biggest, most important city, to Tamil, except we forgot that the original name was from, wait, Tamil. Oh, who cares about facts, we're all for Tamil, don't you know. And so we get Madras becoming Chennai, and now most of my American friends think I have 2 hometowns. But yeah, that's what we want! We know we've been successful when even Wiki doesn't know how to refer to the city, is it Madras, or is it Chennai. Wait wait I'm confused.
No, that didn't work Brian! No we can't have that can we. Ergo we have Prabhu Deva, er.. hrmmm.. as.. Cue the fireworks.. Benny Lava!
And cogito ergo sum, I'm trying so hard to be kewl like the Architect in the Matrix Reloaded was it, who was what really killed the movie imho btw, (and now i'm trying to be like those kewl txting kids,) but that's a secret, we won't tell anyone that I'm trying so hard to be kewl..
Tamil featured on the Colbert Report..
..maybe I won't have to kill some kittens after all. I might still have to claim Chuck Norris's parents are Tamil though.
But back to the subject. To these smug americans, I say: "A ha, a fan is born, more to the point, An American fan is born.."
Ta-da..
The next step in World domination is to... make sure everybody speaks Tamil. Hmm.. How do we do this!? I'm thinking. *light bulb moment*
Yes, Yes, we change the name of our biggest, most important city, to Tamil, except we forgot that the original name was from, wait, Tamil. Oh, who cares about facts, we're all for Tamil, don't you know. And so we get Madras becoming Chennai, and now most of my American friends think I have 2 hometowns. But yeah, that's what we want! We know we've been successful when even Wiki doesn't know how to refer to the city, is it Madras, or is it Chennai. Wait wait I'm confused.
No, that didn't work Brian! No we can't have that can we. Ergo we have Prabhu Deva, er.. hrmmm.. as.. Cue the fireworks.. Benny Lava!
And cogito ergo sum, I'm trying so hard to be kewl like the Architect in the Matrix Reloaded was it, who was what really killed the movie imho btw, (and now i'm trying to be like those kewl txting kids,) but that's a secret, we won't tell anyone that I'm trying so hard to be kewl..
Tamil featured on the Colbert Report..
..maybe I won't have to kill some kittens after all. I might still have to claim Chuck Norris's parents are Tamil though.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Teach a man to fish..
They say there is no news like bad news. Maybe that explains all the depressing stories you hear or read or watch about crime, disasters, riots, and such. Take Africa for example. On the surface, with the war zones, and ethnic conflicts, and illegal trade in ivory, diamonds, it seems like it was made for news.
And then you come across an interesting article, like this one, almost by accident..
http://www.good.is/post/african-dynamo/?GT1=48001
Gives one some perspective. Yes, it's a feel good story, but I'm rooting for William Kamkwamba, the Malawian kid.
And in this is a lesson. This Chinese proverb encapsulates it perfectly: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day! Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime!"
Ok, so!? The developed world looks on at Africa with pity. And they feel bad. To assuage their guilt or out of a genuine sense of good, they send aid, sometimes manifested as food, medicines, clothes, or just plain monetary aid. Some of which winds its way to the people but a lot of which winds up lining the pockets of the rich and the powerful. While there is a place for charity in the world, in the long run, you're not doing much to further the development and progress of the place.
Why not?! Because when you dole out aid, like you're giving alms to a beggar, you're just teaching people to put out their hands. You need to trade with the continent, treat them as equals, that is true charity. Because that creates jobs, and jobs create prosperity, and so on and so forth. That will be truly empowering people.
And then you come across an interesting article, like this one, almost by accident..
http://www.good.is/post/african-dynamo/?GT1=48001
Gives one some perspective. Yes, it's a feel good story, but I'm rooting for William Kamkwamba, the Malawian kid.
And in this is a lesson. This Chinese proverb encapsulates it perfectly: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day! Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime!"
Ok, so!? The developed world looks on at Africa with pity. And they feel bad. To assuage their guilt or out of a genuine sense of good, they send aid, sometimes manifested as food, medicines, clothes, or just plain monetary aid. Some of which winds its way to the people but a lot of which winds up lining the pockets of the rich and the powerful. While there is a place for charity in the world, in the long run, you're not doing much to further the development and progress of the place.
Why not?! Because when you dole out aid, like you're giving alms to a beggar, you're just teaching people to put out their hands. You need to trade with the continent, treat them as equals, that is true charity. Because that creates jobs, and jobs create prosperity, and so on and so forth. That will be truly empowering people.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Point of Return!? I'm still wondering why..
I finished reading the rest of the book, "The Point of Return", by Siddhartha Deb. Finally. I think I originally started on it more than a month ago, early August I think. I didn't have but 50-60 pages left as of the last post, but it took me longer than I thought it would, esp. since I was at work, and I kept getting interrupted every now and then. Then again there were some very interesting passages in there, that I read and re-read and wrote down in my journal/planner.
The following excerpts in particular jumped out at me. This first one especially, I could've been writing about myself.
"As for me.. there were mostly failures. Failures in love and work, moving from town to city.. restless and uncertain..
I make no bones about my failure. Things could have turned out differently, but they didn't. If I foreclosed my engineering career, choosing what I saw as freedom over following an unexciting if well-honed groove, the illusion of that freedom disappeared soon enough in the face of everyday routine.. An unappealing job.. in the evening, an empty apartment to go back to.. the weight of books on dusty shelves, memories in some distant corner, the strangeness of one's own face when seen in a cheap mirror over a small sink, the sudden awareness of my.. breath as I bend over the lock at the front door."
"How did I achieve this unlikely feat of forgetting in the very act of remembrance.. ..the answer must be that I chose to forget. Memory is also about what you decide to remember, so that you can make sense of what has been irrevocably lost. That was the only way the past could be recovered.."
"I don't know if those friends of mine remain in touch with each other and if I am the only one who has broken the circuit. Although I have little news of them, one feels that they too are dissolved in the vast spaces that opened up once we left the town. The sporadic correspondence we maintained for a while ultimately ceased, each step one took in the adult world - career, marriage, children - serving to increase the distance from the past.... Small-town boys settled in the United States or Australia or New Zealand, where they will become old men and sit on their front porches or lawns at the end of their lives, trying to remember whether the decades have taken them across many continents or if they are still in the first, original place where their old friends live around the corner."
Having finished reading it, I have a better appreciation for the book today than even just a couple of days ago. I like it, it's a little different, and the reverse chronological order of the story can get a little aggravating at times, but in the end, Siddhartha Deb ties the knots together. And it opened my eyes to the unique problems of the Indian North-East. While it is no "The Kite Runner", it is a must read none-the-less.
The following excerpts in particular jumped out at me. This first one especially, I could've been writing about myself.
"As for me.. there were mostly failures. Failures in love and work, moving from town to city.. restless and uncertain..
I make no bones about my failure. Things could have turned out differently, but they didn't. If I foreclosed my engineering career, choosing what I saw as freedom over following an unexciting if well-honed groove, the illusion of that freedom disappeared soon enough in the face of everyday routine.. An unappealing job.. in the evening, an empty apartment to go back to.. the weight of books on dusty shelves, memories in some distant corner, the strangeness of one's own face when seen in a cheap mirror over a small sink, the sudden awareness of my.. breath as I bend over the lock at the front door."
"How did I achieve this unlikely feat of forgetting in the very act of remembrance.. ..the answer must be that I chose to forget. Memory is also about what you decide to remember, so that you can make sense of what has been irrevocably lost. That was the only way the past could be recovered.."
"I don't know if those friends of mine remain in touch with each other and if I am the only one who has broken the circuit. Although I have little news of them, one feels that they too are dissolved in the vast spaces that opened up once we left the town. The sporadic correspondence we maintained for a while ultimately ceased, each step one took in the adult world - career, marriage, children - serving to increase the distance from the past.... Small-town boys settled in the United States or Australia or New Zealand, where they will become old men and sit on their front porches or lawns at the end of their lives, trying to remember whether the decades have taken them across many continents or if they are still in the first, original place where their old friends live around the corner."
Having finished reading it, I have a better appreciation for the book today than even just a couple of days ago. I like it, it's a little different, and the reverse chronological order of the story can get a little aggravating at times, but in the end, Siddhartha Deb ties the knots together. And it opened my eyes to the unique problems of the Indian North-East. While it is no "The Kite Runner", it is a must read none-the-less.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Something to be said for being reader-friendly!?
So I have been reading this book for a while, making time for it one or two days a week at a time, for an hour here and an hour there. It was gifted to me almost a year ago by my friend, and room-mate Richey, "The Point of Return" by Siddhartha Deb. I assume he picked it out because it was a book set in India, by an Indian author. I haven't investigated his reasons.
Anyway, it is a very interesting read, more so since I haven't read a book set in India, in such a long time. If I have one quibble with the book, it is that the author resorts to more than one word that you have to look up in a dictionary. Not to sound arrogant, but if I have to resort to looking words up, it makes you wonder what the author is trying to prove. In my humble opinion, if as an author you have to resort to the usage of obscure language to arguably enhance your novel, you're fighting a lost cause. Problem is most authors have a command and mastery of language and vocabulary that may be very natural to them, but often exceeds their audience for whom it may not be second or even third nature.
However, I also believe that you should not talk down to your readers or listeners. So how do you reconcile these two opposing points of view!? I don't claim to have all the answers. But as a writer myself, I do believe that one of your goals is not to drive your readers away, even if just for a second.
A sampler of said obscure words:
poseur
bier
hangdog
Friesian
simulacrum
elisions
solipsistically
innoxious
Bannerdown
reductive
prehensile
However, here's a couple of excerpts that I feel compelled to reproduce just because of how much they resonated with me.
"Perhaps this is the true return, the completion of a cycle set in motion long ago, and if it seems lonely, maybe it is because migration is a reductive evolutionary principle where the sprawling, oppressive family gives way to its streamlined nuclear descendant, to be replaced finally by the individual straining at the limits of memory."
"Put too much weight on any particular moment, force it into an epiphany, and experience cracks in half."
I haven't finished the book yet, hopefully should in a day or two, and then the verdict. I like it so far, just for the interesting window to the Indian North-East which is one of the few parts of India that I haven't seen yet. And with my renewed interest in traveling, that's something I hope to rectify at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Anyway, it is a very interesting read, more so since I haven't read a book set in India, in such a long time. If I have one quibble with the book, it is that the author resorts to more than one word that you have to look up in a dictionary. Not to sound arrogant, but if I have to resort to looking words up, it makes you wonder what the author is trying to prove. In my humble opinion, if as an author you have to resort to the usage of obscure language to arguably enhance your novel, you're fighting a lost cause. Problem is most authors have a command and mastery of language and vocabulary that may be very natural to them, but often exceeds their audience for whom it may not be second or even third nature.
However, I also believe that you should not talk down to your readers or listeners. So how do you reconcile these two opposing points of view!? I don't claim to have all the answers. But as a writer myself, I do believe that one of your goals is not to drive your readers away, even if just for a second.
A sampler of said obscure words:
poseur
bier
hangdog
Friesian
simulacrum
elisions
solipsistically
innoxious
Bannerdown
reductive
prehensile
However, here's a couple of excerpts that I feel compelled to reproduce just because of how much they resonated with me.
"Perhaps this is the true return, the completion of a cycle set in motion long ago, and if it seems lonely, maybe it is because migration is a reductive evolutionary principle where the sprawling, oppressive family gives way to its streamlined nuclear descendant, to be replaced finally by the individual straining at the limits of memory."
"Put too much weight on any particular moment, force it into an epiphany, and experience cracks in half."
I haven't finished the book yet, hopefully should in a day or two, and then the verdict. I like it so far, just for the interesting window to the Indian North-East which is one of the few parts of India that I haven't seen yet. And with my renewed interest in traveling, that's something I hope to rectify at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Swearing Correctnes or PC is passe..
Wow! It's been a crazy last coupla weeks. I just realized today that yesterday, August 15, an esp. easy to remember date for me, because it just happens to be the Indian Independence Day, marked 5 years since I was last in India, the significance of which is, it's the last time I saw my family.
But anyways, here's something interesting I saw today. The Australian comic/ pianist Tim Minchin on the subject of censorship. I whole-heartedly concur, esp. the part about context..
I occasionally use a lot of so-called bad words, aka swear words, cuss words, or by myriad other names which basically all come down to them being offensive to different people. To start with, people have very thin skin these days. Political Correctness. All that jizz. Oops. Jazz. But even without all of that, what it boils down to is censorship. Of anything that is outside the mainstream, and hence outside people's comfort zones.
Just for example. What is so bad about "god-damn", "hell", "shit", or "fuck" !? And how has one miraculously avoided the apocalypse when you say "gosh-darn", "heck", "crap", and "fish" instead!?
But anyways, here's something interesting I saw today. The Australian comic/ pianist Tim Minchin on the subject of censorship. I whole-heartedly concur, esp. the part about context..
I occasionally use a lot of so-called bad words, aka swear words, cuss words, or by myriad other names which basically all come down to them being offensive to different people. To start with, people have very thin skin these days. Political Correctness. All that jizz. Oops. Jazz. But even without all of that, what it boils down to is censorship. Of anything that is outside the mainstream, and hence outside people's comfort zones.
Just for example. What is so bad about "god-damn", "hell", "shit", or "fuck" !? And how has one miraculously avoided the apocalypse when you say "gosh-darn", "heck", "crap", and "fish" instead!?
Friday, July 31, 2009
Blogs as mainstream..
Blogs have come a long way since the early days just 7-8 years ago. Last year, the Talking Points Memo became the first blog to receive a major journalism award when it won a George Polk award for its coverage of the firing of eight US attorneys. Even Time magazine has taken to compiling an annual Top-25 list. The picks for 2009!? Here.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
40 years on from the moon landings..
As someone that blogs myself, you might think that I read a lot of other blogs as well. I wish that were true, but unfortunately, in between working a job, trying to develop a business, blogging and just the everyday nitty-gritties of single life, I just don't have the time. I'm working on it though. Trying to shift from newspapers and TV to more internet-based news sites and blogs.
That said, one of my few guilty pleasures is reading Prem Panicker's blog. This post in particular, on the 40th anniversary of the moon landings, has some interesting links that make for thought-provoking reading.
You might also get a laugh or two. Ever wonder how the mass media would cover the moon landings if they happened today!? Check it out. Personally, I think Slate underplayed it a touch, but it's still hilarious.
That said, one of my few guilty pleasures is reading Prem Panicker's blog. This post in particular, on the 40th anniversary of the moon landings, has some interesting links that make for thought-provoking reading.
You might also get a laugh or two. Ever wonder how the mass media would cover the moon landings if they happened today!? Check it out. Personally, I think Slate underplayed it a touch, but it's still hilarious.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
How do you top a Charles Barkley!?
I saw an ad on tv the other day. Magic Johnson pitching Rent-a-Center. Have a LOT of respect for the guy. Primarily for his strength and courage in dealing with his own HIV, and his advocacy and activism on HIV/AIDS. Not to forget his legendary basketball career.
And so it was with a twinge of sadness and disbelief that I watched this ad. The ad actually looks good, talking about shared values between Magic's life, and the values that the company represents. It sounds like a good ad campaign, except the company he represents. I mean, RENT-A-CENTER!?
If you look at the values that Magic Johnson promotes through his philanthropy and through his Magic Johnson Foundation, it is obvious that the focus is on empowering and supporting disadvantaged, ethnically diverse urban communities. And if there is one company that takes advantage of such disadvantaged people it would be RAC. Hello!? Shared Values!?
Here is one consumer's grievance about R-A-C listed on ConsumerAffairs.com:
Dee of South Easton, MA July 10, 2009
In February of 2009 I rented a laptop computer from Rent A Center in Brockton MA. When I contracted with them, they gave me a computer that worked for a few weeks and then started to overheat and shut down. I took the computer back -got a loaner - ended up keeping the loaner after I had reloaded all of my business applications on it. I am on unemployment and attmepting to establish myself as a real estate agent so my computer is paramount to my success.
In early June, I had a financial issue. When I required an unemployment extension my payments lapsed for a week. I called Rent A Center immediately when I knew this and tried to make a payment arrangement. It was granted. I payed two weeks as soon as my unemployment was reinstated. The week after, I had a family emergency and my payment would have been four days late. I called to pay it and was told I couldn't pay just one week due to the upcoming holiday (July 4th). I was told that I couldn't make any payment under 2 weeks.
I called the district manager and left a message. I did not receive a call back until Tuesday of the next week. The manager told me to make a two week payment and he would work with my account to get it up to date. When I called the store to do so, they refused the payment again, saying the Distrcit Manager never told them I coudl do that..now I was up to three weeks, according to the store - that I had to pay. During all of this - the store left numerous phone messages not only for myself but my family and friends that I used ONLY for references to open my account. They were not honest during these calls either, saying that I hadn't contacted them in over two weeks, that I was unreliable, that I was stealing the merchandise!
I was completely embarassed by this and humiliated. Not only am I hurting during these economic times financially but I am a survivor of Domestic Violence and have ongoing cases in court against my abuser. Just last week, Rent A Center started coming to my home, terrorizing my son who was home with a friend while I was out. They were banging on the door very aggressively and yelling in windows as well as trying to open doors that thankfully were locked! This behavior is aborehent and criminal!
Now the last conversation I have had with the company, they stated that I was being taken to court and they were going to file criminal charges against me! This was after I stated that I wanted someone else to bring in the merchandise. I don't feel safe going into the store - They are bullies and from I have heard from other people there is system is as follows: After a certain amount of payments have been made - they aggressively look for ways to reposess the merchandise in order to have the ability to rerent it another customer. This lowers their inventory costs and they can make THOUSANDS on one product by continually recycling it and re-renting it! Horrid!
Read more consumer experiences with RAC from ConsumerAffairs.com here.
While I personally don't have any experience with RAC, never having even gone into one, I do have an interesting story.
A couple of months ago, I saw a friend at a barbeque at my ex-gf's. And she had her newish laptop with her. Since I dabble in that field myself, I was interested and curious, and in the course of the conversation, it came up that she had bought it very recently at RAC. "Really!? Wow. I didn't know RAC had laptops.." For around $1400. *GASP* That was me.
A very quick, cursory lookup on the internet showed me that laptop was available for as low as $550 online, brand spanking new. And even if I had sold that laptop for profit, at $700, it would have still been only half the price of what she was going to pay on the laptop. And maybe it's ok if it's a smaller dollar amount, like maybe $50 or so. But she was paying $850 more for her laptop than it was worth. She was paying more than double the cost of the laptop.
That prompted an internal debate. Should I tell her, should I not!? I didn't want to brag and I certainly didn't want to embarrass her. In the end though, I didn't have to make that choice. She saved me the trouble and asked me herself. So I told her.
Here was an educated black woman, 32 years old, computer literate, and otherwise very street-smart I would guess. She put on a brave front, but I wish I had a picture of her face. Her eyes told their own story. It's the story of poor, disadvantaged people everywhere.
I understand Magic Johnson is just a pitchman at best, and a spokesperson at worst. This is a classic case of a celebrity lending their name to any cause. R-A-C as a cause is unworthy at best, and sleazy at worst.
I'm not going to flog Magic Johnson. Enough others have done that already. Here and here, for example, and I'm not joining that band-wagon.
As an active philanthropist, and through his Magic Johnson Foundation, he's done a lot more already than most people hope to in a lifetime. But he's still only human. And we all make mistakes occasionally. It is my fervent hope and desire that he corrects this mistake sooner than later.
And so it was with a twinge of sadness and disbelief that I watched this ad. The ad actually looks good, talking about shared values between Magic's life, and the values that the company represents. It sounds like a good ad campaign, except the company he represents. I mean, RENT-A-CENTER!?
If you look at the values that Magic Johnson promotes through his philanthropy and through his Magic Johnson Foundation, it is obvious that the focus is on empowering and supporting disadvantaged, ethnically diverse urban communities. And if there is one company that takes advantage of such disadvantaged people it would be RAC. Hello!? Shared Values!?
Here is one consumer's grievance about R-A-C listed on ConsumerAffairs.com:
Dee of South Easton, MA July 10, 2009
In February of 2009 I rented a laptop computer from Rent A Center in Brockton MA. When I contracted with them, they gave me a computer that worked for a few weeks and then started to overheat and shut down. I took the computer back -got a loaner - ended up keeping the loaner after I had reloaded all of my business applications on it. I am on unemployment and attmepting to establish myself as a real estate agent so my computer is paramount to my success.
In early June, I had a financial issue. When I required an unemployment extension my payments lapsed for a week. I called Rent A Center immediately when I knew this and tried to make a payment arrangement. It was granted. I payed two weeks as soon as my unemployment was reinstated. The week after, I had a family emergency and my payment would have been four days late. I called to pay it and was told I couldn't pay just one week due to the upcoming holiday (July 4th). I was told that I couldn't make any payment under 2 weeks.
I called the district manager and left a message. I did not receive a call back until Tuesday of the next week. The manager told me to make a two week payment and he would work with my account to get it up to date. When I called the store to do so, they refused the payment again, saying the Distrcit Manager never told them I coudl do that..now I was up to three weeks, according to the store - that I had to pay. During all of this - the store left numerous phone messages not only for myself but my family and friends that I used ONLY for references to open my account. They were not honest during these calls either, saying that I hadn't contacted them in over two weeks, that I was unreliable, that I was stealing the merchandise!
I was completely embarassed by this and humiliated. Not only am I hurting during these economic times financially but I am a survivor of Domestic Violence and have ongoing cases in court against my abuser. Just last week, Rent A Center started coming to my home, terrorizing my son who was home with a friend while I was out. They were banging on the door very aggressively and yelling in windows as well as trying to open doors that thankfully were locked! This behavior is aborehent and criminal!
Now the last conversation I have had with the company, they stated that I was being taken to court and they were going to file criminal charges against me! This was after I stated that I wanted someone else to bring in the merchandise. I don't feel safe going into the store - They are bullies and from I have heard from other people there is system is as follows: After a certain amount of payments have been made - they aggressively look for ways to reposess the merchandise in order to have the ability to rerent it another customer. This lowers their inventory costs and they can make THOUSANDS on one product by continually recycling it and re-renting it! Horrid!
Read more consumer experiences with RAC from ConsumerAffairs.com here.
While I personally don't have any experience with RAC, never having even gone into one, I do have an interesting story.
A couple of months ago, I saw a friend at a barbeque at my ex-gf's. And she had her newish laptop with her. Since I dabble in that field myself, I was interested and curious, and in the course of the conversation, it came up that she had bought it very recently at RAC. "Really!? Wow. I didn't know RAC had laptops.." For around $1400. *GASP* That was me.
A very quick, cursory lookup on the internet showed me that laptop was available for as low as $550 online, brand spanking new. And even if I had sold that laptop for profit, at $700, it would have still been only half the price of what she was going to pay on the laptop. And maybe it's ok if it's a smaller dollar amount, like maybe $50 or so. But she was paying $850 more for her laptop than it was worth. She was paying more than double the cost of the laptop.
That prompted an internal debate. Should I tell her, should I not!? I didn't want to brag and I certainly didn't want to embarrass her. In the end though, I didn't have to make that choice. She saved me the trouble and asked me herself. So I told her.
Here was an educated black woman, 32 years old, computer literate, and otherwise very street-smart I would guess. She put on a brave front, but I wish I had a picture of her face. Her eyes told their own story. It's the story of poor, disadvantaged people everywhere.
I understand Magic Johnson is just a pitchman at best, and a spokesperson at worst. This is a classic case of a celebrity lending their name to any cause. R-A-C as a cause is unworthy at best, and sleazy at worst.
I'm not going to flog Magic Johnson. Enough others have done that already. Here and here, for example, and I'm not joining that band-wagon.
As an active philanthropist, and through his Magic Johnson Foundation, he's done a lot more already than most people hope to in a lifetime. But he's still only human. And we all make mistakes occasionally. It is my fervent hope and desire that he corrects this mistake sooner than later.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A deep sense of guilt!? WHY!?
When you consider the brief history of man, change, progress and development has always moved glacially. But think of all that we have achieved in the last century alone. The world today is vastly different from anything one could have possibly imagined just a century ago.
Case in Point:
Attitudes towards sex at the turn of the 20th century!
http://www.themediadesk.com/newfiles2/youngbride.htm
Crazy!? Yes! Unbelievable!? Not really!
It was only 115 short years ago, but thankfully, mankind has come a long long way in the last century or so. I am leaning towards the belief that this may be an extreme example of ignorance and stupidity, even for that day and age. I could be wrong however, and it may well have been very typical for that period. I hope not, but thankfully, men and women survived it, and here we are today!
Frankly, I have no desire to go back in time and research the subject. There is plenty to look at even today. While attitudes towards sex are slowly changing world-wide, most of the change is concentrated in some areas, mostly in the developed world. And some parts of the developed world are more liberated, sexually and otherwise, more progressive if you will, than others.
For all the image of Americans across the globe, most of it derived from Hollywood, Europe is a lot more progressive than America. (Any arguments!? Two words. Nude beaches.) And even in America, some parts are more forward-leaning than others. It is accepted as fact that the NorthEast, New York for example, is a more progressive state, than the Bible Belt, Alabama for example.
You don't have to be extra-ordinarily astute to notice that the more progressive a people are, the less influence organized religion carries with them. Some might think that this is a coincidence, but this is no fluke.
One of the common themes across most if not all major organized religions is that sex is perverse, dirty and ungodly. Something to be indulged in, only to procreate, in secret, in the dark. Something you don't talk about. Something to feel guilty about.
We each have our own opinions on the subject of sex. And to each his own. Live and let die, as the Bond movie title says.
For today, the big question is, what place does organized religion have in sexuality?
Disclaimer:
I'm no hater of spirituality, but spirituality and organized religion are not one and the same. In the interest of full disclosure, I was born Hindu, but I claim no religion today. In other words, personally I'm spiritual, but I belong to no one religious faith.
Case in Point:
Attitudes towards sex at the turn of the 20th century!
http://www.themediadesk.com/newfiles2/youngbride.htm
Crazy!? Yes! Unbelievable!? Not really!
It was only 115 short years ago, but thankfully, mankind has come a long long way in the last century or so. I am leaning towards the belief that this may be an extreme example of ignorance and stupidity, even for that day and age. I could be wrong however, and it may well have been very typical for that period. I hope not, but thankfully, men and women survived it, and here we are today!
Frankly, I have no desire to go back in time and research the subject. There is plenty to look at even today. While attitudes towards sex are slowly changing world-wide, most of the change is concentrated in some areas, mostly in the developed world. And some parts of the developed world are more liberated, sexually and otherwise, more progressive if you will, than others.
For all the image of Americans across the globe, most of it derived from Hollywood, Europe is a lot more progressive than America. (Any arguments!? Two words. Nude beaches.) And even in America, some parts are more forward-leaning than others. It is accepted as fact that the NorthEast, New York for example, is a more progressive state, than the Bible Belt, Alabama for example.
You don't have to be extra-ordinarily astute to notice that the more progressive a people are, the less influence organized religion carries with them. Some might think that this is a coincidence, but this is no fluke.
One of the common themes across most if not all major organized religions is that sex is perverse, dirty and ungodly. Something to be indulged in, only to procreate, in secret, in the dark. Something you don't talk about. Something to feel guilty about.
We each have our own opinions on the subject of sex. And to each his own. Live and let die, as the Bond movie title says.
For today, the big question is, what place does organized religion have in sexuality?
Disclaimer:
I'm no hater of spirituality, but spirituality and organized religion are not one and the same. In the interest of full disclosure, I was born Hindu, but I claim no religion today. In other words, personally I'm spiritual, but I belong to no one religious faith.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The color of poverty..
Another random day at work. Similar setting. SSDD.
It's a regular customer. In between the small talk, I notice the small bandage on the inside of her arm, well technically, the inside of her elbow actually. You know, where they poke you for blood, for a blood transfusion, or whatever!?
Well, I was irresistibly drawn to the question, like a moth to a flame, "What's that!?"
I was expecting something along the lines of, "I had to go to the doctor cos I was feeling sick, and he wanted a blood test, blah blah blah.."
Instead I was hit with "Oh I just got back from donating some plasma at the hospital!" She didn't strike me much as the altruistic type, so I prodded her, "Plasma!?" in a tone that said quit joking around.
She proceeded to enlighten me. "Yeah I go give plasma once a week actually. They pay you for it. It's some extra money."
Yeah, I can see that. But this gives a whole new meaning to the term paying in blood.
Turns out this is big business. There is a thriving industry here that I had never heard of before. A basic google search brings up the following interesting hits. Notice how the articles go from donating very quickly to selling plasma!?
Donating Plasma
http://www.donatingplasma.org/
Donating Plasma for money
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/15272/donating_plasma_for_money.html
How to sell Plasma
http://www.ehow.com/how_110908_sell-plasma.html
More donating Plasma in a struggling economy
http://www.mndaily.com/2009/03/02/more-donating-plasma-struggling-economy
I don't completely live in the clouds. Yes, I think it's realistic and fair that people get compensated for their bodily fluids or organs, be it blood, plasma, sperm, eggs, kidneys, or whatever else.
It's just a little out of the ordinary even if there are almost zero long-term effects. The things people sometimes have to do to survive. They might not think twice about them, because they are routine to them, when they are anything but.
There's shades of Slumdog Millionaire in this story if you pause to think about it. People are the same everywhere though. You do what you have to do to survive, with what you can do with what you have.
It is a little known fact that every year India makes more movies than any other country in the world. Considering the quantity of movies, it is not surprising that very few of them are notable. One such wonderful Tamil movie that stands up to the test of time is "Varumayin Niram Sigappu" made almost 30 years ago, in 1980. Translated, the title literally means, "The color of poverty is Red".
It's a regular customer. In between the small talk, I notice the small bandage on the inside of her arm, well technically, the inside of her elbow actually. You know, where they poke you for blood, for a blood transfusion, or whatever!?
Well, I was irresistibly drawn to the question, like a moth to a flame, "What's that!?"
I was expecting something along the lines of, "I had to go to the doctor cos I was feeling sick, and he wanted a blood test, blah blah blah.."
Instead I was hit with "Oh I just got back from donating some plasma at the hospital!" She didn't strike me much as the altruistic type, so I prodded her, "Plasma!?" in a tone that said quit joking around.
She proceeded to enlighten me. "Yeah I go give plasma once a week actually. They pay you for it. It's some extra money."
Yeah, I can see that. But this gives a whole new meaning to the term paying in blood.
Turns out this is big business. There is a thriving industry here that I had never heard of before. A basic google search brings up the following interesting hits. Notice how the articles go from donating very quickly to selling plasma!?
Donating Plasma
http://www.donatingplasma.org/
Donating Plasma for money
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/15272/donating_plasma_for_money.html
How to sell Plasma
http://www.ehow.com/how_110908_sell-plasma.html
More donating Plasma in a struggling economy
http://www.mndaily.com/2009/03/02/more-donating-plasma-struggling-economy
I don't completely live in the clouds. Yes, I think it's realistic and fair that people get compensated for their bodily fluids or organs, be it blood, plasma, sperm, eggs, kidneys, or whatever else.
It's just a little out of the ordinary even if there are almost zero long-term effects. The things people sometimes have to do to survive. They might not think twice about them, because they are routine to them, when they are anything but.
There's shades of Slumdog Millionaire in this story if you pause to think about it. People are the same everywhere though. You do what you have to do to survive, with what you can do with what you have.
It is a little known fact that every year India makes more movies than any other country in the world. Considering the quantity of movies, it is not surprising that very few of them are notable. One such wonderful Tamil movie that stands up to the test of time is "Varumayin Niram Sigappu" made almost 30 years ago, in 1980. Translated, the title literally means, "The color of poverty is Red".
Friday, June 5, 2009
You want these cans, bring your own bags!!
Random day at work last month. Nice enough day. Late spring in Birmingham, Alabama.
In and out people come and go. Pack of cigarettes here, a can of Coke there. Someone buys some gum. I check out another customer. I can do this in my sleep. I should know. I have done it in my sleep before. I used to work nights, coupla years ago, almost in another life, it seems like.
Ding. I look up from my reverie, automatically mouthing "Hey how's it goin!?" It's a black lady. Which automatically means she's in her 40s, at the least. She looks around. You can almost see her eyes light up when she finds what she's looking for. She heads towards the back of the store, in the general direction of whatever she's after.
I go back to looking at my newspaper, which I have all spread out around me. What was I reading again!? I barely have time to find my bearings, before I'm pulled away to the window again.
Here she comes. A small bag of chips. Two tallboy Budweiser singles. Good for her. I quickly ring her up, my fingers a blur, all the while keeping up a running conversation.
She asks. "Can I grab some empty cans out of your trash bins outside!?" That's enterprise from an unexpected quarter, and I'm impressed, but I manage not to show it. "Sure. Why not? What you gonna do with 'em!?" I already know the answer, but I ask anyway. "I'ma take 'em to the recycling place."
I bag her purchases, thinking to myself, "Hmm, if only there were more people like her who showed some init. Yes, she's diving for trash, but it still beats sitting on your butt all day because nobody's hiring in this bad economy, whining.. complaining.. but not doing anything.. And she's not doing it surreptitiously or clandestinely. She's doing respectfully by asking me first.."
But I'm brought down to earth in a crash as she says "Can I have some more of these black bags!? I don't have anything to put the empty cans in and I don't want to ruin the carpet in my car.."
I don't know exactly why I'm annoyed but I was. I hand them to her, and I tell her, "Next time, bring your own bags. That's the least you can do, considering I'm letting you grab these cans." The bags themselves, they are monetarily almost of insignificant value. Maybe a penny each, maybe less, I don't know. I almost feel stupid now thinking about it.
The way I feel about it though, if you want someone else's empty cans, so you can go trade them for money down at the recycling center, at least be prepared to put something of your own into it, even if it's just your own bags. It's the whole welfare mentality thing. People expect things to be handed to them on a platter. Gift wrapped too if that's possible.
But aside from my nitpickings, what she did was praiseworthy for the most part. She showed initiative and enterprise. And those are two qualities that are in very short supply in today's society. And so I applaud her for that. You gotta crawl before you can walk. And sometimes old habits die hard.
Update:
I've started collecting cans for recycling myself. I have a few people helping me, so I'm off to a good start. Richey brings home cans from his catering adventures, the pool is a veritable gold mine, or as my friend Yi corrected me, an Aluminium mine. Well the adventure is on..
In and out people come and go. Pack of cigarettes here, a can of Coke there. Someone buys some gum. I check out another customer. I can do this in my sleep. I should know. I have done it in my sleep before. I used to work nights, coupla years ago, almost in another life, it seems like.
Ding. I look up from my reverie, automatically mouthing "Hey how's it goin!?" It's a black lady. Which automatically means she's in her 40s, at the least. She looks around. You can almost see her eyes light up when she finds what she's looking for. She heads towards the back of the store, in the general direction of whatever she's after.
I go back to looking at my newspaper, which I have all spread out around me. What was I reading again!? I barely have time to find my bearings, before I'm pulled away to the window again.
Here she comes. A small bag of chips. Two tallboy Budweiser singles. Good for her. I quickly ring her up, my fingers a blur, all the while keeping up a running conversation.
She asks. "Can I grab some empty cans out of your trash bins outside!?" That's enterprise from an unexpected quarter, and I'm impressed, but I manage not to show it. "Sure. Why not? What you gonna do with 'em!?" I already know the answer, but I ask anyway. "I'ma take 'em to the recycling place."
I bag her purchases, thinking to myself, "Hmm, if only there were more people like her who showed some init. Yes, she's diving for trash, but it still beats sitting on your butt all day because nobody's hiring in this bad economy, whining.. complaining.. but not doing anything.. And she's not doing it surreptitiously or clandestinely. She's doing respectfully by asking me first.."
But I'm brought down to earth in a crash as she says "Can I have some more of these black bags!? I don't have anything to put the empty cans in and I don't want to ruin the carpet in my car.."
I don't know exactly why I'm annoyed but I was. I hand them to her, and I tell her, "Next time, bring your own bags. That's the least you can do, considering I'm letting you grab these cans." The bags themselves, they are monetarily almost of insignificant value. Maybe a penny each, maybe less, I don't know. I almost feel stupid now thinking about it.
The way I feel about it though, if you want someone else's empty cans, so you can go trade them for money down at the recycling center, at least be prepared to put something of your own into it, even if it's just your own bags. It's the whole welfare mentality thing. People expect things to be handed to them on a platter. Gift wrapped too if that's possible.
But aside from my nitpickings, what she did was praiseworthy for the most part. She showed initiative and enterprise. And those are two qualities that are in very short supply in today's society. And so I applaud her for that. You gotta crawl before you can walk. And sometimes old habits die hard.
Update:
I've started collecting cans for recycling myself. I have a few people helping me, so I'm off to a good start. Richey brings home cans from his catering adventures, the pool is a veritable gold mine, or as my friend Yi corrected me, an Aluminium mine. Well the adventure is on..
Monday, March 23, 2009
Treasures fit for Kings, yes, but only for Kings!?
"Let's take a trip to Atlanta, maybe couchsurf at someone's place, and there's these 2 simultaneous exhibitions that's going on that we should see.."
That was my room-mate Richey. I think his one goal in life is to have fun. Everything else be damned. He's like the grasshopper in the ant and the grasshopper story. The one that teaches you not to party too much. Apparently when Richey was a kid, he took the day off when they were teaching that story in school..
Spring was upon us, and so was Spring Break. We both had some time on our hands for a change, and were trying to figure out something interesting to do together.
I'm very much a warm-weather kinda person, and I had been cooped up indoors for a while, so yes, I wanted to get out and do something. I like to stay indoors and do indoor things during the cold months, like go shoot pool, to the movies, or what not. And when warm weather rolls around, I want to be outside mostly.
So while Atlanta's not too far away and we both like road trips, I didn't know if I wanted to go spend a good part of the day stuck indoors in some museum, exhibition, whatever. I enjoy intellectual outings, Museums, Exhibitions, most times, but I was really wanting to be outside. Plus I've never really seen the sights of Atlanta, so I was excited at that possibility. (For that matter, I've been here for a lil while and I'm just starting to explore Birmingham, but that's a story for another day..)
"But it's King Tut & China's Terracotta Army.. They're together in Atlanta at the same time, for the first time in the US. Two of the greatest finds of the last century.. blah blah blah"
That gave me pause. I'm a bit of a history buff. An exhibition involving Egyptian Pharaohs, and esp. Tutankhamen, the Golden King, (well.. ahem.. all of them were a bit obsessed with gold, me thinks) sounded intriguing. I've never really seen any Egyptian artifacts, except maybe in movies.. And at the same time, the Terracotta Army of the first Chinese Emperor.. I'm also a bit of a movie freak, and I had seen the trailers for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with Brendon Fraser and Jet Li just a coupla months back, and had been salivating at the prospect. Pity I couldn't find anyone to go with then. That was the extent of my knowledge about the Terracotta Army.
So yes, my curiosity was piqued. A little. But then, I found out how much it cost. Approx. $40/- for both. Which I admit is not bad.
But I couldn't help thinking, two such treasures belong to all humanity. Not just to to the people that could afford to pay to go see the exhibitions.
Yes it costs money to transport the artifacts across locations, to provide a controlled environment for these delicately fragile artifacts, for the security, not just from would-be theives, but also the crazies, and myriad other details.
Still, even if the motive is not to make a profit, would it not be possible to do this for a more affordable fee, that would attract more than just the artsy crowd, more than just the crowd that doesn't worry about money a whole lot, more than just the typical Museum goer!?
People routinely go to the Movies. If you want people to go to Museums, but you price it 3 or 4 times a movie ticket, just to use an example, then how are you going to attract a broader crowd!?
It is my opinion that the powers that be missed out on a great opportunity here. An opportunity to reach out to a new audience. An audience that doesn't typically consider Museums entertainment. And maybe they have good reason. But two such treasures that belong to all humanity, we as a people have a moral obligation to make them available to the broadest, to the biggest, to the widest group of people that we can.
http://www.atlanta.net/treasures/
http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,1,1,10,10
http://www.kingtut.org/home
I'm still going to see it. I just have to save up some money first.
That was my room-mate Richey. I think his one goal in life is to have fun. Everything else be damned. He's like the grasshopper in the ant and the grasshopper story. The one that teaches you not to party too much. Apparently when Richey was a kid, he took the day off when they were teaching that story in school..
Spring was upon us, and so was Spring Break. We both had some time on our hands for a change, and were trying to figure out something interesting to do together.
I'm very much a warm-weather kinda person, and I had been cooped up indoors for a while, so yes, I wanted to get out and do something. I like to stay indoors and do indoor things during the cold months, like go shoot pool, to the movies, or what not. And when warm weather rolls around, I want to be outside mostly.
So while Atlanta's not too far away and we both like road trips, I didn't know if I wanted to go spend a good part of the day stuck indoors in some museum, exhibition, whatever. I enjoy intellectual outings, Museums, Exhibitions, most times, but I was really wanting to be outside. Plus I've never really seen the sights of Atlanta, so I was excited at that possibility. (For that matter, I've been here for a lil while and I'm just starting to explore Birmingham, but that's a story for another day..)
"But it's King Tut & China's Terracotta Army.. They're together in Atlanta at the same time, for the first time in the US. Two of the greatest finds of the last century.. blah blah blah"
That gave me pause. I'm a bit of a history buff. An exhibition involving Egyptian Pharaohs, and esp. Tutankhamen, the Golden King, (well.. ahem.. all of them were a bit obsessed with gold, me thinks) sounded intriguing. I've never really seen any Egyptian artifacts, except maybe in movies.. And at the same time, the Terracotta Army of the first Chinese Emperor.. I'm also a bit of a movie freak, and I had seen the trailers for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with Brendon Fraser and Jet Li just a coupla months back, and had been salivating at the prospect. Pity I couldn't find anyone to go with then. That was the extent of my knowledge about the Terracotta Army.
So yes, my curiosity was piqued. A little. But then, I found out how much it cost. Approx. $40/- for both. Which I admit is not bad.
But I couldn't help thinking, two such treasures belong to all humanity. Not just to to the people that could afford to pay to go see the exhibitions.
Yes it costs money to transport the artifacts across locations, to provide a controlled environment for these delicately fragile artifacts, for the security, not just from would-be theives, but also the crazies, and myriad other details.
Still, even if the motive is not to make a profit, would it not be possible to do this for a more affordable fee, that would attract more than just the artsy crowd, more than just the crowd that doesn't worry about money a whole lot, more than just the typical Museum goer!?
People routinely go to the Movies. If you want people to go to Museums, but you price it 3 or 4 times a movie ticket, just to use an example, then how are you going to attract a broader crowd!?
It is my opinion that the powers that be missed out on a great opportunity here. An opportunity to reach out to a new audience. An audience that doesn't typically consider Museums entertainment. And maybe they have good reason. But two such treasures that belong to all humanity, we as a people have a moral obligation to make them available to the broadest, to the biggest, to the widest group of people that we can.
http://www.atlanta.net/treasures/
http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,1,1,10,10
http://www.kingtut.org/home
I'm still going to see it. I just have to save up some money first.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire is over-rated!?
"Slumdog Millionaire is going to be like Crash". A friend was in town last night, and I went down to Montevallo for a small get together at his host's place. Montevallo is a small liberal arts school about 20 miles south of here, and it has a laidback progressive vibe that I love. And they keep up with their movies and stuff over there, and when my friend Paul said that, I was like, "Hmm.. What do you mean!? It's nowhere in the same class as a Crash."
Paul hadn't seen Slumdog yet, as of this writing, but he said that the year Crash won, people were fascinated with the movie when it came out, but after a while, like a year or so, after the Oscars, people realized that Crash was over-rated and it was a major fuckup on the Academy's part, awarding the Best Picture Oscar to Crash.
That Paul would say something like that was no surprise to me. He is very well-informed on most any subject, but also very opinionated. He usually says controversial things, hoping to provoke a response. I'm sure we all know people like that.
I have to disagree with him on Crash. I thought it was one of the better movies made in the last decade. But, when it came to Slumdog, I had to agree. I think people are going to look at all the other movies in the next couple of years, and are going to realize, "Did we really pick Slumdog Millionaire over all these other movies!? Duh! What were we thinking?"
And I do not say this because I'm one of those snobs that likes to diss on anything popular just to show-off or whatever. Neither am I one of those people from India who is outraged that Slumdog shows India in a bad light.
It is a movie. Get over it already. It's not a movie about India. It is a movie, set in India. There is a major difference.
So what if it highlights poverty in India. So what if it shows the plight of beggars in Indian society. Or shows that there is a huge economic divide in India. So what if it shows that there were riots in Bombay, and that some of the police turned a blind eye to it, for whatever reasons. So what if it shows police brutality and torture in India. Or the mass adulation, craze even for Cinema, esp. but not limited to superstars.
The movie shows all of this and more. And for the most part, it gets a lot right. To start off with it is not a documentary. It is a movie. And by definition, a movie is entertainment. And that it does. And does well.
But even if it was a documentary, it is not material that is being reported as fact. It is a point of view, or opinion. So if the makers of Slumdog decided to make a movie in which poverty and hardship, and the struggle that millions of Indians go through on a daily basis was highlighted, that is their prerogative.
In point of fact, the gorgeous Freida Pinto who plays Lathika in the movie, in an interview summed it up best, when she said, not in these exact words, but more or less, that: Slumdog is about all of India in the sense, that there are a billion plus people in India. And in an environment such as that, there is a cut-throat mentality. It is a dog eat dog world. And just to survive is not enough. So, by necessity, Indians are not just survivors, they are fighters. Hundreds of millions in India they struggle, they gravitate towards the metros, towards the population centers. It is a struggle, and they know that. But they still do because they are chasing the dream of a better life. People work all their lives, just to buy overpriced housing in a city like Bombay (Mumbai today). And nothing is handed to people on a platter, and as a result, Indians are fighters.
I happen to completely agree with her. Over-population is one of the biggest problems facing India. But it is also the source of our biggest strengths.
So again, I have no problem with the subject matter of Slumdog Millionaire. And technically, it is a magnificient production. The quality of the cinematography, the score or OST, the music, the songs, the editing, and the direction (all of which won Oscars this year) is superlative. So what then!? What is it?
The problem is the actual story. It amazes the viewer with it's complexity and layers. Unfortunately, while it is doing all of that, and linking seemingly random events in our protagonist Jamal's life to questions asked while he's on the gameshow, an Indian version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?", it forgets the details. There are glaring plot holes. Granted, some of these may not be obvious to a lot of people who are unfamiliar with India. Just google: Slumdog Millionaire plot holes, and voila, you'll know what I'm talking about. Some of the best links to said plot holes are:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/09review-slumdog-millionaire-sumit.htm
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Rant-Really-Slumdog-Millionaire-12109.html
http://ferdyonfilms.com/2009/03/slumdog-millionaire-2008.php
Slumdog, despite its promise never seems to rise above any other typical Indian masala movie. It is very formulaic. I'm from India, and I've seen hundreds of other similar movies, with two major differences. Slumdog is technically superior to almost every single one of those Indian movies, whether they were made in Bollywood or Kollywood, or wherever. But forget the technical superiority for a minute. If you take any Indian movie, make the characters speak English instead of local languages, and remove the meaningless and completely random song-dance, and ridiculous fight sequences, you have dozens of movies, every year, that are probably at least as good as Slumdog, when it comes to story-telling. And because I'm originally from India, and none of the more gritty stuff in the movie is shocking or even mildly surprising to me, it left me more than a little blase.
In essence, Slumdog Millionaire is all hype, no substance. A Best Picture Oscar winner needs to be more. It needs to be better.
Paul hadn't seen Slumdog yet, as of this writing, but he said that the year Crash won, people were fascinated with the movie when it came out, but after a while, like a year or so, after the Oscars, people realized that Crash was over-rated and it was a major fuckup on the Academy's part, awarding the Best Picture Oscar to Crash.
That Paul would say something like that was no surprise to me. He is very well-informed on most any subject, but also very opinionated. He usually says controversial things, hoping to provoke a response. I'm sure we all know people like that.
I have to disagree with him on Crash. I thought it was one of the better movies made in the last decade. But, when it came to Slumdog, I had to agree. I think people are going to look at all the other movies in the next couple of years, and are going to realize, "Did we really pick Slumdog Millionaire over all these other movies!? Duh! What were we thinking?"
And I do not say this because I'm one of those snobs that likes to diss on anything popular just to show-off or whatever. Neither am I one of those people from India who is outraged that Slumdog shows India in a bad light.
It is a movie. Get over it already. It's not a movie about India. It is a movie, set in India. There is a major difference.
So what if it highlights poverty in India. So what if it shows the plight of beggars in Indian society. Or shows that there is a huge economic divide in India. So what if it shows that there were riots in Bombay, and that some of the police turned a blind eye to it, for whatever reasons. So what if it shows police brutality and torture in India. Or the mass adulation, craze even for Cinema, esp. but not limited to superstars.
The movie shows all of this and more. And for the most part, it gets a lot right. To start off with it is not a documentary. It is a movie. And by definition, a movie is entertainment. And that it does. And does well.
But even if it was a documentary, it is not material that is being reported as fact. It is a point of view, or opinion. So if the makers of Slumdog decided to make a movie in which poverty and hardship, and the struggle that millions of Indians go through on a daily basis was highlighted, that is their prerogative.
In point of fact, the gorgeous Freida Pinto who plays Lathika in the movie, in an interview summed it up best, when she said, not in these exact words, but more or less, that: Slumdog is about all of India in the sense, that there are a billion plus people in India. And in an environment such as that, there is a cut-throat mentality. It is a dog eat dog world. And just to survive is not enough. So, by necessity, Indians are not just survivors, they are fighters. Hundreds of millions in India they struggle, they gravitate towards the metros, towards the population centers. It is a struggle, and they know that. But they still do because they are chasing the dream of a better life. People work all their lives, just to buy overpriced housing in a city like Bombay (Mumbai today). And nothing is handed to people on a platter, and as a result, Indians are fighters.
I happen to completely agree with her. Over-population is one of the biggest problems facing India. But it is also the source of our biggest strengths.
So again, I have no problem with the subject matter of Slumdog Millionaire. And technically, it is a magnificient production. The quality of the cinematography, the score or OST, the music, the songs, the editing, and the direction (all of which won Oscars this year) is superlative. So what then!? What is it?
The problem is the actual story. It amazes the viewer with it's complexity and layers. Unfortunately, while it is doing all of that, and linking seemingly random events in our protagonist Jamal's life to questions asked while he's on the gameshow, an Indian version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?", it forgets the details. There are glaring plot holes. Granted, some of these may not be obvious to a lot of people who are unfamiliar with India. Just google: Slumdog Millionaire plot holes, and voila, you'll know what I'm talking about. Some of the best links to said plot holes are:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/09review-slumdog-millionaire-sumit.htm
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Rant-Really-Slumdog-Millionaire-12109.html
http://ferdyonfilms.com/2009/03/slumdog-millionaire-2008.php
Slumdog, despite its promise never seems to rise above any other typical Indian masala movie. It is very formulaic. I'm from India, and I've seen hundreds of other similar movies, with two major differences. Slumdog is technically superior to almost every single one of those Indian movies, whether they were made in Bollywood or Kollywood, or wherever. But forget the technical superiority for a minute. If you take any Indian movie, make the characters speak English instead of local languages, and remove the meaningless and completely random song-dance, and ridiculous fight sequences, you have dozens of movies, every year, that are probably at least as good as Slumdog, when it comes to story-telling. And because I'm originally from India, and none of the more gritty stuff in the movie is shocking or even mildly surprising to me, it left me more than a little blase.
In essence, Slumdog Millionaire is all hype, no substance. A Best Picture Oscar winner needs to be more. It needs to be better.
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