Check out this PBS special on India

[BryonMorrigan]

Vannakkam: But at least the Brits make up for it in their comedies. Faulty Towers, Hyacinth Bucket, etc.

Oh, I love me some British comedy. I grew up on Fawlty Towers, Good Neighbors, To the Manor Born, and Monty Python.

In a way the pompous condescending attitude makes it easier to interpret as 'perhaps hogwash'. The 'insider' seriousness is more dangerous. For example, if they hired a guy from Delhi with an accent, would the Hindus be more likely to believe the exact same information? Certainly this strategy works for the Christians of Kerala, among other places.

Yeah, if they just got "some guy" from Delhi...but like I said, I'd like to see a serious, Indian academic. B.B. Lal is way too old though. I realized that when he makes an appearance in the BBC documentary. But I just HAVE to believe, that in a country of over a BILLION people...there's some guy that would be perfect for this sort of thing.

[Ramakrishna]

Vannakkam: But at least the Brits make up for it in their comedies. Faulty Towers, Hyacinth Bucket, etc.

Oh, I love me some British comedy. I grew up on Fawlty Towers, Good Neighbors, To the Manor Born, and Monty Python.

Namaste,

I used to watch a few minutes of random British comedies when they came on PBS after a show I was watching, and they looked ridiculous. But at the recommendation of a friend, I watched Blackadder, and it's fantastic!

Yeah, if they just got "some guy" from Delhi...but like I said, I'd like to see a serious, Indian academic. B.B. Lal is way too old though. I realized that when he makes an appearance in the BBC documentary. But I just HAVE to believe, that in a country of over a BILLION people...there's some guy that would be perfect for this sort of thing.

I definitely agree on the need for a serious great Indian academic who can do documentaries and such things. Perhaps with the improvement of the Indian educational system we will see some pop up in the coming years.

Jai Sri Ram

[Sahasranama]

I definitely agree on the need for a serious great Indian academic who can do documentaries and such things. Perhaps with the improvement of the Indian educational system we will see some pop up in the coming years.

Perhaps, this is a job cut out for BryonMorrigon.

[BryonMorrigan]

Perhaps, this is a job cut out for BryonMorrigon.

Nah. I'd happily produce it...or write the script...but I have very little "gravitas," and a Southern American accent.

[Arjuni]

BryonMorrigan: Oddly, you'd get more clout with the British for having a Southern American accent. All of the British folks I met, during the four months I lived there, were intensely disappointed that I didn't have one; they knew that I was from Louisiana and hoped to hear a sultry drawl. Apparently the Southern accent is as sexy to them as the British accent is to Americans.

But really...it's more of a travel guide for British people who want to come to good 'ol "Injah!" and prance about in khakis and pith helmets.

This made me giggle, then shake my head. I have a few India guidebooks in my apartment right now, and one of them, the National Geographic guide, I couldn't finish reading. It's written by a British woman and marks out some rather odd features, including colonial villages, Christian cathedrals, and other "sights" that had me shrieking at the book, "WHO goes to INDIA to see this stuff?!" (My favourite passage mentioned the Chinese fishing nets as a highlight in a walking-tour around Kochi. I apologise to anyone here who has made fishing nets a vital part of their itinerary, but I would not mourn if I missed this particular sight.)

Never mind British or Indian, academic or no, I graciously volunteer to be an American host for the PBS series, just for the pleasure of that one episode where I snap and start shaking the camera about, while glaring right into it and screaming, STOOOOOP WITH THE STUPID ARYAN INVASION THEORY ALREADY STOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOOOOPIIIIIIIT! Educational, probably not. Satisfying, yes indeed.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Sahasranama]

Never mind British or Indian, academic or no, I graciously volunteer to be an American host for the PBS series, just for the pleasure of that one episode where I snap and start shaking the camera about, while glaring right into it and screaming, STOOOOOP WITH THE STUPID ARYAN INVASION THEORY ALREADY STOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOOOOPIIIIIIIT! Educational, probably not. Satisfying, yes indeed.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Actually, this is why we have youtube.

[rainycity]

the host of this program sort of gave me the impression that he thought of india as a kind of curious story in the pages of history seen from the all knowing ethno-centric perspective of a westerner and englishman. Like there would be no 'story of britain' because only countries like india are 'stories', its kind of condascending. I don't know if I'm making any sense

[Rationalist]

the host of this program sort of gave me the impression that he thought of india as a kind of curious story in the pages of history seen from the all knowing ethno-centric perspective of a westerner and englishman. Like there would be no 'story of britain' because only countries like india are 'stories', its kind of condascending. I don't know if I'm making any sense

This ethno-centrism and chauvinism is an all too familiar part of Western society and ideology. I hate it whenever Westerners try to say anything on other cultures and nations and religions; they almost always cannot avoid a tone of condescension and scorn, as if they think their customs and traditions are superior (which they are not).

In fact, many people think I am anti-Westerner when I speak out against this arrogance so intrinsic of their society.

Fools...

[Rationalist]

BryonMorrigan: Oddly, you'd get more clout with the British for having a Southern American accent. All of the British folks I met, during the four months I lived there, were intensely disappointed that I didn't have one; they knew that I was from Louisiana and hoped to hear a sultry drawl. Apparently the Southern accent is as sexy to them as the British accent is to Americans.

But really...it's more of a travel guide for British people who want to come to good 'ol "Injah!" and prance about in khakis and pith helmets.

This made me giggle, then shake my head. I have a few India guidebooks in my apartment right now, and one of them, the National Geographic guide, I couldn't finish reading. It's written by a British woman and marks out some rather odd features, including colonial villages, Christian cathedrals, and other "sights" that had me shrieking at the book, "WHO goes to INDIA to see this stuff?!" (My favourite passage mentioned the Chinese fishing nets as a highlight in a walking-tour around Kochi. I apologise to anyone here who has made fishing nets a vital part of their itinerary, but I would not mourn if I missed this particular sight.)

Never mind British or Indian, academic or no, I graciously volunteer to be an American host for the PBS series, just for the pleasure of that one episode where I snap and start shaking the camera about, while glaring right into it and screaming, STOOOOOP WITH THE STUPID ARYAN INVASION THEORY ALREADY STOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOOOOPIIIIIIIT! Educational, probably not. Satisfying, yes indeed.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

The National Geographic has a proven anti-Indian and Hindu bias. Almost anything produced in the Western world about India has this quality.

[Ramakrishna]

The National Geographic has a proven anti-Indian and Hindu bias. Almost anything produced in the Western world about India has this quality.

Namaste Rationalist,

Really? My family is subscribed to National Geographic Magazine, and I've found it to be very interesting. But I've never seen or read any of their stuff about India, though.

Jai Sri Ram