In a time when the world is growing more and more globally connected, how can American media be growing more and more selective of its images?
In Sanjukta Ghosh’s article “Con-fusing Exotica” the ideas of the selectivity of American advertising images towards Indian minorities is discussed. Ghosh explains how Indian culture has been completely morphed by the dominant white power structure by representing “Indians in contemporary advertising… through absence” (276). By removing them from the mainstream, this gives dominant white America the option to choose what elements of Indian culture will be shown, what will be considered acceptable, and what it will be known for. Everything else will become an otherness that is not well received. No matter the true image of an Indian American, the image that is selected as correct will be shown over and over again. Ghosh believes that this image shows the same mean again and again: “either an exoticized and commodified spiritual realm or the well-spring of primitivism” (277). This image will be shown even to the point where Indians are no longer needed to convey the ideas behind it. Ghosh notes that “in ad after ad, Indian products are appropriated, even robbed, and then represented as works of haute couture designers whereas Indians are airbrushed or erased out of the picture” (278). By completely taking the Indian out of its own culture, America is burdening its own people by continuing the ignorance and egocentrism that we have become known for.
When discussing India
n culture and images, I thought of actor Kal Penn. Most recently seen as Kutner on House, Penn has been emerging throughout Hollywood. He has been seen in movies such as the Harold and Kumar series as well as Van Wilder and its spin-off The Rise of Taj. What I found most interesting was that when I looked on imdb.com at his filmography, many of his characters have a stereotypically Indian name. Whether or not these characters fit into the caricature that American media has accepted, I wonder how often he is chosen to play a character because of his descent or how many times a character’s name is changed based on Penn’s appearance. Does this further the belief that people from the Middle East need to have names that don’t look the same as the American John or Joe that we’re used to in this country?
However, Kal Penn is currently playing Kutner on House where he is seen as equal to the other members of the diagnostic team. The cool young kid, Kutner is not seen as an outsider to the team, but rather one who contributes fully. Is this progress towards an intercultural Hollywood?
In Sanjukta Ghosh’s article “Con-fusing Exotica” the ideas of the selectivity of American advertising images towards Indian minorities is discussed. Ghosh explains how Indian culture has been completely morphed by the dominant white power structure by representing “Indians in contemporary advertising… through absence” (276). By removing them from the mainstream, this gives dominant white America the option to choose what elements of Indian culture will be shown, what will be considered acceptable, and what it will be known for. Everything else will become an otherness that is not well received. No matter the true image of an Indian American, the image that is selected as correct will be shown over and over again. Ghosh believes that this image shows the same mean again and again: “either an exoticized and commodified spiritual realm or the well-spring of primitivism” (277). This image will be shown even to the point where Indians are no longer needed to convey the ideas behind it. Ghosh notes that “in ad after ad, Indian products are appropriated, even robbed, and then represented as works of haute couture designers whereas Indians are airbrushed or erased out of the picture” (278). By completely taking the Indian out of its own culture, America is burdening its own people by continuing the ignorance and egocentrism that we have become known for.
When discussing India
n culture and images, I thought of actor Kal Penn. Most recently seen as Kutner on House, Penn has been emerging throughout Hollywood. He has been seen in movies such as the Harold and Kumar series as well as Van Wilder and its spin-off The Rise of Taj. What I found most interesting was that when I looked on imdb.com at his filmography, many of his characters have a stereotypically Indian name. Whether or not these characters fit into the caricature that American media has accepted, I wonder how often he is chosen to play a character because of his descent or how many times a character’s name is changed based on Penn’s appearance. Does this further the belief that people from the Middle East need to have names that don’t look the same as the American John or Joe that we’re used to in this country?However, Kal Penn is currently playing Kutner on House where he is seen as equal to the other members of the diagnostic team. The cool young kid, Kutner is not seen as an outsider to the team, but rather one who contributes fully. Is this progress towards an intercultural Hollywood?
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