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Message: Emoticon Listing HTML Help	[quote][quote]"Now here's why Bollywood will not be the new Hong Kong. Because the average Indian film is nearly twice as long as the average Hong Kong film. Because Bollywood films imitate an unfashionable genre (the romantic melodrama) while Hong Kong movies imitate and apotheosize the American action film. Because Bollywood films are usually about reconciling family tensions — their deepest connections are domestically vertical rather than horizontal — whereas Hong Kong and contemporary Hollywood movies are about friends, enemies and lovers; the heroes in these might as well be orphans. Because Bollywood is essentially a feminine genre, while Hong Kong is macho; and guys rule! And because, in Bollywood movies, people sing and dance like they mean it; and nothing can turn off a young male like a sentiment put to music. To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread. "[/quote] Like Christina, I don't even know where to start. Kat, I totally agree with every single word in your post. Well said! Okay, now to "tear apart" (using jfung's words) these seven sentences from Mr. Corliss' article, an article that I'm not going to even bother to read in its entirety because it would only lead to another long, time consuming post written by me... Sentences One and Two: "Now here's why Bollywood will not be the new Hong Kong. Because the average Indian film is nearly twice as long as the average Hong Kong film." Okay, Bollywood films are long. Get over it. If people all over the world are able to accept and deal with the fact that Bollywood/Indian films are long, you need to stop kvetching about this, Mr. Corliss, and accept it if you are to enjoy any future viewings of Bollywood/Indian films. Sentence Three: "Because Bollywood films imitate an unfashionable genre (the romantic melodrama) while Hong Kong movies imitate and apotheosize the American action film." Mr. Corliss, as a film critic, I am sure that you are well aware of all the American studies that show a direct link between violence in American media. Do you really feel that American action films are the best types of films to emulate? If so, you are misguided. Sentence Four: "Because Bollywood films are usually about reconciling family tensions — their deepest connections are domestically vertical rather than horizontal — whereas Hong Kong and contemporary Hollywood movies are about friends, enemies and lovers; the heroes in these might as well be orphans." I watched an episode of Lizzy McGuire for the first time last Sunday. Lizzy McGuire is a cable T.V. show geared for young girls like my third grade student who absolutely loved the show. Well, after watching how Lizzy's T.V. brother disrespectfully spoke to his parents, both through his words and his facial gestures, I was disgusted. Sure, there is some cultural bias in my disgust, but I am also disgusted because I know first hand how American youngsters are openly and fiercely disrespectful towards their parents, their teachers, and other figures of authority. T.V. shows that show "athletes" beating up "referees" (as seen in the fake wrestling genre shown on WWF, etc); televisted sporting events that routinely show star athletes exhibiting poor sportsmanship; and T.V. shows that show the "children" showing such disrespect towards their "parents" only exacerbate the problem. As James N. correctly points out on another thread, the amount of violence that exists in America is appalling. Personally, I welcome T.V. shows and movies that model for us how to resolve tensions. Mr. Corliss has missed something if he fails to notice that "friends, enemies, and lovers" also exist in Bollywood films, and that these three elements usually exist within the same Bollywood film. The big difference? As Mr. Corliss observes, Bollywood films usually try to resolve tensions. What is his problem with that? We used to have those kinds of films in Hollywood and contemporary Hollywood could use more of those kinds of films in Hollywood. Sentence Five: "Because Bollywood is essentially a feminine genre, while Hong Kong is macho; and guys rule!" I'm flabbergasted. Kat says it very well with the adjectives that she uses, and I am going to use the adjectives that she used. Mr. Corliss has written an extremely smug, sexist, heterosexist, ethnocentric, ill-informed, pompous, and patronizing sentence. It's amazing how he managed to be all those things with merely one sentence! Sentences Six and Seven: "And because, in Bollywood movies, people sing and dance like they mean it; and nothing can turn off a young male like a sentiment put to music. To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread. " Wrong! Some of you might not know this, but the American gay culture has started fashion phenomena that while initially ridiculed eventually found their way to the American mainstream. Three such examples: the plaid pant, the bi-level haircut sported by women in the late '80's, and the current tres chich trend of body piercing and tattooing. With that in mind, this is what Gregg Shapiro writes in the July 24, 2003 issue of [/i]The Bay Area Reporter[/i] (a San Francisco based weekly newspaper that serves the LGBT communities) in his "Summer Soundtracks" article: "For a truly unusual cultural experience, I suggest [/i]The Best of Bollywood[/i] (Hip-O-Records). More than 70 years after the first Indian "talkie" was released, the film industry in India rakes earnings on the level of Hollywood. Some of the 15 songs from 14 movies on this compilation are duets, and others are performed by solo female and male vocalists, with the common denominator being a persuasive dance beat." Right on, Mr. Shapiro! Ooooh, it would get Mr. Corliss' goat if he realized that a writer in a LGBT oriented newspaper "gets it!" And I wouldn't be surprised if eventually Bollywood music and Bollywood movies become "the rage." I hope so, because I find Mr. Corliss' sentence "To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread" on the verge of being racist.[/quote]
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MeenaKumari

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This message was updated on 8/13/2003 3:16:09 AM by MeenaKumari

BollyWHAT mentioned :-)
replied on: 7/31/2003 2:27:12 PM

quote:
"Now here's why Bollywood will not be the new Hong Kong. Because the average Indian film is nearly twice as long as the average Hong Kong film. Because Bollywood films imitate an unfashionable genre (the romantic melodrama) while Hong Kong movies imitate and apotheosize the American action film. Because Bollywood films are usually about reconciling family tensions — their deepest connections are domestically vertical rather than horizontal — whereas Hong Kong and contemporary Hollywood movies are about friends, enemies and lovers; the heroes in these might as well be orphans. Because Bollywood is essentially a feminine genre, while Hong Kong is macho; and guys rule! And because, in Bollywood movies, people sing and dance like they mean it; and nothing can turn off a young male like a sentiment put to music. To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread. "

Like Christina, I don't even know where to start. Kat, I totally agree with every single word in your post. Well said!

Okay, now to "tear apart" (using jfung's words) these seven sentences from Mr. Corliss' article, an article that I'm not going to even bother to read in its entirety because it would only lead to another long, time consuming post written by me...

Sentences One and Two:
"Now here's why Bollywood will not be the new Hong Kong. Because the average Indian film is nearly twice as long as the average Hong Kong film."

Okay, Bollywood films are long.

Get over it.

If people all over the world are able to accept and deal with the fact that Bollywood/Indian films are long, you need to stop kvetching about this, Mr. Corliss, and accept it if you are to enjoy any future viewings of Bollywood/Indian films.

Sentence Three:
"Because Bollywood films imitate an unfashionable genre (the romantic melodrama) while Hong Kong movies imitate and apotheosize the American action film."

Mr. Corliss, as a film critic, I am sure that you are well aware of all the American studies that show a direct link between violence in American media. Do you *really* feel that American action films are the best types of films to emulate? If so, you are misguided.

Sentence Four:
"Because Bollywood films are usually about reconciling family tensions — their deepest connections are domestically vertical rather than horizontal — whereas Hong Kong and contemporary Hollywood movies are about friends, enemies and lovers; the heroes in these might as well be orphans."

I watched an episode of Lizzy McGuire for the first time last Sunday. Lizzy McGuire is a cable T.V. show geared for young girls like my third grade student who absolutely loved the show. Well, after watching how Lizzy's T.V. brother disrespectfully spoke to his parents, both through his words and his facial gestures, I was disgusted. Sure, there is some cultural bias in my disgust, but I am also disgusted because I know first hand how American youngsters are openly and fiercely disrespectful towards their parents, their teachers, and other figures of authority. T.V. shows that show "athletes" beating up "referees" (as seen in the fake wrestling genre shown on WWF, etc); televisted sporting events that routinely show star athletes exhibiting poor sportsmanship; and T.V. shows that show the "children" showing such disrespect towards their "parents" only exacerbate the problem. As James N. correctly points out on another thread, the amount of violence that exists in America is appalling. Personally, I welcome T.V. shows and movies that model for us how to resolve tensions. Mr. Corliss has missed something if he fails to notice that "friends, enemies, and lovers" also exist in Bollywood films, and that these three elements usually exist within the same Bollywood film. The big difference? As Mr. Corliss observes, Bollywood films usually try to resolve tensions. What is his problem with that? We used to have those kinds of films in Hollywood and contemporary Hollywood could use more of those kinds of films in Hollywood.

Sentence Five:
"Because Bollywood is essentially a feminine genre, while Hong Kong is macho; and guys rule!"

I'm flabbergasted. Kat says it very well with the adjectives that she uses, and I am going to use the adjectives that she used.

Mr. Corliss has written an extremely smug, sexist, heterosexist, ethnocentric, ill-informed, pompous, and patronizing sentence. It's amazing how he managed to be all those things with merely one sentence!

Sentences Six and Seven:
"And because, in Bollywood movies, people sing and dance like they mean it; and nothing can turn off a young male like a sentiment put to music. To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread. "

Wrong!

Some of you might not know this, but the American gay culture has started fashion phenomena that while initially ridiculed eventually found their way to the American mainstream. Three such examples: the plaid pant, the bi-level haircut sported by women in the late '80's, and the current tres chich trend of body piercing and tattooing.

With that in mind, this is what Gregg Shapiro writes in the July 24, 2003 issue of The Bay Area Reporter (a San Francisco based weekly newspaper that serves the LGBT communities) in his "Summer Soundtracks" article:

"For a truly unusual cultural experience, I suggest The Best of Bollywood (Hip-O-Records). More than 70 years after the first Indian "talkie" was released, the film industry in India rakes earnings on the level of Hollywood. Some of the 15 songs from 14 movies on this compilation are duets, and others are performed by solo female and male vocalists, with the common denominator being a persuasive dance beat."

Right on, Mr. Shapiro! Ooooh, it would get Mr. Corliss' goat if he realized that a writer in a LGBT oriented newspaper "gets it!" And I wouldn't be surprised if eventually Bollywood music and Bollywood movies become "the rage." I hope so, because I find Mr. Corliss' sentence "To young American trend-setters, Bollywood brown is the new white ... bread" on the verge of being racist.

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