Oprah's magical mystery tour of India

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vishalrao

vishalrao

Global Moral Police
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All it takes is ONE foreigner to say something even mildly critical to get Indians up in arms.

Grow up. There are bigger things to worry about.
 
Forget foreigners; even if an Indians get similar reactions. The concept of the stiff upper lip is lost on a nation whose politicians pander to the whims of their target constituencies and create impotent wedge issues that allow them to not deal with the real troubles of our time.
 
She asked the children how they could live in such a “tiny” room and actually wanted to know, “Don’t you feel it’s too cramped?” She also asked the six-year-olds whether they were happy. Which must have made them wonder why they shouldn’t be. She then interrogated the father about whether he was happy and satisfied. He got teary-eyed and said that he wished he could earn more and provide for a more comfortable life for his children. After making him weep in front of his family, Oprah said that she knows how awful it is for children to see their father weep.

She did look for a shower head in the toilet and seem amazed to hear they bathed with a bucket. And she marveled at how all their clothes fit onto a small shelf. She pointedly avoided any mention of the massive LCD TV which adorned their wall. That would have killed the sob story. When their older daughter told Oprah that she’d like to go to London to study further, Oprah also played her role as American ambassador to the hilt and said, “No. Come to America, it’s a lovely country. It’s the best”.
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seems like she said a lot of insulting things if the writer wrote the truth. if anyone came to my home and said those things i would throw them out no matter who they are. just becasue she's rich and ignorant does not give her the right to insult others in this manner. looks like she played the part of an insensitive jerk very well.
 
I for one am not getting my panties all up in a bunch. I find stuff like this humourous more than anything else. Can't speak for how the people actually present felt when Oprah was making all those comments.
 
or she will go with her hands on the cheeks .... you folks have tv???????????????????????

early days of internet i used to get all kinds of these forgeiners chat up with asking me about elephants on the road and we tripping on snakes :| , is totally fun
 
Well what she couldn't see is that we still respect our parents, we are not drug addicts, and women here are also sisters
 
muneersn said:
Well what she couldn't see is that we still respect our parents, we are not drug addicts, and women here are also sisters
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The ever increasing number of old age homes, arrests at rave parties (including national level cricketers) and the fine gentlemen in Guwahati who treated women as their sisters add support to your statement.

What Oprah did does look like poverty tourism and exploitation of the situation for her show, but don't let jingoism blind you to the ground realities in India.
 
whatsinaname said:
The ever increasing number of old age homes, arrests at rave parties (including national level cricketers) and the fine gentlemen in Guwahati who treated women as their sisters add support to your statement.

What Oprah did does look like poverty tourism and exploitation of the situation for her show, but don't let jingoism blind you to the ground realities in India.
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I'm sorry my friend, but the ground reality in India still IS one of respect and culture. Bad elements are there for sure and bad incidents do happen. But if you see them in contrast to the culture that oprahs country has, you'll get the point. We here still classify such things as bad. But they are the norm there. If you are 18 and still living with your parents, it's considered a matter of shame... Drugs are an obvious thing.... The list will go on and on. For us parents matter, there is such a thing as marriage, true love.
 
muneersn said:
I'm sorry my friend, but the ground reality in India still IS one of respect and culture. Bad elements are there for sure and bad incidents do happen. But if you see them in contrast to the culture that oprahs country has, you'll get the point. We here still classify such things as bad. But they are the norm there. If you are 18 and still living with your parents, it's considered a matter of shame... Drugs are an obvious thing.... The list will go on and on. For us parents matter, there is such a thing as marriage, true love.
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Are you really ignorant or just trolling? Have you ever witnessed the things you have said yourself?
 
Mephistopheles said:
Are you really ignorant or just trolling? Have you ever witnessed the things you have said yourself?
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Trolling? I thought we were discussing. If a counter point seems trolling, then I am sorry. As for being "ignorant", maybe we live in very different Indias. Mine is where the previously said things are still very much relevant.
 
muneersn said:
I'm sorry my friend, but the ground reality in India still IS one of respect and culture. Bad elements are there for sure and bad incidents do happen. But if you see them in contrast to the culture that oprahs country has, you'll get the point. We here still classify such things as bad. But they are the norm there. If you are 18 and still living with your parents, it's considered a matter of shame... Drugs are an obvious thing.... The list will go on and on. For us parents matter, there is such a thing as marriage, true love.
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My friend, self-righteousness isn't going to get you anywhere. Sure maybe yourself, your friends included, respect traditional values. But that doesn't mean similar family values are non-existent in USA. You are also not the majority either. Having said that, its plausible that there maybe an equally proportionate number of Americans who respect traditional family values in their own way.
 
muneersn said:
I'm sorry my friend, but the ground reality in India still IS one of respect and culture. Bad elements are there for sure and bad incidents do happen. But if you see them in contrast to the culture that oprahs country has, you'll get the point. We here still classify such things as bad. But they are the norm there. If you are 18 and still living with your parents, it's considered a matter of shame... Drugs are an obvious thing.... The list will go on and on. For us parents matter, there is such a thing as marriage, true love.
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If all one does is watch Indian movies or read Indian newspapers, one will assume that India is all about violence, sex and dancing. Similarly, if one bases one's view of another country on their pop culture output or newspapers, you are going to have a distorted view of the real situation. You are falling into the same trap that Oprah seems to have fallen into.

PS: Living at home with parents is not equivalent to respecting or loving them.
 
Mephistopheles said:
Are you really ignorant or just trolling? Have you ever witnessed the things you have said yourself?
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Have I witnessed it myself?. Yes, fortunately I am surrounded by good people/culture/mannerisms. I am aware that we too have our share of bad things, and I understand that is what you are pointing me towards. Point taken.

sid_donnydarko said:
My friend, self-righteousness isn't going to get you anywhere. Sure maybe yourself, your friends included, respect traditional values. But that doesn't mean similar family values are non-existent in USA. You are also not the majority either. Having said that, its plausible that there maybe an equally proportionate number of Americans who respect traditional family values in their own way.
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I agree I overstepped the line here. Its certainly plausible that there maybe an equally proportionate number of Americans who respect traditional family values in their own way.

Aman27deep said:
People have a right to free speech, she's using it, what's the big deal?
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People have a right to free speech, true, but it hurts when it is grossly misused. Any ways, its best to ignore. You're right, no need to react and make it a big deal


whatsinaname said:
If all one does is watch Indian movies or read Indian newspapers, one will assume that India is all about violence, sex and dancing. Similarly, if one bases one's view of another country on their pop culture output or newspapers, you are going to have a distorted view of the real situation. You are falling into the same trap that Oprah seems to have fallen into.

PS: Living at home with parents is not equivalent to respecting or loving them.
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Sure, I fell into the same trap that Oprah seems to have fallen into.

My reaction was in a fit of frustration after reading that article, and this thread kind of moved towards America bashing! Wrong approach. What I do want to say is that it was really bad on part of Oprah to have said/done things as mentioned in that article. She has lost the respect that I once had for her.
 
muneersn said:
Have I witnessed it myself?. Yes, fortunately I am surrounded by good people/culture/mannerisms. I am aware that we too have our share of bad things, and I understand that is what you are pointing me towards. Point taken.
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I was talking about witnessing the things you said about the westerners.
 
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