S01.E04: ... felt super indian

[paulvdb]

Quote

 

At Ganesh Puja celebrations, Devi questions how much she identifies with Indian culture, Nalini dodges acerbic aunties and Kamala frets over her future.

 

 

[shapeshifter]

I’m enjoying that Paxton is really a good guy at heart. 
So, better than My So Called Life. 
 

And nice that the religious traditions are handled with respect, humor, and openly critiqued, all at the same time. 
The Hindu leader turned out to be more than just a showman and perhaps a better college advisor than the big shot guy played by H!ITG! from CSI. 

Edited April 28, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Angeleyes]

As someone who grew up in a small town, I could identify with how universal it is for older ladies in a church or community to gossip and have opinions about your life. I think it’s also universal for a teenager to be embarrassed about their family and where they come from. 

[TrininisaScorp]

I loved the depiction of so many things on this show, and some of the small things got me.  The local Indian Society using a local school for a thing was dead right.  The sleeping uncle in the background was LEGIT; big Indian culture mood, IMO.  I have been Devi in a Starbucks in a shalwar kameez (I just wanted a damn coffee before going to an event).  

[GHScorpiosRule]

I didn't know about this show, but my honorary brother texted me about it and so I watched it this weekend.

For me, this episode was the best.  I loved the Remix of "Dum Maro Dum" by the awesome Asha Bhosle from Hare Rama Hare Krishna movie

Here's the original:

 

But then in dance those girls, "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna" was also sung by the original singers:

 

But everything in this episode was SO ON POINT.

Since the family is South Indian (Nalini broke into Tamil in a previous episode, I think?), so I don't know what she said, since the close captioning only stated "Speaking in Tamil" instead of, you know, translating it to the non-Tamil speaking audience.

But I was pretty, "eh" on the rest.

😉

[shapeshifter]

20 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Since the family is South Indian (Nalini broke into Tamil in a previous episode, I think?), so I don't know what she said, since the close captioning only stated "Speaking in Tamil" instead of, you know, translating it to the non-Tamil speaking audience.

That happens a lot on shows of all languages; it is always annoying and distracting, which you'd think would make it worth their while to include chyron translations. When they don't include a translation, I always wonder if the actors aren't very proficient in the language being depicted and are really just babbling basic conversational stuff like, "Where is the bathroom?"

[tennisgurl]

When Devi was talking about how her mind wanders when she is supposed to be praying, I had major Catholic school flashbacks. Yeah when you kneel in the pews you always starts praying, but then you start thinking about how your knees hurt and how the incense smells a bit different this week and that test you have tomorrow and was Alex B looking at you in class the other day or was he starring at the board behind you or...

I really liked this episode, it might be my favorite one so far.

[Neurochick]

I thought this was a wonderful episode because it was fair and balanced.

In a lot of shows and movies the "community based thinking" is demonized, while the "individual based thinking" is seen as more freeing.  This episode showed that maybe your culture, your race, your religion isn't as bad as you think it is. 

The "aunties" were dead on.  In the late 1980's I was in a wedding of a co worker; she was Indian, from Goa so they were Catholics.  However I was "auntie" to the younger ones, even though I was only in my late twenties.

I like how the show shines a light on microaggressions that POC have to deal with every day, i.e. the little girl who wanted to take a picture with Devi, as if Devi was some type of character, not a real person.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Neurochick

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really felt for Devi in the opening scene. When I was a performer, sometimes I had to stop to get food or something random at CVS while I was in costume. I knew I would get looks but I was usually in such a hurry that I couldn't be too bothered by people's reactions. But it's so rude to ask a stranger if you can take a picture with them WHEN THEY AREN'T WEARING A COSTUME. No matter how "exotic" you find another culture to be, it's not a costume and it's not a prop or accessory for your photos (no matter how much of a compliment you think it is when you say, "It's sooooooo pretty!"). Devi just wanted to get some damn coffee. Heh, well, hot chocolate.

Hahaha, I totally cracked up when Devi's mom said that Sanchiti's husband's college counseling company was so exclusive that they didn't consider Cornell or Penn to be Ivies.

I loved Devi's plan for the future: go to Princeton, eat cheeseburgers, be an atheist, get a white boyfriend, and never come back to Sherman Oaks. And it's totally normal for teenagers to want to move as far away as possible so they can stop doing all the stuff their parents expect them to do.

I didn't have an issue with Devi thinking that doing Indian stuff was embarrassing because that happens a lot with ANYTHING that your parents/family make you do (like wearing matching sweaters for the annual Christmas photo or just being seen with them in public). I think that's pretty average for most teenagers. It's even more embarrassing when your classmates don't get whatever it is and think it's weird.

What her cousin described is something I've seen happen with people too. Once you get away from your family and you don't HAVE to do these things and it's your choice (rather than being dragged there by your parents), suddenly it's not embarrassing or annoying. Having the freedom to decide instead of an obligation or a lecture can make a huge difference. But it's also different when you go to college and you can go to cultural events where it's mostly people your age instead of the events your parents make you go to where it feels like everyone is either your parents' age aka OLD or little kids.

coolhindude.com exists! It drives me crazy when tv shows and movies mention specific websites and they aren't real. It's so cheap and easy to set up a website that it's stupid NOT to do it.

[Mabinogia]

8 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I really felt for Devi in the opening scene

That scene was so cringeworthy. First, as you said, she's not in a freaking costume and it is bloody rude to basically force her to take a picture with your stupid kid like she's freaking Jasmine at Disney World. Second, WTF is it with "she's just a kid"? When did we become a culture that believes a kid should get every single thing they want regardless of anyone else's wishes just because they are children? Devi wasn't exactly an adult herself, so why didn't anyone care what she wanted? Why is it wrong to teach your child to respect other people's boundaries? So much hate for the people in that scene. 

The worst part is, I totally believe that happens in real life. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

WTF is it with "she's just a kid"? When did we become a culture that believes a kid should get every single thing they want regardless of anyone else's wishes just because they are children? Devi wasn't exactly an adult herself, so why didn't anyone care what she wanted? Why is it wrong to teach your child to respect other people's boundaries? So much hate for the people in that scene. 

Exactly. Just because you're a kid doesn't mean that you should always get what you want. That's a life lesson that everyone needs to learn. This could have been a teaching moment where the mom tells her daughter that we don't treat other people's cultures like costumes, that it's rude to ask a stranger who's standing in line for coffee to take a picture, and that we are not entitled to expect ANYTHING from someone just because they're out in public. Instead she taught her kid that it's totally fine to be demanding and pressure someone who has already said no by hounding them and guilt tripping them until they give in. Great lesson, mom!

[Minneapple]

Finally started watching this show. Holy crap can I ever relate. Like Devi I grew up wanting to do nothing more than get away from my hometown, go to college and get a cute white boyfriend. Even as a -- gasp -- Muslim. We have Muslim Indian aunties too! And boy, do I know what it's like to be in a shop where you need to pick up something quick but yoi're dressed up in a lehngha or shalwar kameez and everyone is staring at you and asking questions and all you want to do is get your coffee and leave.

The Bollywood songs were fun. My parents love old-school Bollywood so that was the soundtrack of my youth.

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

8 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Finally started watching this show. Holy crap can I ever relate. Like Devi I grew up wanting to do nothing more than get away from my hometown, go to college and get a cute white boyfriend. Even as a -- gasp -- Muslim. We have Muslim Indian aunties too! And boy, do I know what it's like to be in a shop where you need to pick up something quick but yoi're dressed up in a lehngha or shalwar kameez and everyone is staring at you and asking questions and all you want to do is get your coffee and leave.

The Bollywood songs were fun. My parents love old-school Bollywood so that was the soundtrack of my youth.

 

Classic Bollywood songs by the Late GREATS Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman, and the awesome, still with us Asha Bhosle, LATA Mangeshkar are the BEST. Honorary Mentions to Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Shailendra Singh...

[Paloma]

On 5/30/2020 at 11:00 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

When I was a performer, sometimes I had to stop to get food or something random at CVS while I was in costume. I knew I would get looks but I was usually in such a hurry that I couldn't be too bothered by people's reactions.

I know it's none of my (our) business, so since you mentioned it I have to ask: what kind of performer were you?

[possibilities]

I actually interrupted a family that was letting their daughter point and ask rude questions of someone, and the dad of that child pushed back hard with the whole "she's a child" excuse. I told him that children need to be taught to respect people and not point and stare and harass them. He was spluttering, and my companion was mortified, but I was really fucking furious. That child will grow up to be a real shit if this behavior is normalized and even encouraged. 

Plus, my parents weren't any kind of awesome, but they taught me the very basic thing of "don't point and stare at and harass people." I mean, you don't have to be some kind of woke genius to figure that out. It's baseline politeness. But apparently the simple rules of decency have skipped a couple of generations, and now it's the god given right of every spoiled brat, and somehow means they are super-sensitive and smart rather than undisciplined and rude.

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by possibilities
fixed typo

[Scarlett45]

On 5/17/2020 at 1:08 PM, Neurochick said:

I like how the show shines a light on microaggressions that POC have to deal with every day, i.e. the little girl who wanted to take a picture with Devi, as if Devi was some type of character, not a real person.

I know. That girl was far too old for that. A 2-4yrs old sure, then the parents should’ve said “please don’t bother that young woman”, but no, Devi was expected to comply and then shamed for being on Twitter! She can be on Twitter in line for her beverage if she wants. 

On 5/30/2020 at 11:20 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Exactly. Just because you're a kid doesn't mean that you should always get what you want. That's a life lesson that everyone needs to learn. This could have been a teaching moment where the mom tells her daughter that we don't treat other people's cultures like costumes, that it's rude to ask a stranger who's standing in line for coffee to take a picture, and that we are not entitled to expect ANYTHING from someone just because they're out in public. Instead she taught her kid that it's totally fine to be demanding and pressure someone who has already said no by hounding them and guilt tripping them until they give in. Great lesson, mom!

Yup!

While I don’t agree with how Devi disrespected the guidance counselor (damn that girl is MOUTHY!!! I know it’s a show but damn), although he was offensive, I understood where she was coming from. When I was applying to college my Mom was harassing me to write my college essay about being a caregiver to my sister (she has a severe mental disability, cognitive function about 18months-2yrs old). 16yrs old me was annoyed as hell. The guidance counselor wanted me to write about that as well- no damn it wanted to write about ME, me. damn. it. me. (I ended up writing about my role in the theatre department)
 

So yes I understand how Devi felt when she was told that she was the “girl who’s Dad died and was temporarily paralyzed.”