Thursday, April 26th, 2007
Just when this Danah Alleyne thing has begun to subside a little and people around the world were just beginning to heal and move on, here comes news of yet another lewd act on stage - actor Richard Gere had the audacity to kiss Shilpa Shetty on stage on her cheek. I am disgusted. Gere pulled the stunt at an event promoting Aids Awareness. The Times Online reported this:
“Transgressed all limits of vulgarity”? I used to think “A Kiss is just a Kiss“. Not so, I guess. Mr. Gupta, I have news for you…..and about 48 seconds of video actually. Yuh eh see nuttin yet. But to each his own. Note to Akon, skip the tour of India.
All joke aside, Gere obviously knows nothing about India. No one who knows anything about India or has seen a Bollywood film would ever try that. And poor Shilpa, you could see the expression on her face when Gere started, because she knew how scandalous the whole thing was.
Posted in Entertainment, Media, Miscellaneous | 9 Comments »
Monday, April 23rd, 2007
I never paid much attention to Brian Lara or to cricket for that matter till the Government proclaimed a national holiday in honour of Lara’s 277 against Australia in Sydney. I didn’t know the first thing about cricket back then, but I was grateful to anyone who made it possible for me to miss a day of school. It was only after that that I became interested in Brian Lara or cricket for that matter. After all, if this man has such an influence on whether or not I have to go to school, I had better pay attention to him.
And so my entire cricketing experience has always included Lara. It’s because of Lara that the numbers 277, 375, 400 and 501 bring me immense pride. If I started watching a Windies game late, the question that always needed asking was, “Has Lara batted yet?”. 76-3 means very little if Lara still hadn’t batted. Century, double century, no problem. Hayden took his record away? No big deal, he’ll get it back. See what I told you? I told you he could do it.
I’ll tell you something, starting to watch cricket when Lara was king was probably the worst thing any newbie could do.
And now, for someone who has equated cricket with Lara their entire life, there is a huge deficit where Lara once stood at the crease, stood in the slips, and directed men around the field. News of his retirement hit me like an unexpected death. Now that he has retired, I feel abandoned. It’s almost like I was led into a great, big forest and left for dead. Of course through Lara I have gained a great respect for the game and an admiration for other players, but I was brought to this place by Lara and it’s kind of hard trying to imagine staying here without the man.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m overreacting and maybe it will all be OK when the tour of England begins, but it definitely won’t be the same.
Posted in Cricket, Personal Story, Sports | 5 Comments »
Friday, April 20th, 2007
Akon
Well, well. If you don’t know the story already, Akon held a concert in Trinidad recently at the Zen nightclub and sometime later, video surfaced showing Akon going ape-shit (I think that’s the scientific term) with a young lady who had responded to his call to wine for a chance to win a trip to Africa. Evidently Akon himself was “Africa” and the display in the video was the young lady’s “prize”. If you haven’t seen the video, I think the best description would be public rape with clothes. Akon can bee seen dry-humping the woman and dragging what you may mistake for her lifeless body all over the stage. The video and the reaction to it are now plastered all over the internet. Google the words “Akon Trinidad” and see for yourself.
Turns out that rumours that the girl ,Deena, is a 14 year old pastor’s daughter is true seeing as the pastor, Dave Alleyne, was interviewed in today’s Express. A 14-year-old pastor’s daughter going to an Akon concert?
First off, what hope do we have when a pastor will let his 14 year old daughter go to an Akon concert? (Does anyone remember R. Kelly?) That alone is bewildering to me. Honestly, what was he thinking? You’re the pastor of a church, man. Yet he defended his daughter saying that “She likes dancing and won a competition”. He also added that she became a victim in a situation where she had no control. He also said, and I quote from the Express, “They are innocent to the wicked ways of the world and it is our responsibility as elders to keep them safe.” I don’t know what you’d call that barely-there red top, matching heels, low-rider jeans and lower back tattoo, but “innocent” isn’t the word that comes to mind. She’s wearing a crucifix though, so I guess it’s all OK.
Secondly, Akon. There’s not much I can say for Akon except that I’m more than just a little disgusted. I don’t think I have ever seen anything more dehumanizing being passed off as entertainment. To see a big strong man like Akon treat another woman like a hump toy without any regards to her personal safety is appalling to me.
Don ImusDre is reporting that YouTube removed the video from its servers on the basis of “copyright infringement”. Apparently Universal Music notified YouTube of the infringement caused by the 48-second video, yet ignored all the other full-length Akon videos on the site. Sounds like UM is afraid of a little lawsuit.
Interestingly enough, the parent company of Universal Music is NBC Universal which in turn is the parent company of MSNBC who suspended radio show host Don Imus over his “nappy-headed hos” comment before he was fired from CBS radio. Do you see where I’m going with this? Ironically Universal Music has other artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, Dre and the late Tupac Shakur under its corporate belt. I’m wondering whether NBC Universal or even Universal Music will take any action over this. Surely it must be worse to treat a woman like a nappy-headed ho, than to call her one, right? Or maybe it is that women are nappy-headed hos at least some of the time.
Further Reading:
Dre
Dre
Karabana
Attillah
Afrobella
Karel McIntosh
| Sorry, no more comments on this post. |
Posted in Entertainment, Media, Social Issues | 43 Comments »
Thursday, April 19th, 2007
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| Construction work on the Prime Minister’s Residence |
Some pictures from today’s Newsday that shows construction work being done on the Prime Minister’s new residence in St. Ann’s. I’m surprised that people aren’t more disgusted by this that they seem to be. It’s not just that the old residence was somehow deemed unsuitable, but that local construction workers are not being used to build it. According to the Prime Minister they’re a little on the lazy side. How are people not outraged by that. How insulting.
it does make me wonder though, if there is more in the mortar than the pestle. This is just pure speculation mind you, but is there something secretive going on there that macocious and talkative Trini construction workers shouldn’t be allowed to see? Trinidadian construction workers have built up the vast majority of this country’s buildings haven’t they? So what makes the PM’s residence so special?
Posted in Development, Infrastructure, PNM, Politics | 5 Comments »
Monday, April 16th, 2007
Ah sorry boss, but it eh have no water no way.
Maybe we did promise you some water a long time ago but that was yesterday.
Where you from? Carapi-who? How yuh spell dat boss?
It have a place like that in Trinidad? Roger! Rogah! Whey yuh dey, boy?
Rojah, Rojah!Come and hear this nah. You ever hear of a place called Carapi…..boss, whey yuh say yuh living again? Yeah, Carapichina. *Guffaw* *Guffaw*.
Nah boss, sorry no water no matter where. Is dry season, yuh know. Yuh didn’t hear the Prime Minister beg allyuh for patience? Is all about dat doh have water yuh know.
Is Arima, Cunupia, Chaguanas, San Fernando, La Romaine, South Oropouche, Debe, Penal, La Brea and Fyzabad. Is pressha all around yuh know.
What is that about buss main? Yeah well the buss main and them is a problem, we does be lossing plenty water through that. Some ah them main and them around since the 1800’s yuh know. So when Works and them res’ a pave on top ah that the main and dem does buss.
We cyah do nothing about that. What it is you asking me about Alcoa. What Alcoa have to do with anything. Rogah, bossman say how Alcoa go be using the same amount ah water the whole ah Trinidad does use right not and how we promise Alcoa all the water they need. Not me boss man, is Grimes and them who say that. Parder, is millions ah gallons yuh say dey? Whey dem getting dat from?
Anyway bossman, doh frighten, we go put in a work order. Roger, yuh have a pen, boy? Whey dey does keep the form and them?
Posted in Development, Infrastructure, PNM, Politics | 4 Comments »
Friday, April 13th, 2007
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| Colm Imbert |
Minister of Works and Transport Colm Imbert has revealed that the Government plans to ebmark on a major road repair drive that will pave somewhere between 400 and 500 km of the nations roadways at a cost of about $600 million.
Really? In an election year? How absolutely coincidental.
Posted in Infrastructure, PNM, Politics | 10 Comments »
Monday, April 9th, 2007
Lawyer and newspaper columnist Anand Ramlogan wrote the following piece in yesterday’s Sunday Guardian:
One Indian male to go
Could someone explain why Indian men are so scarce in advertisements? In a country where we’re hardly a minority, the conspicuous absence is glaring and shocking.
Is it that we have no purchasing power and companies can comfortably ignore us with impunity?
This is one of the sorest points with the Indo-Trinidadian community, and it is often used or misused to buttress perceptions of and discussions on discrimination, alienation and marginalisation.
I am sick and fed up of hearing people complain about how interracial or mixed couples are always portrayed by reference to a non-Indian man.
Women of all races (and yes, quite a lot of good-looking Indian ones too boot) are frequently shown as partners or spouses of African, mixed and white men, but it is as if it is a criminal offence to show them in a relationship with an Indian man.
Small wonder it is used as ammunition and evidence by those who believe in sinister conspiracy theories about this being part of the attempt to assimilate or “douglarise” us.
Indian men are relegated to the mandatory rum and roti advertisements or flour and oil. And, of course, the Clico ad about the rural rice farmer “who knows where to go for good financial advice.”
The pot-belly, lethargic stereotype from the countryside features a lot, but it’s bad advertising to show young good looking Indian guys in ads.
We don’t go to gyms or play any sports, and hence don’t look good enough to be associated with any product.
I was thrilled to see Denesh Ramdhin and Ramnaresh Sarwan featuring in a Digicel advertisement, with Chris Gayle on the cover of Air Caribbean’s magazine.
In fact, Digicel’s advertisements have been a breath of fresh air! Digicel seems to have discovered that we exist and have broken with tradition by using Indian men in its ads.
(Mind you, we are yet to feature in any of the ads with sexy girls whispering sweet nothings into the ears of their boyfriends—that might have been pushing it too far!)
No company has given us such prominence in ads before.Thank you, Digicel.
Compare Digicel to bmobile. Imagine the Cricket World Cup advertisement with our prince, Brian Lara, calling friends to play cricket with a youth on the beach does not contain a single Indian in it!
I wonder if bmobile would have ever dared to run such an ad with only Indians in it? If it did, I wonder how the non-Indian community would have felt.
Add this to the on-going bmobile soap opera with Margaret trying to use her hunky neighbour’s phone and all the other ads and you will see that we Indian men are simply not the “smart choice” when it comes to bmobile!
(And no, Spalk does not represent us, he is mixed). To make matters worse, the one Indian artiste bmobile sponsors (Raymond Ramnarine) has done his best to look like Shurwayne Winchester, cane rows and all, because he is in the midst of a grave identity crisis, or thinks he would get further with his crossover music if he dilutes his Indian-ness.
Sadly, he’s probably right.
When an Indian guy does feature in an ad, his role is peripheral and subsidiary. Even when it comes to little children, Indian boys are treated in a similar manner—never the centre of attention with the pretty girl.
I challenge readers to conduct their own informal survey. Even with children, the discrimination is the same: Indian girls, yes, Indian boys no, or, with a minor subsidiary role.
Scotiabank’s advertisement of its sponsorship of West Indies Kiddies cricket barely manages a token reference glimpse of an Indian boy.
Could Scotiabank have ever constructed this ad with a young Indian boy hitting a six and smashing the glass in the bank, only to be comforted by an Indian bank manager? I doubt it.
Only last week, the press published pictures of Nataki Dilchan, a clerk from the House of Representatives, and Joseph Dipnarine, whose daughter was murdered.
It reminded many that non-Indian women do, in fact, choose us as their life partners. No ethnic group has a monopoly on racially-mixed couples.
Why not have some balance and reflect our diverse racial groups?
For those without the capacity to walk around in our shoes and see how nasty it feels to be treated as though we have the plague by the advertising industry, I have composed this poem for you to sing:
If yuh mixed, yuh fixed
If yuh Afro, yuh good to go
If yuh Indian, yuh just not Caribbean.
I’m not a fan of Anand Ramlogan in any way, shape, form or fashion. I think he’s one of those people who looks at the world through jaundiced eyes and then complains that the whole world is yellow. Reading his columns from week to week, I think (in my own personal opinion), reveals a man who is willing to believe the worst about us. However, as with anyone, it’s impossible to be wrong 100% of the time and this may be one of those instances.
There really aren’t any Indian men in advertisements save for a few. Why is that? It’s something that’s really easy to ignore if you’re not looking for it, but broaching the subject makes it inescapably apparent.
I tried hard to think up some ads where Indian males were present, and all I could come up with were the Digicel ads and one Scotiabank ad with a some guys playing cricket. That’s about it. There are Indian women of course, but then again, there have always been Indian women. But why no Indian guys? Are there no handsome ones? Surely, if anything, there are light-skinned Indian men, and we know how advertisers just love the light-skinned people. So why not them?
What Mr. Ramlogan said here is particularly striking:
Compare Digicel to bmobile. Imagine the Cricket World Cup advertisement with our prince, Brian Lara, calling friends to play cricket with a youth on the beach does not contain a single Indian in it!
I wonder if bmobile would have ever dared to run such an ad with only Indians in it? If it did, I wonder how the non-Indian community would have felt.
Can you see that ever happening? A group of Indian men and women on a beach playing cricket? You and I both know that will never happen.
I think that if a visitor were to sit and watch an hour or so of Trinbagonian TV commercials, and maybe sift through a random selection of newspaper ads before going out into public, they’d be in for a big surprise. The discrepancy between what is fed to us and what is true is huge and it’s a little sad to see that.
Of course there could be other factors coming into play rather than just discrimination. It could be an unwillingness to participate, but I think that’s a stretch at best.
I’ve become tired of listening to conversations about “dem Indian and dem” or “dem Creole and dem” and ever since I began this blog, I’ve made it a point to call a spade a spade. There is just so much abject stupidity floating around these days and people are unwilling to be honest for fear of letting their race down. After all, what kind of Indian are you if you criticize Indians, or what kind of African are you if you criticize Africans? Surely that makes you a race traitor. And so when I began this blog, I wanted it to represent me and my beliefs as closely as possible. That having all been said, what do I think the reason is for this discrepancy? I think advertisers are pandering to stereotypes and prejudices. Somewhere along the way (or maybe it has always been so) the image of the Indo male became unpalatable to some and advertisers decided to ease our discomfort. And so to advertising agencies, Trinbagonian means “African” and, only coincidentally, light-skinned*. I really want this to be not true, but unfortunately, I don’t get to sit in board rooms and make decisions.
*Yes, the incessant light-skinned fare bothers me almost as much. Not that light-skinned people don’t exist in Trinidad and shouldn’t be represented as such, but dark-skinned people - especially dark-skinned women - do also exist.
Posted in Corporate, Media, Race, Social Issues | 17 Comments »
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007
Yesterday it was announced that Alutrint has received their certificate of environmental clearance from the EMA. I have to admit it came as quite a shock to me as I imagine it did to a lot of other people. With so many other things going on, the smelters really haven’t entered my mind for a long while. Obviously the people to whom smelters are important haven’t put it out of their thoughts and probably thought it best to relay the news during this period when too much cricket has dulled our senses.
Whatever the reason for the timing, I can’t help but wonder if this means that we’re getting a smelter for sure or if someone or something is going to stop it.
Posted in Corporate, Development, Environment | No Comments »
