Opinions on the NBC show Outsourced?

Hmm... I haven't seen the show (not available where I live) but I did see the indie movie it is being based off of, which was really cute and, IMO, thoughtful. I think the writers would have had to really deviate from the tone of the movie if the show is offending people.

I'm interested to here what other GMAT Clubbers think of it!

I wasn't offended and thought it was quite funny. Then again I am neither in India/Indian or have been laid off or am offended by the notion of outsourcing. So I might not be your targeted demographic.

i think the indian accents were spot on.

I saw the movie as well as thought it was a good one (it's available on netflix if anyone is interested).

Going to have to check out the show

Many foreigners I talked to , thought the movie was cute too. I thought it was unrealistic and superficial (there were no dimensions to any of the Indian characters).

I saw the trailer for the sitcom and it seemed that all the stereotypes were covered. However I will reserve judgement till I see the episodes actually...

You're right, the movie did a poor job of character development with ALL of its characters. It seems like most of the negative comments out there about the television version are about the stereotyping of the Indian characters. In the movie the joke was on the American character, as it portrayed him as the buffoon who was culturally insensitive and had to step back from his preconceived notions about what his experience in India was going to be.

I hope that the television version doesn't deviate from that standard, although NBC's current strategy seems to be striving for obnoxious/raunchy to get laughs in sitcoms...

Anyone who's seen the show have additional feedback?

I haven't seen the movie, but I think the show has some element of making the American look like he is not culturally aware. I think it showed a bit of the main character wanting to be part of the culture instead of rebelling against it like the other American character that is there. Although I think they are overplaying the Indian sterotypes. I'm curious to know what the conditions in these call centers actually are like in India. I heard that as a complaint, the show makes them look much nicer then they really are. Any Americans offended by a sitcom making light of unemployment due to outsourcing? I can't believe I actually have friends who refuse to watch it because of that.

No, it wasn't. No Indian I have met in my life talks with an accent that is categorized stereotypically "Indian"

I was born and raised in India and yet I speak with a mix of British-American accent. I am not the kind of person who gets easily offended, but generally Americans tend to make fun of other accents, perhaps unintentionally. To realize that English is almost every Indian/Asian's second language is important.

But that said, I think the show is just a humorous take on what goes on. Like what Russell Peters does. He knows that what he says has the equivalent of a grain of salt in an ocean, when you talk about "truth" values. And we know that too.

As for the call centers - you're comparing apples to oranges. In terms of an Indian lifestyle, working at a call center would be the equivalent of working as, say a sales manager at a GAP store - it's not a BAD standard of living, but you could perhaps be better off in another job. The working conditions depend on where you are, what your qualifications are and so on. In a country of a billion strong people, and approximately 50,000 engineers graduating every year from EACH state, I think a call-center job for someone who went to the equivalent of University of Phoenix is not a bad bet. The problem starts when you convert rupees to dollars WITH the foreign exchange. An average call center salary of, say, Rs. 20,000 a month would have the purchasing power of $2000 per month, but if you convert absolute values you'll end up with $400, which includes foreign exchange and hence is not true. No one is earning in Indian rupees and spending in dollars. I hate how everyone conveniently ignores this fact.

Also. Slum Dog Millionaire is not representative of India. If you go to India and get diarrhea from drinking tap water, there's no bigger fool than you are, because no one drinks tap water in India. Everyone has access to toilets and if they don't, they chose to have it that way. And NO ONE is jumping into pools of fecal matter to get autographs from cinema stars. Stop believing in Hollywood and read the newspaper instead.

Yes, proud of my country despite it's million shortcomings.

well the character is a KID - they do weird stuff like pouring gasoline on kids and burning them, sticking pencil in another's ear etc. etc.

You mean they don't goto bathrooms in little wooden huts like the beginning of Slumdawgie?

USA is #1!!!!!
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i think the producers studied the wrong country and built a wooden hut?

I guess we'll have to watch tonight and see if it's more of the same

i'm dying to watch it today...

modern family > outsourced though (I'm assuming), but both seem awesome.

I am sorry to hijack the thread, but I had to reply to this utter non-sense.


wow! where did you get that fact from? Not only you are including almost all Indians, but you are including other Asians as well. Do you really think all those Chinese sweat-shop workers actually know English?


another wow! what a gross generalization! My family still does, and so many other people that I know of. Perhaps, we are talking of a different India here. Do you think people in villages and even in other cities buy bottled water? My parents do not even have Aquaguard. In my last visit to India, I filled up small aluminium utensils using municipal corporation's water line and took it to the second floor. It is a morning ritual for many.


what??? They chose to have it that way? No, many people do not have access to toilets, let alone hygienic ones. Do you really think all those people enjoy **** on the train tracks? (Take a local in Mumbai)



I too would encourage you to see India from the eyes of millions of other Indians who probably have not even heard of IIM-A. You are very lucky to have half of your family (as you mentioned in another thread) in IIM-A and lucky to be earning a bachelors degree from the US. Perhaps, you have seen a totally different India. Here are few videos for a reality check and to view the other India:
warning: these videos may gross you out. Viewer discretion is advised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBxy1R0jitM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_UnVZT0-0k

I would have no objection to your comments had you changed the qualifiers: almost to few; no one to some. I realize that there is the other India as well. I may see it in this lifetime.

Here are some other news articles for those who still believe that India is shining:
'More poor' in India than Africa: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10609407
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/06/opinion/06mishra.html:
- India is 134th on Human Development Index, 80 below Mexico
- 2.5 million Indian children die annually, accounting for one out of every five child deaths worldwide
- about 100,000 farmers committed suicide between 1993 and 2003

Here is one more:
https://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2105/ ... 800400.htm

nice info with some facts to back up! KUDOS KUDOS!!!!

Always knew India was not a great place to live. I am grateful I was born and raised in US. Nice post. +1 Kudo.

Thanks,
Dawg
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No, it is not immaterial. I am happy to hear that you are not ignorant and that your feet are firmly grounded. In all the glam, it is very easy to forget our origins.I too am proud of my country, but itneeds our help to move it forward.

@dawg
please don't misunderstand my post. For riches, it does not matter which country you are born in, for you would not notice. I am sure kids from the ghettos in the US would agree with me. I just want to point out that it is simply not black or white. A broader perspective And balanced views are critical.

Posted from GMAT ToolKit

No, I completely agree with your view point. My intention was not to glamorize the harsh realities of India. I just wanted to say that not ALL of India is like that. And I guess I got a bit too carried away. I have had life considerably easy and I recognize the importance of that. My parents have not. So while I might have not experienced the uglier side myself, I definitely know what you're talking about. I just wanted to vent I guess, and it came out all high-horse types.