The reuse by Euro-Canadian and Euro-Americans of cultural or ethnic traditions are highly contested. As a Euro-Canadian individual in a globalized society, I have struggled to understand what is appropriate and what is inappropriate or Orientalist in nature, in these reused cultural performances. I have often been shocked by diasporic communities’ responses to comedy routines and movies which I would have assumed insulting to these communities. Following are two examples of the reuse or remix of Bollywood dancing. Similarly to Ghost World and the Heavenly Ten Stem’s discussed by David Novak, the two examples hang in a balance between mockery and tribute. Both illustrate the ways in which media is diversified by the detachment of Bollywood from original contexts in transnational circulations.
The comedy network in 2007 featured a segment of a “white man doing the Bollywood dance.” The skit involves a white comedian dancing around and lip-syncing to a slow, unidentified Indian song. Later, he is joined by his “female counterpart;” a hand puppet. He interacts with his hand in a way that is obviously mocking the exacerbated expressions common to Bollywood films. In this cultural appropriation example, I would have expected conflict around the cultural authorship. Similarly to Ghost World, I initially viewed this skit an undeniable form of Orientalism. It involves an uneven power relationship; the white man pretending to be an Indian man (and woman). Further, it appeared to be outwardly mocking the styling of Bollywood film. However, the skit does not grant the comedian access to culture, rather it functions to alienate him from the very idea of culture. The skit from the beginning was distanced and detached from its original context of Bollywood. It is not compared or discussed in relation to legitimate Bollywood films and artistry. Instead, the skit creates an outrageous reproduction based upon a few highlighted and exaggerated features common to Bollywood productions. This in turn further distances the viewer from the original context of Bollywood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4bNU8-Mvus
The popular primetime show So You Think You Can Dance introduced Bollywood during season five. Caitlin and Jason, two of the show’s most popular contestants performed a dance choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan to the popular song Jai Ho. In the comments posted on YouTube many individuals identified as Indians or individuals trained in Bollywood dance. Amongst these key commentators, reviews were mixed. The general consensus was that the dance and costumes were insulting to Indian culture. The dance was categorized as Bollywood, yet many thought it would be better described as a fusion between hip-hop, contemporary and Bollywood. The performance was criticized for being a “tourist Bollywood,” too tainted by Western influence. Also, a number of comments point out that lifts are not characteristic of the Bollywood genre. It appears as though the Indian individuals who commented felt that the performance was not about representing Bollywood, instead it merely revealed aspects of a global popular culture. They did not just perform a dance, they attempted to appropriate Indian identities, and their failure to do so correctly displayed their ignorance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9b776fQ0MM&playnext=1&list=PL74E254C2C12CFC36
The two examples provided are very different. It is important to keep in mind that a consensus on each cultural performance is likely impossible; different diasporas and individuals likely interpret each piece differently. The comedy skit is detached from the outset and continues to distance both the performer and viewers from Bollywood culture. However, the performance on So You Think You Can Dance blatantly attempts to appropriate Bollywood identities. The Indian individuals who commented on the performance felt that this was particularly insulting because it lacked the respect Bollywood deserves. In other words, while it attempted to pay tribute to Bollywood, it failed to do so and resulted in mockery.
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