Watch Omi Vaidya rockin’ the pug in the American version of The Office airing Nov. 22 (thanks, Kiran):
He plays a Sikh IT Tech that helps Steve Carell’s character with some computer issues. [Link]A bunch of us auditioned for this role. It started out as a “Pakistani IT Tech” wearing a turban. They seemed to get some of the culture right, but the joke centers around Steve Carell’s character wearing a giant “Karnak” type turban. [via email]
Vaidya previously created the reality dating show ‘Prem or Not to Prem.’
ooohhhh…..i never cared to watch the office. till now. i will have to watch this ep. even if it is another stereotype kinda deal, just hope they give his character dignity. btw, can anyone post a link for a kenyan turban for me? thanks!
😉
pattie ~ i feel the opposite way. i’ve watched this show before but won’t be watching it again. this is just pathetic. you don’t just stick a turban on a random guy like that – who do they think they are? the bollywood film industry? geez, at least paste a fake beard on him.
This shit gets sooo old. Hey – let’s slap a pug on somebody and call him a Sikh! Note, many of those ABCD “masala” movies were guilty of the same thing. It makes around as much sense as slapping some shoe polish on a white guy and calling him a desi.
Geeez.
pattie ~ i feel the opposite way. i’ve watched this show before but won’t be watching it again. this is just pathetic. you don’t just stick a turban on a random guy like that – who do they think they are? the bollywood film industry? geez, at least paste a fake beard on him
very true..i see your point.
The Office is one of the best shows on TV today. It is so funny! It is almost like Dilbert in action.
And I don’t mind a little bit of stereotyping if it adds to the fun! 🙂
No Sikh guy wears a turban without a beard – some trim their beard, but they still have a beard. You would have thought that actor could have pointed that out to them and at least have grown a stubble.
disagree with USC trojan..i’ve seen quite a few episodes of the office..and its’ not that funny…it gets annoying after awhile.. arrested development however, much better show and more funny..heck won all the awards and still gets axed by fox.. fox…not that smart…
I don’t know what Omi Vaidya’s regional/religious background is, but I’m assuming that he’s sufficiently in touch with Indian culture to be aware that one of the “5Ks” is unshorn hair, not the turban in itself. Just putting a turban on doesn’t make one a Sikh in the strict sense.
Or maybe he doesn’t know this. Someone should mention it to him.
Clean-shaven Sikhs do not wear turbans. Anywhere. Either in India or overseas.
It just looks silly. I have no doubt that the show will attack the stereotyping and ignorance of the manager – thats the nature of the show. But when you have a huge mistake like this, its embarassing. Just a stubble would have sufficed to at least make it realistic.
I did not like Arrested Development much. I know it was ‘critically acclaimed’ and such, and I tried watching a few episodes and did not find it funny at all.
Hey Chickpea, I love arrested dev too, as do many people. I just never know when the heck it’s on! First, it was Sunday, then Friday (of all days), then Mondays, and now I’m just plain confused. I need a gentle reminder every now and then. I had to watch the first season on dvd to get all the missed episodes. Apparently someone is starting a petition to get it to stay on air? Maybe HBO will pick it up or something.
I have to agree that this amrikan Office Space is just not that great. Yet, I’m being bombarded with ads about it left and right. Dilbert was waaay funnier. Plus, stamping a turban on a dude without a beard = stupid. I’m sure the actor know that – even I know that!
Geez Ennis, stop copying me.
Geeeez 😉
Jai >>I’m assuming that he’s sufficiently in touch with Indian culture to be aware that one of the “5Ks” is unshorn hair, not the turban in itself.
Remember Johnny Lever in RajaHindustani – clean shaven with a turban. If Bollywood can make these basic mistakes, why chastise Hollywood?
M. Nam
Moor, you’re taking me back a bit, so pardon if my memory isn’t so accurate, but I don’t think Johnny Lever rocked the pug for the entire movie, it was only for a few scenes.
Bollywood’s portrayal of Sikhs is abysmal too. Why should I give racism and stupidity a pass just because it’s coming from somebody brown?
True, dear. Enough with the stupid midnight joke anyway…
Bollywood isn’t making a mistake when they create a goofy sardar character with no beard .. it’s completely intentional and done so they can get some laughs. Do you really think no one making a Bollywood movie knows what a real sardar looks like?
I’m gonna watch this! So what if it’s a stereotype? As long as they don’t screw it up and present it in the right spirit to tickly our funny bone….I’m all for it.
ang: it’s on right now on mondays.. also, go to this website and sign the petition to keep it on air, fox is retarded and treats it like a stepchild when it is one of the most critically acclaimed shows.. the biting humor and fast paced jabber is awesome:
http://www.getarrested.com
also on amazon,com, AR seasons 1&2 bought together are pretty damn cheap, 31 bucks shipped.. do yourself a favor, and get yourself a gift for thanksgiving.. i bought myself the set.. ironically my baby brother called me up and told me had a surprise for me.. hehe.. he bought me a set too.. yeah.. talk about same wavelength…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002PYS7Y/002-3121303-4799250?v=glance&n=130
cheers!
I dont think some people get the point being made. Its nothing about the stereotype. The joke of the scene will be the office manager’s stupidity and ignorance. But the point is that Sikhs dont go around clean shaven with a dastaar. So it is false. All they needed to do was give the actor some stuble, and it would look real. Just commenting on that is nothing to do with stereotypes. Its just correcting a basic error.
Thank you vedy much. I hope you liked my performance in “The Party”
Okay, chickpea, I signed the petition or pledge on the Arrested Development page. Did you notice how even their own website is confused about when it’s on?!? In one corner they have advertised that it’s on Monday at 8/7c, and in the left-hand box, they say it’s on Sundays 8:30/7:30c. You’ve already said it’s on Mondays (8/7c people!), so I assume that’s correct, but it’s plain to see why people aren’t tuning in! You forget if you’re not adequately reminded. Hell, even for Lost (can’t wait till next week), I was out of the loop until this season…. it takes a while to get used to the schedule.
Sorry for the diversion, admin, but this is an important cause 🙂
But, back to office space – I have to support Ennis, Sonia and others – Bollywood knows what it’s doing and they shouldn’t be considered a good or humorous example for Hollywood to follow.
Ang, Chick pea, I read somewhere that due to dropping ratings Fox cancelled all airings for the remainder of this season. It used to be on on Mondays but they’ve started playing previous episodes of Prison Break at that time (to be followed by new episodes of PB, dumb dumb dumb). Apparently they will begin airing new AD episodes in the Jan. season…for the last time sniff.
Hmmm…didn’t FOX bring Family Guy back after outcry? And Arrested Development kick Family Guy’s (guilty pleasure) ass. I’m not giving up.
What the hell is Prison Break? Nobody wants to watch that!! There’s hope, yet!
Ricky Gervais would’ve never have allowed this to happen. You silly billy Americans, ruining great British comedy! (yes yes OK there is more great American comedy around these days than British).
I think it’s all the actor’s fault, unless he’s a moron whose never met a Sikh. He should’ve pointed out the error.
Omi do play that, and he ought to be embarassed about it.
Damn.
neha: yes, you’re right on target.. sucks arse man.. huh? i just don’t get it.. don’t get it at all… jason bateman was interviewed in EW recently and he was even venting on how poorly FOX treated them.. blah..
office space.. the british version MUCH better.. this one is simply annoying to me… and having the unstereotypical sikh just gets on my nerves… UGHHHH!
AD returns in December. I’m thinking of planning a “Final AD/Fcuk Fox” party. I’m just glad that fellow mutineers love it. If only Fox would pay attention to this stuff, they’d know there were dozens of us. DOZENS!
Also, US Office: obviously not as brilliant as the o.g. UK, but still better than According to Jim. Considering they already have one non-sterotypical Indian character, I really doubt the IT guy will be that bad.
i understand your grief… but give the guy a break. he’s trying to make some coin here and we’re not really talking schindler’s list – gy deserves points for tying the pugree right and getting the kada. heck i think i even see some fuzz on his face… he may not be hairy enough, but well that’s not his fault. If he’d called me I’d have taken one for the team and shaved my back for his fake moosh. {8-o – duck –
First of all I doubt the producers of The Office care if the character is an accurate portrayal, and neither will 99% of the viewing audience – which is sad, I guess, but complaining about it on the basis of it being unrealistic is pointless since comedies aren’t usually that concerned with realism, especially when portraying foreign cultures (how many ‘natives’ do you have to see on Gilligan’s Island before that becomes apparent?).
Now the main point is that everyone should wait to see this episode before complaining about it. Will it be offensive? Probably, but lets wait and see first. So far shows like The Office do a good job of making fun of the ignorance surrounding cultural stereotype (though that doesn’t mean a some part of the audience gets it or isn’t more than happy to wallow in the low brow, mistrel-ly humor).
The problem is that this is intrinsically offensive the way it’s offensive to have a white actor slap shoe polish on his face and call him desi. He might get shade right, and the accent right, but it’s bogus and quite icky.
Give dude a beard and a juda under his paag, and then I’d wait to see if the rest of the portrayal is offensive. Right now, I can look at the photo and know that it’s going to p*ss me off.
fair enough. cant argue that. i clicked the photo and saw the kada. felt that was more detail than i would expect from a tv hack – it took an indian or an indophile to make sure they got that bit right. that being said, i dont have a tv, so will have to wait for your report and then … if you want me to sign a petition to run their asses outta town – drop me a line.
Ricky Gervais is one of the executive producers for the US Office, so you can’t let him off the hook.
It’s interesting to me that Mindy Kaling was one of the writers for a couple of episodes of the show, in that there are South Asians on their writing team at times. I’ll be curious to see how it comes across on the show, as offensive or more like how Mindy Kaling’s character comes off.
I have a feeling that the joke is that the boss is going to have a red alert terror scare because he sees a guy weaing a turban. If they made Omi an accurate Sikh the message would be one where dumb American confuses Sikh for Muslim and all the other messiness that goes with religious stereotypes. By having him wear ONLY the turban it becomes about how the guy is freaked out merely by an article of clothing which he finds threatening. Since I haven’t seen the show I can’t be sure if that’s the intention but from what I’ve seen the producers and writers should get a lot of credit and so ruminating over the possibilities seems apt. Any takers?
this is why i can’t satnd what goes on tv, because i was hoping for something that wouldn’t be a nasty pull. well, that setles it – i’m going back to pbs, and will stick to hoping the re-run prescription for survival. i don’t find the stereotype referneces funny either, and not knowing what the offie was about, and glad to have read what was said. there are other things to enjoy.
I am almost certain that the one who is going to look dumb is Steve Correl’s character. Thats how the guy acts. He is apart of that whole “daily news with john Stewrt” crowd. They always make stupid comments just to make a point in a hilarious way.
There are different ways in which you can look dumb. The Steve Carrel character will look stupid. But the actor in tuban-face will look stupid on a whole other level, no matter what his character is written as saying, because … well, he’s a man with virtual brown shoe polish on his face, and he oughta be ashamed.
Odd that most of you mention Arrested development, Omi happened to be on the show as well, be happy for Omi getting the part he’s a great guy and a good actor
Omi is Indian, any mistake made on his “costume” should fall solely on the shoulders of the crew/production, if any of you have ever been on a set as a low level actor then you know what you say about authenticity goes underheard or gets you fired
Okay, the show aired. I’m waiting for the official verdict. I didn’t see this red pugri though.
What did you guys think?
you guys are all idiots. I know the guy personally – he’s hilarious, and I applaud his success on getting a speaking role in such a popular and major show.
and in no way was the turban or sikhism or anything else depicted in a bad way. Stop nitpicking. The joke was that carell’s character DOES do the whole red alert terror scare unecessarily and ends up looking like an idiot.
stop being so damn PC all of you.
omi is AWESOME! a great guy, and a great actor. no need to get so up in arms about something that is so irrelevant, we should be proud that we are breaking down barriers and making appearances on such highly regarded shows.