A great many tipsters are informing us that People Magazine has included an Indian American as one of its Sexiest Men Alive. Yeah, he’s half Indian and he is “sexy.” So what, I say? That doesn’t really seem that blog-worthy to me. However, what eventually convinced me as to the importance of getting this story out to the people isn’t the fact that he is representing Indian Americans, but rather that he is a proxy for the previously unacknowledged sexiness of all geologists in the Earth and Space Sciences Departments of schools in the University of California system. Meet Michael Manga:
People magazine has featured a geophysicist of Indian origin alongside the likes of U2 frontman Bono in the ‘Smart Guys’ section of its ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ issue.Michael Manga, a 37-year-old geology professor of UC Berkeley, who won the $500,000 MacArthur ‘genius’ grant earlier in 2005, shares pages with stars like Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Orlando Bloom among others.
“My first inclination, of course, was to say no, because that’s not how I perceive myself,” Manga, father of two boys, said. “But it is a way to let people know about science and that it is OK to be a scientist.” [link]
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p>I think it is a particularly sad commentary on the decadence of our culture that it has taken THIS long to point out that there are in fact “sexy” Indian geologists that deserve to share the same page as Bono.
Manga was one of only two men in academia admitted to the ranks of America’s dreamiest dudes. “That’s why I agreed to do this,” he explains.“I wanted to get information out to people who wouldn’t normally hear or see anything about science.”
If SM readers know of any other sexy Indian geologists then please do tip us off via the tip line. I’m sure they could all use a boost in self-esteem. Please? Anyone?
I have run into Michael Manga a couple of times at AGU meetings. We have never talked. He is a bright guy………..but I think “People” magazine is stretching it. Is he South Asian?
Kush, I totally had you in mind when writing this post.
His father was Indian according to the article.
I think he deserves the honor. It only takes one to break through the glass ceiling, and the rest will soon follow. 🙂
Abhi,
I read your post carefully, I stand corrected on his origins.
No doubt, he is an incredible success story. He very well known in his speciality. In pure sciences (as opposed to applied sciences), there are very few South Asian (or Asian) scientists who move in top tier at a young age. He is one of them. They have always been Chandrahekhars but the road for them was never easy.
There also other top-notch South Asian earth scientists in America – to name few – Subir Banerjee, Shankar Mitra – and others too.
Absolutely, otherwise you’d have had countless posts on me.
Umm…does Bono really count as a smart guy? Who else was in this thing? What were the categories?
Yo Abhi,
I forgot the two South Asians who have contributed to modern earth science more than…….Manik Talwani and Bil Haq. You should “google” on Manik Talwani – he was part of the core group of scientists that basically ushered the discovery of plate tectonics – something akin to Watson and Crick’s work in Biology (an analogy for non-earth scientists). When people talk of sea-level rise and fall -often they start with Bil Haq’s sea-level curves.
Maybe, you know all this and I am just repeating.
The first two sentences made me think Anna or Manish wrote this post, but then the word “geologist” revealed to me the true author. lol
A couple of questions. Has People magazine ever awarded these sexiness awards to other South Asians? If so, who? And what’s the other half of Manga’s heritage? I’m guessing British, but not sure.
yeah, people magazine has featured south asian americans in their ‘sexiest men of the year” and ‘sexiest bachelors’…in fact there were two last year.
in 1999 people magazine featured dr. sanjay gupta.. hehe… i still have that issue :)… every indian mothers dream son-in-law… too bad, so sad, he’s now married with a child.. oh well… 😉
This was all over the Canadian news early in December — you know, any time there’s a Cdn angle, we jump right on it 🙂 Michael Manga’s mother is Polish, his father is Indian.
pretty sure sandy dalal was featured as one of people’s most beautiful….and maybe arundati roy? kinda surprised that TMBWITW hasn’t made the list…
GEOLOGIST INDIAN SMART TEH HAWT
“Stereonets illustrating the 3D orientation distribution of rod-shaped microlites” – He is a volcanologist/hydrogeologist/geophysicist who uses stereonets to analyze 3d distribution of minerals. He does real crossover science. Be still my beating heart.
Where in hell are these guys when my parents do the token attempt at setting me up with a nice Indian boy every other year?
And, yes, it is OK to be a scientist. Don’t everyone jump on the bandwagon at once.
People has already named Kal Penn and Reef Karim so darkie has already been acknowledged.
Hilarious comment…are indians the new black?
Ummm … last time I checked Kal Penn and Reef Karim weren’t scientists. They probably think Brownian motion is a new dance move.
He’s an Ottawa boy — this was medium-sized news in the local paper. Note that he is the second Canadian of Indo-Polish descent to be recognized for his/her looks — see Lisa Ray. I look forward to the day that Canadian Indo-Polish scientist-supermodels will rule us all….
I for one welcome our new scientist-supermodel overlords.
And with a name like Manga…
Polish? Wow, there’s a combo you don’t see everyday. And I’m impressed that People has featured so many sexy South Asians. Wait a minute…Aishwarya Rai, the “most beautiful woman on earth”. I am dumb. I apologize for it. T_T
Maitri – you’re teetering on a great pun there:
Brownian Motion 1. The process of getting a mention in a ‘hot list’ due to being hot and brown. 2. Dancing like an uncleji. 3. Some shit about particles moving randomly and you know, stuff.
Then you’ve not seen Bongsy dance 😉
Smart brown (even almost brown) boys are hot!!
give me some of that manga shake…..
Sexy? Please. HeÂ’s a troll. Whatever happened to the days when men with gorgeous faces and ripped bodies made it onto PeopleÂ’s list? Jeez, you might as well put Apu on this list b/c theyÂ’re in the same category. LetÂ’s get one thing straight: Arjun Rampal = sexy. Dino Morea = sexy. Balding geologist from Berkeley? Not sexy. No self-respecting desi girl wants a hairy, flabby geologist with kids. Next.
Ouch you are being rough on the poor guy. He didn’t ask for this. People Magazine decided he was. BTW did you throw in the ‘hairy, flabby’ for the overall dramatic effect? 🙂 Personally Arjun Rampal and Dino Morea are too ‘pretty’ as in ‘fruity gay looking’ boys for my taste. I like em real. But whatever floats your boat.
abhs! (and other boys)-
it just never ceases to amaze me how obviously jealous and skeptical you all get when an another desi man is extolled. like youd ever differentiate between mia and the next indian hotty girl. the man is a total dude, please. dont be a hatah! spesh if youre going to be all down on brown girls for being into white boys. 😉
The notion of ‘glass ceiling’ is basically a mind set. There is no glass ceiling. The fact that there are not ‘enough’ Asians in high places is because this community is not as long standing as various ‘white’ communities. As well, Asians tend to be somewhat insular, thinking of themselves at ‘Asian’ rather than American. You’ll be surprised how many barriers will be broken when we consider ourselves truely American and American as our one and only home. We must leave the old country both in mind and body and love the good ol’ U S of A.
A wise person or some wise people once asked, “How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from?” True, some barriers will be broken, but have you realized that what makes America so American is that it’s one giant cultural melting pot. Right from the Colonial settlers ,to the Irish and Italian immigrants of NYC in the 1800s, to the “Yellow Peril” to modern illegal and legal immigrants, American history is a story of immigrants. So your statement begs the question: What exactly does it mean to be “truely American”? Is it all apple pies, baseball and picket fences or is it something far deeper? I imagine you’re an immigrant yourself and I can understand your desire to assimilate because I felt the same way when I first immigrated.(granted, I was 9 at the time) However, sacraficing your heritage isn’t the answer.
There are plenty of Asians in high places. A look at a list of the most successful CEOs of American companies can show you that. It’s just that when it comes to culturally high places, Asians still have a few stereotypes to break. The cultural “glass ceiling” isn’t a construct of the mind. I mean, when people look at you with contempt because they think you’re a terrorist, when they make fun of your accent or when people expect you to be exceptionally gifted in mathematics(this one pisses me off the most), is that simply a mental construct? I think it’s only in this millenium that Asians, especially South Asians, have been able to shatter some these stereotypes. This is clearly shown in movies like “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle” and “Better Luck Tomorrow”.
be that as it may, I don’t see how Manga is flabby or hairier than the average desi. He may very well be “ripped” but chose not to do a half-naked cheesecake layout. Some self-respecting desi girls like guys with the big brains, as it’s less inclined to become flabby with age…
I agree with desi dancer. It doesn’t matter whether a woman is brown or white or orange. There comes a time when she learns to look above and beyond pretty faces and chocolate box looks. Mr Manga may not be conventionally ‘hot’ but intelligence factor sure boosts the entire image. Give me a man with brains and wit anytime!
brains & wit? as you wish! 😉
[no links to Jai Singh were available]
‘conventionally hot’ is overrated and somewhat boring.
Yup…they all look alike to me now. Tall, fair skinned, the token 4-6 packs, bulging biceps and the obvious five o’clock shadow. It took me a long time before I could tell the pretty boys apart. In fact, I still make mistakes in recognizing them. 🙂
Aww. DD ! You smooth-talking casanovette, you 😉
grins
But then, suddenly — tragedy strikes :
Dammit, I knew it all sounded too good to be true…..
And then it gets even worse:
Stop kicking me when I’m down, ladies.
Jai Singh: we demand pictures, to further evaluate your conventional or unconventional hotness.
Msichan. I think I must be your perfect man. Why? Cos you said you were bored of this:
I have none of these! OK I’m on the pasty side, but when it comes to biceps, I am the exact opposite of Mr Roshan. It takes hours on the couch to get this…flimsy.
DesiDancer, you flatte
nr me (although that pic makes my fingers look really weird). But your ego-pumping is somewhat dampened by the revelation I was a poor runner up to Jai Singh as no links to him were available! So yes, Jai, we demand pictures!Haha! Yes Jai Singh…maybe you are one of the pretty ones that stands out in the pretty crowd…If so, make the season more festive by sharing your portfolio!
He is married to a gori, and is with two kids. What a waste for the desi spot on the list. At least have an unmarried guy for the throngs of unmarried desi women searching in vain for an ‘eligible’ catch.
vic: alas dr. gupta married a gori as well…my dreams dashed, my hopes shattered…sigh i agree…have an unmarried guy for us gals with almost expired huevos (re: the marriage post :)).. chuckle..
Hmm…both intellectual desi pin-ups mentioned in the thread married goris eh? Can someone else read something into that so I don’t get beaten up?
I like Sanjay Gupta too chick pea (although probably in a different way to you), as he is a doctor, a journalist and a Gupta, three of the highest virtues someone can aspire to. Some men are born Guptas, others achieve Guptaness and others have Gupta thrust upon them.
Aamir Khan’s getting married again too. I only mention this cos someone said ‘chocolate box looks’.
Are you fishing for Hybrid Vigor comments? I keed, I keed!
because how cool is it to be a kid, growing up outside of India, and be able to give reference to your family dynasty in any major encyclopedia. Kids on the playground bowed in awe of the Guptaness.
Yup..except his lady doesn’t have the ‘conventional’ girl chocolate box looks, so they are cool. It’s a nice balance.
It is kind of painful..to see all these elligible indian men wind up with ‘Goris’. Then again, I know a lot of our brown hotties end up with others too. So, it’s all fair game eh?
DD…that wasn’t what I was hinting at, I was going to be far more controversial and say that brown women just don’t cut it! 😉
Please don’t lynch me, I make joke.
Seriously, what I meant is that one often hears black women lament that ‘the good ones’ go for white girls. So I was wondering if the same phenomenon is happening amongst desi ‘good ones’.
Msichana- be kind to the half-breeds, please 😉
Hey…I am all about the half breeds! I want to be in the United Colors of Benetton ads too!
I remember my mom (pure Guju) lamenting of how so and so’s son went to the ‘west’ and brought home a ‘dhoiri’ (white girl in guj) and how it spoilt chances for other good girls. This just reminded my of her..bless her heart. I think she prays extra every day to make God make her kids marry brown and stay brown.
Sorry ladies, I don’t want to blow my cover, and in any case (unlike Bongsie) I’m not vain enough to have an online portfolio laughing
I will, however, say that — as I’ve mentioned before — apparently people who don’t know me very well automatically assume that I’m some kind of womaniser with lots of girlfriends all over the place, even if actually I’ve said or done absolutely nothing concrete to indicate this. Beyond that, I’m afraid you’ll just have to carry on using your imagination 😉
Anyway, I know what you fast girls with your fast cars and smooth pickup-lines are like — you just want to have your wicked way with us, “loot” our “izzat”, and then once we’ve been canoodled to within an inch of our lives, we’re just kicked out of the bed/car/hotel room/shower cubicle/park bench/telephone booth, and you go and marry a nice homely boy from India who you can take home to Mummy and Papa.
This is amazing.I read this article on the day it was posted here on SM. And..today (29 Dec 2005) ToI has a small vignette on Manga in its Bombay Times supplement!
Which proved my doubt…
SM is days ahead of the desi MSM……
Good Job guyz…sm rox for sure!
I have just finished working on how I can determine a rock’s age in just 30 seconds flat. it is going to revolutionize the rock industry. But people do not know me just because I have a big belly and a distasteful moustache ..Sniff . This is not fair. Sniff.
A couple of random musings.
Perhaps there is truth to the rue that most cosmopolitan, ‘smart’, eligible desi bachelors are going for goris. Ever since they are born, desis are subconciously fed the line that gora color is preferable. Perhaps the bachelors want the best for their kids…hence marrying a gori will sort of ensure that their kids will be ‘halfway’ gora and have all the benefits associated with that.
The person who claimed that there is no glass ceiling has not worked in an environment full of midwestern hicks. No matter how hard I try to fit in with these yahooos, I just can’t get hyped to go ‘hunting’ in November and walk around in freezing weather with a beer and a gun in order to develop a buddy bond that’s essential to move ahead.
Human nature is same everywhere. In India, I heard that Brahmins look out for Brahmins, Thakurs for Thakures etc…, and here its the same. It may not exist to this extent on the coasts, but those who deny are living in fantasyland and don’t understand human nature. I am not complaining about it, just explaining that it exists and you have to accept it, shrug it, and work around it….otherwise you will be miserable.
i think love is important n ya no peep into history n past leave it for your academic pursuits ..true love dies moment u know too much abt too much..so guyz n gals love black love white n brown n all rise above prejudices n see beyond n above narrow minded alleys..i m for interrracial n also same race ..just love dats it