Recently Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California spoke at the 2006 TiEcon conference in front of a large group representing the Indian American business and entrepreneurial community. The conference was held in Silicon Valley and dealt mostly with the intersection of California, business, and Indian Americans. A mash-up clip featuring the highlights of his talk are available on the internet. It is worth seeing (scroll down just a bit on the linked page) especially for the zinger that Schwarzenegger unleashes about a quarter way through the clip when he notices that all of his co-panelists are men. What’s up with that?
Oh man, the clip was seriously cringe-producing. First he is introduced as the man who made ‘the impossible, possible.’ Now this would be funny except that no humour was intended. Secondly, the woman introducing ‘our governor’ offered the nugget that his wife was a successful, talented, beautiful woman, suggesting that this was one of Arnie’s attributes. As we desis know, no man is complete without that. The guy interviewing him said that Arnie was known for single-handedly destroying more infrastructure than anyone else, in movies. I wish he’d dropped the last bit. That comment about culture and women–ugh. Again, I might overlook it if he was capable of satire. Finally, I had to stop watching because I just can’t separate him from the Terminator, and there’s something seriously unsettling about the Terminator saying India and US are ‘joined at the hip.’ AAAARrrrgh.
I have thus far opted out of participating in TiE events because of the description of their Spring Women’s Forum event:
Hmmm…surprisingly, their events that are not targetted at women don’t seem to include aerobics and recipes.
Must be a cultural thing.
nothing to do with the post but have been away for quite sometime and was wondering why manish is in the alumni section. is he no longer part of the mutiny?
lal, ya vij has been gone a while now. something about a moustache contest or something, right mutineers? 😉
The beard growing contest. Not to mention tensions over the affections of the SMU. ‘Get your stinkin’ paws off him, you damn dirty ape!’
O.J. Simpson was initially considered for the Terminator role…
What the hell? That aunty in the blue sari was ordered up from central casting. That brought back painful memories of festivals and contests past. Generations may come and go, but there will always be an MC ready with the terrible speeches.