A Mutinous Look Back at 2007

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There is no point to this picture except to consider it a reminder of how INSANE this year was.

Unlike many of you lucky bastards mutineers, I am at work today, so this might be one of the most compendious posts I will ever write (stop applauding, haterz).

For the last week or so, I kept hearing variations on “I can’t believe the year is almost over!”. I was feeling that way myself until I started to pore through our archives. Now I feel like this has been a very long year, one which lasted at least 365 days.

Can you even conceive of a time before Sanjaya? Believe it or not, there was, way back in the beginning of 2007.

Let that sink in.

NOW doesn’t it feel like January 17th–the last day that the mutiny was papaya-free— was a long time ago? Speaking of Sanjaya, he’s on the list. What list? The list I made of interesting, notable or significant posts from this year.

Without further contradiction of my use of the word “compendious”, here they are, for your procrastination and pleasure:

• Obama
• Sanjaya
• Gigi
• Aish
• Gogol
• Neyyappam
• Grace
• Rachel
• Hetal
• Kapila
• Lemurians
• Varsha
• DBD
• Scythians
• Anand Jon
• Padma
• Zed
• Whoa
• Vinay
• Sameer
• Kal
• Bobby
• Mushy
• Benazir
• Maya

See how I tried to be all slick and minimalist? Just first names? Yeah, that didn’t work for everything. Por ejemplo, the only post which has ever roared past the 1,000 comment mark: Whoa– is dating White not right? Simplifying that to just “Whoa” probably would not remind you of that infamous comment orgy.

A note about the first two bullets- I couldn’t settle on just ONE Sanjaya or Obama post, so I gave you all of them. You decide which one is your favorite…or don’t, I mean, it’s almost 5pm and some of you are already pre-pre-partying. For those who are interested in getting so contemplative, because this list is incomplete, feel free to comment about what stories stood out to you in 2007. Much happened at the Mutiny, including the spontaneous, natural and collective decision to rename and reframe an epithet and the experience it crudely conjured; FOB was replaced by the more respectful and apposite “DBD”, an acronym which means “Desh-born Desi”.

As this site grows, sometimes it’s difficult to remember that we are still a community; the birth of that acronym is one of my favorite moments of 2007 because despite SM evolving in to something quite different from what it once was, it indicated that change is not the same as an ending. That seems like a wonderful way to regard a day like today, a time like this, and a possibility-laden new year. Mutineers, I wish you beginnings, endings, changes, surprises, bliss and everything else you deserve, in 2008. 🙂

90 thoughts on “A Mutinous Look Back at 2007”

  4. 53 · Rahul said

    Well, to be slightly more on-topic than tortured testicles
    I love strained balls myself.

    Rahul, why this fetishization of snowy white roshogullas? Like a good desi girl, I herald the new year by consuming sepia-toned balls…..mmmmm…. sweet, dark, and delicious gulab jamuns.

  7. Delurking after almost 25 months of reading SM to wish all the wonderful mutineers a very happy trip around the sun in 2008

  8. Wow, happy 2008 everyone 🙂 This year really has been long; I didn’t realize that there WERE pre-papaya days. Thanks, as always to the Mutineers — this has been a fantastic year, especially if we look at the wide coverage from all our guest bloggers. Folks started a book club, Chaitan Neha Kunjan and Abhi did a FANTASTIC job on the site upgrade, the intern brought the heat, and we all threw down on science, politics, diversity/multiculturalism, migration, love in the great e-yond, and economics/poverty/development. And while we lost some of my favorite mutineers and commentators, it seems like folks are doing well. After 2.5 years at the mutiny (2 of which have been spent commenting), it is almost overwhelming to think about how much folks have done in such a short time. I’d be lying if I said things haven’t started bleeding together in my head. This year has been insane.

    I also cannot believe in less than 24 hours into 2008 murali and HMF threw down the snark. Ouch!

    Happy New Year, all! Drink a shot for me, since I’m not allowed out of the bunker tonight. Someone has to be the designated blogger, not that I’m trying to imply that I’m anything but a lowly intern, noooo.

    That would be really sad if it were true. REALLY sad!

    Spare a prayer for Kenya.

    Neale, I was thinking the same thing — thanks for bringing this up!

    hey who is the other girl….. =p~ 😡

    Isn’t that Paneer Dosa/ Chai?

    Rahul, why this fetishization of snowy white roshogullas? Like a good desi girl, I herald the new year by consuming sepia-toned balls…..mmmmm…. sweet, dark, and delicious gulab jamuns.

    Port, you took the words (balls?) right out of my mouth. 😉

  9. Much happened at the Mutiny, including the spontaneous, natural and collective decision to rename and reframe an epithet and the experience it crudely conjured; FOB was replaced by the more respectful and apposite “DBD”, an acronym which means “Desh-born Desi”.

    Interesting.. patent this before someone claims credit. This is a cool term.

    Happy New Year..

  10. I also cannot believe in less than 24 hours into 2008 murali and HMF threw down the snark. Ouch!

    Only because His Majestic Fragility decided to follow a light-hearted observation about a slumbering infant with a decidedly not-funny snark turd. (and the wolf comment–as everyone with a few nerve cluster knows, the wilds of my home county do not harbor wolves…and the Frag’s decision to remember SM’s 2007 with a Frag Agenda-boosting quote from a sadly declining comic..what does that have to with SM again?)

  11. as everyone with a few nerve cluster knows, the wilds of my home county do not harbor wolves

    Gee, And I’m fragile?

    I think a more accurate depiction is mr. lack of manners (does murali mean lack of?) threw the gauntlet down, forgetting yet again who he was up against.

    murali and HMF threw down the snark

    he threw first, I threw back, better as usual.

    from a sadly declining comic

    Yes. agreed. Most sadly declining comics I know sell out Madison Square Garden (seating capacity 20,000) on New Years Eve. I’m not sure what the pygmie wolves think, however some people think he’s the funniest man alive, probably because he speaks the truth, some of which I quoted above.

  14. The person in the photograph is Kenyandesi, who, as can be imagined, is rather distraught over what is going on in her homeland right now; requests for her contact information aren’t a good idea, for many reasons.

    And no, I was not allowed out of the bunker on NYE. Oh vell.

  15. Gee, And I’m fragile?

    No. You’re just not very funny.

    yes perhaps they could have, perhaps they could have also told the various people on this message forum who consistently praise both my execution and understanding of humor to cease telling vicious lies, because they have oh-so-much to gain by doing so.

    Indeed, and your comic genius was rewarded by being banned. That is the highest compliment for humor, no?

    Yes. agreed. Most sadly declining comics I know sell out Madison Square Garden (seating capacity 20,000) on New Years Eve. I’m not sure what the pygmie wolves think, however some people think he’s the funniest man alive, probably because he speaks the truth, some of which I quoted above.

    Right, so by your logic the Rolling Stones selling out arenas all over the world, despite most non-Boomers not being able to name a single song/album that they’ve released in the past 20 years, means they’re not sadly declining, right? I wrote, ‘sadly declining,’ because I used to like CR but as with most comedians, he had his moment, and now he’s washed-up as a stand-up comedian.

    Let’s recap His Majestic Fragility’s achievements:

    1. A curious attack on an infant’s food-finding ability

    2. Casting aspersions on my family

    3. Casting more unimaginative aspersions on my family.

    I’m not sure where/how you developed this giant chip on your shoulder, but after shouting down whitey and decrying the unjust advantages of women in social settings, does retiring for the night with your right/left hand for company really make up for all the injustice?

  16. No. You’re just not very funny

    Then why did you call me fragile? and continue to do so?

    wrote, ‘sadly declining,’ because I used to like CR but as with most comedians, he had his moment, and now he’s washed-up as a stand-up comedian.

    I see. here in lies the ultimate irony. You rail on me for taking my personal opinion and assuming it holds for all, like say, back here

    You do know that everything that has happened to you so far in life is not such a good indicator of how other people who grew up in the USA experienced the holiday for the first time?

    and yet somehow your personal experience contradicts the fact that I and 20,000 other people sat and listened to him in quite possibly the largest venue for comedians (or any performer) If CR is sadly declining, who the hell is happily ascending? Dane Cook?

    A curious attack on an infant’s food-finding ability

    To which your original response had nothing to do with, secondly, you’ve simply misread it.

    I was the one who was casting it AS food finding, rather “macking” Personally, I think any innuendo that an infant who holds or touches a woman’s breast as “macking” or “smoothness” is a bit creepy. but I understood the joke, and simply replied with an equally light hearted comment, those without chips of their own were able to figure that out.

    Casting more unimaginative aspersions on my family.

    None of which were unprovoked. In fact, I’d like you to show me where I’ve ever made any kind of statement that wasn’t a response to your own poorly crafted nonsense?

    does retiring for the night with your right/left hand for company really make up for all the injustice?

    Ahh. That train ain’t never late, talk about unimaginative responses.

    A clear indication you’ve exhausted even your even semi-reasonable attempts at logical debate.

  17. despite most non-Boomers not being able to name a single song/album that they’ve released in the past 20 years, means they’re not sadly declining, right?

    by the way, the stones are not sadly declining, the fact that non-Boomers can’t name a single song/album (in fact most can recognize the tune as they’re used in commerical/jingles/movies/other media outlets all the time, I’m not a big stones fan, but I recognized most of their big hits upon hearing them) has to do with the music not being targeted towards them.

    I don’t know in what world you live in, where a band makes the Guiness book of world records, as making the most money on a single tour, and is still “sadly declining”

  18. The person in the photograph is Kenyandesi, who, as can be imagined, is rather distraught over what is going on in her homeland right now; requests for her contact information aren’t a good idea, for many reasons.

    Sorry, I am clearly full of suck 🙂 Is it inappropriate to put in a link for anyone interested in the Kenya coverage? If not, I will refrain, but I wanted to ask first.

    And no, I was not allowed out of the bunker on NYE. Oh vell.

    That is the suck 🙁 I am v. sorry. At least you didn’t have to do what my mom used to make us do every new year when I was a pre-teen.

    murali, HMF, this is tired. I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew it was going to lead to another round of snark-ocity. The thread is about all the fun/notable/exciting things that happened in 2007, not about why you two get under each other’s skin. Back to your corners, please 😛

  19. and yet somehow your personal experience contradicts the fact that I and 20,000 other people sat and listened to him in quite possibly the largest venue for comedians (or any performer) If CR is sadly declining, who the hell is happily ascending? Dane Cook?

    I did not write anything to the end of ‘my experience trumps everything’ although if you need an an ‘IMO’ to distinguish every personal opinion from a truth-claim, it certainly explains a lot.

    None of which were unprovoked.

    So playing MadLib with that line was a provocation? If you can’t take gentle chiding to remain on-topic, what won’t set off the HMF snark bomb? But it’s okay to respond to milquetoast with shit about my fam–which in your view must constitute ‘semi-reasonable’ debate. If you go for the fam, I’ll go for the balls.

    the question remains Fraggy, what does CR’s comeback have to do with any story in 2007 of any significance…oh yeah, that’s right, you didn’t say anything about the show…just cherrypicked a line that fits into your worldview and assumed that people here gave a rat’s ass.

    A clear indication you’ve exhausted even your even semi-reasonable attempts at logical debate.

    Here’s to 2008, and umpteen posts which HMF can tangentially relate to gender-based dating inequities, whitey holdin’ us down and the nation of islam. (thus exponentially increasing opportunities for HMF to be banned AGAIN.)

  20. I did not write anything to the end of ‘my experience trumps everything’

    when you say ‘sadly declining’ the implication is that his popularity is dropping at an aggregate level, rather than just you not liking him anymore. I provided data to disprove that his popularity is not declining at all.

    You backtracked against that and said it was merely your opinion, which makes the point moot in the first place.

    So playing MadLib with that line was a provocation?

    Wasn’t it though? Wasn’t it an attempt to cast my statement as a cry for personal sympathy? Why throw an insult and shriek away from it and trivialize it into “playing madlib”? No need to backtrack, just keep it real.

    If you go for the fam, I’ll go for the balls.

    Again, it’s you who paraded it around as some kind of badge of uniqueness.

    what does CR’s comeback have to do with any story in 2007 of any significance

    It wasn’t a comeback. His show was on new years eve in 07, where he recounted many of the years events. I thought that line was particularly relevant to what many people here need to understand. I’m a fan of CR, sadly I can’t recount every single line of his show last night.

    thus exponentially increasing opportunities for HMF to be banned AGAIN

    Really? is that your only recourse, instead of engaging the truth?

  21. Ah yes, the trolls who shamelessly stole our name after being incensed that we non-Indian-passport-holding ABCDs tried to write anything about India– how dare we!– are back, to be dicks again and off-topic, to boot. According to them, we’re inferior, yet they desperately spam us with links to their site. And they think WE are confused?

    As for the comment which was banned and deleted: since we like dogs so much? You mean, since we don’t think they should be hung from a tree and tortured? If that makes us lesser in your eyes, we’re fine with that and you should seek help for thinking otherwise. Your pathetic attempt to conflate stray dogs hurting innocent people in India with our voicing concern at future serial killers practicing torture on helpless creatures is crass and indefensible.

    Now, does anyone have anything positive to say, to change the tone of this thread back to what it was intended to be? Anyone else want to mention which news was huge in ’07 and what posts they liked?

  23. What happened to the shutup post. I enjoy gentle chides.

    I guess the VTech shooting was the craziest thing on 07. Combining southern gun-nut culture with immigrant social dynamics, with good ol fashioned American oo-rah go shoot anything up.

  24. What happened to the shutup post. I enjoy gentle chides.

    I accidentally deleted it, in my rush to counter vituperative bullshit. But here you go:

    Both of you, shut up, and I mean that in the most loving way possible.

  27. I’m addicted to SM. As someone who isn’t desi, I feel I have no business being here, but I can’t look away. This blog has far too many intelligent writers and commenters i.e., Camille and HMF (yeah, just kidding on that last one). Thanks SM, I’ve learned so much this past year:

    yoga vs. kung fu (enlightening video)

    Naina’s generosity

    ANNA blogging about art by Nina Paley (though, I’m sorry to hear about the fall out)

    The disappearance from the comments section of Mr. Kobayashi (I miss that wicked wit)

    The appearance (in May?)of Rahul. One of many memorable comments:

    I’ve got some pills for you that will turn you(r) squib into a space rocket, your peanut into a zucchini, your tiny mouse into a roaring elephant. No longer do you need to be the little guy in the club.

    And who can forget the insanity that was SM’s Summer of Love, Ho or No, that began with ANNA’s question of whether or not dating white was right. I’m glad you asked. Plus: Abhi’s bowl cut. Mango Juuuuiiice Sorry for the Sari and the many links to youtube-iness bliss.

    My world is much bigger thanks to this blog. Happy New Yaar! okay, what does yaar mean? I find myself saying it too much.

  28. yaar = friend

    i.e. Bess is our yaar. We have no clue why she feels like she shouldn’t be here, but we’re glad she can’t look away.

    🙂

  31. that should say “bess said”. not sure how i got the intern involved, but sometimes i mimick bill clinton.

  32. Camille and HMF (yeah, just kidding on that last one)

    Aw man, because I woke up this morning thinking to myself, damn I wish bess thinks I’m intelligent and writes about it today. It would just make my year, yaar.

  33. 82 · HMF said

    Aw man, because I woke up this morning thinking to myself, damn I wish bess thinks I’m intelligent and writes about it today. It would just make my year, yaar.

    well, ther’s always dilettante, who’s thrown a few yaars your way. But you like to keep it sealed.

  34. As someone who isn’t desi, I feel I have no business being here, but I can’t look away.

    Of course you have business here 🙂 I like that about SM!

    yaar = buddy dost = friend

    You can use yaar to mean friend, though. I like how it sounds (kind of like a pirate saying “yeah”).

  35. kind of like a pirate saying “yeah”

    Thanks! That’s exactly how I’ve been saying it.
    Camille I have a huge admiration crush on you, yaar.

    Hindi slang for “I’m available for sex.”

    Oh Manju ; ) you make me giggle like a naughty schoolgirl.

    I woke up this morning thinking to myself, damn I wish bess thinks I’m intelligent and writes about it today

    I knew it. You can’t stop thinking about me.

  36. I knew it. You can’t stop thinking about me.

    Completely. in fact, in all those messages where I was seemingly responding to claims of being fragile by someone who said I was fragile, then said I wasn’t, those were actually coded messages to you. you just have to take every 5th letter convert it to binary ASCII numbers, do a left bitshift by 3, conver back to character and you’ll get the message.

  37. 5th letter convert it to binary ASCII numbers, do a left bitshift by 3, conver back to character and you’ll get the message.

    Oh stop it, HMF, stop it some more – you fragile beast!

  40. 89 · Rahul said

    Thanks, bess. It’s been a very good year. Umm, for city girls?

    R-dawg, apparently the year that just passed marked the end of your jesus juice salad days. I’m sure you’ll imbibe responsibly, and let me wish you a safe and happy new yaar, uh, year.