The Washington Redskins’ cheerleaders recently performed in Hyderabad Bangalore, during an Indian Premier League cricket match. A Washington Post reporter took the following photo:
(Click on the photo to see the faces of the men a bit more clearly.)
There is also a detailed Washington Post article about the event here. Also, we wrote about the rival Twenty20 cricket league, the ICL, here; cheerleaders seemed to be a part of the mix there as well.
it means whore. But its more insulting if its possible.
HMF,
Randi would be a prostitute.
148 · portmanteau said
I never said women are entirely to blame. As a matter o fact I clearly said
135 · Sil said
I do know in cities this is not a problem that much nowadays(I am from India, so its not like I don’t understand this). Even in rural areas you will find many. But my point is why do you feed the guys who want “untainted girls” with girls. Why is that girl feeding herself onto these cases when clearly you have a lot more guys(options) who are open. I don’t understand this. Again, surely it is not the sole problem of a man or a woman. Both share equal responsibility if as someone above claims they are a feminist.
Rundi actually originally meant “widow”.
There is a history to how this word metamorphisized into meaning “whore”.
Sad.
OK Guys and Girls, time for the Chacha’s Choice Awards for the Captions.
For Audacious Bilingualism with Redeeming Educational Value, Rahul for “Give me a K! Give me an L! Give me a P! Give me a D!”
For Most Interesting Freudian Slip in a Long Time: Rahul S for “It must be the closet thing to Playboy for these guys.”
For Most LOL Value: dipanjan for “(pre-game) Dinesh to Raj: We are going to meet all the bitches tonight.” For Quickest Follow-Up: RC for “And Raj to Dinesh: I am Santa Clause”. RC also wins Most Interesting Typo in a Long Time.
For Most Interesting Puns: pingpong, for “Generally, showing more skin influences one’s frequency of rooting too. Too many puns. My “head” hertz.” and “Cheering Ladies versus Leering Chaddies”.
For Most Bogus Pseudo-Intellectual Claptrap: chachaji
But the Absolute Top of the Crop Bang-On Comment for Seeing What’s Really Going On:
38 · Jangali Jaanwar said
126 · HMF said
yes. it is accepted as a common-sense by much of the public, and i actually heard the police commissioner of delhi at a press conference saying that indian women who dress in a particular way are basically inviting sexual violence (about 6-7 years ago).
yes. it is accepted as a common-sense by much of the public,
While that’s bad, it’s not tantamount to a defense lawyer stating to a judge, “Her clothing was revealing, hence my client is not guilty of the crime.”
who dress in a particular way are basically inviting sexual violence
Well, this can be looked at in two ways. Is a guy walking down the street waving his money all over the place inviting unnecessary attention? Yes. Does that justify robbery, assault? No.
Before the kneejerk reactions take place. Read over what I said.
138 · Very Scary said
Separate, but equal.
126 · HMF said
Yes. It has been used extensively, if not judges are known to have heeded the victim’s complaint on the grounds that the victim is a woman of “character”. In other words, The Accused‘s Sarah Tobias, the Sexy Sadie license-plate-wali would be entitled to no justice in India because of her conduct. As it is that movie is all too recent – barely 20 years old. But in the US where almost every crime is pursued vigorously by default, the choice is between pursuing it at least to investigation. In India if at all such a crime is prosecuted there are many ways to blame the victim, even now.
157 · HMF said
I suspect the defense is that ‘she was asking for it. No woman of good character would wear clothes like that. Her testimony is not believable.’ The defense is that the alleged victim’s character is suspect, so her testimony is not credible. Also HMF, many times the police will not lodge FIRs for women because in their judgment what happened did not constitute rape (So the police commissioner being flippant in that way is not trivial and reflects the attitude of the Dilli Police, at the very least). As it is few women report rape, still others abandon the judicial process because of police ridicule and insensitivity.
The defense is that the alleged victim’s character is suspect, so her testimony is not credible.
but doesn’t that speak to a larger issue of her just being a woman, and not necessarily connected to her style of dress?
many times the police will not lodge FIRs
they won’t lodge finite impulse response’s? whats an FIR.
161 · HMF said
i’m being descriptive — it’s not a claim i’m making. and no, she’s suspect not because she’s a woman, but because she chooses to dress that way.
Google it, dude. The prime advantage of Google is that it helps mask one’s ignorance without much effort at all. First Information Report — the first official complaint you lodge with the police.
The prime advantage of Google is that it helps mask one’s ignorance without much effort at all
I’m not trying to mask anything. If I don’t know I ask. If I do know, I say it.
no, she’s suspect not because she’s a woman, but because she chooses to dress that way.
Still doesn’t imply that it’s a sound legal argument that’s recognized by the judge. The other information you mentioned about police being insensitive is not good, but I’d imagine it occurs outside of India as well. In fact I remember an after school special on it.
155 · chachaji said
Thank you chachaji! It’s truly an honor. 🙂
My acceptance speech: None of this would have been possible without sexism, the Dallas Cowboys, repeated viewings of Charlie Wilson’s war, and years of jaded cynicism. I’d also like to thank the numerous sepia mutineers who have improved not only my sense of humor but enhanced my understanding of differing points of view through their civil posts (even those that I disagree with): Rahul, Port, PingPong, Camille, Amitabh, Nala, Bess, Harbeer, Chachaji, Floridian, Razib, Manju, HMF, rob, the Al’s, the lurkers, de-lurkers, and so many others. Of course, without SM, there would be no place to try out material, so many thanks to all of the bloggers and guest bloggers, their hard work and wonderful writing.
I’d also like to give a shout-out to the people of the Bronx, Queens, Edison, Chicago, Sacramento, San Francisco, Van-city, Miami, Brazil, San Juan, Santo Domingo, London, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Amritsar, Punjab (pre and post partition), Haryana (post partition), Himachal Pradesh (also post), UP, Kerala, Afghanistan, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore, the troops overseas, the Great Khali and Tiny who’s doing 5 to 10 in Sing Sing, this award is for you. One Love.
Most of all I’d like to thank (insert deity, god or prophet of your choice). A copy of Chachaji’s post will be going on the mantle. 😉 Scythians represent!
Still doesn’t imply that it’s a sound legal argument that’s recognized by the judge
The point I’m making is the original poster made it seem like it’s statute in the law books, which is not the case. I won’t argue that women have a hard time proving a case they were raped. But then again you do have the converse, where a simple allegation (even if not true) could stick with a guy and ruin his reputation, credibility and even life for that matter. I’m sure, even in India when a male is accused of rape, the judges and lawyers and police officers don’t run over and hi-five him.
As for this “a woman should be able to express her sexuality” nonsense, I say just call it for what it is. Whether people admit it or not, the purpose of dressing that way is to turn heads, it’s to elicit a response, particularly in men. That fundamental truth has to be acknowledged, of course it doesn’t justify violence or anything like that, however one can’t
37 · Jangali Jaanwar said
LMAO!!
However, one can’t deny the rationale for that behavior in the first place.
166 · Huey said
I’d like to have a cheerleader make some chana baturas & samosas for me.
Jangali Jaanwar (#164): Thanks for the shout-out…but couldn’t you have made the whole thing rhyme? Seeing Nala’s name reminded me of that whole episode.
havent the ethics brigade try interrupting these games 🙂 above all, these games are turning interesting ones
Scarface,
Vijay Mallya the owner of the Bangalore team has a reputation for over the top showmanship and holds considerable clout in Bangalore, if I am not mistaken he is also a Rajya Sabha MP. Few years back when he had launched his airline he made similar news and every year he launches a calendar with similar fanfare.
30 · Victor Kilo said
thats a good one dude
umber yeah, the way he flaunts his riches made him popular these days. but isnt it ridiculous that he names his team “Royal challengers” to get blatant advt. for his BRAND. and deccan chargers is abbreviated as DC to popularise their BRAND!
“Wow, white women!”
I think no one’s saying it, but what might be making some of us uncomfortable is the stark difference between what they (as represented by those cheerleaders) look like and what we (as represented by that crowd) look like (in terms of health, physique, and yes, complexion). I’ll admit that crossed my mind when I first saw the picture. There are probably few men in that crowd who could beat one of those women at an arm-wrestle. Of course cheerleaders are not a sample of what the average American woman is like, but standing against the backdrop of the average American crowd they wouldn’t look so out of place either. Here in this picture, the visible, physical differences are, like I said, very stark. Sorry if this rubs some people the wrong way.
Amitabh: I hate to pick on you, especially after a refreshingly honest comment, but you do realize that a good % of Americans look like this.
if physique were the issue, a bunch of indians standing around watching salman khan or dhoni would be inherently hilarious. this scene is notable for the transplantation of a traditional (and still jarring to me) american sporting practice to an indian milieu.
naah, man. far easier to keep persisting with these stereotypes.
I found this video on the Washington Post website. They’re talking to people going into the stands, and there’s one really gung-ho guy, cheering the idea of cheerleaders. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily representative of the population at large, but even the 60-somethings of both sexes being interviewed seem pretty ok with the whole idea. Then again, the video might well be part of the promotion. With corporate media all round you can never be fully sure.
I also found this photo gallery, and this video on the ABC site.
What bothered me most in all this was why it had to be American cheerleaders (even if some might have been African-American or Asian-American – wasn’t all ‘gori chamdi’, but even what wasn’t ‘gori’ was still gori by Indian standards):(i) Cheerleading does not have to be done exactly the same way everywhere. (ii) There already are Indian pom-pom squads. Courtesy Filmiholic, and these were probably Bollywood dance girls trained on a different routine. Still.
And:
Cheerleading, just like call-centers, is likely to attract a ‘higher quality candidate’ in India. Just as call center jobs attracted college graduates, so also cheerleading might attract, say, second-string actresses, or even the occassional first-string Bollywood actress. For a video intended to promote the cheerleaders in IPL, Katrina Kaif is said to have beaten out Bangalore girl Deepika Padukone for a spot – these are both A-list Bollywood. So it is a matter of time, I think – eventually the market will develop, and Indian girls will look at cheerleading as a serious career option, and one fine day, someone will ‘insource’ an Indian girl to cheerlead ‘Stateside’ – the Sharica Browns of five or ten years out might well have serious Indian competition.
the cheerleading exchange between the redskins and the royal challengers could be likened to joint indo-american navy exercises in the indian ocean. indeed, your thoughtful and detailed analysis of the strategic trajectory of the future of indian cheerleading makes you sound like a seasoned rear
admirer, er, admiral.31 · de-lurker said
de-lurker, I was just riffing on the Obama quote that’s been all the rage this past week. That said, I agree with you that cheerleading is problematic, but I am certainly not in support of protests to it framed in the language of “preserving traditional Indian culture and values”.
155 · chachaji said
I have been called a cunning linguist before, but coming from you, chachaji, it’s a real honor. In order to keep the myth about my adeptness with tongues going, here’s another:
“So, Sharica, that song in the background? It, like, you know, really, speaks to me, babe! That’s what I tell Damon after every Friday night game – ‘Eef you come today, it’s too yerly!‘”
178 · chachaji said
I know there’s a few Indian-Americans (desi type not Native American) on cheerleading squads. Here’s one.
Following up on chachaji’s comments, there are already Bollywood stars who are performing at cricket matches. I know that at certain ICL matches there are performances by Bollywood stars and dancers.
For all of the Desh’s problems/obstacles to be overcome, finally good proof (as if it were needed) that (cultural) evolution is not (non-decreasingly) monotonic!
181 · Jangali Jaanwar said
Btw this was funny in the Washington post article which Amardeep linked to in his post –
“….An old language scholar I spoke to declared himself unsure of what a Hindi neologism for “cheerleader†might be. He offered “utsaah-pradarshak naari†— “a woman who displays enthusiasm†— as a candidate. …”
180 · Rahul said
Why, how convenient! I’m looking for a tutor in the Romance languages. And you know, Professor, I’ll do absolutely anything for an A.
184 · Bridget Jones said
Oops it was actually the NYTimes article – India’s Game, US Spice from the news tab
185 · portmanteau said
Even sleep with him?
185 · portmanteau said
i’d think you’re already fluent in the french tongue.
185 · portmanteau said
Don’t worry, port. With my full T
&A attention, I’ll make sure you come on top.129 · Sil said
Best post in this discussion IMHO
I have been called a cunning linguist before
That’s a rip from Tommorow Never Dies. Is it de-mencia ?
Rahul and portmanteau, please STFU and get a room already. I for one am sick and tired of all your sleazy double entendres.
160 · portmanteau said
The defence is not “she was asking for it”, with DNA technology you can prove beyond reasonable doubt that the victim and the accused had sex, what is left to be dealt with is, “was there consent”. This is where most defence lawyers focus on. If you read “Gils like you” by Paul Sheehan which deals with the gang-rapes of 2 Australian Women by 4 Pakistani and 1 Nepali guy, the defence theory was it was consensual sex.
The book goes on to describe the tactics of the lawyers including calling the victims unreliable, confused, their sexual history was used, at a point the lawyer asked why one of the victim was, wait for it (exact words), “moaning in pleasure”. The defence used a war of attrition to wear down the girls 4 years after the fact, finally you had convictions for most, one was acquitted. The victim said the trial and the lawyers were worst than her gang rape.
@ jyotsana If you get your rosy ideas about the civility of non Indian judicial systems from Law & Order or CSI can’t help you there. In an adversarial system (used in India, USA, UK, AUS,NZ) the truth is not important, its the evidence that matters.
They are two of my favorite comment-makers, so–STFU yourself–not that I know what that acronym means (help, please?!)! 😉 What is, for example, a “double entendres”? I only know English and some limited Hindi and Tamil, so I am at an unfair advantage here. Please stop oppressing me with your Francophile wiles. 😉
192 · too_much_filth said
Oh my god! You used the F-word! It seems you prefer the single entendre yourself. Is the double entendre against your cultural values and tradition?
194 · rob said
Thanks, rob. It’s very kind of you to think that, and even nicer of you to say it!
Oh, everybody knows the pun. At least Mrs. Doubtfire, and probably well before that.
Rob, cheering these sleazebags on lowers the quality of discussion in this place.
Rahul, do you have a life away from sepiamutiny? Just asking.
Rahul & Portmaneau, Neenghal enai sirrhikka waykkringhal. (You make me laugh)!
Travis Bickle, worry not. Someday a real rain will come and wash the scum off the streets.
Why, do you want to start something together?