…instead of having the humility and decency to remove it. He must really like the taste of toe jam (or not have anyone around who can administer the Heimlich). To each their ignorant own (thanks, anonymous tipster).
Who is Dan Cox, you are surely muttering? He’s the writer and producer of a documentary on the Governator, but no one here at the bunker cares about that– what’s more mutinous is his eyebrow-raising post over at Mediabistro’s “Fishbowl LA” blog, which one of you was sharp enough to catch and release our way. The title of his post is “Spielberg wants Bollywood“, and its relevant text is below:
Steven Spielberg, ever the iconoclast, is just saying NO to the studios these days. As has been reported over and over, he’s doing a deal with India’s Reliance ADA Group.
The India contingent is putting up a billion bucks to give Spielberg carte blanche (or however that translates to Indian) to make and distribute whatever he wants.
Regardless, Speilberg’s looking and the majors are all considering (but not relying on, ho ho) his Reliance cash, but invariably it’s likely that Spielberg will be back in bed with Universal, where all of his filmic links have been in the past, whether DreamWorks SKG or Amblin.
The India Reliance deal is supposed to be completed this week. We’ll see if Spielberg starts wearing a Sari or has a red dot implanted on his forehead. [link to stupidity]
Classy. Now I’m no big-shot, one documentary-creatin’ Hollywood insider, but I do understand “American” words loud and clear; I mean…the American language surely exists, because such a successful person would only conjure a tongue called “Indian” if it were true, no? He wouldn’t be THAT lazy or willfully ignorant? Oh, wait…
I’m not going to back down from anything I posted.There was nothing negative intentionally spoken or implied about Indian or Pakistani of Hindi or Bengalese culture. There was simply an amusing look at why and how Steven Spielberg is more interested in $1 billion from an Indian contingent than he is in finding it on Wall Street or from the studios or from his backyard. [link to stupidity]
THAT is from a comment he posted, in response to outraged readers who called him out for his inexcusable kundi-holery. He says his piece was “simply an amusing look at…”, I say “you know exactly what you were doing and for that, YOU SUCK”. Tomato, thekkalikya.
But wait! THERE ARE MORE CRINGE-INDUCING WORDS WHERE THAT CAME FROM!
Now, maybe it wasn’t all that amusing.Maybe I come off as a club-footed xenophobe. [link to stupidity]
Remove two “maybes” from that quote and lo! It’s suddenly, magically accurate.
But hello India, what I wrote also wasn’t a diatribe about the sub-continent.
I’m fully aware that a sari is a female garment as well as the fact that a red dot on the forehead is not there to be made fun of. It may have cultural or religious relevance. But what should be made fun of is the fact that Spielberg is taking his money from whichever provider that he can find, whether his head is adorned with pink polka dots. [link to stupidity]
Oh, honey…I’m so sorry to break this news, but…India ain’t reading you. India (unlike me) has better things to do with her time, than read you. Also, if you are fully aware of who wears saris and what red dots might signify, then Dan, you have no excuse for what you wrote.If what SHOULD be made fun of is Spielberg’s choice for who bankrolls his next project, why do you need to write like a xenophobic douchebag in order to convey such sentiments? Was your starbucks a bit lacking that morning? Not as motivated as you usually are? Did you think, “HEY! I know! Instead of creating something valuable, I’ll willfully write ignorant and incendiary, racist drivel about Indians, because SS is getting funding from some dothead company!“
The blog post was bad enough, but pushing back reflexively instead of acknowledging you had done wrong? Shame on you and such immature pride.
And for the record, I actually like Indian food, especially those funny little things named after South American dictators [link to stupidity]
What on earth are you referring to? Because if we knew, then it would be like a pinky-swear truce and shit would be allll good between us. I mean, you like Indian food! That means you CAN’T be racist, right? One last “for shame” for your kundi and I’m out, just like your archaic and stubborn ignorance.
Dan Cox is a douche bag.
Why is this funny?
I mean the average Hollywood movie does get a third of its revenue from showing to “the Asian contingent”, not Wall Street or his own backyard, right?
2 · Confused said
It’s not. :/
And since I’ve never heard of this guy (or the site – is it well known?) before, why give him free publicity? A hack like him probably craves free air-time and page views over reputation, so why give him that satisfaction?
4 · Confused said
I think the site is rather well-known…since I wasn’t sure, I asked a friend at some mag about it and he immediately responded with something like, “Oh, yeah…I look for jobs on there”. Maybe it’s a journalism thing, and we should ask Sree-uncle? 😀
I grok what you’re saying, I do. Here’s how my thought process went…
1) receive tip via tipline 2) curse in “keralese” and “Umerican” 3) pause, reflect on whether this fishy site is worth blowing up (since I share your concerns) 4) call super-busy friend 5) ultimately decide that it’s prob not worth my time, focus on Shelley Malil 🙁 6) this morning: wake up, note tab is still open on FF 7) shrug and refresh…maybe he printed an apology? 8) spit kappipaal all over fancy borrowed laptop which I have no idea how to clean 9) furiously start googling
It was the fact that he pushed back which inspired this post (and my ire). Had he done the right thing or even ignored the whole thing (vs. leave comments defending rude post), we wouldn’t be here.
Thanks for posting about this, ANNA.
For Dan Cox: What’s the purpose of throwing in “We’ll see if Spielberg starts wearing a Sari or has a red dot implanted on his forehead.”? It IS xenophobic and racist, and beyond that, irrelevant to your post. That statement takes away any credibility to anything else you say.
We live in a different world, son. Unlike Spielberg, you don’t have carte blanche to do whatever you want. Recognize we live in a world where people do feel like they’ve been marginalized/treated differently because of their race. No one is going to tolerate those kinds of remarks because of that. It’s not surprising that this concept may go over your head, as some people didn’t have to grow up with racism and/or benefit from it.
he also writes “And for the record, I actually like Indian food, especially those funny little things named after South American dictators.”
What is he talking about?
I wonder what his Fark handle is?
I presume “Samosa = (Anastasio) Somoza, the dictator of Nicaragua who was deposed by the Sandinistas. That’s the Nicaragua in Central America, btw…
They had excellent Somoza-s at the Kal Penn/Obama event in Arlington…sigh. I wish Toby and Ruby would tell me where they got them!
Spielberg is only moderately more culturally literate than Cox, Temple of Doom anyone? Not sure he ever apologized for that libel. Most of Hollywood is tarded when it comes to Asia and I am including the Ivy League screenwriters. Last time I was asked if I “spoke Hindu” was at at an alumni event of one of the big three Ivies.
Cox sounds an awful lot like Lou Dobbs. Passively in favor of capital free flows when they are on top, protectionist when success can no longer be taken for granted. Heaven forbid that you have to sell your grand vision to a bunch of Indian savages with $$$
Interestingly Spielberg followed up the lame Temple of Doom with what I consider one of his best films ever, “Empire of the Sun” in 1987, a film that also introduced a 12 year old Christian Bale to the film world.
10 · A N N A said
imagine a world in which we could forward his picture and biodata to every desi food establishment in the country (or the world). “How you like THEM Somozas???!!!” (
according to this IMDB reviewer, he has a tendency to go ‘over-the-top’
egad. so tacky, that dan cox.
I just posted this email to MediaBistro…
“I’ve just read: Spielberg wants Bollywood Posted by Dan Cox
Mr. Cox manages to include an impressive number of ignorant offensive comments for such a short, lousy, ‘non-researched blog w/no insight’.
I have no desire to read drivel of this sort with or without the ethnic slurs. I request that you sack this moron and apologize to the readers as he has repeatedly demonstrated he has neither the class nor the sense to do so himself.”
Bengalese??? That should be Bengalian, you fool!
I just printed out a copy of that whole blog and fed it into my shredder. That’ll learn him!
Ah, thanks! I was saying “peenoshey” in various Indian language accents and trying in vain to convince myself that it was the plural of some fictitious milk sweet called “peenosha” related to the really-existing “padusha”.
I can understand ignorance, but not the assholier-than-thou attitude that Dan Cox persists in displaying.
Oh well.
That doesn’t even make sense. His update, I mean. What film maker doesn’t want carte blanche over his or her own productions and who wouldn’t take the money where they would get it? It’s why Woody Allen works in Europe, rather than the US, now. It’s where he can get bankrolled. They all do that. There’s nothing particularly new about it, and, there are plenty of people who come to the US to get their films bankrolled. The basic point of his article makes no sense, gratuitous sillyness or no.
19 · MD said
I don’t think any media watchdog would be so kind as to label this ‘gratuitous sillyness’ if he was referring to “dredle-spinning financiers” or if Spielberg was “getting in touch with his inner matzo ball”
Relax, Nagayan. I just meant the article was stupid.
Sorry, I mitsyped 🙂
Wow.
He likes indian food? What a pathetic attempt to mask his ignorance… It’s like when someone says “I’m not racist! I have a friend who’s black!”
21 · MD said
i dunno, prose is only humorous when the author knows enough of the subject matter to make it so–and when you fail this badly, I find anna’s post the only appropriate reaction.
Cox sounds an awful lot like Lou Dobbs.
Yet another negative random comment about Lou Dobbs on this website. Is Mr.Cox a best selling author or have one of the most watched news shows on cable like Lou Dobbs. I don’t think so.
25 · Suki Dillon said
Yes, El Dobbslo is a celebrity. Just like Paris Hilton. Although much heftier. And oranger (let’s say that’s a word.)
Why do you think the comment is negative? Because it is associating Dobbsy with somebody who makes derogatory comments about an ethnic group?
Uh, so, at risk of getting flamed, I have to suggest that maybe people are over-reacting to this Dan Cox guy a bit here. Obviously, he’s insensitive, ignorant, and manifestly without a point, but… racist and xenophobic? Seems a bit strong to me. I say we should save those terms for genuine bigots who are actually out to hurt people. Getting all whipped up into an foaming rage over some douchebag trivializes the real racist xenophobes out there and, as gratifying as righteous indignation may be, it’s a dangerous emotion to cultivate.
redr, I would argue that the use of racist (and sexist) imagery in order to dehumanize or denigrate someone falls under the broad umbrella of “racist/xenophobic” acts. Should we wait until Mr. Cox abuses his cab driver, screaming about how the man has stolen the jobs of hard-working former Bear Stearns employees?
…and Spain’s b’ball team is now a household name.
25 · Suki Dillon said
<
blockquote>Cox sounds an awful lot like Lou Dobbs.
Suki: Don’t get your chuddis in a bunch. I make fun of Dobb’s because he once upon a time had a little show called Moneyline where he was a cheerleader for capitalism and free flow of capital. Then the man leaves for Space.com which in the Darwinian world of the market gets slaughtered along with all the other Web 1.0 crap. Dobb’s comes back to CNN being a protectionist after getting burnt. I happen to favor capitalism and so I can’t resist calling out people who have a problem with it benefiting anyone else besides them or people who deviate too much from their phenotype. Both Dobb’s and Cox had no problem with the status quo when they were the winners, now they want to take the ball and run home to momma. Or in terms that might be culturally more appropriate for you run away with the puck like a complete hoser. I am OK with you being a Canadian, not all of you are red so no need to overcompensate
He didn’t bother translating ‘carte blanche’ to American. Sure, the use of this term is rather common in English (or American, perhaps) but in that case, why bother pointing out that it would require translation to “Indian”? Oh, wait. I know. Because he is an a$$h01e.
I am interested in finding out more about this mysterious Hindi culture that he talks about. And incidentally, it should be “amused look”, not “amusing look”. The readers will judge that, jerk.
By the way, the Spanish ad wasn’t racist as first reported by the British press. Turns out the sponsor of the Team is the famous Chinese athlete they showed diving through the air during the Olympic ceremonies. That Chinese sponsor is the guy that suggested they do the ad that way. He even played host to them when they arrived in China.
Just wanted to set the record straight.
Back to your regular programming.
Anna, thanks for this post, and it’s good to see you posting regularly again.
17 · Man of the world said
He must have thought it went like Senegal – Senegalese.
Somehow Man of the world reminded me of Mr. Kobayashi, that old Svengali.
Forget about Dan Cox, why is Reliance even talking to Spielberg, a fading third-rate director with nothing interesting to say? Why not give the money to Mira Nair or some Sundance folks? Or better, Amir Khan? Or use it to start their own animation studio?
35 · Speelborg said
Yeah, I hear he packs quite a punch.
chachaji, I always knew you were an impressionable young girl in search of old men to be mesmerized by.
At first I was thinking that it was just a few sentences/comments in poor taste but irrelevant, but his actual point (that Spielberg is taking money wherever he can get it and should be made fun of for that) is actually making me believe that he is being racist here. Why is it weirder to take money from Reliance ADAG (and JP Morgan) than Viacom? The title of the post is also wrong as far as I can tell (it’s not for Bollywood, and that was the part I was most excited about; it’s an Indian company funding a refangled Dreamworks in Hollywood). And on an aside, “club-footed xenophobe” is also pretty obnoxious, for entirely different reasons.
Anyway, it’s annoying, because it’s also an interesting business story but all this is so distracting.
36 · Dr AmNonymous said
Thank you! I was pretty offended by that statement too! No need to insult us by calling us cripples!
9 · Branch Dravidian said
As our dear friend NjDe$iQTpie said a while back, “Watevr. all sound same.”
What an asshat…
Mr. Cox should realize that the money flow directions have changed over the last few years with the growth in emerging markets. There were also items in news about the sale of the Chrysler building in New York to overseas investors, all major investment banks looking for foreign sovereign funds to boost their capital and the Russian billionaire buying Trump’s mansion in Florida. ADAG is becoming more involved in the entertainment business in India, if I recall correctly they have a joint venture with ADLABS, which produces movies and also runs many cinema halls in Bombay. Didn’t UTV also recently produce a Chris Rock movie?
If Spielberg is going to make something like Temple Of Douche again, he is not welcome to India or Indian services. What was Amrish Puri thinking?
Speaking of douchery, when I read “funny little things named after South American dictators,” my first thought was “There’s a South American dictator named Idli?”
41 · Maitri said
There sure was one African dictator called Id(l)i.
Haha! His name is “cox.” (teehee) what a loser.
37 · Athletic xenophobe said
Bwahahahahaha!
Bengalese tigers are endangered. SO SAD.
“Carte blanche (or however that translates to Indian)” – Here’s a simple translation to Indian: carte blanche.
Carte blanche is a french phrase adopted by the English language.
English is an official language of India, which has no language named “Indian.”
Therefore carte blanche in “Indian” is carte blanche.
Maybe it’s time we all make like India and move on from this triteness???
Everyone has a right to express their opinion on the net. As is evidenced right here.
Next?
I sent an email to Media Bistro about Mr. Cox Knocker
http://www.mediabistro.com/aboutus/contactus.asp
47 · You said it said
And now you said it; everyone has a right to express their opinion, whether it’s the author or you. Triteness and relevance are in the eye of the beholder. If you’d like to move on, feel free, don’t impose on others to do the same.
Look, Dan gets paid by the post, and he’s trying to get more pageviews. Nikki Finke reported the same story, about a month ago, and photoshopped turbans onto the heads of the Dreamworks team. Commenters thought she was racist, too. He’s harmless, as he does no real reporting, but just cuts and pastes from other sites.
FBLA used to be good, but lost the best blogger. Dan’s just trying to get some attention.