Eek. Watching this video of South Asian youth getting interviewed on energy issues made me have bad flashbacks to the days when I would try to register South Asian youth to vote in front of desi parties. Tough crowd, those desi youngsters.
Seriously? Let me break it down. Global warming is bad (and not a myth). Thus, hybrid vehicles are good. Clean energy like wind and solar are good. Saving energy is good. Drilling for more oil (especially domestic) is bad. Suing polar bears to drill for oil is bad. Driving a gas guzzling hummer is tacky (and bad.) Paying high prices at the pump is bad. Bhangra as a source of alternative energy is so not good.
Get educated on the energy crisis, kids. Register to vote. Then vote for the candidate, whether Obama or McCain, whose stance on energy is most like your own.
Desi States of America is a weekly Tuesday night show that is screened on Pan Desi available on your cable channel of Colours TV nightly at 9pm. Desi States of America has a stream of shows uploaded on youtube, and to me it seems like the show is a desi version of a college version of a less funny version of the Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. Not bad, just not great. I get that the clip above was trying to be ironic – like when Jay Leno hits the streets to ask every day Americans questions. But there’s something so pathetically gut wrenching when a guy is asked to name alternative energy sources and he responds, RED BULL.
best answer was “kinetic potential solar”. I was falling off my chair when I heard that. He got at least one of the potential alternatives right. Taz, you should seriously consider forming a “Save South Asian Youth Foundation”.
Alternative Source of Energy – RED BULL ???!!! (the best joke, I ever came across in a long time)
Sleep Desi people…Sleep. Our alternative source of (no)energy.
South Asians know dont know squat about martial arts either, most haven’t heard of Kalaripayat. We need SAMA as well. Of course that means certain people will have to stop bouncing their shoulders and worrying about lip gloss too much.
Global warming…Heck we should be worried about global cooling. Sun has a much mush much bigger affect on our climate than SUV’s…and its a little inactive nowdays.
These kids should be congratulated for challenging the model minority myth
Wow, that was eye-opening. I’ve actually never met desi people who are so clueless. Is this very common amongst desi youth, or is this a regional thing?
But seriously, we should look into using bhangra-powered hybrid vehicles. Imagine the onomatopoeia you could employ to describe the “purr” of your bhangra engine….
I didn’t bother watching because after last night’s foreign policy “debate” I don’t think I can handle any more stupidity.
Just one note – ethanol is extremely destructive right now. Alternative energy is really important, but ethanol subsidies are actually killing people (along with speculation on prices) – the increase in U.S. consumption of cereals a significant part of what led to the food price increases in poor countries. So fossil fuels bad, yes, but other solutions please. Like mass transport.
sorry – i should add – solar, wind, etc. all seems really good and should be invested in (actually, more accurate “investments in them should have been contineud rather than destroyed around 1980 by Reagan”). Go Republicans! Thanks!!!!
Check out the HUGE bodyguard or bystander at 0:56-0:58 trying to get his face on camera. Absolutely hilarious! Well it was funny to see the reporter spelling OPEC O-P-E-C. Does nt she know that desi kids are spelling bee champs! haha
I think all these kids are responding like that on purpose. I am pretty sure they hear in passing a lot of these issues. Also, she is interviewing some totally drunk guy who is just looking to get girls and some other guy who thinks it’s a fun time popularize bhangra. This show is some kind of Rob Riggle type comedy show,methinks.. If you really want to know desi opinions on energy, go to some university and interview kids during daytime, not when they are drunk and out to get laid..
though i do support energy conservation and renewable energy sources i don’t agree with the above policy. if US can hog oil from middle-east and send money to those dictators/countries who probably fare poorly on all aspects of american foreign policy activism and not to mention the enormous burden of spewing co2 by burning that oil why don’t we first use what is in our backyard ? is it because we don’t want to mess up our neighbourhood but don’t care too much abt the rest of the world ? now if we cut back on every barrel of oil consumption and yet drill at home to increase consumption then i agree that is not good. but every foreign barrel consumed has to be replaced by domestic source. without cutting back on consumption avoiding drilling at home is a typical hyprocrisy of activists.
8 脗路 Dr Amonymous said
Dr A: allow me to introduce you to the world of Cleantech Venture Capital, funding the next revolution.
This is what happens when you interview people going into “The Great Indian Mutiny” blog meetup.
Wow… Now that Taz has taught me how to think, I don’t have to worry about coming up with my own opinions on anything anymore. Who are you to tell me Bhangra can’t be a source of alternative energy? 馃檪
ok i come from India-Town in CA and trust me indian people arent that stupid. she cant just pick up a random crowd of partiers off the street and expect them to give her legit answers. one dude seemed drunk btw. the indians i know conserve energy a LOT although i think its more for their wallets sake than that of the environment.
why obama or mccain? they both suck. how about nader or barr?
“why obama or mccain? they both suck. how about nader or barr?”
Suuure! Waste your vote on a loser. LOL!
17 脗路 Hah! said
Until we get rid of the Electoral College, I’d be more inclined to consider my vote “wasted” if I lived in a “safe,” “non-battleground” state and voted for one of the major party candidates than if I helped build a party that’s more closely aligned with my interests.
I’ve voted in Texas, New York and California. The only way for me to even start to make my vote “count” (in a national race) is to vote for a third party. LOL!
LMAO. No, really, L.M.A.O.
And let me tell you why. When I was growing up in this country, there were three Desi kids in my entire high school. Because our parents…well, do I really have to expound upon how our parents viewed our educational responsibilities to this crowd? Anyway, I was not good at math in high school. Now, when I say “not good” I mean I got B’s. I was under an enormous amount of pressure to step it up with my math grades. The other two desis kids were basically writing the math tests, never mind getting a B.
I always felt my math teachers staring at me whenever I walked out of their class, I know they were thinking “I just don’t get it, aren’t kids from over there supposed to be good at math?” Additional pressure was added by the family when my older sister started teaching math at the university. I’m just not good at math, damn it. Back off, people.
My point, however convoluted, is that stereotypes suck. I honor these morons for showing that American desis, like all human beings are varied and unique. That said, I do take issue with the young woman who surmises that brown people don’t know anything about the energy crisis based upon her conversations with four desi kids who are out way past their bedtimes. Like I said, stereotypes suck. Even when we do it to ourselves.
Speak for yourself. My Panasonic merely blows.
If you guys follow that “Pan Desi” link, there is a show on their called “Desinova” and it is the worst thing ever. Fugly indian-american dudes compete for the title of Indian playa of the year. Hitler would think this show is bad for humanity.
I think the three types of alternate energy our friend was trying to refer to were Raas, Raas, and Raas.
18 脗路 Harbeer said
They are poster children of MMM. They are well rounded & integrated.
Next time I want to see ugly women interviewing stupid people on the street I’ll watch the Extenze infomercial.
5 脗路 louiecypher said
Actually, they are integrating very well.
Lol! Funny vid!
Haha, just stupid [horny, in some cases], teenagers, being stupid teenagers. No biggie.
Off Topic- When I clicked on the Fresh Bollywood link, the website tried to download a trojan horse program to my system. Fortunately my Firewall stopped it. FYI…
“Looking for some Buzz inside” what does he mean what is this Buzz. or did he say fuzz?
if the world was powered by Bhangra it would be for the better.
TY – Eeep! Sorry about that. We’ve deleted the link from the post. The only Trojans we support here are the type you buy in a box. Not even those from USC, after Thursday’s game.
Really sorry to hear that a trojan was detected. FreshBollywood is a legitimate site and it’s not acceptable to have any trojans. We will be contacting our Ad Provider which was the most likely source of the trojan and get to the bottom of this.
Hey! I’m an SC Trojan! And this is my thread!
30 脗路 SM Intern said
What a silly name for something that’s supposed to stop soldiers from invading!
21: You are absolutely correct
I agree with #10. Seriously how dumb is the interviewer to interview people more interested in poon rather than in energy issues
Anyway Sardardji, tussi chhaa gaye!!
Check out this great Lola Kutty quiz. Indians suck at geography too. Especially us northies 馃檪
Wow, this post is a little bit too pedantic for my taste. At the very least, for a non-open and shut issue – please read up (and acknowledge) the other side of the green debate. That’s no excuse for knowing squat about your environment, but drawing a 4 point, seemingly linear decision tree is in itself much too ignorant. As you consider the positives of going green, would you please also consider the costs?
Thank you for breaking it down Taz. Now I don’t have to waste my time thinking for myself.
Do we have to keep reading the same post by Taz on here again and again? At least tell me she’ll disappear again after the election. She really flies in the face of the whole non partisan thing you guys shoot for.
I have a hard time getting worked up about the fact a bunch of kids going to a party don’t know the difference between corn-based and sweetgrass ethanol. If you interview 100 people on the street about any issue, you’re likely to get about 3 intelligent answers. Desi people are not exempted from the general ignorance of the public.
Also Taz, about your statement that drilling for more oil is wrong? There were about 20,000 rabid republicans chanting “Drill Now” in Minnesota a few weeks ago who would beg to differ.
so really what are the three VIABLE alternative energy sources ?? please enlighten me!
I love this clip. It blows out the stereotype (for me atleast).
fools come in all colors.
36 脗路 Paranoid Android said
as in everything, there is a difference between being able to read the electricity bill and being able to design a city grid.
For every kid that knew at least three sources of non fossil-fuel energy, how many know who Ronald Bailey is (and the associated change in how GW skeptics think) or who Patrick Michael is? I like playing “gotcha” as much as the next nerd, but at least I have the grace to acknowledge that the knowledge deficit on this subject (especially the details!) crosses party, ethnic and religious lines and that the truly substantive debate on the topic (including the cost/benefits of the various suggested ways of dealing with GW) takes place almost completely outside of the public sphere (yes, i’m not including the Goracle because he was less interested in science and more in stroking his ego and general panic over GW)
36 脗路 Paranoid Android said
as in everything, there is a difference between being able to read the electricity bill and being able to design a city grid.
For every kid that knew at least three sources of non fossil-fuel energy, how many know who Ronald Bailey is (and the associated change in how GW skeptics think), Patrick Michael, ?
36 脗路 Paranoid Android said
It’s funny that you ask for nuance but reduce this to “sides” 馃檪 Most of the arguments I have ever heard in the political mainstream against global warming and renewable energy have been uncompelling at best and more likely just disingenuous. If you can point to specialist literature or mainstream arguments that acknowledge that global warming is occurring, and then seek to explain it, outline a path towards eliminating it without causing other serious externalities or reasons why it’s not problematic, I’d be happy to read it.
But until then, the debate for me is really what types of solutions are found to global warming, not whether – like every other country in the world has realized. So, consumption tax? Redesign cities? Let more migrants move out of countries that will likely be more affected (e.g. Bangladesh) to countries that will be less negatively affected? For example, I’ve heard ethanol subsidies for Iowa described as a “minor war crime” and I agree.
sweetgrass ethanol
I did some sweet grass and ethanol, before dawn, while looking for tigers at Bandipur recently. Were you looking for switchgrass? If policy decisions were made based on the science of planetary warming CARB/Greens ought to mandate catalytic converters for cattle.
See now this is funny. LOL. Way better than Manoj and they weren’t even trying.
Me thinks this piece has less to do with the general knowledge of energy issues of desis, and more to do with the knowledge of energy issues of people who only care about looking pretty and going clubbing. This piece was dedicated to exposing the stupidity of dumb people, they should try getting a wider sample next time if they’re actually interesting in presenting a diversity of viewpoints on the issue.