Archive for the ‘Popular culture’ Category
Slumdog Millionaire actress Rubina Ali writes memoirs
Posted by Johanna in India, Popular culture on juni 25th, 2009
Rubina Ali, who playes the young Latika in the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire, is 9 years old and born and raised in the slums of Mumbai. She has attained a contract with the brittish pubilisher Transworld, to write her memoirs. the book will feature her upbringing in the slum, how she became selected to act in the Slumdog Millionaire film and how her life loks like now, as a world-known celebrity. It is a fairytale come true for young Rubina. The book will be released in July 2009, according to the Telegraph, and the income from the book sale will be half to Rubina’s family and half to the french charity organization Medecins du Monde.
As I previously stated , I liked Slumdog Millionarie, I especially adored the young actors’ acting skills. I have previously studied an orphanage in Mumbai, where girls from the Slum are taken in, and given food, education, and lodging. The problem, I realised during my study of the orphanage girls, was that among all the things the orpanage gave them, one thing was missing. It was the love and warmth of caring adults. The girls took care of each other, slept close to one another and they shared a special bond, growing up together and sharing their joys and sorrows. I think that that feeling of togetherness is featured in Slumdog millionaire. The films’ focus is not on the misery, but on the joys of life.
In conclusion, I look forward to Rubinas book, and I will write about it once I have read it.
Bollywoodfilm as an entry to societal debate
Posted by Johanna in India, Popular culture on maj 30th, 2009
I have been watching Bollywood films frequently for about five years, and while conducting fieldwork in Delhi, I saw all the latest releases, because my informants related to this media. My informants watch both Bollywood and American films, and during conversations Bollywood often came up as a topic. Referring to Anthropologist Jacobs-Huey’s concept, the native card, I call this competence the Bollywood card. Knowledge might be an entry to some fields, one entry point for me in my research was the Bollywood knowledge. The Bollywood card functioned as an icebreaker, as an entry point to societal debate, and serves as a common topic of discussion.
In India, Bollywood film is a large part of the entertainment sector. “Every day about 15 million people throng the 13,000 movie halls in the country” (Varma 2004:154). Bollywoodfilms are frequently debated in the media, and the controversial films are often banned in certain states according to the local state government which has a major influence in the entertainment. New Bollywood films tend to challenge conventions by portraying unconventional relationships like extra-marital affairs, inter-caste relationships, divorce, pre-marital sex, as well as portraying people who challenge the heteronormative sexuality or climb the social ladder from poverty to wealth, in its own collective fantasy (Kakar 1996:25).
The film Dostana (Hindi = friendship), for example is challenging the heterosexual norm. Another film that premiered during my stay in Delhi was Rab Ban Na Di Jodi (Hindi=A match made in heaven), about a good girl who conforms to her father’s wishes to get married, when the father lies on his death bed. The fathers last wish is to know that his daughter is in good hands when he passes away, and she is united with a man of her father’s choice. The girl in the film challenges the conventional norm of a good wife with telling her husband that she will never love him, and then eventually falls in love outside of her marriage.
I consider films cultural narratives, which provide a commentary on Indian society, challenging conventions and bringing societal change
Who is in the picture?
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on maj 9th, 2009
Stockholm street art and a question for you: who are the men in suits?
Swedish veil-fashion
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on maj 6th, 2009
Popular culture wise I really admire this Swedish muslim girl Mejsa Chaaraoui who is a veil stylist. Setting up trend s for the veil-wearing community in Sweden Mejsa are showing hip, trendy, colorful inspiring styles to wear the veil. In an interview in Swedish Daily newspaper Metro she states that she “does not want the veil to over-shadow her personality- rather the veil will aid her in enhancing her personality”. Thumbs of for this entrepreneur. Hope to see more of this veil-fashionista!
Accounts from a popular culture schooled feminist
Posted by Johanna in Gender, Popular culture on april 15th, 2009
My Master thesis in Anthropology is on the topic of “Gender identity among young middle class girls in Delhi”. During my anthropological fieldwork I interacted with Indian College Girls using the method of participant observation in my field, South Delhi. Since I am an anthropologist embarking a gender discussion in my MA, it is necessary for me to reflexively clarify my standpoint and knowledge in this field by tracing events in my own experience that indicates my enthusiasm for researching girls making gender. I begun to reflect on gender when I was the age of my informants, attending gymnasium, when I started noticing how the Swedish society (many times referred to as the most equal country in the world) is gendered and how the inequalities affected me more than my male friends.I am a popular culture schooled feminist. My awareness was awaken by feminists authors and journalists who received a vast amount of attention in the media in the late 90ies in Sweden. The critical feminist writers; Nina Björk, Belinda Olsson, Karolina Ramqvist, Linda Skugge and Fanny Ambjörnsson shared their experiences and helped me shape my feminist identity. These women served as role models for me since they in their writings problematised and pointed out the gender roles in Sweden by sharing self lived stories through popular media channels. Since I found feminism through media channels and not via academia I call myself popular culture schooled feminist.
The Picture of Today
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on april 13th, 2009
Some Street culture from Warsawa
