Hindus in Desparate Need of Hobby

Here we go again...

Indians are once again upset over what the rest of the world commonly views as innocuous entertainment.

Over 5000 Hindus have signed petitions against the yet-to-be-released Mike Meyers' vehicle, The Love Guru, because the main character wears a sari and carries beads. They claim this sends a clear message to Western teenagers and other ignoramuses that the character is Hindu. Because all Western teenagers and ignoramuses know what the hell a sari is.

Mike Meyers assured everyone the religion featured in the film is a fictional creation, "like the Force in Star Wars," but this has not quelled the outcry, which even Deepak Chopra calls "religious propaganda." And that's exactly what this is.

You may recall not so long ago, the Indians went absolutely apeshit over Richard Gere kissing that Shetty chick (whose name no one can spell). In fact, they swore-out warrants for his arrest and called her in for questioning! And their recent lack of productive outlets for what is obviously a wellspring of negativity (which can lead to paralysis, according to the Hogan family) has had an impact: the British Film Institute has refused to screen the film and wants "nothing to do" with it.

Never ones to miss an opportunity to condemn, American extremists have picked up the ball and started dribbling all over themselves.

But while all of this offends me and others, perhaps the most outrageous part of this story is that the movie has been almost soundly panned! Pretty much everyone who has screened it has declared it a misfire, so all this religious propaganda - because that's exactly what it is - will accomplish is a boost in sales for a movie that would otherwise most likely flop soundly.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008