Outsourced -- "Touched by an Anglo" -- 10/21/10

[DJariya]

<img src="http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/7889/outsourcedcast.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/><br/>By <a target="_new" href="http://profile.imageshack.us/user/djariya">djariya</a> at 2010-10-04


Synopsis:

A shipment of risqué novelties causes tension in the office, so Todd looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint.

Episode 5 of 22

If you were in hibernation this week, Outsourced got a full 22 episode season.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/10/18/nbc-orders-full-season-pickups-for-new-series-the-event-law-and-order-los-angeles-and-outsourced-744510/20101018nbc03/

[Jobronie]

Synopsis:

A shipment of risqué novelties causes tension in the office, so Todd looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint. Sounds oddly familiar:

A shipment of paper with risqué watermarks causes tension in the office, so Michael/Toby looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint.

[kstublen]

Synopsis:

A shipment of risqué novelties causes tension in the office, so Todd looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint.

Sounds oddly familiar:

A shipment of paper with risqué watermarks causes tension in the office, so Michael/Toby looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint.


:lol:

[Sex Fiend]

Sounds oddly familiar:

A shipment of paper with risqué watermarks causes tension in the office, so Michael/Toby looks into arranging a sexual-harassment seminar. But before he can set something up, he learns that someone has already filed a complaint.

Yeah, I heard in next week's episode, they are all going on a booze cruise down the Ganges.

[kstublen]

And we're back to square one. There were a few funny things in this episode, mostly from Rajiv, but other than that it was pretty unfunny.

But aside from this being a mediocre to bad comedy, I think I realized the real problem with the show. It's that it is in the perfect situation to examine cultural, social, and religious differences and totally drops the ball.

For example, today they made a joke about Shiva Linga, which is indeed a phallic symbol. The characters referred to it as a "dong," which would have been okay if they followed up some sort of explanation or made it a learning experience for Todd at least. Instead, we're left with the joke "Indians worship a giant dong." And are we really to believe Todd is so uninformed and ignorant that he didn't recognize that one of his employees had a deity on their desk and that picking it up and playing with it was inappropriate? At least with that "joke" Asha quickly corrected him and he learned a lesson, which is more than what happened with the other so-called joke.

And we get jokes about Indians being physically and sexually repressed, not to mention more jokes about bad smalls and "funny" religions.

It's not that I find the stuff particularly offensive, but it's just so lazy comedy. It isn't satire and there is no real lesson learned at the end of the episode. Instead it's just Todd, who is a very unlikable lead to begin with, thinking these people are crazy, learning nothing from them, not growing as a person, and continuing in his belief that these people are backwards and outdated. And in turn, the Indians, with the exception of maybe Asha, aren't really learning anything from Todd either and viewing him as this crazy outsider.

[HE Pennypacker]

This show is the Temple of Doom for this generation's Indian kids in America.

[JasonF]

I think the Sikh guy who never says anything may be the breakout character of the season. But yeah, the rest of the show sucks.

[JTH182]

Are all these stereotypes true? Like, do they really not kiss in movies?

[Flave]

I think this is a taboo from a previous generation -- current Bollywood movies have absolutely no problem with kissing:

Nadk8vPqXys

[Barings]

And we're back to square one...

It's not that I find the stuff particularly offensive, but it's just so lazy comedy. It isn't satire and there is no real lesson learned at the end of the episode.

:thumbsup: That sums it up in a nutshell. I'm not really looking for a "lesson" but the writing really is lazy. They really need a good head writer who is willing to throw the script back and demand a better plotline or set upwhen they go for the cheap joke.

[emachine12]

Are all these stereotypes true? Like, do they really not kiss in movies?

Traditional Bollywood movies do not have kissing or love scenes. The 2004 Bollywood/Hollywood co-production Bride and Prejudice uses imagery in lieu of kissing and love scenes.

Richard Gere had a warrant issued for his arrrest in India due to indecency for kissing a Bollywood actress.

Now, India like other Asian countries is beginning to embrace Western ideals and allowing kissing and/or love scenes.

[Quatermass]

And we're back to square one. There were a few funny things in this episode, mostly from Rajiv, but other than that it was pretty unfunny.

But aside from this being a mediocre to bad comedy, I think I realized the real problem with the show. It's that it is in the perfect situation to examine cultural, social, and religious differences and totally drops the ball.

For example, today they made a joke about Shiva Linga, which is indeed a phallic symbol. The characters referred to it as a "dong," which would have been okay if they followed up some sort of explanation or made it a learning experience for Todd at least. Instead, we're left with the joke "Indians worship a giant dong." And are we really to believe Todd is so uninformed and ignorant that he didn't recognize that one of his employees had a deity on their desk and that picking it up and playing with it was inappropriate? At least with that "joke" Asha quickly corrected him and he learned a lesson, which is more than what happened with the other so-called joke.

And we get jokes about Indians being physically and sexually repressed, not to mention more jokes about bad smalls and "funny" religions.

It's not that I find the stuff particularly offensive, but it's just so lazy comedy. It isn't satire and there is no real lesson learned at the end of the episode. Instead it's just Todd, who is a very unlikable lead to begin with, thinking these people are crazy, learning nothing from them, not growing as a person, and continuing in his belief that these people are backwards and outdated. And in turn, the Indians, with the exception of maybe Asha, aren't really learning anything from Todd either and viewing him as this crazy outsider.

This was a bad episode, but my overall impression of the series is still favorable. I think this sums it up pretty well.

Kstublen: I don't know if you ever saw the one-season CW series "Aliens in America" but it a very well-executed example of what you described.

[Big Boy Laroux]

It's not that I find the stuff particularly offensive, but it's just so lazy comedy. It isn't satire and there is no real lesson learned at the end of the episode. Instead it's just Todd, who is a very unlikable lead to begin with, thinking these people are crazy, learning nothing from them, not growing as a person, and continuing in his belief that these people are backwards and outdated. And in turn, the Indians, with the exception of maybe Asha, aren't really learning anything from Todd either and viewing him as this crazy outsider.

Agree completely, especially with the parts in bold. The Todd character is absolutely unlikeable. Why the hell are we expected to care about him in the least?

[SpanishTechno]

Pretty weak episode but I'll probably keep watching. It's not that the show is terrible, I just think the bar has been set pretty high for comedies these days, especially on Thursday.

[Fist of Doom]

:lol: at the staff's reactions to the harassment video.

It was no "Jolly Vindaloo Day", but I liked this episode.