Query: Notions of Orientalism and/or Mimicry on TV

From: Maiershofer, Erik C <[email protected]>

An interesting teaching tool could be episodes from the short-lived
series, "Outsourced."  The premise is an American is sent to India to
oversee a call center.  The series addresses the idea of Orientalism,
and I remember there being some debate about whether the series itself
presented an "orientalist" view of India.  In that sense, I think it
would illustrate the concept of Orientalism (particularly one episode in
which the American HQ sends a video to the call center illustrating the
benefits of yoga which is then mocked by the employees).  It also could
open a discussion as to whether or not the series itself is guilty of
Orientalism.

Erik C. Maiershofer, Ph.D.
Hope International University
[email protected]