# Is "Outsourced" racist or just stupid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294 "2010-10-15T21:35:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/21 "2010-10-16T22:44:27Z")
I kinda like it. The show spends more time making fun of “stupid Americans” as it does Indians, so I dont really see the claim of racism. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/22 "2010-10-16T22:55:52Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > It’s a cute show and I think India is a big and powerful enough country to take a few jibes at its customs and business practices… Is that really the issue, or is it that the narrative is filtered through the subjectivity of the outsourcers, rather than the outsourcees? ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/23 "2010-10-17T02:13:42Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > > [@Olfatbut](#): > > > > The Indian characters are weird stereotypes, > > More so than _The Office,_ say? Since when are the Indian characters on The Office “weird stereotypes”? (I assume we’re talking about the U.S. version.) The only major Indian-American character I can recall is Kelly, who’s shallow, ditzy, and clingy, but I’m not aware that any of those traits are stereotypes of Indians. She’d be way more stereotypical if recast as a blond Caucasian. Other than that, there was that Sikh tech-support guy, who seemed pretty normal but Micheal assumed he was a terrorist. I guess Vikram (who worked with Michael at his telemarketing job) was a bit stereotypical, but he was in, what, three episodes? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/24 "2010-10-17T02:31:09Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > > [@Colibri](#): > > > > More so than _The Office,_ say? > > Since when are the Indian characters on The Office “weird stereotypes”? (I assume we’re talking about the U.S. version.) The only major Indian-American character I can recall is Kelly, who’s shallow, ditzy, and clingy, but I’m not aware that any of those traits are stereotypes of Indians. She’d be way more stereotypical if recast as a blond Caucasian. > > Other than that, there was that Sikh tech-support guy, who seemed pretty normal but Micheal assumed he was a terrorist. I guess Vikram (who worked with Michael at his telemarketing job) was a bit stereotypical, but he was in, what, three episodes? Not to speak for Colibri, but he clearly meant ALL of the characters in the Office could be considered weird stereotypes, not just Kelly. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/25 "2010-10-17T02:57:38Z")
I was under the impression that the character Abed was supposed to be Lebanese or some other Middle Eastern type (his dad owns a falafel restaurant). One of the problems with the show is that it overly simplifies aspects of Indian culture – the Indian characters essentially have none of the specificity of identity that real Indians do. So it kind of ends up being misleading in portraying Indians as having a unified culture. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/26 "2010-10-17T02:59:14Z")
Yes, Abed is supposed to be half-Palestinian, half-Polish, although the actor himself is half-Indian, half-Polish. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/27 "2010-10-17T03:24:00Z")
I’ve been to India for work. I’ve also watched all four episodes of Outsourced on Hulu and, as someone upthread alluded, the show does portray a somewhat unreal, whitewashed version of India and Indians. Then again, it is a comedy, and when have comedies been overly concerned with realism? I don’t find the show racist, or the characters stereotypical, thank goodness, but I don’t see it surviving for too long. It’s just not funny or interesting enough. I don’t think the audience is going to be able to relate to, or care about, a novelty company for too long. Heck, I’m American, and I don’t understand why anyone would purchase any of the products the fictional novelty company hawks. That alone may cause me to give up on the show after a couple more episodes. Now, a show about Dell’s or Microsoft’s call center tech support, that’s something I would be interested in watching. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/28 "2010-10-17T04:30:16Z")
Just wanted to say that the subplot this week had the Mid-America novelties folks getting back at the Apple help desk folks on their own, without any “outsourcer” character interacting in the subplot or even knowing about it. More of that, please. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/29 "2010-10-17T12:52:21Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > I’m Indian, born in the states, and my parents are Indian, born in India. I don’t really watch the show cause, well, it’s not funny, but my parents think it’s hee-lar-ious. This is pretty much my own experience with it. My parents find this show hilarious for some reason- I watched the first episode and have to say it’s not my comedy, but it wasn’t as offensive as I thought it would be- mostly because it does tend to focus on the American guy’s issues with a new culture vs. mocking Indians for their culture. That said, I didn’t think it was particularly funny, but meh, different tastes. My personal favorite “Brown” guy in a role- Kal Penn’s character on House a few seasons ago. That’s how it SHOULD be done. I could relate more to that one than the characters in Outsourced. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/30 "2010-10-17T14:46:16Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > Just wanted to say that the subplot this week had the Mid-America novelties folks getting back at the Apple help desk folks on their own, without any “outsourcer” character interacting in the subplot or even knowing about it. More of that, please. I thought that part was pretty unrealistic. No group of lunch diners are going to march around a table to simultaneously put their trays down. Just as unrealistic is how Todd did not act on Pippa Black’s Tonya character’s offer for relations. Just ask Charlie for the green light and then get with that fine, fine Aussie. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/31 "2010-10-17T16:49:44Z")
Well, not _Just as_ unrealistic. People frequently decline offers of sex, even ftom hot people, especially if they are propositioned in front of doneone they’re actually interested in and is likely go know about such an encounter. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/32 "2010-10-17T17:17:44Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > This is a question I’ve had for a while now, but is anyone else surprised that the first American sitcom dealing with American-Eastern country relations takes place in India, rather than China? China is just such behemoth that I assumed any show would be about a group of Chinese office workers. > Although I guess because of call centers, Americans tend to interact with Indians more than Chinese people . . . are there call centers to America in China? If not, why not? More expensive? India has a tradition of large numbers of people having been educated in English. They may have heavy accents (to American ears), but many of them speak perfectly grammatical English. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/33 "2010-10-17T19:15:16Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > > [@tim314](#): > > > > Not to speak for Colibri, but he clearly meant ALL of the characters in the Office could be considered weird stereotypes, not just Kelly. Oh, OK… but they’re not really racial/ethinic stereotypes, right? I don’t even think I’d consider most of them stereotypes, just weirdos with exaggerated personality traits. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/34 "2010-10-17T19:31:38Z")
I’ve watched all four episodes of Outsourced so far, and none of the Indian characters would be out of place in any type of office comedy I’ve seen. There’s plenty of cultural humor, but I’ve not noticed anything racial. The people calling in seem to get paintbrushed a lot more than the stars, but since they’re midwestern and southern American by accent, there’s nothing said about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/35 "2010-10-17T19:39:18Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > This is a question I’ve had for a while now, but is anyone else surprised that the first American sitcom dealing with American-Eastern country relations takes place in India, rather than China? Not the first! Back in the mid-80’s, there was a fairly popular movie, **Gung Ho** , starring Michael Keaton as a manager at an American auto plant that is bought by a Japanese company. The Japanese management comes to America to run the plant, and Keaton has to show them how to deal with American culture and work habits. Hilarity ensues! The movie spawned a short-lived TV series of the same name–sans Keaton but with some of the actors from the movie reprising their roles. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/36 "2010-10-17T19:43:14Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > > [@Gestalt](#): > > > > This is a question I’ve had for a while now, but is anyone else surprised that the first American sitcom dealing with American-Eastern country relations takes place in India, rather than China? > > Not the first! > > Back in the mid-80’s, there was a fairly popular movie, **Gung Ho** , starring Michael Keaton as a manager at an American auto plant that is bought by a Japanese company. The Japanese management comes to America to run the plant, and Keaton has to show them how to deal with American culture and work habits. Hilarity ensues! > > The movie spawned a short-lived TV series of the same name–sans Keaton but with some of the actors from the movie reprising their roles. He said China. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/37 "2010-10-17T19:49:44Z")
He also said “the first American sitcom dealing with American-Eastern country relations” ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/38 "2010-10-17T19:50:08Z")
**Tangent** just said “Not the first!”, in reply to **Gestalt** ’s surprise as to what country the first American sitcom dealing with American-Eastern country relations was set in. **Tangent** ’s was merely establishing that Outsourced was not the first such program, regardless of whether the first such program was or was not situated in China. The proper reply to **Tangent** is not “He said China”, but rather, technically, “He said sitcom”. ETA: **acsenray** ’s post wasn’t there when I wrote this. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/39 "2010-10-17T19:52:45Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > The proper reply to **Tangent** is not “He said China”, but rather, technically, “He said sitcom”. As I posted, the movie spawned a TV series. The TV series was a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294/40 "2010-10-17T19:57:30Z")
Oops. My bad; I somehow missed that last part. The proper response then is “Thank you, **Tangent** , for that most salient piece of information.”. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-outsourced-racist-or-just-stupid/557294.md?page=3)