“Remember that it’s both possible and even necessary to simultaneously enjoy media while being critical of its more problematic or pernicious aspects.” — Anita Sarkeesian, culture critic and host of Feminist Frequency
I have a sad, terrifying confession to make: I’ve been listening to Priyanka Chopra featuring Pitbull’s “Exotic” on repeat at the gym, in the car, at work, and even at home. I’ve been screaming out the lyrics when possible. I find myself involuntarily dancing along to this anthem. I’m not immune to its infectious charm — it’s a certifiable “summer jam.” See for yourself:
https://soundcloud.com/skamartist-djs/priyanka-ft-pitbull-exotic
This anthem is the pinnacle of a pop conundrum: It’s exploitative, it’s derivative, it’s trashy. It tokenizes Indian identity as its centerpiece for Western audiences. However, it’s also an excellent case study in how an American entertainment market constantly seeking to promote homogeneity has stacked the odds against Indian performers — so much so that they have to play into existing stereotypes in order to get a proper foothold into the market.
Priyanka Chopra’s Exotic is reflective of Indian identity? How, other than the fact that Chopra is Indian? It’s the most generic sounding pop hit I’ve ever heard. It could have been generated by any superficial pop group in any country in the world, without any changes. It literally sounds like it was stamped out in plastic at the “Top 40 Pop Hit” factory. It’s utterly dull.
I agree with the basic idea of the article, but…
“Once you leave the United States, you truly begin to understand how
more influential Bollywood is on the global community than Hollywood;
the population of non-resident Indians (NRIs) has boomed in recent
years, with more than 30 million Indians living outside of the Indian
subcontinent. Of that, about 3.2 million NRIs live in the United States,
another million in Canada, and another 1.5 million in the United
Kingdom. This means that Bollywood A-listers, like Priyanka Chopra, for
example, enjoy a level of stardom internationally that big-in-the-West
actresses like Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, and Halle Berry may not —
simply because the cultural barriers inherent in most other parts of the
world are at times so impenetrable.”
You’ve got to be kidding lol. Hollywood is able to penetrate significantly more of the world than Bollywood ever will. “Angelina Jolie” and “Lady Gaga” are names that are googled all over the world. Hell, even “Kim Kardashian” is a hot search all of the world. “Priyanka Chopra,” on the other hand, is limited to India and maybe some other areas in South Asia. You can check Google Trends for a confirmation.
“It’s probably also why when news broke that Chopra would be embarking
on a global bid at pop super-stardom, some of the West’s most notable
pop impresarios immediately took note. It was the perfect storm of
opportunity: Big-in-the-West superstars who’ve had a tough time breaking
into non-English-speaking markets found their ideal ambassadress and
Chopra found the red carpet to the American A-list. It was win-win.”
First, Pitbull and will.i.am are hardly “the west’s most notable pop impresarios” and they’re known to collaborate with local acts all over the world (Cheryl Cole of the UK, 2NE1 of South Korea, Ahmed Chawki of Morocco, etc). Second, Chopra was able to get them on board because she signed onto Interscope and Jimmy Iovine was able to rope them in for her. There’s a lot more in it for a local star to work with international acts like Pitbull than it is the other way around. They’re just getting a few extra pennies and Twitter followers by doing things like this while Chopra gets to convince Indians she’s a big deal when she’s really not. “Exotic” has made no impact in the west and is struggling to get radio adds right now.