On Gautham Prasad’s YouTube Gandhi
Here’s the news if you haven’t already heard it.
If you are one of those hurt by the said video, here’s what: You don’t have to see it. The best way to regulate is to ignore. By bringing attention to a video that is supposedly objectionable, you are hurting your own case. Very few would have cared to see the video before the controversy; now, thousands must be watching it. TV channels who aired it were clearly aiming at the TRPs.
And here are some more ‘objectionable’ videos for other TV channels that may have felt left out.
I haven’t seen the video but whatever I am so far told about its contents, they do not in any way affect my own feelings about Gandhi.
Update: Here’s the video. Small text on that page: “Please do not view the following video if you may be offended. Furthermore, I sincerely apologize for any offense this video has already caused.“
Update 2: A response from Gautham Prasad:
Let me begin by saying I take full responsibility for the feelings this has caused. I realize this is a tender topic and is grateful for the opportunity to talk about it. I apologize for any offense this video has caused.
All of the feedback I have received from this video has been positive up until now. I opened my email inbox to 108 new emails, many of them criticizing my work, and many of them supporting me.
I made this video and posted it on the Internet as a marketing tool for my business as a performer. I was a clown with Ringling Bros. circus for two years and I currently perform stand up comedy and clowning in New York City. I also am a yoga teacher. Let me discuss this video from the point of view of clowning.
If you look closely, you can see that I am wearing a clown nose. Why is this? I do this because I am not playing Mahatma Gandhi; I am playing a CHARACTER who is playing Gandhiji. I am playing a fool who thinks it would be a good idea to dress up like Gandhi and do this dance. In reality, I’m making fun of myself. I realize this distinction may be difficult to understand, but as a performer it is crucial.
In comedy we have a simple equation. Comedy is tragedy plus time. You take something painful and over time you gain the maturity to laugh at it. That is what I have done. Also, throughout history clowns have been the only individuals able to comment on the upper classes. Nobody is above parody, and the clowns would parody kings and monarchs with no consequences.
Furthermore, if Gandhiji were alive today what would he find more upsetting, my video or the violence in Darfur? What would hurt him more, my video, or the violence in Iraq? We have become so intent on idolizing Gandhiji that we have forgotten what he said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We have confused the messenger with the message. If we truly want to honor him, we must uphold the principles he lived and died for.
We must embody peace, compassion, and non-violence. So many of the people who criticize my video have threatened to stone me, hit me, or kill me. I don’t think Gandhiji would approve. I encourage people to tell me how they feel about the video. Let them respond honestly, but remember that there are much more pressing issues in the world than a video that one can choose not to watch. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. [Thanks, Jatinder]
dissolves into some career advice for Prashad. She writes: I feel sorry for him. I don’t mean to mock him. I am genuinely concerned for the chap. I think he should shift careers. Maybe he’ll do better as a pizza delivery guy or a taxi driver. Shivam Vij has this to say about the video clip: don’t watch it if it offends you. Shivam’s post also has a response from Prashad, the creator of the Gandhi clip, who says that he used this clip as a marketing tool.
Gautham Prasad’s received tons of e-mails (not surprisingly), and his response to one of them is posted here.
As inane and desperate as the video is, the post’s author has a point. I wonder which is a greater mockery of Gandhi, his life, and his work: that video or the state of India today?
Hi Shivam. What’s up? Happy New Year!
I clicked on the video and it wasn’t there. :-(
Gandhi Who ?
Hey, Abhishek Bachan is getting married to Aish soon and they have announced it.
The Indian masses will now forget Gandhi and the video…
Sadly, any criticim of Gandhiji is taken as blasphemy… Though the video itself was made for nothing more than as a humourous piece, the reaction shows the deification of the man.
When will we stop looking at the man as a demi-god and show more attention to his words…
what if this was Ambedkar? then shivam vij would be braying all over the internet about the slight done to OBCs and the country would be in flames. face it guys, the times have changed, Gandhi is a clown. and BC, OBC, SC and STs could intimidate us all all the time.
have we lost the ability to form a dignified response to this kind of madness? yes. we have. with the amount of humiliation we non-obc/bc/sc/st have to suffer in our daily lives at the hands of the people on whose behalf shivam vij has been constructing his convoluted arguments.
yes, and i saw his AIIMS video post. and all i saw was some hurt people in that video. young students who were practically out of their minds. victims of the system that people like shivam vij love to haunt, and create their flawed, journalistic arguments. and yes, i have read mr vig contradicting himself all over this blog.
so people, get real. imagine this was Ambedkar, and then imagine the hypocrite who owns this namspace’s response.
[...] Source: http://www.shivamvij.com/2007/01/on-gautham-prasads-youtube-gandhi.html [...]
Hi,
That was really disgusting! Though the TV channels brought it right in front of the society “general awareness for those who cannot access the video on net”; it was not justified. The video was being re-played several time which did affect the small kids at home. Today, if we have freedom of speech & freedom of action, it is only because of these great nation builders.
Where are we going to? Is this a facet of globalisation too?
[...] If it pains you to see Gandhi mocked in a silly video, you don’t really have to watch it. If you choose to watch it, well, shut up; we don’t want to hear your rant! [...]
As long as there are people who say “You know what, Gandhi slept with neices” or “he was a minority appeaser” or “he was a hardcore upper-caste Hindu”, this will keep going on. This ‘funny’ act has nothing in terms of constructive criticism. So why did he do that?
I am playing a fool who thinks it would be a good idea to dress up like Gandhi and do this dance. In reality, I’m making fun of myself.
Wow! This guy should be in the current India politics. After all, are there much differences between being a clown and a politician?
[...] On Gautham Prasad’s YouTube Gandhi article details » http://www.shivamvij.com Posted 3 days ago by Shivam Vij feed details » [...]
[...] Shivam Vij has this to say about the video clip: don’t watch it if it offends you. Shivam’s post also has a response from Prashad, the creator of the Gandhi clip, who says that he used this clip as a marketing tool. [...]
[...] Shivam Vij has this to say about the video clip: don’t watch it if it offends you. Shivam’s post also has a response from Prashad, the creator of the Gandhi clip, who says that he used this clip as a marketing tool. [...]
I think you would be interested in this video about Bernie Meyer who has traveled the world portraying Gandhi:
http://pugettown.wordpress.com/2007/01/19/
lol..its funny how you have to take some great personality’s cover in order to make your own living…but if its helping you then go ahead bro…even Gandhiji would be happy to see that at least you are getting some benefit from making fun of his personality…good job man!
[...] recent video of Gandhi seems to have ruffled quite a few feathers (and maybe rightly so). Here is Gautham Prasad’s reply (as an update) in the blog. Makes me wonder what would happen if somebody [...]