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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Globalization: The good and the bad

Globalization is a difficult topic to talk about because there is no one specific way of defining it. Regardless of whether or not people like it, however, globalization is happening. There is no stopping it from the looks of things, so people can only analyze its effects on the world and gauge whether it is a good or bad thing. The film Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle is an example of how globalization has both positive and negative aspects. However, globalization in India deals with a ton of westernization, and therefore the film mostly depicts negative outcomes of it.

The film gives viewers a firsthand look at the slum life in India. People like me, who grew up in the United States, would have never gotten a chance to see what that lifestyle is like were it not for technology. The fact that we can see that part of India and learn about it, even if it is through film, is a part of globalization. It is one of the many benefits of globalization, just as now we can call people or email people from all around the world instantly, where just twenty years ago that was considered impossible. Also, a good portion of this film is in another language. People who watch get to see and hear a whole new world because of this. They are in India, hearing their language, seeing their culture, and so on. This is the major benefit of globalization. Without it, we would never get to see who these people are and what they are like. We would be blind to that side of the world, and they would be blind to us. Yes, there are culture clashes since we are aware of what the other believes, but knowledge is power. It is greater to know of these things and form opinions about them rather than just being ignorant to their world. This film acts as a gateway then, to a different culture and ideology. According to NEWS Corporation, the film made “nearly $350 million in worldwide grosses.” That is a huge amount of money, and in turn, that is a huge number of people that saw this film. It all ties in to the idea of globalization, that now everyone has a uniform idea of India and its culture thanks to this film. However, while these are great things overall, globalization does have some rather negative aspects to it as well.

Globalization is great on paper. It allows cultures to mingle in ways never thought possible before. The fact that I can walk down the street and come across Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and Japanese restaurants in the span of minutes is definitely a positive effect of globalization. Even so, Bolye’s film depicts a romantic tale where the underdog (or “slumdog”) pulls through despite the low chances of success. In the end he gets the money, gets the girl, and the audience can walk away feeling good about the film. Sound familiar? It should, because that is the general Western style ending where the protagonist struggles against all odds and still manages to overcome and get what he desires. This is a globalized theme in films these days thanks to Western culture. There are other cultures, such as Japan, that enjoy films that do not end so happily. In traditional Japanese film, it is common for the main character to die epically for a cause greater than them. Slumdog Millionaire ends happily, just like they would in our kind of films. This notion of the happy ending from Western belief takes something away from this film. There are themes and traditions that are original to Indian culture which is tossed aside for this globalized theme, and it is sad to think about. In an interview with Boyle by Time magazine, when asked if he is romanticizing poverty in India, he responds “People we worked with in the slums said, ‘You’re not going to show us as being poor, are you? Because that’s what Westerners always do.’” With globalization comes a globalized concept of ideas as well. In this case, the Western definition of “poor” is different than what the children of the slums in India may define as “poor,” but since Westerners look at them as poor, they are afraid that they will be depicted as such.

Slumdog Millionaire took a lot of hits from Indian people, despite it being loved all over the world. In one article from Newsweek it is said that many Indian people feel that the film “defames Mumbai’s urban poor,” despite Boyle’s attempt to avoid that as earlier mentioned. There are several reasons for this, one being that there is the term “dog” in the title of the film, as if to say the slum children are no different than dogs. When asked about the reasoning behind the title, Boyle responded “This is one of the saddest things for me. People are absolutely entitled to say whatever they think about the film. Protest is a healthy part of life in India, provided it doesn't become violent. Basically it's a hybrid of the word "underdog"--and everything that means in terms of rooting for the underdog and validating his triumph--and the fact that he obviously comes from the slums. That's what we intended.” Is that not interesting? How it is so easy to misinterpret a title as something negative because of cultural differences? This is another negative aspect of globalization. No matter how much a country is Westernized or changed in any regard, it will never be fully demolished. Culture and history is too strong and important to be completely disregarded. It shows in this case as well, as normally we call people like the protagonist the underdog, hence why we root for him. But Indian people took it negatively, and it makes sense for them even if it does not for us.

I’ll say it again, globalization is inevitable. With the mixing of culture, foods, religion, and marketing on a global scale, especially with the help of the internet, there is no real stopping it. It is a wonderful thing in its own way, as I do not think anyone has any issues with being able to communicate with people all over the world via email or phone. However, it is a very dangerous concept as well because there is so much people need to learn about each other to make sure that no one offends anyone else, and as humans we easily take to anger when something is said that we do not care for. I hope that globalization takes on the world slowly, giving people time to get used to each other and accept the differences in a good way instead of lashing out in anger towards them. No matter how different we all are, we are all human in the end, and as Plato once said, “Be kind, for we are all fighting a hard battle.”

Works Cited
Boyle, Danny. "10 Questions." Time 173.8 (2009): 4.
Brodesser, Akner. "A Dogged Direction Leads 'Slumdog' to Millions." Advertising Age 80.18 (2009): 16.
Zakaria, Fareed. "A 'Slumdog' in Heat." Newsweek 9 Feb. 2009: 42. Print.

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