Adil Najam
UPDATE (July 24): So, Kashif Memon failed to make it to teh next round. Is the Kashif Memon saga over, or will we be hearing more of him?
UPDATE: Kashif Memon performed in the ‘Top 20’ Round of ‘America’s Got Talent’ yesterday. He said “I’m going to rock the house.” Did he? In this round the TV viewers vote by phone. He does have a following, but is it big enough? If he gets enough vote he makes it to the next, the semi-finals, round!
EARLIER UPDATE: Kashif Memon has made it to the next round of ‘America’s Got Talent.’
I guess – I may be wrong – that means he is now in the ‘Top 20.’ The blogsphere is again abuzz with him with as much praise as brickbats. We have added the video of his performance in the second (Las Vegas) Round below.
What do you think?
ORIGINAL POST (June 21). I am in Japan right now so I missed the latest installment of the NBC show America’s Got Talent. Its not as if I am a regular viewer or fan, but if I see it while flicking channels I will usually stop – at least for a while. It can be fun, and often funny. Personally, I find it much more enjoyable than (the far far more popular) American Idol, but not as interesting as Apprentice (the early seasons). So, now you know. I have a thing for popular culture everywhere, not just in Pakistan.
Next week, when I am back in the U.S., I will try to watch the show, mostly because Mohammad Kashif Memon, a Pakistani now living in Skokie, IL, made it past the auditions and into the first round of “America’s Got Talent.”From the video clip he seems to be quite the charmer and certainly took the audience by storm. Especially the judges – including Piers Morgan (the Britisher who speaks first), who is the standard ‘blunt’ one that you always have in such shows.I am not sure he is the greatest talent in the world (essentially copying the moves from a Bollywood movie). But, then, I am no expert on such things. But I did find it entertaining. I was bemused in the beginning, laughing in the middle, and actually clapped at the end.
Maybe it is his innocent looks, decent demenor, earnest and serious expression, and the sense (as one blogger put it) that he had walked in from his lunch break just for this audition (notice the white socks, and the workday clothes).Kashif is not the first Pakistani to appear in American reality shows that are all the rage these days. There was a Pakistani lady who was extremely unlucky in Deal or no Deal. Earlier another Pakistani (who was much more lucky) actually won the title in Funniest Mom in America. Of course, there are far more Indians who appear on these shows and some like the 17-year old Sanjaya became a phenomenon on American Idol. (Although Sanjaya became a story unto himself, it may well be that Kashif is riding the same wave of interest in South Asian stuff that Sanjaya was.)Anyhow, what is interesting is that Kashif Memon seems to be creating a buzz on the blogsphere. Rickey, who seems to follow these things far more closely than I do, is a great fan of Kashif and is rooting for him. Sepia Mutiny and its readers seemed much less impressed. There are a number of others who make you wonder why they take these shows as seriously as they do!Just like the Pakistani who was ‘crowned’ last year as the ‘Funniest Man in India’ was not really so, the winner of ‘America’s Got Talent’ will not really be the most talented. The show, after all, is not really about finding the most talented person in America. It is about giving TV viewers something fun to watch during the summer.Having said all of that, what do ATP readers think about Kashif Memon and his performance?As for myself, I thought it was good fun to watch him perform (not just the dance, but the whole ‘presence’). I would probably have felt the same if he was not a Pakistani, but the fact that is is makes it that much more interesting to me. I wish him good luck.
I know so many Americans who saw him and started looking at pakistan in new light… his is giving Pakistan a better name than all theextremists are. good work
I think this kid is smart, brave and courageous. All Pakistanis and Indians must be proud of him though he couldn’t perform like hrithik or other bollywood stars. In fact I think he is better because he never had rehearsals but was able to perform quiet well.
GOOOOOOO Kashif
YOU GOT GUTS
I really admire you……And will pray that you become # 1
GOOD LUCK
Well, I must say I am very glad that’s over. If they are going to start a Bollywood trend they should start it with somebody who can dance. I really got the feeling he was there (unwittingly on his side) to make fun of, and for mockery (oh, those goofy “Indians”!). But maybe I’m too sensitive.
Or maybe like Troy’s response hints at, people are afraid of not being “multi-culti” enough or of being accused of prejudice if they point out the simple fact that he wasn’t any good. So “open minded” means watching a lame wannabe dancer when there are plenty of very good dancers of Kashif’s ethnicity around. Or is it because the show is just crassly playing this card for kicks and giggles?
He was absolutely painful to watch. I actually wondered if they’d combed the U.S. for the worst dancer. Like someone else pointed out we all know one or several people who could imitate a Bollywood dance routine better, a lot better. Even the guy in the audience on the last night was dancing better.
The more I think about it, I’m going back to my first hypothesis. The show is smarmy, it’s hosted by Jerry Springer, it routinely humiliates the people who show up on it (people whom they select to be on the show with this in mind)—it’s really no stretch to say Kashif was there to be laughed at by American couch potatoes across the land. I don’t blame the poor kid for anything except not being bright enough to see that.
Now Americans have an expanded view of desi culture–they are terrorists, IT specialists (who steal American jobs) AND dumb looking dancers with a goofball movie industry (Hasselhof’s joke about how in his nightmares he finds himself doing “Bollywatch”)! What progress!
I’m seriously disgusted. I don’t understand anybody who contends the kid was doing anything helpful to bring a foreign culture to Americans. The whole exercise was underlined by enough faux goodwill and unsubtle mockery to float a battleship. Yuck.
…….and he’s out! I guess the novelty of “Bollywood Dancing” eventually wore off.
Well, it was fun while it lasted.