Dayana Mendoza, Miss Venezuela, took the crown of Miss Universe 2008 in Sunday night’s pageant from Nha Trang, Vietnam. Even though she won the title, she was over shadowed by the performance of our very own Miss USA. Crystle Stewart, Miss USA, is from Missouri City (that’s right, she’s a Houston girl) and put on a show that should make here an instant YouTube classic.
For the second straight year in a row at the Miss Universe pageant, Miss USA trips and falls! During the evening gown portion of the competition, Miss USA got caught up on her train and hit the floor. She quickly got up and of course pretended like nothing happened. Unfortunately for her, this may have cost her a chance at the title. You can check out the clip below.
Over the holiday, I was able to play the infamous game “RockBand”! I am not the guy who’s into video games, but this was amazing! We couldn’t stop playing! We had a BBQ at our house on the 4th and one of our friends brought over the whole set. Guitar, Bass, Drum set and the mic. Even the quietest people jumped in and played. It was great! Some of the songs were very unfamiliar to me, but they were still fun to play and (try) to sing along to. Next time you’re throwing a party at your house, it might be in your best interest to invest in RockBand for your guest to get together and play!
He’s back! Sanjaya Malakar, the ex-American Idol contestant, is set to star in the next “Life Comes at you Fast” Nationwide Insurance commercial. So what if he can’t sing…at least he’s found a way to make it big by using his hair as his biggest asset. Real entrepreneur. And man…his hair is crazy!
Here is the latest statement from Nationwide Insurance, found on the Nationwide website:
Sanjaya’s “American Idol” experience is another Life Comes at You Fast example. The images (pictured above) are from Sanjaya’s shoot in India where the ad was developed. In the spot, Sanjaya visits a monastery in India to seek advice and he is told that he needs a retirement plan, and some work on his hair. Read the Q&A with Sanjaya to find out more about his partnership with Nationwide.
This is the third year Nationwide created advertising specifically targeting the South Asian market. The Sanjaya ad is one of six new spots that will specifically target the South Asian market. The ad also makes an appeal to its younger audience, reminding them to start planning for their retirement now, even if it seems a long way off.
So for all you Indian kids - don’t worry if your dad is still cutting your hair using a metal bowl…he may just be getting you ready to be the next Sanjaya. Haha..just Kidding Samir…we love you man! You’re still the spelling bee champ in our books!
Samir Patel - The Greatest Spelling Bee Contestant of all Time
Read SABAsearch Blog’s “Samir is the Man” Post here
On this episode of SABAsearch Blog’s Weekend “Wee”deos, we bring you some clips from the new web-series, Foreign Body. Foreign Body, based off a Robin Cook novel, is a new web-based show with a unique South Asian twist. This show is definitely catered to the men, as it features two hot young South Asian women (Rachna Khatau and Pranidhi Varshney) who come to the states to pursue a professional opportunity and get themselves involved in all of the benefits and troubles of the western world.
Here is the storyline as per the Foreign Body TV website:
An Exotic Thriller:
A group of dangerous Indian beauties, brimming with hope and desire are brought to the sunny shores of Southern California and are promised the American dream. They are taken in by a group of young, cutthroat medical entrepreneurs who hope to train them and cultivate their nursing skills for their own mysterious ends. The women soon become seduced by the brash and ambitious charmer who lords over them, but for him, his lust for the one, mysterious, unattainable beauty threatens to unravel the very conspiracy he built.
But who is seducing whom and what exactly are the women really being trained to do? With freedoms in America they could never imagine, the girls discover they just might get what they want, no matter the consequences or the risks involved.
Take this trip into seduction, murder, and international intrigue. From the exotic streets of Delhi, India to the sun-soaked sands of Santa Monica, mystery, deceit, and romance are around every corner. Witness how this tale of illicit passion, murderous ambition, and the dark underbelly of medicine unfolds and how life will never be the same for everyone involved.
Here is the trailer for the new show:
Here is a compilation of Foreign Body, Week 2 (week 1 is kinda slow, and just lays out the story line for ya…week 2 is a little bit more interesting):
That’s right, if you’re a South Asian living in the United States, chances are that you are being TARGETED…
We all know that the South Asian market is an untapped GOLDMINE, but the recent SAMMA conference confirmed that more and more big companies are hunting down South Asians as targets for their newest marketing campaigns. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the South Asian population is steadily increasing, as well as provides a huge portion of the country’s buying power (compared to other ethnic groups of our size).
A recent article published on mediaweek.com outlines some of the reasons why YOU are now a target of their (the company’s) mass-media marketing campaigns:
“…within the past two years, the advertising has begun to come from outside the South-Asian marketing community. Companies like Lowe Worldwide, the Home Depot, The New York Times Magazine, Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Delta Airlines are all advertising to this audience.”
One of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the U.S., Indian Americans, who represent 89 percent of the Desi population, increased from 815,000 in 1990 to nearly 1.7 million in 2000, a 106 percent rise, per the Census Bureau. Even so, that population makes up less than 1 percent of the total U.S. population versus the Latino communities, which made up 12.5 percent in 2000. Both figures have no doubt since risen.
“The South-Asian and especially the Indian-American numbers will show another marked increase in the 2010 census. And even though they represent just a fraction of the Latino population, South Asians have disposable income in the area of $90 billion,” says Shah, whose estimate is based on the $76 billion figure the market research firm Cultural Access Group arrived at in its 2005 report. “What the South Asians lack in size, they make up for with purchasing power.”
So what does all this mean? Well, for one, it means that you will probably see more South Asians in television ads and definitely see more South Asians on the front lines of these marketing campaigns. Marketing analysts are beginning to study the culture of our communities and even our buying behaviors, as seen below:
“They like to be connected. Family is a big thing. It’s not unusual for people to shop for a car as a family.”
According to the above, you’ll probably be greeted by a man named Santoshkumarnarayanan the next time you walk into a Lexus dealership! As long as “Santosh” still lets me negotiate…i’m cool with it!
I went to Sammy’s last night (Thursday) and saw probably the greatest sight I’ve seen in a while… The Spazmatics! They’re a group that covers 80’s music. So if you love the 80’s you absolutely need to check them out. They play at Sammy’s (on Grey and Main in Downtown Houston) every Thursday night at 10pm. For those of ya’ll in Austin, they play there on Wednesday nights as well. Plus, you might get inspired by their outfits as well.. very fashion forward! Check out their sight for more info. Enjoy!
Rapper Kanye West is making his way down to the Lone Star State! For those of you Indians and Desis who don’t know who Kanye West is, here is a little Kanye West 101, provided by Wikipedia.com:
Kanye Omari West (pronounced /ˈkɑnjɛj/) (born June 8, 1977)[1] is an American rap artist and hip hop producer. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, and his third album Graduation in 2007. His first three albums have received numerous awards (including nine Grammys),[2][3][4] critical acclaim,[5] and commercial success. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music.[6] West’s mascot and trademark is “Dropout Bear,” a teddy bear, which has appeared on the covers of his three albums as well as the singles cover for his songs “Stronger” and “Homecoming.”[7]
West’s parents divorced when he was three years old, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. He enrolled at Chicago State University but later dropped out to continue pursuing his music career. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for musical artists including Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. West’s style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. Some controversy has also surrounded West, such as an incident during a live telecast of a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief, when he deviated from the script and told the audience, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
Here is the schedule for Kanye’s ”Glow in the Dark Tour”April 30th - Austin - Frank Erwin Center
May 1st - Dallas - Superpages Center
May 2nd - Houston - Woodlands Pavilion
Check back next week for our review of the concert.
“The Love Guru” is a movie set to come out in June of this year. It is a comedy about a Guru from India that is hired to come to America to solve a love affair of a hockey player. The Guru is played by Mike Meyers (a.k.a. Austin Powers) and also stars Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.
This is becoming to be somewhat of a controversial story as there are scenes in the movie that members of the Hindu religion and people from India in general may find offensive. People have categorized it by saying this is similar to Borat and how Kazakhstan was portrayed in that movie. You can check out the trailer below to get a better idea of what the movie is about.
So the real question is this: Should we, as members of the Indian community and/or the Hindu religion, be offended by a movie of this sort? There are a few different perspectives we can take.
We should be offended because this movie is making fun of our culture and religion. It is representing us in a negative manner and poking fun at not only our religion, but our lifestyle. There are certain things that should not be made fun of, with religion and ethnicity being at the top of the list. Why does the movie have to isolate a group of people?
This is just a movie, so does it really matter? The purpose is to make people laugh, and if it does that, it has met its goal. We watch movies all the time that make fun of other cultures and we laugh hysterically at those, so this should not be any different. There is no need to take things so personally.
Another interesting point that came to mind: Indian people make fun of Indian people all the time. We do not find that insulting because we feel like we have the right to make fun of our own community. But, when an ‘outsider’ does the same thing, everyone’s awareness increases and folks start to get defensive. This is not only true in the Indian/Desi community but across all nationalities.
How do you feel about this movie? Should you have a chance to review it and vote whether it should be released or not? In the end, this is just a movie, right? We would like to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave comments.
What do rappers 50 Cent, Akon and Chamillionaire have in common? Yes, they all are known for producing chart-topping records, but what else? The answer should not be surprising…
All three of the Hip Hop artists listed above have recently focused in on the South Asian market to increase their popularity and world wide record sales. In fact, 50 Cent, Akon AND Houston’s very own Chamillionaire have already performed in various cities of India, including Mumbai and Delhi. 50 Cent has even taken it a step further to advertise his music on Desihits.com, a US based website, which serves as a pop-culture/lifestyle hub for young South Asians all around the world.
So why are Hip Hop artists and large companies so late to focus in on the South Asian market? Well, there could be a number reasons for this. But mainly, with an influx of second generation South Asians, the South Asian market is becoming more liberal and mainstream, which makes it more approachable as an advertising audience. 10 - 15 years ago, it could have been argued that Hip Hop artists have no real foundation or loyal fan base within the South Asian market, but now that has definitely changed. Every South Asian youth in this country knows who 50 cent, Akon and Chamillionaire are…and if they don’t, well, they need to get out more!
In addition, data on the South Asian market is finally being collected (South Asians always hang up on those Gallup poll callers!) Ethnic advertising agencies have done a great job in collecting valuable data on the South Asian market, which clearly demonstrate the fruits and benefits of marketing to a South Asian based audience (high consumer buying power, high average household income, etc.)
The Hip Hop industry’s focus on the South Asian market is only one example of a huge shift towards South Asian based marketing. More and more companies have become educated about the buying power of the South Asian market, which is one reason you will surely see that more and more companies will be utilizing the South Asian media outlets to get your attention.
Chamillionaire in India
50 Cent promo video
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