Too Harsh? Indian Critics Say that Oprah is “Culturally Ignorant”

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Is it right?  Oprah has gotten some heavy criticism both domestically and abroad, enough to make anyone want to holler.  We have to wonder whether there is any validation in the criticism that Oprah has received from Indians, given that they have one of the most racist caste systems known to man.  It also just so happens that really dark people are way down at the bottom of that system.  In fact, quite a few African Americans have experienced racism at the hands of Indians, some of whom come to the US believing that they are better than us.

But then again, maybe the critics have a point.  Could Oprah have ignored the norms and disrespected Indian culture in her special?  After losing hundreds of millions of dollars with her new network, Oprah has reduced herself to doing interviews with the likes of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian in order to boost her ratings, so anything is possible at this point.  Could she have taken the short-cut to ratings in her portrayal of Indian culture?  It’s hard to tell.

KultureKritic.com tells more:

Things just seem to get stranger and stranger for the superhero known as Oprah Winfrey.  This week, Winfrey was verbally body-slammed by critics in India after doing a recent two hour special about her trip to the country.  The special was aired in the US back in April, but it wasn’t until this week that it was shown in India.

During the special, Winfrey visits several sections of the country, including a stop at the Taj Mahal and a slum in Mumbai.   But some accused her of playing to stereotypes.

Aseem Chhabra, a reporter for the Mumbai Mirror,  said this to US media: ”It’s all the stereotypes and all the clichés the West has, between the elephants and the palaces and the snake charmers and cows…I think I expected a lot more from somebody like Oprah Winfrey.”

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