I used to be impressed by sepia mutiny (ie, a channel to get 'real' news...and in fact, people like Sreenath Srinivasan were actually quoting you.) But lewd and uneeded references are bringing your quality down.

But lewd and uneeded references are bringing your quality down.

I wholeheartedly agree. Manish really does need to tone it down with his puns. It’s gotten out of hand. And whoever wrote this post about Nayar and Hurley sounds like he’s the real jerk.

At least Nayar isn't in the photograph, thanks for that one. That guy looks roasted. No pun intended.

But lewd and uneeded references are bringing your quality down.

roflol

dude, lighten up.

dont harass Apul

"But lewd and uneeded references are bringing your quality down"
U not watching or wot? Yesterday Madame Hurl ey
was selling 400(count them buddy) DOLLAR bikini tops "all hand stitched in India, ... because my boyfriend is Indian..."
She has probaby paid the karigar less than 400 RUPEES!!!

Hurley looks pretty nice in a sari, but this is the woman who caused me to boycott Estée Lauder products for a long time due to her infamous "I'd kill myself if I was as fat as Marilyn Monroe."

It's "were" not "was," Ms. Hurley, and I bet Marilyn would look curvaceously ravishing in a sari.

She has probaby paid the karigar less than 400 RUPEES!!!

Even the Indian clothing and home furnishings export business as well as the US importer do this. This is why my mother has explicitly banned me from buying anything in the States that says "Made In India" on it. "You tell me what you want, and I can get it for you when I go to India. Indha thirudangalukku yen nama pannatha kudukanam (Why give our money to these thieves)?

my first thought is why no one told her she shouldn't "expose" her right boob that way in the sari. my second thought was questioning why she looked so proud of herself when she looked so ridiculous

This is a serious question - Why is "I were" more gramatically correct than "I was" in Hurley's statement.

Thanks for helping this FOB.

Why is "I were" more gramatically correct than "I was" in Hurley's statement.

Because it's the subjunctive tense, about something that's only a possibility.

she aight. not as good as Kate Winslet a similar get up. Mmmm , Kate Winslet....

Even my blue-eyed devil of a wife agrees.

english lesson,

I'd kill myself if I were boorish enough to comment on someone's weight, skin color, salary, and other such petty variables, and did it with ungrammatical flair.

jt,

"Ridiculous" is a bit much, IMO, but SM's got to post a "How To Wear A Sari" lesson for these Lizzy-come-latelies. A Marilyn-sized chest would have helped this one keep her sari on.

Thanks Manish.

Maitri - You just made another sentence without explaining. Thanks anyway.

In India, people often use "I was" instead of "I were" in statements similar to made by Hurley. May be repitative use by desis will one day make it correct usage. Just like many phrases of black english are now accepted in american english language academia.

This was helpful. Thanks again

english lesson,

This is a saga of an argument that my beau and I entertain. He argues that English is a fluid language and that as long as the meaning of a phrase/sentence is understood, English "patricians" should just get out of the way of an unstoppable tide of what he terms "practical grammar."

I beg to differ. The increasing usage of "your" in the place of "you're" and other such grammatical abominations, even in this nation (US), doesn't make it right. FYI, "I was" in the place of "I were" does not occur just in India but here as well. Again, this doesn't make it right. You are correct in one regard, however - I did not explain that crass comments on weight and the "was/were" melee are two of my pet peeves, which, in conjunction, caused some apoplexy.

k.d. lang has ingratiated herself with me for her song "If I Were You."

Sorry for the grammar respite. Back to the topic at hand ...

White girls do look good in a sari. Am I the only one who thinks that the saree looks better on a white tummy than a dark/dark brown tummy!

White girls do look good in a sari.

Only in pastels. Give me a lovely brown woman in an orange sari any day.

Am I the only one who thinks that the saree looks better on a white tummy

indeed, if it's a white tummy, all the easier to see the fur on it. i vote for brown tummy and any rani-colored sari. but orange is awesome, too. :)

Any woman can look good in a sari - except fat chicks. They have to stick to a salwar kameez or burqa.

Am I the only one who thinks that the saree looks better on a white tummy than a dark/dark brown tummy!

totally depends on the coloring of the girl and the sari... Can't put a fair fair Welsh girl in a sari like this; the colors would overpower her...

Why not put up a photo of Nayar too?

Hmm, the whole gratuitous pic comment is a SM in-joke, right? Cause some of us *cough*me*cough* have been complaining that there are not enough hot desi male pics on this blog. And I'm joking of course, because I am too old to condone that sort of behavior. No looking at hot desi pics on the internets, boys and girls. You should all be studying. Even if you are not in school! You are desi, remember?

But that is not the main point of this comment: it's this.

Note to self: Never put picture of, er, self in sari on own blog....

Why not put up a photo of Nayar too?

Mr Hurley here and here , to clean up my mind Ms Riya Sen

Doesn't that look better than a sari?
http://www.fashionroom.com/fashion2/images/fashion-rocks/hurley&arun-nayar.jpg

Any woman can look good in a sari - except fat chicks. They have to stick to a salwar kameez or burqa.

Oooh, but I think the opposite is true. Large women look really good in saris while salwar kameezes tend to amplify their girth.

Believe it or not, black burqas (abaya) are actually very comfortable and insulating in the hot, dry heat of Arabian countries. Expecting a woman to wear a burqa in, say, Madras in July is torture.

Nayar looks a bit like Guy Smiley.

When I was in college, I was in this summer program with a white girl who had spent a few months in India. We had some formal event, for which she decided to wear a sari. She wore it with a sports bra and some rubber flip-flops. So in my eyes, Liz Hurley could have done a lot worse. Of course, I can't see her feet, so it's possible that she's wearing black Bata chapals in the photo.

Out of curiosity, do other people call chappals "slippers," or is that a Sri Lankan thing? Or a specific-to-my-parents thing? Does "chappals" primarily signify "flip-flops" or is it just a general term for sandals? Enlighten me, O Mutineers.

Doesn't that look better than a sari?

actually...no. she looks surprisingly lovely in the sari. then again, i could just be reacting to the novelty value of her being all covered.

as for the link, that's the best pic of mr. hurley i've ever seen.

I used to be impressed by sepia mutiny (ie, a channel to get 'real' news...and in fact, people like Sreenath Srinivasan were actually quoting you.) But lewd and uneeded references are bringing your quality down.

Yaar, don't get your chaddis in a knot. Everyone needs a break now and then from saving the world for brown-kind.

"Does "chappals" primarily signify "flip-flops" or is it just a general term for sandals? Enlighten me, O Mutineers."

i think it refers to all sandals... i guess flip flops have special standing though, since they're the only kind i saw when i was there

also, there was an indian born chubby white girl in my high school who wore sari's occasionally, she did the culture no favours.

also, there was an indian born chubby white girl in my high school who wore sari's occasionally, she did the culture no favours.

Dude have you seen any of those temple carvings? At least back in the day (pre-Vestern influence)....desis loved them some of that jelly. I don't think you're ready.

To be totally fair, I have seen quite a few Indian women wear saris in a very poor manner. Especially eye-poking are undergarments hanging out and the pallu bunched up and carelessly thrown over shoulder. I'm not talking about aunty-in-the-middle-of-making-dosas saris, but nice, formal party ones.

Doesn't that look better than a sari?

Arun Nayar looks a lot better on EH than that dress. Yeah, she does look better in the sari. See, saris look good on any woman, if worn well.

The best thing about saris is when they show off that ever-so-cute-and-sexy-slight-tummy of Indian ladies, so slight you can only notice it a little...Madhuri Dixit has this little curve and its really cute and sexy. Saris are made for this aspect of Indian beauty. Put a ruby/diamond/emerald in the belly button, and you're laughing.

Funny how Liz Hurley wearing a sari inspired more posts than the "Non-Christians Harassed at Air Force Academy" story. Must be a Friday phenomenon. Or maybe we are really more sensitive to cultural appropriation of Indian clothing by celebrities. Religious intolerance is such a conversation killer.

timepass,

Today is Low-Stress Day, at least for me. If I were to voice my end-of-the-week-tired feelings on the harassment of non-Christians anywhere, much less in the military, it would lend to the beginning of a very sour weekend. Hence, the frivolity on saris, bikinis and boy toys.

Punjabi Boy,

You mean the "paunch?" It looks righteous when the chick has a six-pack!

Only in pastels. Give me a lovely brown woman in an orange sari any day.

Can't put a fair fair Welsh girl in a sari like this; the colors would overpower her...

I've never worn a sari, but *this* fair Welsh (and French and Norwegian) girl can't get away with pastels to save her life, thanks to dark brown hair and green eyes. Pastels only work if you're blonde. Jewel colors, like that dark purple on the Seasons India flash, work with fair skin/dark hair. And strangely enough, orange works, too :)

But mustard, saffron, lime green and fuschia should NEVER be worn by anyone without a nice, uh, sepia complexion.

Maitri

You mean the "paunch?" It looks righteous when the chick has a six-pack!

Its not a paunch, its a gentle little cushion, barely perceptible, but real and curvaceous. How can a six-pack be righteous on a lady in a sari? How can a hero like me rest my head on that? No, its a Madhuri navel every time, I'm afraidm for cuddles and all the rest :)

Maitri: Yes, it as I thought. I too want my weekend to be pleasant and light. Let's save the religious chat for Monday.

Punjabi Boy: You are so right. It's not a paunch at all, but a pleasing, gently sloping abdominal curve that accentuates a woman's sari or lehnga/choli so nicely. Add to that a belly jewel.. and that's downright deadly.

But a fleshy overhang in front or on the sides.. thats just plain unappetizing. Ladies, please keep that tucked away in a churidar/kurta or a flowy dress of some kind.

How can a hero like me rest my head on that?

HAHAHAHAAA!! Thanks for making me laugh, Punjabi Boy! :-)))

I'm with Maitri on the Friday thing: I read the LA Times article and just didn't have the heart.

Plus, the article is weird. It throws all this stuff in the end and makes associations that just don't make sense. I'm troubled that there can be such problems at the Air Force Academy, which must be a very high stress crucible (which shouldn't excuse any breakdown of discipline, and what else can that type of behavior be in that environment?), but throwing all that stuff in at the end? So lets get this straight: Colorado Springs has a lot of evangelicals, and so the reporter gets this quote from this nutty evangelical (and I'm not saying all evangelicals are nutty) and try and tie it into what's happening at the academy? Eh? Like I said: Wierd article, man.

Apparently she is going to wear Versace for her wedding (i feel so light headed about this subject compared to talking about Popat, politics etc. but its a good break). Personally i feel Laetitia Casta would look better than Hurley.

From Hindustan Times

Liz, 39, who is getting ready for her wedding with Nayar, is tipped to wear a red Versace sari when she ties the knot, possibly later this year. She has told friends: "I love all the pomp and ceremony of Indian weddings."

Man, I really cannot spell or punctuate. Is it wierd or weird?

Also, why Versace? Why the heck doesn't she get an Indian designer to make her sari? That would be so much cooler, because that whole Versace and Hurley combination is so done. Ya know?

It's veird, MD, of course!

Hurley is on the crazy pills. On the other hand, I can't find a picture of it, but I once saw Iman wearing a black sari with gold embroidery, and she looked stunning.

Maitri: Yes, it as I thought. I too want my weekend to be pleasant and light. Let's save the religious chat for Monday.

Aw shucks, I was sincerely looking forward to a rambunctious debate on this slow Friday :-)

In the meantime I've had to improvise with some of my coworkers ;-)

While Hurley is trying out Saris, her deshi counterparts are outdoing each other in videshi outfits at the Lakme India Fashion Week. Lots of pictures guys....

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/lakmefashionweek/day1.shtml

brimful: cute! Of course, it's vierd.

This article (about the AF academy thing) is more straightforward:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP_Academy_Religion.html? Hmm, is it a rogue chaplain or a systemic problem? Anyone know anyone at the academy who might have some insight???? Time to start searching the miliblogs....

We belive she has followed directions on how to wear it properly.
http://www.turbanhead.com/mt/archives/002455.html#002455

In India, people often use "I was" instead of "I were" in statements similar to made by Hurley.

not to detract from the wonderfully catty conversation (I think this is the most-stereotypically-queerfriendly conversation I've seen on SM), but people in the U.S. routinely say "I was" also.

Manish and Maitri are right in a technical sense, but it's common spoken usage to say "If I was going to go to the zoo" (well, if you're thinking about going to the zoo, it is). It's a marker of class and education and fastidiousness (is that a word?) and some other things to use things like the proper subjunctive (particularly in speech) and to hyphenate compound adjectives and a lot of other things that are just totally unnecessary to impose on people in this day and age.

Clarity is more important than appropriate technical usage in my book.

Maitri

Ease up on the sit ups if you want to get with me. Thats the message to all the Indian chicks :)

One ladoo or jalebi a day will do the trick for the right sculpting, if you are unfortunate enough to have a hard flat stomach. Watch Madhuri in action to see what I mean.

I just want to know why Punjabi Boy must reside in the UK. :)

Having toyed with the idea of a Christian wedding dress created from ivory-colored Indian raw silk, my head cannot conversely wrap itself around the Versace Sari concept. I'll have to pull out a sari, spray on some Versace Woman and meditate on this juxtaposition.

Mmmm ... ladoos

Clarity is more important than appropriate technical usage in my book.

Please give me an instance of when the appropriate technical usage of English is unclear.

brimful

I dont have to reside in the UK! Send me a ticket and I'm there. This is a list of places I want to visit in America, do you live near any of them?

(1) That cliff over which Thelma and Louise drive their car at the end of Thelma and Louise. It was a tragedy.

(2) Las Vegas, because I want to be a gambler who has breakfast in a 'diner' after playing poker till 6am, and I pay for my 'waffles' and 'coffee' with a hundred dollar bill because I won fifty thousand, and am all calm and nonchalant, even when ladies in fur coats try to pick me up, I'm like, 'Hey, I'm eating my waffles, give me a break...'

(3)Where they sell hot dogs in New York, like the ones in the movies, where they say, 'hey, easy on the mayo...'

(4)errrr..New Orleans because it sounds strange

(5)California, because its nice, and Bruce Lee lived there.

(6)ummm...thats it for now.

I will let you know the other places I want to visit just in case you dont live near any of them, if I can remember them. Let me know.

(2) Las Vegas, because I want to be a gambler who has breakfast in a 'diner' after playing poker till 6am, and I pay for my 'waffles' and 'coffee' with a hundred dollar bill because I won fifty thousand, and am all calm and nonchalant, even when ladies in fur coats try to pick me up, I'm like, 'Hey, I'm eating my waffles, give me a break...' (3)Where they sell hot dogs in New York, like the ones in the movies, where they say, 'hey, easy on the mayo...'

Hahah! He's a funny geezer innit? One thing though...hot dogs...with mayo....ewww...you mean easy on the mustard.

Ease up on the sit ups if you want to get with me. Thats the message to all the Indian chicks :)

To loosely paraphrase Sir Mix-a-lot, you can do sidebends or situps, but please don't loose that (paunch).

turbanhead, my problem with the way she's worn the sari is that her boob is completely exposed. that is never appropriate for a sari, unless she deliberately wanted to leave her boob hanging out...which is just strange.

JT - so they're all wearing it wrong?

http://www.bharatplaza.com/showitem.php?itemid=AM101Z&catid=54&pageno=1&uid=1114213949

http://www.homeindia.com/catalogue/fashion/saris/32382.shtml

http://www.fotolog.net/suitablegirl/?photo_id=8022965

Iago, of course not. the links to which you posted feature saris worn over the right shoulder so that the pallu is displayed over the front of the body. different rules apply.

besides, i would never find fault with anna. she knows i'm one of her fans.=)

i should have been more specific as to why i believe EH's sari looks wrong. she's wearing the pallu over the left shoulder so that the pallu is in the back. this is how i, and most of the people within my community, wear saris as a matter of preference. if our sari ever comes loose so that a boob is exposed, the gasps from every woman in the same room will be loud enough that the offending sari is quickly fixed.

One ladoo or jalebi a day will do the trick for the right sculpting,

Dear god man, don't encourage them!!! The average desi chick is battling Indian genetics and Indian food. She needs to spend her money on depilatories and diet coke, not dosas! [yes, many of the men too..]

As for the hatin' on Hurley...Gimme a phat mommy like Liz Hurley over a fat mami any day ;)

Apul, you're the greatest. Just dreamy.

turbanhead, my problem with the way she's worn the sari is that her boob is completely exposed. that is never appropriate for a sari, unless she deliberately wanted to leave her boob hanging out

I think she looks very pretty in that sari... and hey, one boob visible is better than no boob visible :-) Chill!

Ease up on the sit ups if you want to get with me. Thats the message to all the Indian chicks :)

Punjabi Boy, you're the coolest! (as is Madhuri, for that matter)