I was watching too, after reading the positive review in the Times that someone posted on the News Tab.

I didn't think it was that great, though I'm inclined to be forgiving (or at least, apathetic) since the show is clearly oriented at teenagers.

My main beef is that he's not a realistic Pakistani -- his clothes are off (anyone coming to the west would be wearing western clothes), his accent is off (I think he's an ABD doing a fake accent), and he doesn't particularly seem to have a back-story other than "he's good hearted and sensitive." The show didn't seem to get much past its own high concept, which is itself a tired cliche (remember "Perfect Stranger" from like 20 years ago?).

A few of you couldn’t get over the fact that the protagonist was named “Raja”, since that’s so, like, NOT a Pakistani name

'Raja' is a rather common Pakistani name. India has a miniscule percentage of Punjabi Muslims so common Pakistani Punjabi names like 'Chauhan', 'Gill', 'Malik', 'Sahni', 'Chaudhary' might be disorienting to Indians who are only familiar with Indian Muslims and their faux Arabic/Turko/Persian names.

Amardeep, my expectations of anything on "the CW" (and really, any show aimed at tweens/teens) are very, very low, which is why I was very, very pleased. ;) I wonder why I didn't feel the same way about back story...maybe I was too conscious of the fact that it was the "first" episode? That bit at the end about his parents was enough for me.

I don't remember "Perfect Strangers"...is that the show with Balki or something? If so, never watched it. :)

A few of you couldn't get over the fact that the protagonist was named “Raja", since that is so, like, NOT a Pakistani name. Yes, this offended you more than anything else. :)

Anna, I've yet to read your whole post in detail, but thought I'd get this out first.

"Raja" is a very valid 'Pakistani' name, and it can be both a first and a last name, and also serves as an honorific for large landholders ('feudals'). It has the same semantic content as it does in India, right across cultures and language groups.

I addressed the issue back when Manish posted about it on ultrabrown, two months ago when the pilot aired. Some of the same, frankly, misinformed speculation about the appropriateness of the name and the supposed inauthenticity of the casting (not the characterization or stereotypification, which I might grant..) occured then. I find the narrowing of the nomenclatural imagination quite disturbing. Where are people getting this from, I wonder.

This is what my comment then was:

“Raja Musharraf" doesn't sound right.

Maybe it's a dig at good old Pervez, mocking his officious authoritarianism, and his pretentious personal style :)

But it is a valid combination of names. "Raja" can be either a first or a last name, and occurs among Indians and Pakistanis, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, North Indians and South Indians etc. In Pakistan's feudal culture, it is also a hereditary mode of address for the bigger landlord types. "Raja" also often becomes a nickname for anyone (male) who may have acted superciliously among his friends once too often.

A few of you couldn’t get over the fact that the protagonist was named “Raja”, since that’s so, like, NOT a Pakistani name.

Well, it helps with the gap if you know of Rameez Raja (or any other notable named Raja).

No, the Air India Maharaja does not count.

(remember "Perfect Stranger" from like 20 years ago?)

Hooo boy! Yes, I've watched a few episodes on Indian TV (some local cable channel IIRC). The saddest thing was that gags from Perfect Strangers (like one episode where the immigrant guy goes to get a driver's license) were being recycled for primetime comedies like Shriman Shrimati and relatives. (I don't know if Perfect Strangers itself was original or rehashing tired jokes from elsewhere).

Well, the first boy I had a crush on in high school was Pakistani AND named Raja

Was he Hindu?

To get back to the current show, it might be marginally funny to have Raja kidnap a girl and then have her brother (guest star David Duchovny) say with great seriousness "My sister was kidnapped by an alien." Beyond that, I don't see a sustainable comedy environment if its only selling point is a culture shock. Drama and family drama and high school drama, maybe.

Was he Hindu?

No. He was very Muslim. Didn't explicitly point that out since a Hindu Raja in my anecdote wouldn't be as relevant to this post.

Looking forward to this show! Thanks for the reminder Anna. I'll give it few chances on the TiVo.

Waiter, there's a Hindu Raja in my anecdote!

Plot idea: Raja & friends goes to Area 51. Get shot at. Raja says "Don't shoot, don't shoot! I'm an alien!".

I don't see a sustainable comedy environment if its only selling point is a culture shock. Drama and family drama and high school drama, maybe.

Okay, apparently my standards for network comedies are WAY lower than all of yours. ;) If something is cute, which this show was, I'm actually pleasantly surprised and more than satisfied. I think the vast majority of Teewee is awful. Sometimes, I feel like a television comedy is just any show which isn't "serious", if that makes sense. Light-hearted? Comedy. Silly? Comedy. Teh Gays? Comedy. Surgery or detective work? Not comedy. I don't expect to laugh b/c of anything on television. I've never realized it, but I only anticipate laughing when I'm at the movies, i.e. when I watched "Superbad" or "Knocked Up".

I think the focus of AiA is going to be on beating us about the head with the whole, "THE ONE YOU THINK IS WEIRD IS THE MOST NORMAL!"-angle; maybe they could make promo tees that say, "Pakistani Muslims don't suck!". I see plenty of opportunity for high school/family tension/situations.

On the casting of a South African-born Hindu in the role of 'Raja': One aspect of the subcontinental diaspora in South Africa that I've noticed is - while it has both Hindus and Muslims, the 'national' identification with Pakistan is missing from the Muslims - because they immigrated, in the main, during the 19th century, before Pakistan was even conceived (ca. 1930). One such 4th or 5th gen South Asian-South African friend told me he wasn't even sure if the rest of his ancestral family that did not come to South Africa was now in India or Pakistan, and he was not narrowminded enough to want to or have to choose, identifying equally with both countries, but more so with the civilizational entity 'India'.

The 'inauthenticity' argument is also invalid if one looks at diasporic actors representing first generation visitors or immigrants - since when can't one boy of South Asian descent represent another on screen? Also, there's something to be said for a little bit of representational chaos leading to greater, 'emergent' authenticity.

But that being said, I'd be curious if anyone has any background insights on why this actor was actually chosen for the role.

Sorry, but this can't compare to Gossip Girl.

Sorry, but this can't compare to Gossip Girl.

Now THAT was a premier which disappointed me.

As ACD mentioned, also Rajput Muslims/ Jat Muslims often have names that can be confused for Hindu names.

Or even Bengali Muslims, like Kabir Chaudhury, Reema Chaudhury.

My main beef is that he's not a realistic Pakistani -- his clothes are off (anyone coming to the west would be wearing western clothes)

Not necessarily, Amardeep. Pakistan developed the shalwar kameez in that style as a specifically male 'national dress', and I've met many (male) Pakistanis abroad who are not embarrased in the least, to be publicly seen wearing it. This is in contrast to Indians, whether they be 'Westernized' home-based or diasporic - the Pakistanis wear their national dress, known colloquially as the 'Awami suit' (people's suit) proudly, while Indians don't, at least partly because the closed-collar Indian jacket can be quite uncomfortable.

Bottom line, to the extent we're arguing over the minutiae of authenticity, this detail actually enhances it, in my view.

The national dress of Pakistan, "Shalwar Qamiz" is also a direct gift of the Muslim Turks

hahaha, Anna, good pick... I just watched the show and while it obviously isn't going to win any Emmy's - i quite enjoyed the sarcasm it exhibited.

Wow...this much analysis for a show on the CW??? Am really surprised... As Anna pointed out, the bar is usually lowered for anything on this network and its a surprise to find something amusing...Will have to check out thes how to see what the buzz is about.

Maybe I'm a cynic...but I don't expect most TV shows to get authenticity correct when they portray most Asian minorities...most networks use glittering generalities and its surprising when they get a few things right.

Well, it helps with the gap if you know of Rameez Raja (or any other notable named Raja).

Also, Wasim Raja

Pop quiz...If you ask any auto rikshaw driver in India to name a muslim man with last name Raja..who will it be?

Pop quiz...If you ask any auto rikshaw driver in India to name a muslim man with last name Raja..who will it be?

my answer: wasim raja

Plot idea: Raja & friends goes to Area 51.

LMAO. But the pedant in me wishes to point out... Area 54, no? What to do.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the Mom character has "Karen Walker"-potential?

I was underwhelmed. Granted, the show has been hyped by critics such that you would think it was a breakthrough comedy on par with Arrested Development, so I probably had a higher bar than most (especially since, if you're going to make all kinds of errors in accent/name/etc, then it better be side-splittingly funny or truly original). I'd read a few reviews that mentioned Malcolm in the Middle and Wonder Years along with Aliens in America, but I didn't expect that it was just going to be an amalgam of those shows (plus a healthy dose of Perfect Strangers as well).

Yes, it's better than most things on television (although it's not funnier than the show that preceded it, Everybody Hates Chris, and it's also not funnier than 30Rock or The Office or even Ugly Betty), but I doubt that I will try to watch the show regularly.

and he doesn't particularly seem to have a back-story other than "he's good hearted and sensitive." The show didn't seem to get much past its own high concept, which is itself a tired cliche (remember "Perfect Stranger" from like 20 years ago?).

Its only the first show, they can explore those options later in the season. I can envision an episode where his family visits from the village in pakistan.

For me nothing will match the pure genius of "Small Wonder"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukSvjqwJixw (Sorry I'm a pretentious Mac user who cannot post the hyperlink)

I haven't seen this show yet, but I have yet to see a single South Asian male in the US wear a shalwar kameez wherever they go. I doubt most Pakistani guys in Pakistan even wear them everyday when they go to school and work.

I haven't seen this show yet, but I have yet to see a single South Asian male in the US wear a shalwar kameez wherever they go.

You have'nt been to Jackson Heights in Queens, have you?

on the question of raja's backstory--actually, there is a hint of strong tragedy in his backstory. when the wisconsin mother tells him he must go back to pakistan, and says she's sure his mother will be happy to have him home again, he tells her that both his parents are dead and how awful this makes him feel. this is what changes the wisconsin mother's mind about letting him stay.

Raja in the name in Pakistan sometimes points to the person's Rajput affiliation. And not only in Sindh but also in Punjab and across the Rajasthan border linguistic/community afiliations at times trump national and religious identities. Raja is also popular in Bangladesh for a different provenance. Hassan Raja is the first name that comes to mind - that gifted folk singer.

13:

Amardeep, my expectations of anything on "the CW" (and really, any show aimed at tweens/teens) are very, very low, which is why I was very, very pleased. ;)

18:

Wow...this much analysis for a show on the CW??? Am really surprised... As Anna pointed out, the bar is usually lowered for anything on this network and its a surprise to find something amusing...

CW haters!! I am admittedly a TV junkie, and CW (UPN/WB) has had some of the better TV shows than the reality and crime trash that the other four networks routinely spew out.

Gilmore Girls (Wins me a lot of points with women when they find that I am a fan of Rory and Lorelai)
Veronica Mars (The greatest show evah ... Too bad it is over)
Smallville (Not a big fan of this show/genre, but supposedly it is great)
Everybody hates Chris (Sweet show. Wonder years in 1980's Brooklyn...)

I did watch a preair (pirated) DVD screener of AiA a few weeks back, with a different character playing the Dad (Since then replaced by Luke from GG), and thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Hope to watch the aired version soon...

As others have pointed out, Raja is a valid and common Pakistani name...but just 'Raj' would be out of place I think.

Pop quiz...If you ask any auto rikshaw driver in India to name a muslim man with last name Raja..who will it be?

my answer: wasim raja

No dude !!! it's Altaf Raja.

RE song when sister walks by - wasn't the "gong" part of "Loosen up my buttons" by Pussycat Dolls?

The kid looks gay in that pic.

Pretty funny with all the PCness over the name Raja when it is an actual real name used by Pakistanis.

I havent watched this but there is another show The Big Bang Theory on CBS about geeks and ofcourse there is a token brown guy who cannot talk when around girls

I do support airing of shows based on foreign nationals. Given the fact that majority of North Americans are ignorant about other nations starting from geography outside North America to cultural heritage. However i do want the shows to be as real as possible and i seriously doubt if there are many Americans well versed in life outside America to conceive and develop these shows

Big Bang Theory on CBS - token brown guy who cannot talk when around girls.

True. Though I felt the cliche was more a geek one than a brown one. I also thought the brown guy came off fairly okay, as there was none of that Apu-like accent and turban BS.

I havent watched this but there is another show The Big Bang Theory on CBS about geeks and ofcourse there is a token brown guy who cannot talk when around girls

I havent seen it. But I cannot imagine that he is any worse than real life Indian like Pradeep on the Pickup Artist.

Okay, Raja's a last name for quite a few south-Asian Muslims.
It doesn't really tend to be a first name.

Here's a Pakistani take on the sitcom:

http://pakistaniat.com/2007/10/01/cw-premier-tonight-tv-muslim-comedy-aliens-in-america-with-a-pakistani-central-character

My uncle's first name is Raju (not his real name -- but no-one uses their real name). He is Pakistani, and his parents think he's a good Muslim.

Does Raj=Raja=Raju=Raji?

Pop quiz...If you ask any auto rikshaw driver in India to name a muslim man with last name Raja..who will it be?

Definitely Altaf Raja...

I haven't watched the show yet, but I'm very curious to see what they do.

I think the show has a lot of potential for comedy and drama:

- One thing I liked about the description is that this nerdy American white child can also feel like an outsider even though he is part of the mainstream culture. It'll be interesting to see how the show brings out the shared teenage angst with the uniqueness of individuals' experiences.

- wonder if they'll bring up that ironic fate that some SM'ers have expressed - the fact that otherness can also add to your coolness

- There's comedy in the ignorance that some of the Pak boy's neighbors or teachers show; But there's also of course a great deal of realism and danger in such attitudes. I just saw the DC premiere of a "Dream in Doubt" so this is fresh in my mind. "Dream in Doubt" is the story of, among other things, being American post-911 from the eyes of members of the Sikh community in Western United States. Specifically they spend a lot of time with one Sikh family made up of 5 brothers, 2 of whom were shot after 9-11. Don't mean to go off topic, but its a great documentary and I hope, if this show gains momentum, that they can bring up such issues too.

madhuri: However i do want the shows to be as real as possible and i seriously doubt if there are many Americans well versed in life outside America to conceive and develop these shows

In fact, there are many Americans not well versed with life inside America. Case in point: K-Ville, the third episode of which aired last night and disappointed me so much with its geography-breaking jumpcuts and poorly-placed Cajun/Creole/New Orleans stereotypes. Most TV shows give the masses what they want to hear and only enough shock value as they can take; the networks aren't really there to change your mind.

Only Deadwood and L&O reruns for some time to come, thanks.

Case in point: K-Ville, the third episode of which aired last night and disappointed me so much with its geography-breaking jumpcuts and poorly-placed Cajun/Creole/New Orleans stereotypes.

Ooooh! I meant to ask you about that show and forgot-- so glad you commented! :)

ANNA: Ooooh! I meant to ask you about that show and forgot-- so glad you commented! :)

Aaaah, K-Ville. I, too, sorta liveblogged the pilot three weeks ago. Like our moron of a mayor says about New Orleans's murder rate, I'd say that the show "keeps our brand out there." Sure, K-Ville and Aliens in America keep the post-Katrina-Flood and America's-tenuous-relationships-with-Arabs-and-South-Asians themes out there, but how they do it is so important. If the rest of America thinks that half of New Orleans still "stinks of mold and sludge" two years after the Flood (which it doesn't) and a young South Asian man in America wears a salwar-kameez to school everyday (which most don't especially if they are brand new here) or anoter stereotype which makes us roll our eyes, it is a gross misrepresentation.

There is a very fine line between being on the front burner of the American consciousness and imprinting ourselves one way or another, and I wonder if such TV shows help or hurt. It's still up in the air for me.

Asha's Dad, I too loved Small Wonder :)

I've definitely seen people wear the salwar kameez (guys) as everyday wear in a non-desi context.

The kid looks gay in that pic.

Pravin: The kid looks gay in that pic.

WHOA. How did I miss that?

Pravin, I'm not sure what you meant, but what you typed violates our comment policy.

the thing i loved about being brown in my high school was that all the hall monitors were desi, and basicallylooked the other way whenever i skipped class.

My main beef is that he's not a realistic Pakistani -- his clothes are off (anyone coming to the west would be wearing western clothes)

Actually, in the episode, it's shown that Raja owns "western" clothes. Justin is shown going thru Raja's luggage and tries to convince him to wear "normal clothes." But Raja tells him he is proud of his Pakistani heritage and wants to convey that to his new schoolmates, hence why he wears the "shower kameez" on his first day at school.

Pravin, what did you mean by that?

Nothing malicious. Just being my immature self with a throwaway comment on the first impression I got when i saw that pic of the Pakistani character and the fact that the mom wishing for someone who would enhance the white kid's popularity. Sometimes I need to pause between the thought that enters my head and when I start typing. Didn't mean to violate the comment policy. Anna can feel free to edit it out if she likes.

Ironically, the show has a clip where they put the white kid on the list of hot chicks.

My main beef is that he's not a realistic Pakistani -- his clothes are off (anyone coming to the west would be wearing western clothes)

The Pakistani Guy portrayed is in Madarsa attire. Maybe they wanna show us how they all see Pakistanis; phasing out the westernized secular one. No way the high school guy would land in Shalwar Kameez and or in skull cap.

Chacaji,

I agree Pakistanis men wear Shalwar Kameez more than Indian men but they do it according to the occassion and it doesn't include school.

Maitri and Mahdhuri: for a realistic look at life in an America that many people never see: Friday Night Lights, hands-down best show on network TV! Better than most on cable. It kills me that K-Ville is so terrible when FNL shows us how good TV shows can actually be, what powerful sources of empathy and new perspective.

In more directly brown news, just watched "The Office" premiere on TiVo - nice that the desi count there has gone up to two!

I've definitely seen people wear the salwar kameez (guys) as everyday wear in a non-desi context.

I thought Kurtas were for males and Salwars/chudidars were for women. I am not the expert on this obviously.

"..his clothes are off (anyone coming to the west would be wearing western clothes),.."

Pravin,

Two different pieces of possibly the same attire, Kurta is the top and Salwar/Chudidar, the trousers.

he doesn't particularly seem to have a back-story other than "he's good hearted and sensitive."

That's not unheard of in sitcoms. When it started off, the Fresh prince of Bel-air, for example didn't have too much of a back-story behind Will Smith's character, besides "West Philadelphia.. born and raised. In the playground I spent most of my days" Raymond on everybody loves Raymond didn't have a back-story when it started out. This allows the producers to use viewer feedback to develop the back-story as the series goes along. They are trying to get your interested in the characters in the first few episodes, and I guess the producers must have thought that the central character being Muslim is enough to get people interested

Is he going to run for School President like Pedro?

Pravin wrote:
I thought Kurtas were for males and Salwars/chudidars were for women.

That would be an interesting society -- the men are bottomless and the women are topless. It doesn not describe contemporary Pakistan, though.

The "Punjabi suit" -- which is the norm most everywhere in PK, including Karachi -- has a "shalwar" (baggy pants) for the bottoms. The Churidar pants are worn by my Indian relatives, but they tend to follow Indian norms and wear western dress. I am sure Punjabis have many explanations as to why they need to wear baggy pants, while the effeminate Indian (Muslims) wear Churidar pants -- but they would all violate ANNA's comments policy.

Ikram, that was funny.

that the protagonist was named "Raja", since that's so, like, NOT a Pakistani name

To debunk the above assumption - Wasim Raja a Pakistan cricketer

Well - watched the pilot last night. It is more interesting than some of the other offerings - My Name is Earl, Ugly Betty (big letdown first episode last week), The Office (past its best buy date)
I'll watch this season for sure.

"That is first thing that struck me too...but last weekend i was at a n'hood CPK and a bunch of desi teens were occupying the adjacent table and one the guys was wearing the traditional outfit. "

Yeah I see some guys wearing the clothes in JH but on weekends/ evenings...never have i seen a kid wearing it to school even in the Uk where I grew up and there people tend to wear these clothes more often than I've seen in the US.
To me it's like the show is trying to hard to make a point of how 'different' this kid is.

Ikram, I totally laughed. Excellent way to some up what's what in Punjabi suits. :)

Pravin, the difference between a kurta and kameez is simply length (or occasionally, design). Women wear kameezaa, unless they're wearing a "kurti" (a truncated kurta, kind of like what you see folks wear with jeans or with a ghagra -- not sure if I transliterated that correctly). The pant options include a salwar (baggy pants, and of course there are regional variations), churidar (the pants with skinny legs), what folks are now calling a "pant-suit" (basically straight-leg, slightly westernized pants). Each calls for a different tunic length.

It's easier to ride horseback if you're wearing a salwar. Actually, it's easier to do practically anything in a salwar, imo. Not that I know if Pakistani Punjabis are riding on horseback more than Indian Punjabis, but it's just a thought :)

I dont think i ever wore kurtha pyjama to school. except once when my parents made me dress is such a way for haloween. i thought it was lame.

very off topic, but anyone notice how many comments abhi's and amardeeps's article on the front page have? ALL multiples of 5. (So I had to post here, can't possibly disturb those articles :))

As mumbaikar and Ravi guessed it..this is the original ruler of Auto Rikshaw tape recorders long before Himesh Reshammiya ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i5vPvHoPHc

The baggy salwar is utilitarian and particularly preferred by rural women/men for everyday wear as opposed to churidar or tights which are worn on special occasions and are purely ornamental. No act accentuates the difference between these two variations of South Asian pants like that of relieving oneself. Let alone a wide stance just try squatting with your churidars around your ankles.

The Raja guy is wearing "Awami Suit" popularized by Zulfi Bhutto in 70's among men, before that most Pakistanis (who born in India) consider it too Feminine. It was given the identity of the national dress in an effort to rule out class difference.

Beisdes Punjabis, I believe Pushtoon and Baloch men too wear Shalwar Kameez for quite some time.

very off topic, but anyone notice how many comments abhi's and amardeeps's article on the front page have? ALL multiples of 5. (So I had to post here, can't possibly disturb those articles :))

Even more off-topic, but you could do like razib - you could post post comments five at a time, every time, all the time :) :) I've figured out how he does it, but am not telling... :)

Not to give him (or anybody else) any ideas, but many of those threads have comments in multiples of 25 :)

In browsing old threads, I see the commenting decorum at SM back when used to be quite different - people would actually apologize for two comments in the same thread, and do so at least twice if the comment was remotely off-topic. I wasn't here then. Oh well.

In browsing old threads, I see the commenting decorum at SM back when used to be quite different - people would actually apologize for two comments in the same thread, and do so at least twice if the comment was remotely off-topic. I wasn't here then. Oh well.

The only way this will work in the "Perfect Strangers" sort of way is if the foreigner (Balki) keeps up a "stupid foreigner" shtick for the entire run. That would get old..and slightly offensive with this show me thinks.

That being said, I LURVED me some Balki! (Dance of Joy anyone?)

I've figured out how he does it, but am not telling... :)

Open multiple windows for the same thread/post, type in comments in all, and then click "Post" one after another? Just a guess.

Here's a Pakistani guy with the first name "Raja":

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/B37/369

This is like a redux of - That 70's show - with a few changes:

1. Awkward white and brown kids - replacing cool white and brown kids.
2. West Pakistan for East Pakistan (Bangladesh)
3. Of course, Shalwar-Kamiz for bell bottoms

And I did not even find it that funny. Perhaps, thats just me.

India has a miniscule percentage of Punjabi Muslims so common Pakistani Punjabi names like 'Chauhan', 'Gill', 'Malik', 'Sahni', 'Chaudhary' might be disorienting to Indians who are only familiar with Indian Muslims and their faux Arabic/Turko/Persian names.

"faux Arabic/Turko/Persian names"?...cheap shot embedded in some interesting information

need some ice in that haterade?

while the effeminate Indian (Muslims) wear Churidar pants -- but they would all violate ANNA's comments policy.

Grrr. I challenge you to a cage match!

Indian Muslim men do not wear Churidar pants. Thats a ridiculous slander and I demand that you take it back :) Indian Muslim men sometimes wear a pajama which is of course more tight fitting than a shalwar. The pajama is completely different from a churidar which is worn by women. I think more men wear shalwar than pajamas though. Pajamas are usually worn to bed etc.

was just channel-surfing and found "perfect strangers" on the ION channel.. 8:30 - 9 pm

go watch it, ANNA and others who missed the gem that it is...

I haven't seen this show yet, but I have yet to see a single South Asian male in the US wear a shalwar kameez wherever they go.

You have'nt been to Jackson Heights in Queens, have you?

Nope. Well, I haven't seen a desi in a small Midwestern town wear a shalwar kamaaz everywhere they go. (I'm from the Midwest.)

"faux Arabic/Turko/Persian names"?...cheap shot embedded in some interesting information

need some ice in that haterade?

Not necessarily. I've heard the same thing from Indian and Pakistani friend. Apparently, Arabs and Iranians find some seemingly authentic (to us) sub-continental Muslim names to be hilarious.

man! I'm so glad to see some love for this show from fellow desis after all the hate it's been getting on Ultrabrown

Ravin, I feel you on the WTF-with-all-the-negativity tip. I realize I am in the minority with my "review". :)

I think I liked AiA because I am not so sophisticated. Once I stopped worrying about impressing people with my taste in art, I started having a hell of a lot more fun. Ain't no shame in my pop-culture lovin' game. :D I think expectations (and as I've already said up-thread, mine were soooo low) are always key.

CW debuted “Aliens in America” tonight, a sitcom about a Pakistani exchange student named Raja

fobs always get the love. when will there be a sitcom about the exciting life of a south asian who's got his green card and is living the middle managing high life in your bay area software company?

the protagonist was named “Raja”, since that’s so, like, NOT a Pakistani name.

i am off to spend the night with this lively, dry thing from spain, rioja.

well Raja means king/ruler in Hindi/Urdu/Many other south asian languages, I don't see why it can't be a Pakistani name ---its not religiously affliated so it shouldnt offend muslim people unlike if they named him "Ram" or something. the only place i've seen the name Raja misused is in Disney's Aladdin: the tiger's name is Raja i don't think they use that word in that part of the world.

one question: do Pakistani villagers ALWAYS where traditional clothing? in india i've been to villages and guys just where pants+shirt even muslim ones...well older muslim men wear kurta-paijaama but not kids of Rajas age.

i hope this show makes a good impression for south asians :]!!

when will there be a sitcom about the exciting life of a south asian who's got his green card and is living the middle managing high life in your bay area software company?

When they actually start living exciting lives... ;-)

well Raja means king/ruler in Hindi/Urdu/Many other south asian languages

Not only that, there are homonymic (and synoymic) cognates of the word in Latin-derived or influenced languages and Indo-European languages as well.

For example, the German 'reich' as in 'The Third Reich', the Latin 'Regis', the French 'royale', the English 'royal', the Spanish 'real', they all have similar sounds for similar meanings (i.e., they're homonymic and synonymic).

So, we get back to: 'Raja' is very much a 'Pakistani' name.

Cool show...(not as cool a debut as 'Caveman' best new show hands down)..but it won't be able to beat 'Chuck'

I can't resist commenting that everyone's objection to Raja's clothes for school seems based on the idea of the character being first generation here, whereas in the plot line the idea is that he is an exchange student, and part of the idea is to introduce his country and culture to Americans (kind of like the show does?) I thought it kind of cool that the writer (the main one is desi, by the way) makes it clear that Raja owns western clothes as well but "stubbornly" insists on wearing his Pakistani suit for his first day, vastly under-estimating the etiquette of his host school and fellow students and teacher.

I join Anna in being very positive on the show in general, my one worry while watching was that Raja's scenes of being helpful around the house, which Asian families would perceive to be normal behavior, might be interpreted as some sort of subservience by an American audience, but I still think that is minor. I think there is a line even in there that says that the dad has never seen a teenager be so helpful before.

Finally, I LOVED the way they used the music for the show and promo ("What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding" as covered by Junoon) and what's the name of the one they played at the end, from the '60's- another anthemic peace tune that never got "dated".

I figured out that that song is by an obscure band called Thunderclap Newman from 1969, it is called "Something in the Air" and when you hear all the lyrics together it is kind of subversive, but the little sound clip they used is pure sweetness

I join Anna in being very positive on the show in general, my one worry while watching was that Raja's scenes of being helpful around the house, which Asian families would perceive to be normal behavior, might be interpreted as some sort of subservience by an American audience, but I still think that is minor. I think there is a line even in there that says that the dad has never seen a teenager be so helpful before.

I don't know about Pakistan, but in India, though being very respectful to elders, middle class teenage sons seldom help out around the house. There are usually servants or sisters for that. What kind of helping out was Raja doing?

Maitri:

a young South Asian man in America wears a salwar-kameez to school everyday (which most don't especially if they are brand new here) or anoter stereotype which makes us roll our eyes, it is a gross misrepresentation.

why does it make you roll his eyes that he's wearing traditional clothing to school? As Kate eloquently said a few comments upthread, he is an exchange student and the purpose of that is to showcase his culture, aand someone else mentioned upthread that he is shown having Western clothing but he wants to wear traditional clothing because he is proud of his culture. I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would roll their eyes at that or think that it is a 'gross misrepresentation.' I don't even see how it can be considered a stereotype, considering that South Asian media representation is next to nil.

I'm sorry if I come off like I'm attacking you, but I just get SO aggravated by the insinuation that if a desi actually exemplifies something perceived as brown by American media but which isn't thought of in terms of any sort of ethnic identity in the homeland, then it's automatically an unflattering stereotype because they aren't stripped of any and all ethnic markers. In my eyes, it basically smacks of fob-phobia. I'm not pro-exoticism either, but I don't think this attitude is any good either.

Also, damn, I missed this premiere. I'm trying to cut down on TV, and only have time for the Wednesday night whammy of ANTM + gossip girl (I was disappointed as well, and speaking of gross misrepresentations, how this show presents class issues in NYC is SO laughable), and Ugly Betty.

Also, damn, I missed this premiere. I'm trying to cut down on TV, and only have time for the Wednesday night whammy of ANTM + gossip girl (I was disappointed as well, and speaking of gross misrepresentations, how this show presents class issues in NYC is SO laughable), and Ugly Betty.

I forgot to add that you don't have to worry ANNA, cuz my tastes are definitely more lowbrow than yours :P

Just a couple notes about the show:

The boy who plays Raja is Adhir Kaylan. He's not ABD, he's South-African born.

And hopefully there will be more authenticity because the main writer is: Sameer Asad Gardezi. He's written other stories about racial tensions: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=88953803

The song played when Raja saw his exchange sister is from Pussycat Dolls.

I enjoyed the show, but I'm still skeptical. I've seen too many shows go south after episode one.

Tara, I see what you mean about servants, but in the absence of them the Asian people that I live around and with generally clear their parent's plates from the table as a sign of respect. That's all.
Nala, (and all) in case you want to catch up on the premier episode they already have it launched online, you can watch it on the CW network. Now it sounds like I work for them! Actually, I am like you in cutting back tv, but what I like is streamed tv that I can watch at my convenience. It looks like the whole season will be streamed.

I don't know about Pakistan, but in India, though being very respectful to elders, middle class teenage sons seldom help out around the house. There are usually servants or sisters for that. What kind of helping out was Raja doing?

exactly what i was thinking : ).

Ok so if you go to cbs.com you can watch full episodes of shows. I just watched this episode of the Big Bang Theory called "The Grasshopper Experiment" where the Indian guy gets set up on a blind date by his parents. He doesn't know how to talk to women, but he finds out that if he drinks Grasshoppers, he can. It's cute.