2 Thumbs Up - Sepia Mutiny

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September 24, 2009

2 Thumbs Up

I was in India earlier this month and while celebrity endorsements are all over the place, these posters for MacroMan Underwear with Hrithik Roshan were particularly, uh, eye catching -

Having lived in the SF Bay Area for over 10 yrs, I probably read too much into the posters & tagline ("Excitingly Male"). However, more interesting & prominently featured in the ad was Mr. Roshan's polydactyly - long the subject of giggles and hushed tones but proudly displayed for a billion desi's to proudly gawk at -

Behold, the 2 Thumbs of a true "Macro Man". The Hemp bracelet is pretty wild too

In the desh, historically, Hrithik's "supernumerary thumb" is a good luck sign of sorts. While the surgical procedure to "correct" it is apparently trivial, Hrithik has chosen to, uh, hold on to his extra thumb both for luck and as his own way of keeping it real. Kudos to him - it would certainly be tough to imagine a similar individual in the US making the same choice.

POSTED BY vinod @ 2:31 PM

25 comments

1 · Booyakasha on September 24, 2009 2:45 PM · Direct link

First!

Wonder if he's got any use for it.

2 · Wanderer on September 24, 2009 2:51 PM · Direct link

Who cares ( re add) Re his twin digit..it happens sometimes..he's lucky he has the looks, so it don't matter

3 · phillygrrl on September 24, 2009 2:54 PM · Direct link

Wonder if they make "MicroMan" underwear. That has the marketer in me strategizing...

4 · zee on September 24, 2009 4:15 PM · Direct link

Once I was in the movie theater watching 'Dhoom'. There were few white folks next to me. The ladies all screamed 'Ewww' at the sight of his double digit.

All though this is anecdotal, I find that minor physical imperfections (like here) are ignored in Desh compared to the west which is burdened with the artificial sense of beauty fed by popular media and fashion. On the other hand, major disabilities are treated much more kindly and with consideration than in Desh.

"In the desh, historically, Hrithik's "supernumerary thumb" is a good luck sign of sorts."

: Never heard of that being a good luck sign, where did you get that. I think people just don't care about it given his other qualities.

5 · rudie_c on September 24, 2009 4:58 PM · Direct link

they used the two thumbs in koi mil gaya for the alien.

he is awesome

6 · Akash on September 24, 2009 8:39 PM · Direct link

Wonder if they make "MicroMan" underwear

They will sell as long as they are really cheap, since most people who buy in that price range won't care about the brand name.

The funniest underwear brand I have seen here is 'Fruit of the Loom' :-)

7 · Samir on September 24, 2009 11:13 PM · Direct link

The Sage of Omaha owns Fruit of the Loom

8 · Neale on September 24, 2009 11:47 PM · Direct link

I hope Mr. Roshan never meets Mr. Emanuel in a dark alley.

9 · Ashish on September 25, 2009 1:45 AM · Direct link

> All though this is anecdotal, I find that minor physical imperfections (like here) are ignored in
> Desh compared to the west which is burdened with the artificial sense of beauty fed by popular
> media and fashion. On the other hand, major disabilities are treated much more kindly and with
> consideration than in Desh.

How true ... great insight!

10 · Jinendra on September 25, 2009 2:29 AM · Direct link

All though this is anecdotal, I find that minor physical imperfections (like here) are ignored in Desh compared to the west which is burdened with the artificial sense of beauty fed by popular media and fashion.

Use of the term 'artificial' here for anyone who might find their own 'double-thumb' to be profoundly disturbing and want it removed is way too loaded. Either choice (Hrithik's to keep it or my hypothetical one to remove it) is OK--stop trying to push your agenda, please.

11 · coffeescoop on September 25, 2009 8:03 AM · Direct link

While Hrithik's decision is commendable, one can only rejoice when a woman born with a similar condition could rise to superstar status like Hrithik has. Never mind even if she has rich Bollywood lineage like our man does--Hrithik's extra digit is a "statement." For a Bollywood heroine wannabe it would be a disaster.

12 · chitowngal on September 25, 2009 9:48 AM · Direct link

how is it that no one else notices the 'tag and thread' strategically placed between his legs as comment-worthy? aaah, Indian subtlety, gotta love it.

13 · zee on September 25, 2009 12:22 PM · Direct link

Use of the term 'artificial' here for anyone who might find their own 'double-thumb' to be profoundly disturbing and want it removed is way too loaded. Either choice (Hrithik's to keep it or my hypothetical one to remove it) is OK--stop trying to push your agenda, please.

Agenda ? What agenda ? It is completely fine if someone wants to get it removed, but I am talking about other people's reaction to such minor imperfections (not the person who possess it). When in India, I have had cousin with extra digit, but it never seemed too out of normal; but the disgusted reaction that people show here to say problems as minor as acne to bad haircut is what I am talking about.

14 · Manju on September 25, 2009 12:46 PM · Direct link

Hrithik defintiely should be cast as the fonz, when bollywood finaly gets around to doing a happy days remake

15 · Manju on September 25, 2009 12:48 PM · Direct link

still not as subtle as this ad

16 · Manju on September 25, 2009 12:52 PM · Direct link

I hope Mr. Roshan never meets Mr. Emanuel in a dark alley.

yeah, mr emanuel might want to show him who's the real chief of staff

17 · gem on September 25, 2009 5:46 PM · Direct link

All though this is anecdotal, I find that minor physical imperfections (like here) are ignored in Desh compared to the west which is burdened with the artificial sense of beauty fed by popular media and fashion. On the other hand, major disabilities are treated much more kindly and with consideration than in Desh.

Yeah right. Minor physical imperfections are treated kindly but dark-skin --which is natural and dominant in India--isn't.I don't deny the accuracy of your point and I'm not trying to derail this thread but that statement was sorta hypocritical to me.

18 · Lupus Solitarius on September 25, 2009 6:36 PM · Direct link

All though this is anecdotal, I find that minor physical imperfections (like here) are ignored in Desh compared to the west which is burdened with the artificial sense of beauty fed by popular media and fashion. On the other hand, major disabilities are treated much more kindly and with consideration than in Desh.

That is a good point, Zee. Often people with these kinds of minor physical anomalies are given nicknames or even proper names which are accepted and absorbed as a part of one's persona, case in point being this famous jewelery shop in Lucknow.
Dark skin may also cause the subject to be (nick) named Kalua, Kalia, Shyam, Krishna or Kali-mata (the last often being a derogatory reference). Discrimination may or not follow. I believe it is worse for women, and needs to be condemned.
It is quite obvious that obsession with physical beauty is a part of Western culture, hence the market for cosmetic surgery, fad diets, anorexic teens and high incidence of body dysmorphic disorders.This may be partly due to western society having more time and money to fret over minor physical imperfections.

19 · D1001 on September 26, 2009 2:57 PM · Direct link

I'm sorry i can't reference the quote/interview, but i heard that he felt this double digit has given him good luck and therefore he didn't want to surgically remove it.

Good for him. I do agree however that if it was on a female bollywood star it may not have been as widely accepted probably.

20 · Anonymous on September 27, 2009 2:30 AM · Direct link

Mr. Roshan probably had an easier time compared to his other classmates when learning to add/subtract sums in kindergarten... I think having more than 5 digits on a hand or foot is considered a dominant trait - or is it a dominant gene(s)??? or just a fluke of nature?. Any students of genetics out there who can clarify?

After I gave birth to my daughter, I always wish I had an extra working arm to help me with my daily chores. Carry a baby in one arm and cleaning the house with the other free hand was not easy.

21 · gm on September 27, 2009 2:31 AM · Direct link

After I gave birth to my daughter, I always wish I had an extra working arm to help me with my daily chores. Carry a baby in one arm and cleaning the house with the other free hand was not easy.

22 · gm on September 27, 2009 2:34 AM · Direct link

(I am so sorry for the comment appearing twice - my mistake. Strange that I did it on this topic, though), Please delete my last comment.

23 · Ahi on September 28, 2009 12:34 AM · Direct link

I happened to meet Hrithik in Vegas sometime last year - I believe he was down there for the shooting of his movie Kites. He was very accomodating with photographs and handshakes even at 4 in the morning. As we shook hands, I couldn't help notice that he only had, well a regular thumb while I was expecting something from the pic above. So I think that's an old ad, he has gotten rid of the lucky charm since then...

24 · Jenna on October 4, 2009 12:03 AM · Direct link

Carry a baby in one arm and cleaning the house with the other free hand was not easy.

Ever heard of a cage?

25 · Christian Louboutin Boots on October 7, 2009 3:56 AM · Direct link

happened to meet Hrithik in Vegas sometime last year - I believe he was down there for the shooting of his movie Kites. He was very accomodating with

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