The lack of economic-driven anger among many Americans :
In America, the language of the angriest is very similar to that of the plutocrats themselves. Indeed, the complaint that today’s elite lack the noblesse oblige of the aristocrats of old, and are therefore risking public anger, seems to badly misread American public opinion. The middle class doesn’t want hand-outs from condescending rich people. They want moralistic language and complaints about deficits.
It’s really mistaken. The only problem here is that populist rage in America doesn’t happen to line up with the policy objectives of the mainstream Democratic Party.
Every poll shows strong support for higher taxes on rich people and lower taxes on non-rich people. That’s straight-up redistributive politics relative to the status quo and it’s what the public wants. Democrats flirted with making this part of their agenda, but ultimately blinked...And it polls well. But it wasn’t on offer because leading politicians didn’t—and don’t—want to offer it.
Amazing, isn't it? After nearly destroying the world, the plutocrats just dipped into their petty cash accounts, funded a Tea Party Movement dedicated to promoting their interests, and won the next election. Problem solved! Now, where should we have dinner tonight? Paris or Rome?
What's interesting about these responses is that they assign a critical role in populist movements to organisation and direction at a high political level. That seems like the exact opposite of an expression of populist sentiment. People express support for populist policies like tax increases on the rich, but where are the angry manifestations of this desire? Shouldn't we care something about preference intensity? A populist movement that's essentially invisible in the absence of DNC leadership is no populist movement at all. And political markets aren't perfect, but it also seems that so few political actors are trying to exploit an explicitly populist message (and those that have done so on the left haven't had a great deal of success).
When I wrote about the surprising lack of rage, what I meant was just this: there does not seem to be an angry bunch of Americans holding politicians' feet to the fire over populist issues, and forcing their concerns to the centre of the political agenda. That's surprising to me given the state of the American economy. And no amount of polling is going to push Democratic leaders toward ambitious populist politics so long as the only pitchfork points against their backsides are those wielded by the Tea Partiers.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Superstition drives Bollywood star cars
MUMBAI: The dark forces of superstition have always driven Bollywood. But now it transpires that three-fourths of the industry also drives on superstition. Take Shah Rukh Khan. Whether its his BMW or his other cars, they all have the number 555 on them.
Sanjay Dutt, on his part, confesses that all his vehicles — his latest Rolls Royce Phantom or Ferrari or even the Bugati Veyron that he intends to buy some day—have and will continue to have a registration number plate reading 4545. The star is clear that however much it costs him, the number plate must total up to nine and he likes it best if this is via 4545.
Dutt isn't alone in his quest for certain numbers. Kareena Kapoor, whose white Mercedes has the registration number 7887, says, ''All my car registration numbers must total up to three. I was born on September 21 and I like the number three. Saif wants his car numbers to total up to seven because he's born on August 16, and seven is his lucky number." Amitabh Bachchan's Toyota Land Cruiser has a registration number that adds up to two, just like his birth date, October 11.
Even 'Dabangg' villain Sonu Sood, who has three cars and is awaiting a fourth, wants a number one for all his new vehicles. Says the Bollywood baddie, ''When a series opens, No 1 is usually not given out. It's a VVIP number and is auctioned.'' Sonu, however, has managed to get a No. 1 for two of his new vehicles.
The obsession with a certain number doesn't come cheap but loaded Bollywood stars don't mind — they have been paying huge premiums to get themselves the registration numbers of their choice. ''We sometimes pay as much as Rs 3 lakh,'' says Sood, whose obsession extends to the Q 7 number plate. He reportedly spent Rs 3.5 lakh to get a Q 7 number plate for his Audi which belongs to the Q-7 series. While he refused to confirm this story, sources say that the actor once actually bought a Maruti in Haryana with the registration Q 7 just for the number plate and then resold the car because he had no use for it. This exercise cost him lakhs of rupees but what evidently mattered was that the actor's obsessive-compulsive streak was pacified.
Director Milan Luthria, who recently shot to fame with his 'Once Upon A Time' In Mumbai, has a black Skoda bearing the number 9211 like his earlier film 'Taxi 9211'. Soap queen Ekta Kapoor prefers all her vehicles to have numbers totalling up to three, six or nine a quirk which, according to screenwriter Rajat Arora, is rampant in Bollywood. Most of the industry wants its car number plates in multiples of three while four and eight are numbers everyone avoids, he says.
However, that's not entirely true. Ranbir Kapoor loves No. 8 on his car — he considers it lucky because his mother Neetu Singh was born on July 8. And finally there's Bollywood's offbeat actor Abhay Deol who has a Maruti jeep with the number AD (his initials) 420. Nice to know that superstition is sometimes accompanied by some tongue-in-cheek humour.
Sanjay Dutt, on his part, confesses that all his vehicles — his latest Rolls Royce Phantom or Ferrari or even the Bugati Veyron that he intends to buy some day—have and will continue to have a registration number plate reading 4545. The star is clear that however much it costs him, the number plate must total up to nine and he likes it best if this is via 4545.
Dutt isn't alone in his quest for certain numbers. Kareena Kapoor, whose white Mercedes has the registration number 7887, says, ''All my car registration numbers must total up to three. I was born on September 21 and I like the number three. Saif wants his car numbers to total up to seven because he's born on August 16, and seven is his lucky number." Amitabh Bachchan's Toyota Land Cruiser has a registration number that adds up to two, just like his birth date, October 11.
Even 'Dabangg' villain Sonu Sood, who has three cars and is awaiting a fourth, wants a number one for all his new vehicles. Says the Bollywood baddie, ''When a series opens, No 1 is usually not given out. It's a VVIP number and is auctioned.'' Sonu, however, has managed to get a No. 1 for two of his new vehicles.
The obsession with a certain number doesn't come cheap but loaded Bollywood stars don't mind — they have been paying huge premiums to get themselves the registration numbers of their choice. ''We sometimes pay as much as Rs 3 lakh,'' says Sood, whose obsession extends to the Q 7 number plate. He reportedly spent Rs 3.5 lakh to get a Q 7 number plate for his Audi which belongs to the Q-7 series. While he refused to confirm this story, sources say that the actor once actually bought a Maruti in Haryana with the registration Q 7 just for the number plate and then resold the car because he had no use for it. This exercise cost him lakhs of rupees but what evidently mattered was that the actor's obsessive-compulsive streak was pacified.
Director Milan Luthria, who recently shot to fame with his 'Once Upon A Time' In Mumbai, has a black Skoda bearing the number 9211 like his earlier film 'Taxi 9211'. Soap queen Ekta Kapoor prefers all her vehicles to have numbers totalling up to three, six or nine a quirk which, according to screenwriter Rajat Arora, is rampant in Bollywood. Most of the industry wants its car number plates in multiples of three while four and eight are numbers everyone avoids, he says.
However, that's not entirely true. Ranbir Kapoor loves No. 8 on his car — he considers it lucky because his mother Neetu Singh was born on July 8. And finally there's Bollywood's offbeat actor Abhay Deol who has a Maruti jeep with the number AD (his initials) 420. Nice to know that superstition is sometimes accompanied by some tongue-in-cheek humour.
Sheela rivals Munni, others make music
By the time winter arrived in 2010, most Hindi film music lovers had only one question on their lips: Munni or Sheila? And it goes without saying that rhythm or melody had little to do with the interest. But the truth remains that these item numbers were among last year's biggest chartbusters and, judging by YouTube hits, also the biggest eyeball grabbers. Across the border too, they were talking points and news stories. Anorexic Munni raised Dabangg's repeat value, fleshy Sheela became the finest promo for Tees Maar Khan.
It's been said that Munni badnam hui was inspired by a timeless eastern Uttar Pradesh folk song. Pakistani's too stake claim that the original version belongs to them. But after listening to the track on YouTube one feels the Pak assertion appears as sincere as their stand on 26/11. The beauty of Munni lies in its lyrics; in its use of immortal expressions like Main Zandu Balm hui and Main cinema hall hui darling tere liye. And in the inspired selection of little-known singers, Mamta Sharma and Aishwarya Nigam, who bring a coarse, folksy edge that becomes the floor-scorcher's soul.
On the other hand, Sunidhi Chauhan's muscled voice matches the body tone of the playing-hard-to-get Sheila. But the lyrics, I know you want it but you're never gonna get it, seems to have been written for a risqué Bhojpuri number before being translated into English. But to move beyond these two tracks that have received disproportionate media attention, Bollywood 2010 has reaped a fairly fecund musical harvest. Among the year's most innovative track is Dil to bachcha hai ji (film: Ishqiya). Many years after penning Dil padosi hai, Gulzar's new simile for the heart is endearing, and in the context of the movie's aging protagonists, wonderfully apt. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition is different from anything he has done before. What stays with you long after the song is over is the sound of a wailing guitar with a Spanish feel and the dull ache that often comes reminiscing unrequited love.
Then again, two tracks from Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (music: Pritam) stand out for their melody. With his moody rendition of Pee Loon, Mohit Chauhan again demonstrates how he has matured as a singer from his Silk Route days. There's an emotional honesty and intensity about his singing. Tulsi Kumar, late music baron Gulshan Kumar's daughter, miraculously manages to hold her own against Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Tum jo aaye, a delicate romantic duet with a neat melody line.
But perhaps the year's most imaginative music came from Amit Trivedi, the 31-year-old composer who sprang to prominence with Dev D (2009) and got the National Award for its music this year. In 2010, Trivedi composed music for Udaan, Aisha and No One Killed Jessica (to be released this year). Few new millennium Bollywood composers have been able to create music that blends with the film's situation so beautifully as Trivedi. Not all his compositions are hummable but listening to them is like taking a guided tour through the film's emotional landscape. In Udaan and No One Killed Jessica, lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya provides him first-rate support. Just listen to Naav (film: Udaan) and Aitbaar (film: No One Killed Jessica) and you'll see what one means.
Then again, two tracks from Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (music: Pritam) stand out for their melody. With his moody rendition of Pee Loon, Mohit Chauhan again demonstrates how he has matured as a singer from his Silk Route days. There's an emotional honesty and intensity about his singing. Tulsi Kumar, late music baron Gulshan Kumar's daughter, miraculously manages to hold her own against Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Tum jo aaye, a delicate romantic duet with a neat melody line.
But perhaps the year's most imaginative music came from Amit Trivedi, the 31-year-old composer who sprang to prominence with Dev D (2009) and got the National Award for its music this year. In 2010, Trivedi composed music for Udaan, Aisha and No One Killed Jessica (to be released this year). Few new millennium Bollywood composers have been able to create music that blends with the film's situation so beautifully as Trivedi. Not all his compositions are hummable but listening to them is like taking a guided tour through the film's emotional landscape. In Udaan and No One Killed Jessica, lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya provides him first-rate support. Just listen to Naav (film: Udaan) and Aitbaar (film: No One Killed Jessica) and you'll see what one means.
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