DesiPundit

Does this have a snob value or what for half firangee liberals?
Whats the humorous part…that we are bad at the language of our oppressors? Now thats funny inside…quite dark actually.

Can’t help but consider what Apoplexy says. This whole thing about being bad “in English” is deeply connected with what sort of an education a person can afford, and first generation learners of the language.

When you mock poor constructed sentences - you mock the inability of people to access the “expensive” sort of education.

But yes - we all have the right to mock anything we want I suppose. Just that it smacks of elitism.

Third that.

I am all for mocking whatever people want to mock at, I just think like Neha does, it smacks of elitism and a belief that just by knowing a language, one is superior. That is especially wrong because knowing that language is a function of an expensive schooling.

I remember an English teacher I had in school, who took so much pride in the fact that she could not write one sentence in Hindi, her mother tounge.

Has Bombay Addict been made aware of this?

Does it mean that I shouldn’t laugh about people saying vaalai palam just because i can say vazhai pazham? or maybe that would not have a snob value since I would be a loyal Tamil fanatic and not a half firangi liberal?
And the language or our oppressors? Now that is funny.

Why get holier-than-thou over here? All Bombay Addict has asked is to send examples of ORIGINAL writing in English, that is, in some way, linguistically or grammatically challenged. Not asked for examples of actual writing of people who might be challenged in the above way. I get made fun of by certain N. India friends all the time for my “bambaiya” Hindi…Does it make them elitist or superior? Does it make me pathetic or un-Indian?

Deepa,Purush,

No, I am not being holier than thou.

English has a certain elitist connotation in our country, restricted to a class which can afford expensive schooling. So it is not comparable to say laughing at someone who cannot speak a regional language. Though I find that qually despicable and a function of our parochialism.

Generally speaking, Indians seem to look down upon those who cannot speak English or get a word or two wrong. I have never understood this snob value which we attach to it.

Kindly note, I am all for spreading the English language and I believe that access to English is one of the most important ways to uplift the poor. I just don’t like it when people get all snobbish about it or make claims like, they cannot write bad English even if they want to.

As I said, thats my personal opinion, I am perfectly fine with people mocking at whatever they want to mock at.

Except that the correspondents of HTTabloid and Indiatimes, the principal targets of Bombay Addict, belong to the elitist class and are supposed to be well versed in the “language of the oppressors” (which is why they write for an English newspaper)

The fact that they use words like “babe”, “wetty” and “sexy” while writing for a English publication *should* be the object of ridicule.

This is not like people laughing at the English of the autowallah.

Whoa ! I just saw this now so here goes.

Honestly, not a single one of any of the issues raised here was in my mind when I thought of this contest.

1. Apoplexy - No snob value and I certainly didn’t have “half-firangee liberals” in my mind. As for the humorous part, well bad english can be funny, yes ? That’s all that the contest is about - having fun.

2. Neha - It is not an exercise at mocking people without access to expensive education. I’m sorry if I’ve given that impression.

3. Confused - For whatever little English I do know, I can’t call myself superior by a long shot.

Honestly, I didnt even know that there is a Bulwer Lytton Fiction contest till Amit mentioned it. So it seems that my contest is similar to that.

Again, by hosting it I do not want to give the impression that I’m an elitist and a product of expensive schooling. Sorry, if I have.

4. Patrix - Thanks !

5. Deepa - I’m not a Tamilian and I have no idea what VP means !

6. Purush - thank you

7. Confused - This is not an exercise in mockery. Also - would things be different if this were hosted by a Brit or a Yank ? In fact, I would have welcomed responses on my contest from Britain and USA, but the CW vouchers would be useless for them, and I can’t afford Amazon vouchers !

8 Greatbong - Thank you. Indeed stuff like HTT and IT should be ridiculed and you have done a fine job of that !

Finally - may I request everyone here to just look at the contest for what it is ? Just good fun.

I still don’t see how it becomes an attempt to flaunt superior education or mock those who can’t write English. But if I’ve given that impression - my apologies.

Dudes, it’s just a bit of harmless fun, and BA certainly doesn’t mean to mock anyone. Indeed, from the email conversations I’ve had with him, I gather that the idea originated from the awful English in HT Tabloid and Indiatimes, which has been much fodder for both myself and Great Bong. It is hardly elitist to make fun of the bad english of those in the profession of English journalism. Indeed, I’d encourage such fun, if only to hope that such collective mockery might make standards rise in that profession.

In fact, I belong to that profession myself, and have refrained from leaving a comment on BA’s blog for fear that he might consider it an entry and hand me the prize, when I was writing perfectly normally. That would be most embarrassing, no?

Thanks Amit. Hey - do leave a comment, it’d be up against some tough competition anyways !