Asian Beauty Standards and the Bollywood Industry

Final exam GLA218

Choose FOUR of the following essay questions. Whatever questions you choose your answers must be thorough and detailed, short cut answers will be insufficient. The key to this exam is detail. DO NOT email me your exams. Upload them on Classes under Assignments, where you will find a thread called ‘Final Exam’ by May 14^TH, 11:59pm.  

1. Beauty standards in Asia have caused much admiration in foreign observers, to the point where beauty in Asia has reached mythical status. However, beauty, although an admirable pursuit, has caused much controversy, dissatisfaction, protest and danger in Asian societies. Explain what the issues are brought about by the impossible standards of beauty people aim to achieve. How does social pressure and the need to be accepted socially, romantically, and as an individual in general tie in with the pursuit of perfection in Asia? Whose standards of beauty are really followed? Are these standards impossible to avoid?
2. What are Asian stereotypes in the west and how does this affect the interaction and self-image of Asians living in western countries? Are any attempts being made to change these prejudices? Aladdin is often quoted as a classical case where by the west takes a foreign story and restructures it to fit their own perceptions or propaganda of what they believe the ‘exotic’ Middle East should be. Here you actually have a double misplacement of context since the original fairytale is set in China, yet, since the storyteller is from Central Asia, they impose behavior and characteristics on the characters which are undoubtedly Middle Eastern. Ultimately you have the Disney transformation where the story is transported to a mythical kingdom, somewhere in the undefined Arabian Desert. What effect do each of these transformations have on the perception of the cultures involved? How can you use this is an example of the perceptions of Asian communities which are morphed into a western stereotypical mythos in general? What are the dangers of such stereotypes and also the benefits?
3. Wuxia is at this point in time considered a type of cultural branding. In a way it is both a product of nationalism and transnationalism. What does this mean? Why is wuxia so engrained in Chinese literature and mainstream entertainment? Are all concepts in it entirely mythical or are they based on reality? Why is wuxia difficult to translate and understand outside of China? What is lost in translation and why are some concepts (i.e. chivalry), irreconcilable with foreign understandings of what they mean? Does this miscommunication cause for a misunderstanding and lack of true appreciation for wuxia and for Chinese culture in general? Finally, wuxia has been dubbed “cultural garbage” by Chinese academics. Is this necessarily true and if so what has led to that conclusion?
4. Bollywood is the highest grossing entertainment industry in the world. What we often associate with Bollywood films, such as musical numbers, has a long history which originates in political propaganda. Trace the origin, development and transition of Bollywood lyrics and their purpose in film. Why is it something kept even today despite the fact that it no longer has any specific function? How was Bollywood changed by the first and second stages of neoliberalization? What are some fears of the older generation in regards to what Bollywood represents or borrows from the west? How does Bollywood attempt to tackle those fears (make note of the ‘us vs them’ mentality)? Why have these anxieties led to the preference of Korean dramas over traditional Bollywood entertainment in certain parts of northern India? What does this say about the way India perceived its own entertainment culture vs the entertainment culture of others? How does the film Himalaya Singh bring about a discourse on the perceptions of Asians by other Asians?
5. American culture thrives on the concept of diversity, in which we supposedly find solidarity. However, solidarity is somewhat absent in Asia. Why? What does this mean and why is solidarity lacking not only among Asian countries but also amidst the population living in a single country (e.g. Nepal). How does multiculturalism cause disunity in Asia and can diversity actually be in excess? For example, while Afghanistan is a predominantly Muslim country, there is little else that connects the population, if anything at all. What problems does this cause? How is this different from the pursuit of specific identity in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan? How does it cause different interactions with outside nations?
6. How did the western impact change Asia? What was the enlightenment and why was it inescapable, not only for countries which were colonized, but for those that weren’t as well? How was this ideology different and altogether new for the entire world? Why has this caused animosity towards the west in recent years? What is the predominant fear of nations struggling with the notion of national identity and why do they perceive the west as a threat to their uniqueness?
7. We think of modernity as a concept which originated with the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment. However, modernity began in the 16^th century throughout the world. How? What was new in the interactions and perceptions of people living in those times? Give examples of artworks and/or literary works from South Asia which showcased a different outlook on life, religions, love, gender, etc.
8. Violence against women is a serious problem in South Asia which persists even today. Give a historical overview of where some of these problems originated and explain how the motivations for these crimes differ with region and country (start with the partition – India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). Are women to some degree responsible for these crimes (in that they are very rarely reported as the women do not wish to implicate their own family members) or does societal stigma, which places virtue on the shoulders of women, prevent them from crying out for help? Why is masculinity a fractured concept in some of these regions and how do the men in these societies attempt to hide that?