Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 18:50     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:I watched it with my 12 year old and we talked about the sex and drinking. It is a really good show - love it! I can't wait for Season 2.

I'm the only person who enjoys John McEnroe as the narrator.


I actually love it, its really quirky.

I really enjoyed the show. I also found the lead character kind of annoying at times, which is a good thing- they are more human that way.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 18:47     Subject: Re:Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s entertaining but outdated in some ways imo. Most Indian kids/teenagers nowadays don’t have the same level of identity crisis and embarrassment about Indian traditions as before. The Ganapati puja episode was probably lifted straight from Mindy Kaling’s childhood. People don’t do arranged marriages like in the show either. You can go on dates and the guy is typically not going to come over and do a meet and greet with the whole family.


Idk, I'm South Indian (raised in CA) and my mom is an informal matchmaker for our community. The arranged marriage scene is actually not that different than it was 20 years ago - the "meet and greet" might not occur on the first date, but there is definitely a strong emphasis on no more than 1-2 dates unless both parties think engagement is likely, so as not to waste anyone's time. My mom just did a set up of two family friends' children (both doctors) and she thought that scene/storyline rang pretty true.


Some are like this, and some aren’t. There is variance among Indian families.

What I don’t like about the show is this assumption that she is a nerd or “less than” because she’s Indian. If I showed this to my DD she would be startled, and hurt. Of course she is young still (middle school), but I reject the premise and also think it’s a bit old school. I can see how non Indian families may like it.


I didn't get the sense that she is a nerd because she's Indian. Just that she and her friends are nerds.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 18:23     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

I’m down with the brown
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 16:56     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

^^ just to follow up, it would be nice if there were shows about South Asians without their “Indian-ness” being the focus. That’s all. Just a vent.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 16:55     Subject: Re:Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s entertaining but outdated in some ways imo. Most Indian kids/teenagers nowadays don’t have the same level of identity crisis and embarrassment about Indian traditions as before. The Ganapati puja episode was probably lifted straight from Mindy Kaling’s childhood. People don’t do arranged marriages like in the show either. You can go on dates and the guy is typically not going to come over and do a meet and greet with the whole family.


Idk, I'm South Indian (raised in CA) and my mom is an informal matchmaker for our community. The arranged marriage scene is actually not that different than it was 20 years ago - the "meet and greet" might not occur on the first date, but there is definitely a strong emphasis on no more than 1-2 dates unless both parties think engagement is likely, so as not to waste anyone's time. My mom just did a set up of two family friends' children (both doctors) and she thought that scene/storyline rang pretty true.


Some are like this, and some aren’t. There is variance among Indian families.

What I don’t like about the show is this assumption that she is a nerd or “less than” because she’s Indian. If I showed this to my DD she would be startled, and hurt. Of course she is young still (middle school), but I reject the premise and also think it’s a bit old school. I can see how non Indian families may like it.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 16:51     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:I watched it with my 12 year old and we talked about the sex and drinking. It is a really good show - love it! I can't wait for Season 2.

I'm the only person who enjoys John McEnroe as the narrator.


What did you say about the aspirational sex talk?
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 16:51     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I watched it with my 12 year old and we talked about the sex and drinking. It is a really good show - love it! I can't wait for Season 2.

I'm the only person who enjoys John McEnroe as the narrator.


He was AMAZING narrator.


Barf. He ruins it for me.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 15:04     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

I think it’s my ptsd
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 12:53     Subject: Re:Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:It’s entertaining but outdated in some ways imo. Most Indian kids/teenagers nowadays don’t have the same level of identity crisis and embarrassment about Indian traditions as before. The Ganapati puja episode was probably lifted straight from Mindy Kaling’s childhood. People don’t do arranged marriages like in the show either. You can go on dates and the guy is typically not going to come over and do a meet and greet with the whole family.


Idk, I'm South Indian (raised in CA) and my mom is an informal matchmaker for our community. The arranged marriage scene is actually not that different than it was 20 years ago - the "meet and greet" might not occur on the first date, but there is definitely a strong emphasis on no more than 1-2 dates unless both parties think engagement is likely, so as not to waste anyone's time. My mom just did a set up of two family friends' children (both doctors) and she thought that scene/storyline rang pretty true.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 11:52     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:I watched it with my 12 year old and we talked about the sex and drinking. It is a really good show - love it! I can't wait for Season 2.

I'm the only person who enjoys John McEnroe as the narrator.


He was AMAZING narrator.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 11:28     Subject: Re:Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

It’s entertaining but outdated in some ways imo. Most Indian kids/teenagers nowadays don’t have the same level of identity crisis and embarrassment about Indian traditions as before. The Ganapati puja episode was probably lifted straight from Mindy Kaling’s childhood. People don’t do arranged marriages like in the show either. You can go on dates and the guy is typically not going to come over and do a meet and greet with the whole family.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 11:20     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

I enjoyed having John McEnroe on there too! It was a great juxtaposition of the typical narrator scenario you would expect from the show; it would probably normally be in the first person. Also, John McEnroe is supposed to be hot tempered and passionate, just like the main character.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 11:18     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

This thread is proving my point that we need more stories like these. I have lived overseas in Asia for many years (not in India) and even I did not know you do not say Hindi American.

The show itself did not use the word Tamil, to my knowledge.

The show focused on Indian Americans that happen to be vegetarian, but many Indians are not. (Indians who are Muslim don’t eat pork, for example, but they eat other types of meat.

I would be that the majority of people in America watching this on Netflix who are not Indian American (so most people) would have questions about these things.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 10:44     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pp here who wrote Hindi American. I’m sorry I made that mistake, I was trying to show that I understand that there are many Indian ethnicities. I guess I goofed.

All the more reason to have stories like these.

FWIW, it bugs me when anyone calls someone from a country in Latin America “Spanish”. No, they probably SPEAK Spanish, (unless they are from Brazil where they speak Portuguese or something), but unless they are from Spain, they are not “Spanish”. Or “Mexican”, necessarily, unless they are from Mexico.


You don’t need to tell people there are many Indian ethnicities if you don’t even know the difference between the language and the religion.


Good grief, give it a rest. Part of being insulted is knowing intent. Clearly this poster was not trying to be offensive so how about a gentle correction with a little grace. Geez.

- Hindu, Indian that has been truly ridiculed and misjudged many times. This is not an intended insult.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2020 10:39     Subject: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

I watched it with my 12 year old and we talked about the sex and drinking. It is a really good show - love it! I can't wait for Season 2.

I'm the only person who enjoys John McEnroe as the narrator.