Jim on; Deshpande

Dr. Shekhar Deshpande is an Associate Professor and Director of the Communications Program at Arcadia University. Born in India, he ha taught a variety of courses in media and film studies, visual culture and cultural studies. He continues to publish in the areas of identity, media criticism and film and cultural studies (Arcadia Univ. website).In his article, “ The Confident Gaze”, Deshpande makes the claim that National Geographic Magazine give their subscribers, “ But a simple equation of progress “on our terms” would make this magazine blatantly ethnocentric” (pg3, par.2), and, “What attracts a common reader is that the magazine provides a balance of image of both, once irreconcilable aspects of life in other cultures. That increases the comfort level of its readers” (pg.3, par.2). Just to be clear on the meaning of ethnocentric, The American Heritage Dictionary defines ethnocentric as, “1.Belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group. 2. Overriding concern with race” (pg.450).
The thought that Deshpande is putting out there, is that National Geographic is showing the American people the world though a rose colored lens. NG tends to show us the world with beautiful imagines that perhaps take something away from the real suffering that may go on behind the actual reality of life in the culture that NG is deplicting. That in an almost slight of hand sort of way, NG is pandering to American ethnocentrism by showing, as Deshpande states, “colorful images of temple, equally “exotic” designs of the saris, and the color of piety and devotion in Indian’s multifaceted religions”(pg3, par,2). Although Deshpande is revering to an article in NG regarding India’s 50th aniversary of independence form British rule in this statement, the template is the same for all the cultures that NG presents to its subscribers.
I myself can not disagree with what Deshpande is saying in this article. I would say that he is right in his assessment of what the magazine does. I would also say that NG does not portray itself as anything but what Deshpande claims. NG does not consider itself a news magazine; NG claims that it is an exploration magazine, dedicated to exploration, education and science. NG is a non profit organization that is dedicated to the development of these causes. NG is a business that has been very successful in all these aspects while consistently maintaining one of the highest subscription memberships in the USA. NG makes no excuses for the way they run their organization or how they present the information they offer their subscribers. NG is giving their subscribers what they are paying for.
Is NG giving the American people a skewed view of the world? Or are they just giving their consumer what they want?
When we were given this article in our English class, I was quite surprised at the responses that were given to the picture, we were asked to analyze. It is a picture of young Indian boy of perhaps 10 to 12 years of age. The picture shows him from the shoulder up, colored in the Holi colors. I would say the comment that I heard the most, was that the child looked under fed. The child is slender in build, but I have found this to be a common trait among the people of warmer climates. I thought how easily a nation who's children suffers obesity in now epidemic proportion; quickly see a slender child as on the verge of starvation. Deshpande himself, when describing this child states, “(T)the cover page featuring a photograph of the face of a child with red Holi colors, with clear, intense dark eyes gripping the lens of the camera and the beholder of the image is striking”(pg.1par.3). As I gazed on this picture myself, it was the clear, intense dark eyes that received my attention. I saw nothing in the child’s eyes that told of starvation, misery impending doom or even the sadness that I see in so many American children’s eyes these days.
I have to wonder if the American point of view has changed a bit in resent years. Do we want to see the worst, even in the soft NG version of the world? Are Americans to a point were not even the washed down version of life on this planet, that Deshpande’s idea of National Geographic portrays, is enough to keep Americans happy? Have Americans become so unhappy with their culture that they seek others misery, even when it is just not there?
What will National Geographic do now?