"Outsourced" - Now it's a TV series!

[LongTomH]

A few years ago, I remember seeing mention of a documentary on outsourcing which, I believe, had the name: "Outsourced: The Movie." I recently tried to locate that with a Google search. What kept coming up was a reference to a 2006 movie - title "Outsourced."

The summary description on the Internet Movie Database was:

When the call center he manages in Seattle is outsourced to India, Todd travels there to train his replacement. Housed in a new building that looks like an above-ground bunker, the call center is staffed by willing novices whom Todd trains to sound American. One star on the staff is Asha, who teaches Todd that he should learn about India, and proceeds to do just that.

It's billed as a 'comedy' (for people whose jobs have been outsourced, it's a bloody tragedy!). Apparently, the plot also includes a rather improbable romance between the American, Todd, and an Indian employee, Asha.

Interesting note: Almost all of the 'user reviews' on the first pages were fawning; one read: "Sweetest movie I've seen all year." The negative reviews didn't show up until a couple of years after the film was released. Am I the only one to suspect that the early reviews were all from 'trolls' paid to 'review' the movie as soon as it showed up on IMDB?

Latest development: NBC is now announcing a new comedy series with the same name: "Outsourced" and the same plot:

Outsourced is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon — and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (Privileged), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s Five Days II), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s Doctors), Parvesh Cheena (Help Me Help You), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s Bombay Dreams) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team.

Do you see an agenda here or am I just paranoid? Do they really expect a TV sitcom to lessen the pain of having our jobs outsourced to India?

[PM Martin]

1. I see the agenda alright.

Big media owned by corporations, we all know where this is going.

[flvegan]

2. Morgan Spurlock did a great "30 Days" episode on outsourcing.

Should be on Hulu. I know it's on Netflix.

Somewhat off topic, but somewhat on.

[prairierose]

3. Doesn't it seem as if these people not only have a sick sense of humor...

but that they have no empathy whatsoever. What kind of person could find this funny or acceptable? There are so few tv shows I watch any more because the sitcoms are all about abuse and making abuse acceptable and common place but they also make shows that have no place in entertainment at all. Anyone who does not yet realize that a big part of our economic problems are based on the fact that so many jobs have been outsourced has their head some place it does not belong.

I just think they really do not care about anyone but themselves. :banghead:

[Greyhound]

4. The same agenda they've been pushing for 30 years. "You must accept less in order to finance

the rise of the billionaires".

[ShortnFiery]

5. I lost all hope for humanity since viewing the disgusting reality show "Intervention."

As a former Addiction Counselor, I can attest to the fact that the LAST THING a struggling addict needs while attempting to follow their program is "national TV attention." :crazy: :thumbsdown:

[LongTomH]

6. Gee! No one has shown up to defend "Outsourced" or outsourcing yet!

Maybe there is hope for Democratic Underground yet!:thumbsup:

[tomg]

7. I am amazed. Seriously, all I

can hope is that the day after it airs, NBC realizes how utterly insane they were to have a comedy about outsourcing and they issue a public apology for their stupidity. There is a good chance that this will infuriate everybody.

[OhioChick]

8. A "comedy?"

That's fucked up.

[ChromeFoundry]

9. Waiting for the spin-off...

CEO Suffocated By His Own Chin

How much you want to bet that the "comedy" is not about the accent of the brown-skinned male that goes by the American name, "Jimmy"?

I see two outcomes... 1) Public outrage towards NBC. 2) Indians living in America getting abused by outraged people that no longer can find any job.

Not very smart on NBCs part.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

10. You're just paranoid.

It's a sitcom (generally not smart enough to have an "agenda") and you're confusing its genre with the network's approval of outsourcing. A movie or TV show's genre isn't defined by the "what," but rather the "how."

[LongTomH]

13. The question is not: Am I paranoid? It's: Am I paranoid enough!

The well-publicized 'studies' showing that outsourcing was good for the economy and would lead to more US jobs (Yes, they actually said that!!!) were funded by the big Indian companies like Tata that were profiting from outsourcing.

Add in the fact that there has been a lot of Indian investment in Hollywood, which explains Outsourced: The Movie. I think if we were to follow the money trail, we would find some big Indian investment in NBC and/or its production companies.

By the way, does anyone have a link to the original Outsourced documentary?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

15. Your words: "Do you see an agenda here or am I just paranoid?"

Add in the fact that there has been a lot of Indian investment in Hollywood, which explains Outsourced: The Movie. I think if we were to follow the money trail, we would find some big Indian investment in NBC and/or its production companies.

There's been far more foreign investment in Hollywood from Europe and Japan, but nobody's going around saying Hollywood is making pro-Europe or Japan movies.

And here's the (easily searchable) production credits for Outsourced (the movie):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425326/companycredits

I see German, Canadian and American companies listed, not Indian ones. You're simply trying to create xenophobic paranoia based on highly flimsy evidence.

[Phlem]

11. It could be used

as a conditioning agent for the populous since it'll be on a network channel.

And if you think the population can't be controlled see: Teabagger

Try not to be naive next time.

I've always believed that a great leveling of American pay versus third world pay was happening. You know the excuse of outsourcing, and you can see the plight of every American right now struggling to stay above water, I can see the show trying to lessen the pains on us (since it's a sitcom). So Americans won't bitch so much about low pay and no work. It is a global market after all.

I could also just be paranoid.

-p

[cornermouse]

12. I know I won't be watching.

[OhioChick]

14. Tell NBC what you think of their new"comedy"

http://www.nbc.com/contact/general/