I wasn't too upset about Outsourced.....

[cbdo2007]

until I just saw the first few seconds after The Office and the screen came up and said "Kansas City, MO"

I actually started tearing up and now just feel shocked. I'm in Kansas City and that's our friends and family and now they're making a show about this sh*t?? A sitcom??? It's not funny for our jobs to get outsourced. It's horrible and I feel horrible just after watching the first 5 seconds. I had to turn it off, it was actually really upsetting. :(

Really, I didn't think it was a big deal and didn't even bother voting in the poll earlier today because I just thought people were overreacting, but then it just hit too close to home. I wasn't going to watch it anyways, but I was indifferent to it before and just thought it was people being too sensitive. Not now. I hope this show is cancelled quickly and NBC apologizes.

[Ian David]

1. I have that show blocked on my cable box.

Next thing you know, they'll be making a sitcom about Nazis running a WWII internment camp.




Yeah, I'd kill myself, too, if I made that shit.

[KamaAina]

2. From what I could tell from the trailers, it's basically The Office recast with Indian people.

So not terribly offensive from the racial perspective.

Hadn't really thought about the outsourcees' perspective, though. :(

[HereSince1628]

3. Hulu was my friend tonite.

The SO enjoys what I call stupid tv. Her favorite stupid tv is on Thursday nights.

[customerserviceguy]

4. So, if it were another city

it wouldn't have been a problem for you?

It's just fiction, it's about the subject of culture clash. If it's too personal for anyone, then they shouldn't turn it on.

[cbdo2007]

16. I was just ambivalent about it because I thought it would all be fictional.

Actually, we're pretty sheltered here in Kansas City and although layoffs/outsourcing has occurred, we're not seeing nearly as much of the effects of the recession as other parts of the country. I just figured they would have it start out in India or use a fictional city. Not go into a huge empty office in Kansas City wondering where everyone is.

[customerserviceguy]

17. The best fiction

uses things that are real to get the reader/viewer identified with the situation. I guess that worked in your case.

[JanMichael]

5. Pretty upsetting here in NC too.

You should see my thread on it from my computer now. Half the responses are from "ignored." ;)

I can't believe anyone on DU would defend that racist, ugly trash. But, there it is. Just not on my screen.

[hendo]

6. So thats why Jan isnt answering my questions

she gave up and ignored me instead.

[hendo]

7. call centers have closed all over the country

Kansas City was just one of many cities.

[undeterred]

8. I wonder who they think will watch it?

I work in a call center and although it provides good material for a comedy, the idea of having your job go to another country isn't funny at all.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Well, from what I hear...

it is doomed out of the gate anyway.

[VMI Dem]

10. My mom was really saddened and offended by MASH.

Wait...no she wasn't.

Jesus Christ.

[Fumesucker]

11. I suspect MASH wouldn't have been quite as popular..

..If it had been running during the actual Korean War..

Same thing for Hogan's Heroes and WWII..

[VMI Dem]

12. We still have relatives that were stuck in N. Korea.

And relatives that died.

I guess this is much worse though. Oh well.

[Fumesucker]

13. Not worse but a lot more immediate..

Not to mention that MASH was not solely a comedy and had some of the most brilliant writers in TV at the time.

[VMI Dem]

14. You are probably right. People react to things differently.

I thought the Outsourced was not very good, but I was not offended. Could see how come could be though.

[fishwax]

15. I still don't find the concept offensive, though I'm not optimistic about the execution

based on what I've seen of the previews. But I do think it would be possible to do a comedy about it in an insightful way and in a way that doesn't minimize or ridicule the pain of losing one's job to it. I remember The Simpsons did an episode dealing with outsourcing work to India, and while I don't remember the episode as being particularly good, I don't think it was inherently offensive that they chose to write a show about it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. That eighties movie Gung Ho kinda sorta dealt with this stuff.

I doubt the sitcom will be that good though.

[Urban Prairie]

19. Dull, boring, and a hard slap in the face to everyone who has been affected

directly or indirectly by outsourcing or off-shoring, no matter how this show tries to spin it..JMO.

Maybe one of the networks should now take it a step further, and create a show about foreclosure, and have a trio of clumsy stooge-like evicters whose job it is to empty homes of possessions that could not be removed in time by those being foreclosed on.

Bet that it would become a very popular sitcom and truly a knee-slapping laugh-riot...

:sarcasm: