If you’re like me you like well-made animated movies. I just saw this amazingly brilliant comedic animated adaptation of The Ramayana, online, for free at http://www.thirteen.org/sites/reel13/blog/watch-sita-sings-the-blues-online/347/
From the site:
Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by e-mail. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920’s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as “The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told.”
Here is the trailer
I do NOT think how such movies which portray Sita Devi in this manner can be enjoyed by Vaishnavas. Ramayana should be read with great reverence and any movies should have such a mood. I find this animation insulting Sita Devi and Shri Rama.
Get a sense of humor Ramji, somethings lacking when pretentious devotees think they can speak for God/Goddess by getting on their soapboxes to wax inanely about how God demands to be treated like this or that in some worshipful way devoid of humor. If you knew anything about God/Goddess you would know that him/her wouldn’t be offended and in fact are the inspiration behind such presentations.
Who said anything about how God feels????? I wrote how I feel. Such representation is a sign of immature mind and no Vaishnava would tolerate making comedy about God in such irreverent style. Nobody is having any pretensions here. Just having one conversation with you shows you are immature as well.
Who are you to decide what Vaishnavas can like or not like? I find the movie funny and delightful, you, not so much — maybe pretentious and offensive, right? — pretentious and offensive, and egotistic! yeah, pretentious, offensive, and egotistic — and borrrrrring.
No I do not decide for others. However I cannot understand how one can tolerate or even enjoy an animation that makes fun of somebody whom you regard as above your very own self , whom you worship everyday. Perhaps I am too dumb to understand the humor here. I cannot tolerate Sita Devi, whom I see as my mother, portrayed in that manner. I may be boring, but this is how I feel.
I’m a vaishnava and I like the movie. I think Sita Devi looks great in it.
Yes Ram, you are too dumb. It’s not making fun of Sita, it’s presenting a unique take on the Ramayana, it’s being charming, not insulting.
Vrajabhumi, why can you respect Ram’s opinion that the film is offensive? You find it “charming” but others may have a different opinion, thats all. Do you have to call anyone who disagrees with you dumb and such rude terms? It is very immature of you you know.
Nona
Ram was the one who insulted me and all other Vaishnavas who liked the film. I simply agreed with him when he said maybe he was too dumb to get the humor. People like Ram who come onto this blog with a pretentious uptight foul attitude shouldn’t start whining when they don’t get the red carpet rolled out for them. As the famous sage Sri Paul said:
And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love
You make
I did not see Ram insulting anybody here. You owe him an apology.
Mark
Do you know Ram? I was wondering since you both seem to be using an Illinois ip address. But, whatever.
I apologize for insinuating that Ram (or whatever) is a dick/pretentious bore, clearly his (or whatever) is a grand vision, a brilliantly shining meditation, a cosmic celebration of light and reverence and purity — if you will. I hereby and forthwith bow down whilst entreating thoust forgiveness, whilst supplicating at the lotus feet of my long lost and newly found guidingest light of life and blissful knowledge. Please accept my most humblest of obeisiosities grand sire.
His Divine Grace Ram a Lama Ding Dong Acharya Gurudeva Kiiiiii Jaya!
His Divine Grace Ram a Lama Ding Dong Acharya Gurudeva Kiiiiii Jaya!
His Divine Grace Ram a Lama Ding Dong Acharya Gurudeva Kiiiiii Jaya!
I just got another comment from Ram calling me a “whore” and giving a long list of things he considers blasphemous about the movie. Almost all of his complaints were in one way or another related to “semi-nude,” “bodily parts,” “sexually suggestive.” The animated movie is PG rated, there is no nudity at all. Ram, why don’t you go to India and start a movement to destroy or cover ancient carvings and art depicting goddesses — since they are almost always topless and often completely nude, or even having sex in many temple carvings, oh wait, the Islamic invaders beginning 1000 years ago began doing that. You can take up where they left off, there are still quite a few temples with all sorts of naughty “blasphemy” for you to get your panties in a twist about.
Please tell me if this is the language of a whore or a Vaishnava in your opinion.
Why do you twist words of others ?
Hey Mark, this may be nothing, but you and Ram both make the same grammatical mistake when using question marks. Instead of the proper way of putting it right next to the last letter of a word, like so? — you both do like this ? skipping a space and then putting the question mark.
For example here is something from Ram
The reason I’m not posting your comments, well, it’s obvious you are Ram, you write alike, say the same things, and your position is to defend him, and oh yeah, you both have Illinois ip addresses, one a home address, the other a University address. Why don’t you go away now.
Please tell me if this is the language of a whore or a Vaishnava in your opinion.
Well, whores can be vaishnavas too, can’t they?
In India there must be some people engaged in the world’s oldest profession who came from vaishnava families or who later chose to make Krishna their personal Deity.
In Vedic culture prostitutes, or courtesans, were respected professionals, like Geishas in Japan. The following is from Krishna lila — after the battle of Kurukshetra he went to Dvaraka and the people greeted him, including hundreds of courtesans:
http://vedabase.net/sb/1/11/19/en
Thousands of courtesans took part at Rukmini’s marriage to Krishna:
http://vedabase.net/sb/10/53/42-43/en
Krishna enjoys with courtesans, although this translation doesn’t say it, the word vāra-mukhyā or varamukhya means royal courtesan, as is translated in the above two verses correctly:
http://vedabase.net/sb/10/69/27/en
Well, I’m from IL, but trust, I’m not “Ram” nor “Mark”. He obviously has his kalpin in a bunch. These are the type of ppl who regard themselves highly as a “vaishnava” and knowing of what vaishnava etiquetted requires. Sita is a goddess, and She is allowed to dress any way she pleases. Your type of “exalted personality” contradict as soon as there is a chance to show how beneath everyone else is. Respect and worship can come in every manner…one can treat the lord as a friend, a lover, well you get the point…there’s no wrong way to discuss the pasttimes. Get over yourself, and possiby get treated for DID(are your Mark, ram? what point are you proving)…too many of your mysogynist, holier-than-thou types are popping up at the Chicago temple, and with folded palms I pray to Kishor Kishori that you all leave.
Wow, Chicago still has a misogynist problem? They’re like cockroaches, can’t get rid of ‘em. Back in the 70s Radha Damodar would blow through and we’d have to put up with weeks of bad attitude.
Nina Paley rocks! I’ve been a fan since her comic strip in Santa Cruz in the ’80s. So of course I found her Sita project early on. :)
[...] up as a sage to fool Sita, but that’s cool. You can read some other discussions on it here and [...]