;
Maybe you missed the refrain to this profound Vedic meditation — Hymn For The Weekend:
I, oh, I, oh. Got me feeling drunk and high, so high, so high. I, oh, I, oh, I, oh. Now I'm feeling drunk and high. So high, so high. Woo!Right. Because, to an American audience, the lovely artistry and joyous expression of Indian dance and music can only make sense if associated with some kind of substance abuse.
You could try explaining that these dances and this aesthetic are fundamentally spiritual in their origin, but probably better not to bring it up, lest a Fox News viewer ask if Hindus are a part of ISIS as well.
Even more strange — these Hindus produce art for a purpose. Dancing, music, and culture serve to unify the society into a harmonious unit by expressing common ideals and emotions. People would still get together and produce music even if it had no professional component or marketing.
On the other hand, the world would never have to suffer through another Coldplay video if big money wasn't changing hands. It's a purely financial phenomenon. You are intended to buy this, then go listen to it alone on your Beats by Dre headphones.
But what else could you be listening to?
Compare:
An actual Bollywood music video, from Tamasha. Note that this was actually filmed in Corsica, and that we don't see much traditional Indian dress here. Clearly, there is something deeper going on than just a superficial kind of appearance.
Maybe it has something to do with dance and celebration seeming natural here, and the participants actually seeming alive. Their bodies, faces, and song tell a story we can understand without translation, whereas Beyonce simply has her face sit on a movie screen, as if her likeness alone is some kind of inert icon with inherent meaning.
Final Word: Why would you bother with the "art" of a society that has substituted cult status for meaning and emotion...?
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