The episode was focused in large part around Abed. I think it is an interesting insight into his character as we figure out that actually, he is smarter than anyone even thought. Everyone thought he was book smart, and talented, but they realize actually, he is so smart, and confident in himself that he was willing to change to make other people happy. All of this to say, I think the writers realize his character is the most dynamic on the show and will start to showcase him more. When I watch the two characters (Abed and Tom Havorford) I think of them as Americans. Immigrants to be sure, but it doesn’t often cross my mind that they happen to be Indian. The point of which is to say, I don’t think it should matter. I think immigrants should be viewed as unique and special, the same way that we all are. I don’t think it reflects one way or another on the countries as a whole.

Something that I have realized though with these characters is that they are portrayed almost as the social outcasts or the “weirdos.”

Tom in Parks and Rec is so out of touch with reality in his attempts to fit in with the club scene (see the episode where he tries on ridiculous outfits and you’ll know what I mean).

Kelly of The Office bases her entire life on following the lives of celebrities and annoys everyone in the office with her ignorance of reality.

The character of Abed of Community, is trapped in a TV sitcom himself and although I can’t help but love him, I have to wonder if I would have the same sentiments if he were standing in front of me right now.

Finally, Jonathan of 30 Rock desperately wants to be accepted by Jack that he devotes his life to pleasing the guy.

It just makes me wonder why all these characters, although not outright negatively portrayed, are just a little more off than the other characters in the show. It might be better than stereotyping, but is it all that more flattering to the Indian community to have these characters so distant from reality and who are eager to fit in with everyone else?

Although I love each and every one of these shows and some of the characters (Abed) are some of the funniest characters on TV right now, I wonder–are they really being portrayed in a positive light or still as “foreigners?”

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I looked up “Nevermind Nirvana” and after sifting through all of the Kurt Cobain references (the band name/album title combo gets a lot of the hits!), I finally found some references to this show. With David Schwimmer as the director, I can imagine that it will have a very “Friends” feel to it. I looked on fox.com and there wasn’t a listing yet, so I would guess the show isn’t out yet…

I’ll be interested to watch the show when it comes out. The ‘first-generation-Indian in America’ perspective reminds me a bit of “The Namesake” (a great book if you haven’t read it!). So much of American TV revolves around Caucasians, which really isn’t representative of the cultural makeup of our country. The Cosby Show and Family Matters brought some diversity, as did The George Lopez Show, but beyond that, there haven’t been any other representations of other family cultures on television. I hope that “Nevermind Nirvana” helps to bridge that gap. I like that the Indian main character is dating a Caucasian - not since Lucy and Ricky have we seen a multi-cultural pair share the silver screen.

I don’t think that we can attribute the popularity of these characters to the American audiences opening up. Maybe audiences are opening up because of these shows.

It feels to me more an issue of globalization. India has over a billion people and everyday seems to be making more moves onto the world stage. America can’t ignore or push them aside anymore. India has their own entertainment industry that is larger than Hollywood many times over. It is natural that Indian characters and shows would be making their way on to NBC or other major networks airways. Because of this, It is also natural that Indian culture become more mainstream in America.