Cricket

Don’t call it cricket!

Antonio Gaudy’s born in Catolina Spain in 1852 redefined the meaning of trash. After five years of work, he was awarded the title of architect in 1878. As he signed the title, Elies Rogent declared, “Qui sap si hem donat el diploma a un boig o a un geni: el temps ens ho dirà” (”Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius. Time will tell.”). His paintings and architecture in Spain was so outlandish, it added a term to the English language. Anything really nasty, cheap, garish is now called gaudy. We don;t have to wait centuries to label the todays events.

There is a vulgar Hate-Ashbury lovefest spectacle going on Mumbai–complete with drugs, dancing, music love lorn Indians and prostitutes. It is not a family affair and it is surely not sports. It is a crass circus. Where are the tigers and giraffes? Cows outside foot the bill. Call it a gaudy carnival, call it a lewd fair, call it a Bollywood affair, boorish and cheap as always–but don’t call it cricket. The ICC should pass a resolution and stop the sponsorship of this monstrosity put on by the IPL.

This new nasty IPL carnival uncultured tawdry garish meretricious display or pornographic cleavage and crotch shots redefines “Gaudy”. Even Antonia Gaudy would be appalled. What is the IPL going to do to top this nonsense? Hold the event in Khamb and combine it with the event which has 60 million naked Indian men.

From now on “gaudy” will be defined as “IPL”. Perhaps IPL will be used to define nasty, cheap and Indian.

Conservative Indians are appalled. The extreme Hindus are up in arms–literally. Englishmen are turning in their graves. The “gentelman’s game” has been morphed into a “Roller blade derby” complete with cheerleaders, song and dance. In typical tasteless Indian style, they have taken a sport and transformed it into an uncouth version of the game that used to have finesse, style and prestige.

One participant obviously drunk said “we have been here three days, and not seen one ball being thrown”.

The Hinduvta activists threatened the games. The Police was called. Nudity standards were looked at. The Government of India imposed strict restriction on the movements and the dress code of the Cheerleaders. The Police had threatened the IPL with arrest and shitting down the entire event. The Cheerleaders are no longer allowed to wear mini-skirts and have to have leggings on. Additionally, their most provocative moves have been restriction. The Police is monitoring the Cheerleaders and the head of the Police Department has promised to keep an eye on the “public nudity” of the Cheerleaders.

Despite the pornographic dancing seen in Bollywood films, India is essentially a very convervative. The import of American cheerleaders has caused a huge backlash from the Hinduvta core.

Cricket cheerleaders face threats and harassment Randeep Ramesh in Delhi The Guardian, Friday April 25 2008 Article historyAbout this articleClose This article appeared in the Guardian on Friday April 25 2008 on p24 of the International section. It was last updated at 00:19 on April 25 2008. In boots and spangled shorts, the cheerleaders for India’s premier cricket league have caused a furious debate over money and morality in a country where cricket is a religion and prudence a virtue.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XkSwMp0ICQM

In this picture, you can see the police officer moving it to tell them to stop the movements.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gc01bsYu8eg&feature=related

Brought in to heighten the appeal of the new Twenty20 matches, the gyrating young cheerleaders have angered politicians, who say they are an affront to Indian culture, and some conservative players, who wonder why they are needed.

The cheerleaders have complained that lewd comments and ogling from spectators are proving at best a tiring distraction and at worst sexual harassment. “It’s been horrendous,” Tabitha, a cheerleader from Uzbekistan, told the Hindustan Times. “Wherever we go we do expect people to pass lewd, snide remarks but I’m shocked by the nature and magnitude of the comments people pass here.”

There is little doubt of the stir that the cheerleaders have caused in the country where actor Richard Gere caused a storm of protest by publicly kissing Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.

Politicians in Mumbai have threatened to ban the cheerleaders from games, while teams have beefed up security.

“I think in the Indian context [cheerleaders] are seen as slightly sleazy which is not a reflection on the women but the perception [from Indian men]. So lewd comments, I am sorry to say, do not surprise me at all,” said Mukul Kesavan, a cricket writer.

The Indian cricket league’s success signals the country’s new dominance, with top players earning £100,000 a week during the tournament.

Photos of dancing cheerleaders have made the front pages of Indian newspapers. Charu Sharma, chief executive of Bangalore Royal Challengers, defended importing American-style razzmatazz. “Let us not play this high-handed moral belief game. It is only small maverick groups that are making a noise,” Sharma told Reuters.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4693811