Outsourced: A fall TV Comedy...

[Gistok]

OK... now NBC is planning on having a new comedy this fall called "Outsourced". It's about an India call center.

As many of us have seen when you call a corporate "help desk"... you often get an Indian sounding voice on the other end who answers "My name is Kevin, how may I help you"... in a strong Bengali accent that you have a hard time understanding

http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/is-n...-or-offensive/

Some folks will think this is funny, but I think it is in very poor taste... They might as well have an offshoot sitcom called "Forclosed"...

In that blog, one of the posters answers the tiresome reply that Americans are fat, lazy and uneducated... in this poignant way...
_____________________

"1) Many of us whose jobs have been outsourced [[for me and/or my staff members 3 times in the last 9 years) are NOT FAT, LAZY & UNEDUCATED. We are degreed professional software developers with children and mortgages and braces to pay for."

"2) We worked VERY HARD for years to develop and improve our skills so that we could earn a decent wage and help to add value to the business who employ us."

" 3) We have nothing against the Indian people, we are simply disgusted with the American government and big business who have partnered to make it easy to send American jobs to India, China, Peru, Chile, Mexico or anywhere else for cents on a dollar."

"4) As a former GE/NBC employee, it is a harder slap-in-the-face for those of us who have experienced job loss to outsourcing that they would have the gall to make a sitcom that glorifies precisely the model they’ve used in all their businesses."

"5) I have LIVED the very premise of this ridiculous sitcom – After giving nearly 11 years of faithful service, I had to spend the last 3 months of my work-life at one company training my replacement from India. I would have walked out the door in a second, but if I did, I would have had to forfeit my entire severance package. So I had to swallow my pride and do it for the financial sake of my family."

"Am I bitter, yes somewhat, but then, one must always consider what it’s like the actually LIVE in those shoes that NBC is calling COMEDY…"
_______________________

So NBC is sponsoring a comedy show that does exactly what GE/NBC have done in the last 20 years. Talk about lack of empathy...

FYI... Just recently Sony moved much of their USA Information Technology division from California to India.

What I find disturbing is that software can be developed in Asia [[or anywhere overseas)... and unlike other "finished goods" it comes into the USA duty and customs free. None of this is taxable. Sounds like our politicians [[both sides of the aisle) have their heads up their collective asses on this one...

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "Some folks will think this is funny, but I think it is in very poor taste... They might as well have an offshoot sitcom called "Forclosed"... "

100% agreed..

[firstandten]

Agreed, nothing funny about it at all. I suspect the show will get cancelled after about 3 or 4 episodes

[GOAT]

I agree Gistok. I hope this thing fails.

[Gistok]

Perhaps there is one positive that may come out of this... it will show how many companies in corporate America will use deceit on their customers....

Manning call centers with folks named Kevin and Dorothy [[the 2 names I've dealt with in the past with Earthlink)... who are trying to portray themselves as Americans... is an insult to the intelligence of the American consumer.

Maybe some public outrage and greater "awareness" to the corporate conniving that was the template for this outsourcing is a good thing.... although I doubt that the moral high ground was NBC's reason for adding this show to their fall lineup...

I wonder if there is a reference source that lists the American companies that use this type of outsourcing? .... I'm beyond ready to dump Earthlink anyway for their participation in this...

[maxx]

This sort of show could let Americans see that the people of India have the same desires and problems as they do. It's too easy to blame the "little people" for outsourcing when they didn't have anything to do with the corporate decision to outsource.
The people of the US are notoriously ignorant when it comes to the rest of the world. Most people here don't even watch a foreign movie unless it is anime.