Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Beyond Winnie Cooper
A couple of days ago, PTV sent me an
extremely well-written article on how a whole generation would always love
Winnie Cooper (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/04/i-love-winnie-cooper.html).
Despite not having seen the whole of The Wonder Years, I could, like so many of
us, instantly connect with it, and an ‘I love Winnie Cooper’ T-shirt would
always be welcome. And forever one to conduct hypothetical thought experiments,
I immediately set about thinking of other ficitonal women that I will forever
love. This post is a feeble attempt, born out of ennui at an airport lounge
(EAL), to pay tribute to some of these exceptional ladies who have been the
subject of many a ‘stirrings’. In no particular order whatsoever:
1. Jeanie (I dream of Jeanie): who I will
forever dream of
2. Princess Jasmine (Aladdin): the orignial ‘doe-eyed
girl with the delightful crinkly nose’
3. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series): if
the article I posted were to be re-written a decade from now, Hermione would be
the runaway choice for the subject. And I’ll always give more credit to Emma
Watson than to JKR for this girl who would have captured the hearts of a
generation
4. Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge (Archie
comics): Because there are some things that I will never be able to make up my
mind on
5. Prudence Cowley aka Tuppence (Agatha
Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence): I really wish Agatha Christie had not made her
age so soon by the time she wrote N or M. A special mention to Lady Frances
Derwent here as well, who I will always consider an avatar or Tuppence
6. Penny (The Big Bang Theory): Because you
can’t even think of being a geek without loving Penny. She is Hope. She is also
one of only two women who’ve been the sole subjects of my desktop wallpaper,
Emma Watson being the other
7. Acid Burn (Hackers): I saw Hackers, loved
it and realized it was one of the few movies that IMDB and I didn’t see eye to
eye on. In my defense, a girl hacker who’s played by Angelina Jolie is the
dream of any guy who has any claims to geekdom whatsoever
8. Laurie Juspeczyk aka Silk Spectre II (Watchmen):
The hottest super-hero. Ever.
9. Monica Geller (F.R.I.E.N.D.S.): Monica,
huh? I always thought it would be Rachel
10. Laila (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara): For her
take on life (Life mujhe inspire karti rahe, insaan ko bas
dabbe me tab rehna chaahiye jab who mar gaya ho), for her role in apne hone par mujhko yakeen aa gaya and for being the single
biggest hope before any vacation these days
11. Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your
Mother): She had me at “… and that’s how I met your Aunt Robin”
12. Maddie Bowen (Blood Diamond): “Three out
of five ex-boyfriends polled think I need to be in a constant state of crisis.
Maybe I just give a shit.”
13. Wilhelmina Harker (Dracula): I always
thought few have epitomised courage and inspiration better
14. Andrea Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada): I’ve
got a feeling that Anne Hathaway playing the role had something to do with this…
15. Videl (Dragonball Z): I believe the word
is adorable
16. Anjali (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander): A
staunch friend, the subject of Pehla Nasha and
a girl who could tinker more than well with cars- she beat Mikela Baenes to the
spot and that’s saying something
17. Evey Hammond (V for Vendetta): Because Natalie
Portman plays an Alan Moore character. Does one doesn’t need a reason to
forever love her?
18. Irene Adler (Sherlock Holmes): Because no
list would be complete without THE Woman
19. Jennifer Cavalleri (Love Story): Because
20. Aditi Goyal: For those of you’ll get this
And now, if one of these had to come to life,
who should it be?
Do try this hypothetical thought experiment,
kind people. If nothing else, it does a great job of beating EAL. Time for my
flight.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Thanks, Boss
"United are leaking in goals, they don't have a midfield, the wings are not firing. Granted, you've got a red hot RvP, but I really don't see how you keep winning and are top of the league," a baffled Liverpool fan to me sometime last November.
"Winning's in our blood," I said, after a moment's pause.
"Yeah, I guess that's the only thing that explains it"
***
"So what if you won. We didn't have a defense to speak of," me to another Scouser after the 2-0 defeat at Anfield in 2010
"So? We didn't have a manager."
***
"People keep asking- who will replace Ronaldo. And I keep saying, that's not important. The big question is- Who will replace Fergie?" One of the wisest things PTV ever said, during the whole CR7 transfer saga.
***
I once read that the greatness of a man is truly shown when he calls it a day. Judging by the accolades that are pouring in, and will continue to do so, from ardent worshipers, stoic neutrals and grudging admirers alike, Sir Alex transcended the definition of 'great' by several degrees. The man who put his stamp on a team that already boasted a rich history, who defined Yogi Berra's "It ain't over till its over" like no one ever before and who converted a die-hard loyalty to a devout way of life will now attempt to play a role in teaching United fans what life without him will look like.
There are questions galore on what will happen in the coming weeks, months and even years. Will we see another drought akin to when that other great Scot said toodle-oo? Will 20 titles be the cause of a mid-life crisis for the generation brought up on Fergie? Will BELI4VE ever materialize? Pressing though they are, this is not a post to ponder on those.
Thank you, Sir Alex, from the millions who think 'Fergie-time' in the deepest of nadirs. Thank you, Sir Alex, for making Bradmanesque goals look achievable. Thank you, Sir Alex, for being at once a constant source of inspiration, the champagne for celebration and the light at the end of the tunnel for Lefty for the last 14 years. And thank you, Sir Alex, for being one of the greatest influences on life as we know it today.
"Winning's in our blood," I said, after a moment's pause.
"Yeah, I guess that's the only thing that explains it"
***
"So what if you won. We didn't have a defense to speak of," me to another Scouser after the 2-0 defeat at Anfield in 2010
"So? We didn't have a manager."
***
"People keep asking- who will replace Ronaldo. And I keep saying, that's not important. The big question is- Who will replace Fergie?" One of the wisest things PTV ever said, during the whole CR7 transfer saga.
***
I once read that the greatness of a man is truly shown when he calls it a day. Judging by the accolades that are pouring in, and will continue to do so, from ardent worshipers, stoic neutrals and grudging admirers alike, Sir Alex transcended the definition of 'great' by several degrees. The man who put his stamp on a team that already boasted a rich history, who defined Yogi Berra's "It ain't over till its over" like no one ever before and who converted a die-hard loyalty to a devout way of life will now attempt to play a role in teaching United fans what life without him will look like.
There are questions galore on what will happen in the coming weeks, months and even years. Will we see another drought akin to when that other great Scot said toodle-oo? Will 20 titles be the cause of a mid-life crisis for the generation brought up on Fergie? Will BELI4VE ever materialize? Pressing though they are, this is not a post to ponder on those.
Thank you, Sir Alex, from the millions who think 'Fergie-time' in the deepest of nadirs. Thank you, Sir Alex, for making Bradmanesque goals look achievable. Thank you, Sir Alex, for being at once a constant source of inspiration, the champagne for celebration and the light at the end of the tunnel for Lefty for the last 14 years. And thank you, Sir Alex, for being one of the greatest influences on life as we know it today.
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