For this project, our group devised a podcast that encompasses the ubiquity of Desi Elitism, alternatively called the burger culture, particularly in Pakistan and India. We briefly go over the history of colonialism in the subcontinent and the endless struggle of South Asians to unlearn their colonial hangover. We opted for the creative final project format because we used a lot of media representation of this culture and some satire that has sprung up, criticizing it for the manifestation of classism that it truly is.
Moreover, we decided to explore this topic because “burger” culture has so much scope for academic exploration in the context of postcolonialism and classism, but is rarely explored. It is of great importance because it propagates elitism and capitalist motives in society that stems directly from westernization. Our work will directly be tied down with Bell Hooks, Timothy Mitchell, and Ania Loobma’s readings exploring the persistence of colonialism and the ways in which it has grounded itself in South Asian society under the guise of globalization and the free market system.
I have always floated between the two polar ends of burgerism and being purely Punjabi. I grew under my grandmother’s supervision and she was adamant that I should be fluent in our mother tongue. My mother and uncle on the other hand wished that I spoke in an accent, a burger accent. They believed that it would help me get into top-tier universities, secure good internships. Perhaps, they were right. Today, as a humanities student, I can see through the problematic elements of this ideology. However, with more and more awareness, I, to an exacerbating extent, come to realize how inevitable it is for students to become burgers in order to fit in and not be ostracized for not being anglicized enough. In my capacity, as an artist, I hope to gradually and sneakily slide defiance into the hearts of my dear desi youth and allow them to look at our beautiful and rich culture from my eyes.
Growing up middle-class in Pakistan, I was no stranger to the unique dichotomous culture of rich vs. poor. While there is so much ever-evolving nuance and intersectionality to class differences in the country, what always fascinated me was the concept of ‘burger’ people. These are the exclusive elite people who are incredibly westernized. I have always thought the dynamics of burgers vs everyone have played out very interestingly and have wanted to explore the topic deeper. I have always sought answers to questions I have about this but have found rarely any work done on it in an academic capacity. To me, this project is my way of taking a first step towards learning more about particular systems of injustice that occur particularly in my part of the world.
With this project, I hope to expose my classmates to interesting aspects of South Asian culture and pop culture while raising awareness about a classism issue that persists in my country. I also hope to learn more about similar phenomena in other parts of the world. I feel like the first step towards decolonizing activism and academics is to realize and have conversations about the indigenous power structures and systems of oppression that exist within our own countries.
Akhtar, O. B. (2010, June 13). I am a burger – and proud of it. The Express Tribune. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://tribune.com.pk/story/20811/i-am-a-burger–and-proud-of-it/.
In Pakistan, no one admits to being a Burger. The World from PRX. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://theworld.org/stories/2013-06-06/pakistan-no-one-admits-being-burger.
Jacob, M. [Bodyz Wellness | Dr. Monica Jacob | Andheri | Aesthetic Physician & Cosmetologist | Weight Loss Treatment – Hair Treatment- Skin Care]. (2020, November 28). The Fabulous lives of bollywood wives , streaming now on netflix, watch me injecting dermal fillers
Loomba, A. (2005). Situation Colonial and Postcolonial Studies.
Maher, S. (2016, January 15). The rise of Pakistan’s ‘Burger’ Generation. Arts and Culture | Al Jazeera. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.aljazeera.com/program/ajeats/2016/1/15/the-rise-of-pakistans-burger-generation.
Mahmud, T. (2007, May 4). Colonialism and modern constructions of race: A preliminary inquiry. SSRN. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=984079.
Pappas, S. [Steph Pappas]. (2019, April 12). TRYING BURGER KINGS NEW SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH + MUKBANG | Steph Pappas [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGpDweQbrHc
Sarym, A. [Qissa Nagri]. (2021, July 19). Midsummer Chaos | Episode 2 | Web-Series
How can we forget the iconic Shazia’s dottuh video of Leena Aunty by Karachi-based anonymous Instagram personality, Swineryy. Leena Aunty’s hobbies include judging Shazia’s dottuh, complaining about how parties have too many samosas and not enough mimosas, and flexing her money.
Indian YouTube channel iDiva has taught us that a concentration of the elite people resides in South Delhi. Here is a satirical video that pokes fun at people from South Delhi.
Indian social media creator, Kareema Barry does satirical shorts on Instagram about elite culture in India. Similar to The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives, her content makes us realize
The desi Keeping Up With the Kardashians was critically acclaimed all over South Asia due to the insight it provides into the lives of super-rich wives of Bollywood (Indian film industry) actors and directors. For those of us in Pakistan, watching this made us realize how strikingly similar the elite culture in India is to the burger culture we have. “Our lives can be quite mundane”, they say, following it up with a nonchalant “Of course we go shopping in a Rolls Royce”. We have attached the trailer here.
A few months ago, singer singer-songwriter Meesha Shafi was celebrated for her flamboyant take on Pakistani classism in her single, Hot Mango Chutney Sauce. She got satire artist, Swineryy, to collaborate with her. Swineryy is famous for her satire about burger culture through her animoji character, Lina Aunty, who is a burger aunty. We talk more about Swineryy in our satire category. According to an Express Tribune article, Shafi said:
“Ultimately, the song pokes fun at our collective identity crisis, which is only worsened by our colonial hangover as many of us have begun to realize. Even within the race, we’ve come to attach a higher value to aspects of pop culture that have no roots in Pakistan or the wider South Asian community. So, whether it was cultural references in the lyrics or the visual translation of the track into a music video, I aspired to create something uniquely us – desi and proud”
The song begins with Shafi rapping a famous Pakistani idiom/tongue twister, Chandu ke chacha, except, Shafi adds her own twist to the tongue twister with her commentary on classism. The lyrics are: “Chandu ke chacha ne/ Chandu kee chachi ko/ Chandni raat mein/ Chandni Chowk pe/ Chandi ke chamach se/ Jimmy Choo ki chutney chatayee” according to a Dawn article, the lyrics translate to [Chandu’s uncle/ Got Chandu’s aunt/ Under a moonlit night/ At Chandni Chowk/ With a silver spoon/ To taste Jimmy Choo’s sauce]
Anyone who grew up in Karachi knows about the piece of problematic art that this song is. Burger e Karachi is a satirical take on burger kids and their culture. This song was released in 2013 by duo, Young Stunners. We translated the lyrics for the song for better understanding. You can find the translated lyrics below the song.
(1st Verse)
Kgs, Southshore, Beaconhouse, Nixor,
Ek se ek para hai bara bara burger, I don’t like this, I don’t like that,
Dunhill ka zippo sath marlboro ka pack,
Fuck that,
My daddy is an hr Manager, Maazeh pe sheesha rakhen Hi Fi Calliber,
Bachi jidhar dekhen boltay hain she’s hot,
Doday ko boltay hain salay crackpot,
Kalay peelay ailay melay sath nai rakhtay, bbm k bina in k din nai kat tay,
Ek poori album from a dslr, inko pata hi nai there used to be a vcr,
Adhay din mai salay teen hazaar rupay kha chukay hain,
Inke daddy k dono daddys bhi us ja chukay hain,
Football k posters, Love song k folders,
Nike k toes ye hain greencard holders,
Sab pata hai kis larki ka boyfriend kon hai,
Baat baat pe boltay hain boy scene on hai.
[Chorus:]
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
(2nd Verse)
Ye Burger apni kahani kuch aise sunatay hain,
Baat baat mai hathon ko pyaar se hilatay hain,
Ulti topi sar par, iPhone hath mai.
Shakal choozay jesi magar bachiyan sath mai,
Eid k din, bhi ye tou shorts hi pehantay hain,
Adhay nangay hokay ye tou sarkon par tehaltay hain,
Har cheez mai accent, bantay hain angrez,
Twitter k bagher inka din, no waay
Marlboro ka packet, magar andar Gold leaf,
Day without Redbull? No bitch hold please,
Full sleeves shirt, skin fitted pant,
That shit is all down, dude you lookin for a chance?
Tablet, Guitar or Dre Beats k shashkay,
Jahan koi mela dikhey, bolen isse bachkay,
Sea View pe jatay nai, udhar melay atay hain,
Beach parties karnay ab tou French beach jatay hain,
Inki halat dekh kar, poori quom pareshan hai,
Ab pata chala, Meera kiun badnaam haii
[Chorus:]
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
(3rd Verse)
Rayban pehan k bethi, Reborn ki backseat pe,
Rickshaw tou choro ye bethi nai kabhi taxi pe,
Is k aglay pichlon ko bhi urdu nai aati,
Muchon walay bodyguard k binna baahur nai jati,
Money’s not the problem honey, let their credit card pay,
They’ll talk about me now, Say what you say,
Gloria Jeans pe coffee woh bhi dopher k time, it’s 40 degree centigrade are you outta your mind,
Hyperstar tou aisey jesey mamu jee ka ghar, teri ghalti bas ye hai k tu hai Burger,
Sari raat skyping, phir saara din ye soti hain,
Break up k baad ye aadhi raat tak roti hain,
In k fashion k lessons tou khatam hi nai hotay, Burger boys k kda par phudday bhi hai hotay,
Takar jaye koi desi jutt tou beth k hain rotay,
Koi baat nai crazy scenes hotay rehtay hain,
Boy meri bachi hai, Panga na lo,
O burger ja kar apna moon tou dho,
(Amir Liaquat: Nai dia acha)
[Chorus:]
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
B to the you to the are to the G, E to the are What you know about me?
K to the A to the are to the A, C H I we don’t work we just play,
(Amir Liaquat *Laughing*: Bari nazuk surat e haal hai yeh)
