Conan and Kumar (updated)
Kalpen Modi told a story on Conan O’Brien last night about a drunken brown guy who was angry because everyone now calls him Coo-mahr. Penn pointed out that was better than being called Uh-poo. That was his shout-out, and his exculpation.
Like Letterman with Aishwarya, Conan seemed to treat Penn with kid gloves, not knowing how to interact with a brown American without focusing on race, and not knowing enough about desis not to offend.
Update: Here’s the video (thanks, ajay):
on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008, 6:40 pm in Humor, Kal Penn, TV, Video clips › 
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Somebody get the guy a stylist. Tennis shoes, blazer, tie? My gawd, he seems like a desi prom date trying to look cool and impress his whitey friends. Saw him in some desi magazine awhile back, and he looked amazingly sexy. This looks like SASA boy gone wrong.
I agree. He looked sloppy, and the stubble didn’t work.
I agree with you Dari. Looks like a Penn Masala reject.
I only wear Paul Smith and Etro — mujhse dosti karogi?
Consenso-Rama!
Man, he had extreme wardrobe malfunction.Though I didn’t see the actual show.
Shape up, guy. Unless you want to be the Desi Pee-Wee Herman. Or unless you’re sending out some deep message about how it is to be South Asian - not quite here nor there - formal above the belt and casual below the belt. :)
He’s telling veg jokes above and doing non-veg things below (mildly NSFW).
Oh wait. He’s been teaching and stuff. But this look wouldn’t work on campus either. Though maybe in the 1960s it might have.
“mujhse dosti karogi?” Paul Smith for socks? Then, nah jii…for sleek chic ties, then, haanji. Bit of a gent’s sartorial style follower. The black socks with white tennies just scream for help. Tube socks would have been f-uglier, but he must know there’s more to life than black or white?
link to the video
Thanks for thw clip. Teaching at a university does NOT mean you are called a professor UNLESS you have a PH.D. The rest of us are called lecturers.
He’s an Obama supporter. Whaddya expect?
Dari, you’re first comment was spot on.
Paul Smith caps and t-shirts can be pleasantly slick. If I can humbly ask for thoughts on what socks to wear with tennis shoes (white or otherwise) and jeans?
The clip that Conan plays features Neal Patrick Harris, not Kal Penn. Guess they thought that a clip that featured their guest wouldn’t really fly without a white lead.
But then again, Christopher Meloni was on the Today show two days back to promote the new episodes of SVU, and at the end of his brief appearance they mentioned H & K 2 coming out this week, and showed the clip of the two leads getting stopped by the TSA guy at the airport, with nary a frame of Meloni in sight.
Mr. Modi was at the movie’s press day over the weekend and he was also wearing an interesting combo of shirt and jacket. Of all the guys who trooped before us to answer questions, I would have to admit that Neil Patrick Harris and Christopher Meloni looked more put-together, clotheswise. But once Kal starts talking, he’s such a genuinely warm, smart and interesting guy, you don’t focus on the clothes so much. Re: KP, I’m starting to notice a pattern vis-a-vis the Lacoste shirts.
Whatever happened to nice shoes with Jeans, I don’t get this tennis shoes with Jeans and Jacket combination.
Hello! What are you guys on about? He’s American. That is how you lot dress.
He either needs a stylist or he is trying to attract attention. He seems to have lost some weight.
I attended his talk at UPenn, He has great sense of humor. I presume, girls always choose humor over looks ;-)
Ha ha ha!, I’d say that applies for American menz. American gals are pretty chic.
Ծ_Ծ
Uber,
This is too stylish for us, we dress in Boxy suits, sports jerseys and trainers for all ocassions.
I watched the clip and didn’t get a kid glove impression at all - most of the conversation was about the differences between Kal Penn in real life and the character of Kumar he plays. They even swapped stories on that front “”You’re that guy from Late Night with Conan O’Brien!”) The fact that he’s a professor came out of that discussion which led to a very short exchange around race. And sure, Conan asked him what “the Asian American community” thought about Harold and Kumar, he could have been less general. But Penn had a nice parry “Well, I haven’t polled them all,” and it was not at all awkward. After your introduction I was expecting a barrage of eye-rolling - and it was just casual and funny. Way, way, way less awkward than Aishwarya’s visits. Especially her appearance on 60 minutes that still makes me cringe just to thinking about it.
And those shoes need to go. Immediately.
Yeah, I really dug that myself. Make a movie about breaking stereotypes, and they sock you with representing 10 million-odd people.
I was surprized he got only 5 minutes, but wasn’t disappointed with the overall level of banter.
I did. (Although I wouldn’t be lying if I described my choice as Tall, Dark and handsome, too).
Looks fade over the years. Humor only gets better.
:-)
Curious Poll: Did anyone catch last week’s episode of Namaste America? It’s on during Sat morning paratha brunches, but, everytime I walked by, they had Cho or Harris being interviewed. Never saw “Dr. Penn.” Can anyone confirm if he was actually interviewed?
PS to FSO Walla: Colour is the new black.
I am with Dari, the socks of choice for me personally is argyle or solid colors instead of the boring black or whites.
Clearly, I am either from a different generation and/or from a different world. In the world I used to inhabit, guys (and even an occassional gal or two) interviewing for a faculty position as a wildlife biologist, large animal vet or environmental policy analyst wore jeans and sneakers with their blazers and ties.
I miss them. I am now thrown together with the medics who are put together too darn well for my comfort.
Nothing sexier than a man’s insides, philosophically, physically and fashionably.
I get the biggest kick out of looking at the still photos of K.P. from the interview.
Manish, did you pick these?
Am I to glean your opinion of him from these choices? (esp, frames 3 - 7) Looks like you caught him trying to chew an entire pack of sour apple hubba bubba.
As for which socks to wear with tennies - footie socks, nothing sexier than a man’s ankle - except his humor!
Dari: No, they didn’t interview Kal Penn.
Thanks Musical, I didn’t think so, but don’t sit through the shows to see. A gripe among the Desi publications is that he doesn’t do interviews unless he’s the cover. So, I found it strange not seeing a desi boy on the show, but rather the quirky Cho or Harris trying on Bollywood pseudonyms. Now, THAT’S a shame.
I think the sneakers-jeans-blazer thing rocks. Go Kal !
Wasn’t this look popular in the 80s ? In that case I think I know why I can’t force my neurons to disapprove of it. Because I grew up on a college campus in India in the 80s and some of my fondest memories involve watching these cool college students perform at various cultural events dressed like that.
Apparently Time Warner (or whoever writes the episode description blurbs that pop up on my cable) has an equally general view of the Asian-American community. They listed “John Cho” as the guest. Hey HAROLD!
Dari, what irritated me about that whole show was the manner in which they were interviewing John Cho and Neil Patrick Harris! I mean, the first question they asked John Cho was, “So, how was it working with Kal Penn”!!!!! I am not sure if this is the most courteous way of interviewing anyone. Rather than asking then question about their own work, you ask them about their co-star :). And the bollywood name thing totally put me off!
I don’t think Kal penn has a problem with doing interviews when he’s not the cover-he featured along with John Cho on Leno last week and seemes pretty cool about it.
I just watched the whole show and would have 2 say conan did treat rachel ray prior to that with kid gloves too…
so whats with the brownbeating
The funny thang is I actually find Cho more endearing, date-worthy amongst the three (counting Harris as the pre-pubescent Desi dream doc I never met). But, what does it say when Cho gets Leno, and Penn gets the show after? I’ll be shy and say I swoon over Cho’s side-smile any day over Penn’s pseudo-snarkiness…personality shines through no matter what shade the sock is.
Dari: not just the smile, Cho has that winsome twinkle in his eyes :)
I thought Kalpen came off well… usually he has “deer in the headlights” syndrome and comes across
as too earnest. My SO has the hots for Cho.. she concurs with musical about the “winsome twinkle”.
Big Man(ish) where is there a list of theaters where H&K film playing? You should have a meetup
around H&K.
He’s definitely taking a tip from Billy Joel’s early 80s look:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_I2PhZDEXSaY/RuqlXiRj8FI/AAAAAAAAAP4/yvOEsaw3tHI/s1600-h/billy_joel-52ndst.JPG
Does Conan always lob softballs? I was expecting something more Lettermanesque I guess.
You like the photos, eh? I bring you more photos. He’s funny when he’s on a roll.
Try here.
…he’s from jersey , not staten island…
Sank,
The Staten Islan reference is lost on me, please elaborate
I agree FMJ.
i think he means this.