Deshpande: my summary

Deshpande discusses how National Geographic teaches Americans about the world and how we are supposed to view other cultures. National Geographic takes all their photos and findings and makes it digestible for the American eye. Deshpande first talks about the 50th anniversary of India and how India has grown since there separation from the English; He describes the influence National Geographic has on society because they were there in 1947. National Geographic has structure, stability and control over what they show the world. Deshpande describes the photography of National Geographic as “technically flawless or even adventurous, and it attempts to sanitize and universalize the uncomfortable as well as different elements of other cultures.” Deshpande is trying to say that National Geographic uses their photography to show their version of that culture to make it look flawless or adventurous to appeal to the viewers need. Any viewer of National Geographic looks through these pages because they know what to expect, the unexpected. National Geographic explores the dangerous route to ensure their readers/viewers are satisfied with what they’re getting, even if the image is hard to comprehend. As Deshpande says “the photographs are rich in their content, but entirely dishonest in their relationship to the environment or the context.” Deshpande describes National Geographic’s stance with their photographs as focusing on the dominant features of the picture the viewer is looking at and neglecting the truths that aren’t shown. I see how a picture of a strange young Indian boy shown in red make-up, malnourish and depressed looking can alter the ways we, the viewer, can assume this kids life is all about poverty and staying alive to help his people but that’s where National Geographic likes to smudge the facts of the picture. Americans understanding of other cultures is foreign to many of us. National Geographic takes the role of integrating Americans into other culture so we become tolerate or accepting of their beliefs, customs, and lifestyle.