My friends in Nepal, the very few I have left and the handful I made in recent years, send me memes and jokes about the Nepali pop culture. Some vlogger is dating some fashion model. Some instagram influencer did something, or wore something or had so many followers that she had to quit or whatever. Always some drama or other. And then there's tiktok which is its own goddamn universe. Don't even get me started on twitter where everyone's trying to one-up one another, just troll everybody generally, so much drama there. Apparently a scientist who used to be quite famous back when I was still using the site has fallen out of favor quite rapidly for speaking about issues that are not of his expertise and is now very infamous. So much so that actual experts are afraid he might say something about their field, something correct, as everybody has come to automatically assume that any take he has on a field outside of his own is wrong. It's so ridiculous it could be fiction, but here we are in twenty fucking twenty.
I never listened to too many Nepali songs either. Not when I was in Nepal, not now, I don't listen to any by myself. The only times I'll find new ones is when I'm around friends and they introduce it to me. I don't dislike those songs per se I never reach out to listen to them. They don't strum the strings of my heart, so to speak. Too much auto-tune, not enough creativity, they're trying to hard to be the next big pop song and failing miserably. So there I'm gone.
And Nepali movies, I haven't watched in a very very long time I'm embarrassed about that a bit. Maybe it was four years ago at sbk's place we watched a Nepali movie last. Tried watching a few webseries they were crap, abandoned it. I wish wish wish there was ONE good producer director combo that did something amazing, to elevate the level of Nepali tv. Just for the copy cats who'd be forced to up their game just to thumb at him. I've had so many disappointments there, it's...not fun. So very tired of being hopeful and having my hopes dashed again and again.
The podcasts, I'll be writing another post on this because podcasts are what made me think of how little I'm connected to Nepali pop culture. I used to listen to a podcast by people from my school it's getting popular now but the choices they made, artistically and logistically I disagree with. They have important social issues to discuss and talk about, but the way they do it, is very...lets put it this way...non-profity. It doesn't feel honest, feels a little greasy even, rancid and they must have the best intentions and passion but not into that sort anymore.
Apparently a few unrelated groups of people from my school have started their own podcasts. A group of guys I know and have met in recent years, two years ago, started a series recently. We came across it yesterday and tried listening to it. I couldn't. Couldn't couldn't couldn't. I had so many complaints and issues with it, my compadres suggested I make a 'reaction audio' to those podcasts, because that's what they thought I'd be best at. There were other issues too, but I'm saving those for the podcast post.
At this point, I'm not in touch with any aspect of Nepali popular culture. I don't understand the memes, I don't understand the pop culture references, I don't listen to songs unless they're performed by people I know, and generally don't engage with amateur or professional content in anyway. And it seems I'm drifting further apart from it because there's no reason for me to go back. My friends have lost their touch too. Guess this is how the river flows, and we trade one identity for another.
It was good while it lasted. It should do better now.
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