Just read an interesting news item in DNA – Indians are forking out as much as Rs 1 crore ($250,000) to Shah Rukh Khan and other Bollywood celebrities to sing/dance at their functions and shake hands with their guests.

Here’s an excerpt from the DNA piece:

Shah Rukh Khan may not agree to do a jig, but he might happily be a guest for Rs.10 million. Bollywood actors and item girls like Celina Jaitley, Malaika Arora Khan, Dia Mirza, Isha Koppikar and Rakhi Sawant charge nearly Rs.1 million each to perform.

Koena Mitra, Shefali Zariwala, Priti Jhagtiani, Payal Rohtagi, Neha Kakkar, Sanobar and Mandira Bedi charge between Rs.500,000-Rs.700,000 to perform at marriage ceremonies.

The schedule includes two high-voltage dance performances of eight-and-a-half minutes each.

Many summers ago, before we joined the ranks of the great Indian disapora, we thought the Americans were a smart lot compared to our desis. After spending a considerable part of our earthly existence here, we realized our folly and concluded that folks here were not as smart as our folks back home (India).

But now watching the antics of our folks back in the ole country, we feel the dodo is not only not extinct but ubiquitous.

It seems crass stupidity and crass vulgarity have no geographical barriers.