Burka Avenger: Pakistan's cartoon superhero battling for girls' education
The first animated TV series produced in Pakistan offers a positive role model to counter Taliban opposition to girls' education.
Name: Burka Avenger.
Age: Mid-20s, or thereabouts.
Appearance: A mysterious black-clad superhero, taking on the Taliban one school at a time.
Cool, a superhero. What's his superpower? Oh dear. First of all, Burka Avenger is a woman.
A female superhero? So her superpower must be the ability to show off her boobs and bottom simultaneously, like Scarlett Johansson in that poster for The Avengers. Not quite. Burka Avenger is a master of Takht Kabaddi, a martial art that uses books and pens to defeat her enemies.
You mean figuratively? She beats her foes with intelligence? No, she literally just clonks them around the head with books and pens.
Is this a Batman thing? Was Burka Avenger traumatised by a flock of books in a cave as a baby? No, nor was she bitten by a radioactive book in a science lab, you dolt. Books and pens are her weapons because she's a teacher who wants to emphasise the importance of studying in her native South Asia.
Oh, now I get it. She's a social justice superhero, like Captain Planet. Kind of. Burka Avenger is the first ever animated series to be produced in Pakistan. She's the brainchild of local pop star Haroon, who wanted to create a positive role model to counter the Taliban's ongoing opposition to girls' education.
Sample dialogue? "The girls of today are the mothers of tomorrow. If the mothers are not educated, then future generations will also remain illiterate."
This all sounds a bit worthy to me. It's also funny. In one episode, a villain's plan to destroy London and Paris with a giant robot is scuppered by his inability to get a European visa.
I'm sold! Please tell me she's also the subject of a Will Smith-style rap song. You mean Lady In Black by Haroon & Adil Omar, which claims that "She kills extremism and corruption and stops it from breathing"? Done.
Do say: "Finally, a positive cartoon role model able to underline the importance of girls' education."
Don't say: "Let's get Kate Upton to play her in the movie! In a bikini!"
Check out the trailer: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8pdbshf4iPE
Lol
I hate writing comments on my phone.
Anyway, recap. Mindblown. Dont knw what to think. Will need to click on link smeday
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I might have forgot to mention that the above was a copy and paste job from an article on 'the guardian' newspapers website. So i didnt write any of it... except maybe the lol at the end.
Back in BLACK
Its aimed at kids yes... though I have no idea why you might think theres anything "wrong" with it. Primary school teacher turns into a ninja.
Back in BLACK
Im so embarassed. Can u edit ur comment? Ill edit mine and delete what I said.l abt style of writing
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
She only wears a Burks when in disguise.
Otherwise the characters are a vehicle to promote a music band.
Quite amusing than one baddie gets defeated by not being able to get a visa.
On the guardian comments someone questioned there was no mention of drones etc.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
you're a strange girl... (-,-)
Back in BLACK
Oh is this real, I thought it was a spoof thing. Is it based on Malala?
#Before you look at the thorns of the rose , look at it's beauty. Before you complain about the heat of the sun , enjoy it's light. Before you complain about the blackness of the night, think of it's peace and quiet... #
Can I laugh? I want to laugh so hard. I'm actually finding it hilarious.
THIS is something that Sephy's wacky mind would come out with. Sephy are you sure you didn't join up with them to share your ideas? (It's actually Sephy's style of writing too, i don't know how to explain how it is, but it JUST is)!
I don't actually think it's a bad idea just from reading it and not watching the trailer. Maybe this is what Pakistan needs. Pakistan needs cartoon characters to tell them.
Not people in the community, not other parents, not neighbours, not politicans and not leaders, what they need is a CARTOON character. Sigh, is this is what has happened over there? That people take the word of made up stuff and not real people?!
Actually wait, what happens if in these Taliban ruling areas TV's are banned? So how in the world are they ever going to watch this cartoon in the first place?
Edit: Hai Hai. I just watched the trailer and I'm laughing even more. I think i've just got the giggles. 'Entertainment for the WHOLE family' What? Who are they kidding? I don't think a 15 year old would watch that, let alone the mother whose trying to make her rotee round and the molvi saab father!
And concert? What? Since when was a 'concert' seen as a GOOD v evil kinda thing? Why do i feel like this cartoon is going to magically corupt the viewers in Pakistan rather than help them. Am i the only one who feels like this?!
Whats Malalalala?
Why does everone keep saying that? And yes you can laugh. I laughed too when i first saw it. And yes im sure i didnt join up with them XD and whats this all of a sudden? My style of writing?
I assume its aimed at under 10 year olds. Dont think anyone older would watch it. But then again its a wacky world.
I think Pakistan is really behind the times. Which isnt surprising considering their leaders are all the same old same old 50-something fuddy-duddys, each and every single time. One guy goes out and another comes. No new young people to bring fresh ideas.
Though not sure what the concert bit is all about. Trying to make it look cool perhaps?
The world sorely needs MORE Cartoons
if only to make people 'LOL'.
Back in BLACK
what?!
she's JUST a girl that took a bullet to the head while standing up for what she believed in? that makes her "just" how exactly? what did you want her to do? keep going to school like nothing happened? or use this opportunity to raise awareness of the crap going down and get things moving?
what exactly did you want her to do?
do you think the dead young girls/women wouldnt want her to grab that opportunity they didnt have? what are you saying? what are you saying these dead ladies would want her to do? are you saying she shld just shut up and do-i-dont-know-what-you-expect-her-to-do?
"got in touch with the right people". yeah. she got her manager to call the right numbers?
we're all ordinary people. when we decide to make un-ordinary decisions. thats when THINGS happen.
i really dont get what you're saying inthe above quote. hence all the questions. please clarify.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
@Titanium I think it's unfair to criticise Malala and what she's doing. She's a brave girl fighting for what she believes in and that should be applauded and she should be looked up to.
What I would question is how the west/UN have used her, and made out they are so great fr saving her whilst the world conveniently forgets the West and it's impact on afghan/pakistan - their people, education etc, how their drones are killing girls like Malala. Like my mum asked "what's so special about her" when she found out how much the west are doing for her/talking about her. Well there's no real answer is there, she isn't special really, because there are loads of girls and children dying, but now they've chosen her and helped and have been made to look like the good guys. Also notice how they don't emphasise she's a *Muslim* girl?
Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/assed-baig/malala-yousafzai-white-saviou...
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
@Sephy: Your writing is usually full of all these wacky ideas, total craziness involving imaginary characters, cartoon characters, super hero's, stuff you find in HD dreams which make the rest of us laugh, lots and lots. What you posted originally, isn't what you wrote, but if you look at it, thats the kinda thing that we'd expect you to write lol.
What i want to say about Malala is covered by what TPOS has mentioned. I think it's to do with Britain and Pakistan relationship which has made this story even bigger. They emphasised it much more than it needed to be to bring Pakistan in the light. The media does do things like that and they're fuelled by all this government and politics business.
I just think that there are SO MANY young girls just like her, who have fighted for an education somewhere around the world and they're struggle has led to their death. Malala was just one of those who miraculously survived to be able to say what happened.
Yes, well whats the point of being a grown up if you cant act childish now and then
Oooh i see. Yes Malala. I remember her now. Though I dare say no one is really surprised at what she went through. We all know there are gender inequalities in that part of the world.
Back in BLACK