It's no surprise that some people would take offense to The Love Guru. Mike Myers' over-the-top depiction of Pitka (an American raised by Indian gurus) was bound to raise controversy over its potential for stereotyping. From the moment the initial trailer hit theaters, Hindu leaders have charged that the "film lampoons Hinduism and Hindus and uses Hindu terms frivolously": Hindus upset over Hollywood film. This Hindu prof is less inclined to be so critical, dismissing the movie simply as stupid: Hindu prof on 'Love Guru'.
However, after this weekend, I think most moviegoers found out that the movie isn't just offensive to Hindus... it's offensive to everybody—by being completely unfunny. And the box office agreed. The movie clocked in at fourth place, earning a measly $14 million. Thank you, America. After the ludicrous amount of promotion Paramount did for this movie, I'm thinking this counts as a bona fide flop. Hopefully, that means we won't have to hear stupid Austin Powers-esque catchphrases for the next six months.
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