Would you like a Slurpee with that?” says the brown skinned, turban clad Sikh man behind the 7-11 counter. And this introduction serves as the basis for most Americans’ perception of the South Asian experience.

We supposedly work 27 hours a day at gas stations, Patel-owned motels, quick shop marts, Subway stores, computer firms, or emergency wards — and that’s it. On television, our entire culture is represented by television icon Apu Nahasapeemapetalan, the Indian immigrant owner of “Kwik-e- Mart” on The Simpsons. A visually one-dimensional cartoon character with more animation and character than the one-dimensional cardboard caricatures seen in most Hollywood movies, TV shows (with the exception of Naveen Andrews in Lost); talk radio, and academic history books. Desis are also in the news because of “outsourcing:” Our brown brethren of the East are supposedly systematically destroying the American job market by working the same job for 1/10 of the pay.

The real show stealer of the day turned out to be Zeba Shehnaz who made a dramatic entrance, donning the celeb team’s uniform and sporting a kit on her shoulder. But unfortunately, she had to accept a spot in the commentary box instead of the pitch

The trend of showbiz and sports stars being roped in by advertisers for shows because of the commercial value attached to them has been growing internationally. David Beckham has been immensely successful in increasing the sales of a particular brand of sportswear, while across the border, cola companies and diamond manufacturers have employed the services of stars to promote their products. This trend has also been catching on in Pakistan. Though we come across comparatively fewer commercials and live shows, still, this particular strategy is slowly picking up pace.