Rajiv Naresh
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I am a student of Law at University College London. I grew up in the mecca of modernity (on steroids) - Dubai. I originally hail from the south of India. After graduating from high school, I studied English Literature at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.

Three years in Delhi showed me two things: culture and reality. As a student of literature, studying culture studies has changed the way I view the world. It has opened my eyes to the nuanced and mercurial monster of popular culture. I have learnt many valuable things from hours of procrastination that have been devoted to the noble pursuit of television.

I moved to London in September to begin my Law degree. I am confronted with the phenomenon of culture every day and it continues to intrigue me.

Apart from attempting to read a gargantuan amount of cases and trying to find inspiration in mortgage law, I have been involved with the Drama Society. I was Secretary of the Shakespeare Society at St. Stephen’s College where I acted and directed in several plays. Since being here I have played Barry the Baptist in an adaptation of Guy Ritchie’s magnum opus, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I also played Antonio in Much Ado about Nothing. I am a mentor with the DebateMate program where I teach debate to the kids at Haverstock Camden School every week.

Where do I stand in the numerous debates that pepper the world of pop culture?

While being wary of labels, I conclude with a succinct ‘cultural’ autobiography.

‘The Wire’ is the best television show known to man. I have posters of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z in my room. Life in a British university has varied my palette: I have learned that Dubstep and Minimal Techno are immensely cool. ‘Breaking Bad’ is probably the second best television show known to man. Othello is my favourite Shakespearean play. In the hipster-mainstream debate I would classify myself as an agnostic fence-sitter. I am not a Star Wars fanatic. I enjoy sports films far too much. YouTube has my vote for the greatest invention of the 21st Century. I have clandestine dreams to be a stand-up comedian.

I write this blog because being able to investigate the most incredible and far-reaching phenomenon of our times is both daunting and amazing.

Blog Entries by Rajiv Naresh

Meme Wars and the Death of the Underground

Posted February 16, 2012 | 02/16/12 02:58 PM ET

In the past week, college rivalry took a surprising turn when college-centric memes went viral. From London to Scotland, Warwick to Ontario: Universities around the world started creating groups on Facebook that consisted of reinterpreting standardized Internet memes with a localized university feel. Much of this involved taking pot-shots at...

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In Defence of 'The Lonely Island'

6 Comments | Posted January 15, 2012 | 01/15/12 10:24 PM ET

The title of this piece seems to presuppose a need for someone to take up the noble mantle of defending 'The Lonely Island'. But do they? Their most recent album Turtleneck and Chain was nominated for a Grammy. They have collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake...

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TV Review: The Vigilante and the Panopticon

8 Comments | Posted December 30, 2011 | 12/30/11 03:56 AM ET

Ten days after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a show premiered on CBS. Scripted by Jonathan Nolan and produced by J.J. Abrams, Person of Interest is a show that attempts to chronicle the paranoia of a post-9/11 world. A mysterious billionaire named Mr. Finch (Michael Emerson) develops a surveillance system...

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Suits, Cigars and Scotch: Why We Can't Get Enough of Courtroom Dramas

3 Comments | Posted December 20, 2011 | 12/20/11 12:02 PM ET

What do you get when you combine a male transvestite lawyer with a penchant for Oprah Winfrey, a legal wizard with Asperger's Syndrome who purrs intermittently, an aging William Shatner with a propensity to diagnose himself with Mad Cow disease and a young impassioned lawyer who is fueled by vitriol?...

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