Is the US ready for 'Little Mosque on the Prairie'?

[Gerald]

Influential American broadcaster Katie Couric has suggested a way to change attitudes to Muslims in the US.

Pointing to the success in the 1980s and 90s of TV sitcom The Cosby Show in improving relations between African-Americans and whites, she argues that a Muslim version of the show may counter some Americans' negative perceptions of the community.

But just across the border, in Canada, this "Muslim Cosby Show" already exists. Little Mosque on the Prairie, made in Toronto, is recording its sixth and final series.

On the set, actors and crew are getting ready to record this season's big opening scene.

The production team are giving pointers to the show's main characters, who are standing at the check-in desk in a disused ferry terminal that is doubling as an airport:

"You're expecting to be racially profiled, so you're already offended before he's done anything, you're wound up, ok? Let's try the scene one more time."

Amaar Rashid, played by actor Zaib Shaikh, and his wife Rayyan Hamoudi, played by Sitara Hewitt, are returning from honeymoon. Rayyan is expecting comments at customs because of her appearance.

"My dad decided to stay in Lebanon, even though - and wait for it - he's Lebanese... but he's not a suicide bomber. Not ALL Muslims are suicide bombers you know," blurts Rayyan to the customs officer.

"Why would you say that?" mouths husband Amaar, and tries to change the subject.

Rayyan interjects: "Oh, and before you ask, no, my husband doesn't make me wear this hijab, I choose to wear it."

The man from customs simply pokes fun at the couple for arguing.

Muslim resistance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9543066.stm


Note: 7 September 2011 12:08 UK

[MH]

Yes muslims aren't just terrorists and women abusers...
Question is if it really changes anything in broad sense.

[Highbury]

I am surprised they call it a "Hit Show". I saw some commercials for it a few years back.. I didn't even know it was still on. You would think that at least one person I know would watch it if it were a hit. :hmmm:

[Randomizer]

This is a revolting TV show and an embarrassment to the CBC. It's pandering to minorities and political correctness at its very worst. Highbury's correct; if it wasn't being supported by taxpayer dollars it would never have made it through season one.

[AVGWarhawk]

It's pandering to minorities and political correctness at its very worst.

Not a new concept in the sitcom industry.

[Jimbuna]

Not a new concept in the sitcom industry.

Aye rgr that...anything that might draw in an inquisitive audience.

[NeonSamurai]

I know I have done my very best to avoid watching that show.

[Gerald]

No line of quality, in other words.

[Jimbuna]

No line of quality, in other words.

Oh I'm so very tempted :DL

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/6356/av129190fjwl3.gif

[Gerald]

Oh I'm so very tempted :DL

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/6356/av129190fjwl3.gif :haha:

[Jimbuna]

:shifty: :DL

[Gerald]

http://youtu.be/_I4YrgGHCXE

[Jimbuna]

I'm shocked....for the first time in my life :o

[Gerald]

I'm shocked....for the first time in my life :o It must be celebrated, :()1:

[Jimbuna]

http://imgcash5.imageshack.us/img265/6747/partypiratesro0.gif

[Gargamel]

Well, it may be a crappy TV show, but the point of the OP still stands IMO.

People are afraid of what they don't know, and they take broad generalizations and run with those. I think it would be good for the US to have some form of familiarization crammed down our throats. If they don't want to see it, then they don't have to watch it, we have 2000 channels for christs sake.

I was amazed at the continued hatred towards muslims and Arabs when I changed jobs recently. I had come from an environment of semi-intellectuals (medics, Nurses, doctors), and most of them didn't seem to profess any blind hatred of them. Now I'm working general labor in a factory and there's some real cretins in there. The obtuseness and ignorance of most of them is amazing.

If there was some form of introduction to their culture that the average American would accept, then I think relations would be greatly improved. Just like with any vocal minority, that's all we get to see about the muslims, so that's all we know.

[Stealhead]

What is the point of making a show if the people who could be shown a differing point of view would have no interest in it in the first place.

A better idea would be for people who do not have a generalized point of view of a group of people to express their own opinion.Not say that you have to force down a persons thought that they are wrong but it is quite possible that some folks have never thought of another point of view in the first place so simply expressing how you yourself feel could go a lot farther than you might expect.

I know in the area in live in there is a pizzeria owned by two brothers that fled Afghanistan back in the 1980s they are perfectly normal people and had been around in the community for years someone came by a few weeks after 9/11 2001 and made threats to them luckily this person was not a complete nut and did not do anything violent.Someone that knew the brothers heard about the incident and wrote a letter to the local paper telling of the brothers story and that they where not bad people.A few weeks later there was an article in the paper about the brothers and their shop and it turned out that the person who had made the threats actually came back after the letter showed up in the paper and apologized to them.

Other people where not so lucky a Sikh man got killed a few weeks or days after 9/11 in Arizona if I recall because some loons thought he was a Muslim.

If most people would simply think of other humans as being humans(what a concept I know) and that most people have the same basic concerns and desires in life things would be much better in this world but it turns out that the crazy minority gets the attention and the others think; "they must all be like that".

[Randomizer]

My issue with these types of shows is that in some ways, showing a cultural group in an environment that is all sweetness and light and dancing bears is every bit as hyperbolic as demonizing them.

It's not so much that the characters distort the interactions between them and the society that they are part of, rather the distortions virtually always demonize the society as a whole while showing the target group as absolutely flawless.

Have forced myself to sit through several episodes of Little Mosque... in the first two seasons and the uniformity of the story lines making persons of Western culture look stupid, anti-Islamic, intolerant and xenophobic form the basis of the show's attempts at humour.

Any extreme point of view is generally counter-productive and serves to feed negative stereotypes.