Monday, September 24, 2007
Hollywood brain-snatchers have struck again
So, has anyone heard of this new show Aliens in America? Basically, it's about a kid in some little midwestern town who's having a hard time in high school, a guy without much of a social life, so his mom signs up to host an exchange student in the hopes that'll at least give him one friend. The exchange student turns out to be a Pakistani Muslim named Raja who's even more out of his element in an American high school than the American kid, so of course they become fast friends. Which all sounds like a decent concept for a sitcom. But - you knew there was a "but" coming, right? - leave it to Hollywood to wreck it.
I've just seen a "sneak peak" of the show at the CW Network website. And three guesses what all the American characters in the show have in common. That's right, they're all racists.
It starts when the family first finds out that their exchange student is a Muslim; they try to "return" him, saying he's "not what they ordered", and complain to the principal of the school, who made the arrangements. The principal says that another family pulled out of the program when they found out they were getting a Muslim student, which is why he didn't mention it. Soon enough, Raja finds himself in a class with a teacher introducing him as a "real-life Pakistani who practices Muslimism [sic]". The teacher asks the class how they feel about "Raja's differences", whereupon a girl raises her hand and says she's angry at him because of 9/11. The teacher asks "who else is angry with Raja?", and every hand in the room goes up.
I'm sorry, but what the hell is wrong with the media? I'm used to subtle and not-so-subtle accusations against whites, men, Westerners, conservatives, and Americans in general interspersed throughout television programs these days. In fact, other than Stargate, I'm not sure there's a program I watch these days that doesn't make snide little comments every now and then. But an entire series - a series meant to be a comedy, no less - which hinges on assuming that almost all of its characters are racists? Since when is that funny? Are they really expecting people not to notice that this is all just an exercise in propaganda? Wait, I can answer that...yes, they are. And they're probably right.
I've just seen a "sneak peak" of the show at the CW Network website. And three guesses what all the American characters in the show have in common. That's right, they're all racists.
It starts when the family first finds out that their exchange student is a Muslim; they try to "return" him, saying he's "not what they ordered", and complain to the principal of the school, who made the arrangements. The principal says that another family pulled out of the program when they found out they were getting a Muslim student, which is why he didn't mention it. Soon enough, Raja finds himself in a class with a teacher introducing him as a "real-life Pakistani who practices Muslimism [sic]". The teacher asks the class how they feel about "Raja's differences", whereupon a girl raises her hand and says she's angry at him because of 9/11. The teacher asks "who else is angry with Raja?", and every hand in the room goes up.
I'm sorry, but what the hell is wrong with the media? I'm used to subtle and not-so-subtle accusations against whites, men, Westerners, conservatives, and Americans in general interspersed throughout television programs these days. In fact, other than Stargate, I'm not sure there's a program I watch these days that doesn't make snide little comments every now and then. But an entire series - a series meant to be a comedy, no less - which hinges on assuming that almost all of its characters are racists? Since when is that funny? Are they really expecting people not to notice that this is all just an exercise in propaganda? Wait, I can answer that...yes, they are. And they're probably right.
Comments:
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Sadly, they are probably right, JB. This is the reason I usually watch only Fox News, the History Channel, and Halmark. For the rest of my entertainment I order movies from NetFlix, most of them old, back before Hollywood went nuts. Every once in awhile I run into a new movie that I will watch, but not often.
If everyone was like me, the television and movie industry would have to change or go broke!
If everyone was like me, the television and movie industry would have to change or go broke!
Who needs TV? Out this way, a few locals stood in the street shouting "White Power! A young Native American girl passing by
asked, "What about native pride?"
One of the teenaged girls knocked her to the pavement, a mother began kicking her and two young men joined in sending the girl to
the hospital. They were still yelling "White Power!" in the squad car. I agree, racists are not funny. Now this may be propaganda to some, but IMHO it
represents a snivling subhuman
cowardice. I don't watch much TV
other than news, so am not familiar with episodic sublimninal anti-racism in the plot lines. BTW,
I agree, Stargate is compelling.
asked, "What about native pride?"
One of the teenaged girls knocked her to the pavement, a mother began kicking her and two young men joined in sending the girl to
the hospital. They were still yelling "White Power!" in the squad car. I agree, racists are not funny. Now this may be propaganda to some, but IMHO it
represents a snivling subhuman
cowardice. I don't watch much TV
other than news, so am not familiar with episodic sublimninal anti-racism in the plot lines. BTW,
I agree, Stargate is compelling.
Hey, I'm not saying there isn't racism out there. But I'm not talking about anti-racism in entertainment; I'm talking about racism in entertainment, ie the supposition that all whites are bigots (which is perhaps the most ironic belief in modern history).
I'm in the middle. I do get kids in my class saying that all Muslims hate us and fly planes into buildings. That's pretty insane. But most kids aren't racist, and don't hate Muslims.
Well obviously those people are stupid. For one thing, it's physically impossible for all Muslims to be responsible for the 9/11 attacks...I mean, you might be able to fit the world's entire Muslim population into four airliners if you folded 'em real well, but even so there'd only be one each at the wheel. And yes, I am feeling particularly satirical today.
Anyway, anyone who believes all white people are racists is being just as discriminatory as anyone who believes all Muslims are terrorists, and is leaping past all reasonable restrictions on irony besides.
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Anyway, anyone who believes all white people are racists is being just as discriminatory as anyone who believes all Muslims are terrorists, and is leaping past all reasonable restrictions on irony besides.
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