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Another Advertiser Pulls Out Of All-American
Watercooler
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
1:14 pm
37 Comments
Tagged: advertisers, all-american muslim, kayak.com, lowe's, pull-out, tlc
Posted in:
Watercooler
Kayak.com is the second advertiser to pull out of All-American Muslim claiming that TLC was not upfront with them about the nature of the show. They said, “TLC was not upfront with us about the nature of this show. We believe TLC went out of their way to pick a fight on this, and they didn’t let us know their intentions. That’s not a business practice that generally gets repeat business from us. I also believe that it did this subject a grave disservice. Sadly, TLC is now enjoying the attention from this controversy.”
wonder what TLC told the advertisers the show was about? Did Kayak and Lowe’s not know that the women would be rockin’ burkas? I mean if you think about it, a burka is the perfect solution to any bad hair day….
Furthermore, don’t advertisers like impressions on their brand as long as people are watching? This is like the Jersey Shore controversy all over again. The show is doing great in ratings, and the advertisers are the ones that are missing out. It’s reality TV, what do they expect?
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37 Comments
I don’t understand this at all. Granted, I haven’t watched the show but it just seems like a “Hey, we’re all the same underneath!” kind of program. How is that controversial? Because they’re Muslim? Didn’t the advertisers kind of know that going into it? Makes me want to watch the show, buy stuff from the remaining sponsors and boycott Lowe’s and Kayak. But I don’t own a house and I don’t travel a lot right now, so that would kind of be pointless…
I don’t understand, either. I also haven’t watched the show but just judging by the commercials it seems like it’s as kczar described unless they’re having extremists on that they aren’t portraying in the ads. Just don’t understand.
I can’t believe that a show called, “All-American Muslim” would be about Muslim Americans. Poor kayak.com – duped by an ambiguous title.
This is pure bullshit. Kayak.com caved in to the bully tactics of the Christian Taliban. Simple as that. Shame on them.
Well, I did watch and I am on the fence.
There was a gal that truly infuriated me. She was on a plane and a lady simply said to her companion, after noticing the gal in the burkah, “I am uncomfortable”.
The Muslim gal proceeded to tell the lady ” You can get your ass off this plane then, because I am on my way to talk to people to educate them”.
This would have been a perfect time for her to educate an older lady that may have been truly uncomfortable for a myriad of reasons. Lost a relative in 911? Was raised in a different time..etc.
Instead this gal went on a tangent, cursing at the lady. Yeah, that’s the way to bring folks to your way of thinking. Had I been on that plane, I would have asked for her to be removed. The lady was not speaking directly at her, never cursed at her, she was just truly uncomfortable. But the Muslim gal thought it was ok to yell and curse at her? Pfft. If she can’t control herself then get the fuck off the plane.
On the other hand, there is a lovely couple that truly seem to just want to truly educate folks (without cursing at them) and I truly enjoy their storyline.
So, as I said I am on the fence. Although if advertiser’s are backing out because they feel as though they have been mislead, they probably have the proof to back it up.
Ive never watched the show, Im not interested in any show about any religion unless it is a documentary. Ive known WHAT this show was about since they started advertising it…has it changed? Maybe they are actually in Yemen and is recruiting Americans hence the name All American Muslim.
This show isn’t recruiting anyone to become Muslim anymore than the Duggars are recruiting for the quiverful movement. That Lowes and Kayak caved to the Christian nutjobs horrorfies me as much as other countries caving to the Muslim nutjobs. And it terrorfies me that the Christian Fundies want the same power that they decry in Islamist states. I no more want to to wear a burqa than I want to wear a khakie ankle length skirt, tank top over long sleeved henley and have a bad perm with age inappropriate long hair.
Oh, and on that note Nads, none of the women wear a burqa on the show. Some of them (most?) wear a hijab which is the hair scarf.
@ohralphie,
Not sure about all the Christian nutjobs or fundies.
The point that I was trying to make was that I thought this show would bring about at least a good discussion by showing the viewpoint of Muslims living in America. It is particularly timely now.
Unfortunately, they have chosen to include among a number of things, a Muslim going off on someone on a plane. Reality TV Much?
BTW, I neglected to include the end of the quote from in my previous post..
” You can get your ass off this plane then, because I am on my way to talk to people to educate them”.
That ended with “educate people LIKE YOU”. I was mistaken.
They need to shit or get off the pot. Just admit it is a show that say’s “Hey all Muslims aren’t trying to hijack the plane, some of us are just assholes when we get on a plane. We have Muslim Alec Baldwin’s.”..etc.. Don’t pretend to be anything other than what your show is.
They are truly teetering on Real World territory. In my opinion either it is a show that tries cross a gap and promote understanding..or it is just another reality show that may as well be called “Muslims in Miami”.
Perhaps the advertisers were also expecting something different, too.
Robin
Well, just to add a counterpoint, would anyone pitch such a fit if a big named corporation pulled out of 19 Kids and Counting because they ARE Christians? I doubt it. More than likely we’d get more comments about how the company was smart for pulling out of a show about “Christian nutjobs” as some of you so politely put it. So does this mean hypocrisy is running amok here? I think so.
And to build on what saffie is saying, the same people who say they don’t want to a show about “Christian Fundies wearing a khakie ankle length skirt, tank top over long sleeved henley and a bad perm with age inappropriate long hair” who are also pressumably discusssing their Christian beliefs don’t seem to have a problem with a show focused on Muslims, some of whom wish to subjegate women and treat them like chattle, and who want Sharia law to usurp the federal and state laws that are in place in this country.
Why is it okay to point out “Christian nutjobs,” but so hard to admit there are nutjobs of every religion…and some nutjobs with no religion at all?
@cattyfan & @saffie —
Let’s be clear here, the Duggars belong to a fundamentalist cult (or if you prefer christian sect) that is big on enormous amounts of children and the undereducation of women. I would not call them your average Christian family. The families on American Muslim are average muslims replete with douchebags and hypocrits as well as geniunely religious people. Kinda like going to Sunday Mass.
My point is the oddity of boycotting a show highlighting average people living average lives but not having a problem with the Duggars and their brand of religious nutjobbery that will likely end up killing Mrs Duggar. Of course her young children won’t care as they only know their older sisters as mothers. Hallelejah for not using women as chattal!
Bear in mind I’ve only watched three episodes of this and it is a snoozefest. Hardly boycott worthy.
Do Lowe’s and Kayak.com advertise during the Duggar show? Or is their choice not to advertise during the Muslim show newsworthy because media likes to foster conflict where there shouldn’t be any?
My bet is there are plenty of advertisers that have opted to cease advertising during the Duggar show, but they haven’t made the news.
I’m thinking that banning a woman from using birth control, not giving her a choice over he family size, not allowing her to get a higher education because her place is at home raising kids, making her cover her body, ankle to wrists, and not allowing her many options to stand on her own, independent of a man is…. an accurate description of the Duggars. The only way they differ from the Muslim subjugation of women is that they do not cover their hair.
I mean, if the point one was making is that Muslims treat their women like chattle, for breeding and being controlled, then I think Ms. Duggar makes a strong case that Christians do it, too.
My yoga teacher once said, “People who fight the most probably have the most in common.”
On the topic of pulled advertising, I find this so disappointing. It wasn’t so much that Lowe’s pulled the advertising, it was that they said the Muslims were promoting a hidden agenda via the show that was detrimental to America. THAT was what I had a problem with. Why does it need to be Us vs Them because we call our Gods by different names? We are all Americans, Christians are NOT more American than Muslims are, so this presumptuousness to exclude Muslims from American society is cringeworty and appalling.
And I’m sorry, if I had to deal with the level of racism that Muslim people do in America and heard someone say they “uncomfortable” being on the same airplane with me, I would probably curse them out, too. Who knows, maybe it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. There’s only so much vitriol you can swallow before it comes rushing up to the surface.
With all the crap that is on BRAVO this one is upsetting people.A network where parents teach kids to look like hookers and being judge for your looks is the most important thing in life. Each parent is more out of shape then the next and most can’t even speak basic english is ok but showing a Muslim family living like the rest of us is offensive.WallMart is hiring that should keep you busy.Just don’t get sick
@Cattyfan: the point is that Lowes (and others) pulled their advertising because of bullying tactics from a special interest group. Lowes initially had no problem advertising on this show — they changed their mind because they were bullied into doing so (and because they allowed themselves to be bullied).
It doesn’t really matter which special interest group that was, see?
Of course, my views on religion are well-known around here, and they extend to all of them, including this one.
As for the idea of “educating” people (the headscarf/airplane thing): if you’ve never been in a position of having to fend off someone else’s ignorance and intolerance for your culture, then you don’t know how truly fucking annoying it is when a total stranger feels they have the right to discuss their ‘discomfort’ with you whenever they feel like it.
It’s impossible to educate everyone. And especially not the type of extremist bigots that bullied Lowes into pulling their ads. That’s why we have laws banning discrimination and enforcing freedom of belief (or non-belief).
@itchy, you make a good point. I’ve seen first hand how a company can go along with one thing until a special interest group proposes another. And then they bow under the pressure..
I was working a a film, an Egyptian film, that had scenes that took place in NYC. Working as the Asst Location manager, we had to secure locales for each scene, one of them being the Egyptian consulate. We were looking for a white bldg that resembled the actual consulate in DC, and settled on this bank in Williamsburg,which happens to be a predominately Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. The bank’s (a chain) managers agreed to the filming of it’s facade, knowing full well what the movie was about (a comedy, not political) and a date was arranged. When we showed up to shoot, just some b-roll stuff of it’s exterior only, the locals threw a hissy fit. They stormed into the bank and demanded filming stop.
Mind you, there were no actors or dialogue, just some exterior shots we set up with the Egyptian flag in front to resemble the Embassy. You would’ve thought we were pissing on consecrated ground! The orthodox jews did not want any Muslims filming in their neighborhood. And because they caused a fuss, the managers reneged on the deal, and we were told we could not get the shot. How do you explain THAT to the director?
Do we know for sure that either of the companies was bullied by a special interest group? If so, which one(s)?
That would explain a lot, because Kayak.com’s argument doesn’t hold water. The show’s actually quite tame, maybe even too tame for today’s reality audiences. And it’s a reality show. I can’t see what “controversy” TLC could have hidden, or how advertisers could have been misled, unless they didn’t sign up to advertise on a certain show, but only for a block of time. But still, nothing here I can see for them to get all het up about. The Muslims in this show come off a heck of a lot better than the Russians do on Russian Dolls. Or Italian-Americans on Jersey Shore. Who would you rather have as neighbors, honestly? Muslims, right?
sarcasatire…Most Christians (99% of them) don’t adhere to the strict rules the Duggars appear to (I don’t watch the show, so I will take your word for how they are presented.) On the other side, a huge percentage of Muslims adhere to rules which keep women covered, don’t allow them to vote, etc., and entire countries are run with the implementation of Sharia Law wherein “honor killings” are the rule, and women are blamed if they are raped.
Itchy…you said “if you’ve never been in a position of having to fend off someone else’s ignorance and intolerance for your culture, then you don’t know how truly fucking annoying it is when a total stranger feels they have the right to discuss their ‘discomfort’ with you whenever they feel like it.” Yes…and Christians feel the same way when they are told that simply wearing a cross necklace has somehow offended non-believers. It works both ways.
Additionally, all that occurred was a simple e-mail campaign from a small group…hardly a huge orchestrated bullying tactic. And companies have ignored far bigger protests. So perhaps someone in those companies found merit in the objection, or had reached their conclusion based on their own knowledge.
Exactly, Lowes’ allowed a small fringe group of Christian wackos to chase them away from the show AND make the rest of christiandom seem just a little bit more creepy.
“Christians feel the same way when they are told that simply wearing a cross necklace has somehow offended non-believers. It works both ways” — I’m not sure how many times that happens. I’m pretty damn intolerant of in-your-face religiosity, as you well know, but I hardly consider someone wearing jewelry (or a little round hat or a veil over their hair) as offensive. It’s only when they cross the line and do the finger-pointing-at-the-sky stuff that I make fun of them — and then only in the context of reality television (i.e., here).
There’s no way you’re going to make me believe that christians or christianity is in any way persecuted in America. In Iran or Egypt, yeah, probably.
I just wish we could fast-forward a few hundred years, to when humanity will have finally put this religious nonsense to rest. And you know that WILL happen. No matter what you believe.
i’m sorry but i’m going to agree with itchy. i highly doubt anyone has ever gone up to someone and told them they were uncomfortable around them because they were wearing a cross. i also doubt anyone ever insinuated that they were uncomfortable being on the same plane as someone just because of a yarmulke or a rosary or any other religious symbol. if i was that woman i would be HIGHLY offended that 10 years after 9/11 the sight of a woman’s hijab alone made someone think the plane was going to be hijacked. it’s offensive and bigoted and she deserved whatever was said to her.
Well I am insulted when rappers where crosses and then cuss to the high heavens about someone’s daughter. (insert sarcastic emoticon here)
Yarmulkes make me uncomfortable. I always feel like the things are going to fall off the back of my head.
It may be 10 years after 9-11, but if you’ve been paying attention there have been plenty of other attempts to harm various planes…and the perps were all Muslim.
As for people who are claim to be offended by a cross necklace…they never tell the wearer. They instead complain to the employer of the wearer, and suddenly, based on a singular complaint, there is a dress code prohibiting the wearing of cross necklaces. It has happened with airlines…with school districts.
And why should someone like Tebow taking a knee offend you, itchy? If you don’t share his beliefs, just ignore what he’s doing. It’s no different than someone wearing a slogan on a t-shirt or taking part in a parade.
OMG, are we really defending the actions of a store bowing to pressure from a viper tongue bitch like Pam Gellar and her minions about a (somewhat boring) show that doesn’t depict muslims like wild eyed jihadists? Don’t folks who need to affirm their bigoted views have a home already in Fox News? Must they spread out?
Itchy, Sarcastire, you guys are my heros! Couldn’t have said it better myself.
And cattyfan, I have to respectfully disagree. Only 1% of Christians aren’t extremist fundies? Yeah, if you buy the Faux News byline. True, many, many christians are good people with good values, but there are PLENTY wackjob fundies, and WAAAAY more than 1%. The current crop of (popular) GOP presendential hopefulls prove otherwise. The difference between Christian Fundies and Muslim Extremists is that, in America, Muslims Extremists (heck, even ordinary Muslims) are feared and unlike their Christian counter-parts aren’t given power of office! Particularly in the South.
And as an Atheist, neither myself nor my fiance are offended by crosses or prayers (freedom of religion). We DO take offense when they start spouting off, tell us we deserve to be TORTURED for not worshipping their magic man, and voting against the rights of women, gays, and all those who don’t worship their god. We are also against not allowing men and women in the armed forces being kept from promotions because they are atheist or gay.
As for TeBlow, he’s annoying but us secularists have Pat Tillman, a REAL hero so I couldn’t care less about some overrated showboater.
I haven’t watch this show because I’m not a fan of the Muslim faith (and I didn’t know if there would be a lot of preaching), but if all this show does is promote a positive view of Muslim Americans AS PEOPLE (normal, everyday people), than good for them. Lowe’s is a shitty store anyway.
LAC: lol, Faux News is great for catering to Christian/far-right Fundies! I’ve never seen a network dedicated to making them feel like they are CONSTANTLY under attack and they are the only group worth protecting/promoting!
Meant to say:when men/women in the armed forces are kept from promotion because they are gay or atheist (and many are!).
Oh, Itchy, Christians are totally persecuted here. Seriously, this year I didn’t hear any Christmas songs until the day after Halloween.
The only religious item that offends me is when mofos wear rosary beads as necklaces I seriously start to SEETHE each and every time I see it. I think full female garb looks hot…the end. I think yarmulkes look awesome and some have great designs on them. The Muslim koofee(sp) simply is as cool looking as the yarmulke leaves nothing to the imagination about how it stays on when you don’t see hair pins. Shikhs are freaking awesome with their extra long hair that sometimes sneaks out. I do not fear Muslims in anyway shape or form. I don’t think they are out to get me or force Shariah law on Americans. I do think there are a small few in their WORLDWIDE populations that hate nonMuslims but esp Jewish people who I think have had it rough since they created their religion. You know who we should watch out for…those damn Buddhists…all that chanting and incense burning, they have to be up to no good.
FYI, hot as in a thousand degrees not hawt!
I watched the first episode, and it was like watching an episode of True Life. It just a show about normal people, who just happened to be Muslim. The only thing I know about Islam, is the basic stuff I learned from taking Religious Studies. So I found it interesting, seeing more of the cultural stuff. For example, there’s a wedding and conversion in the first episode. It was interesting seeing what they involved. The only problem with the show is the cast is kind of big, and it’s hard keeping up.
Pegster… LOL. I almost spit out my drink after reading your comment, but it was wine so I didn’t because that would just be blasphemy!
“Why is it okay to point out “Christian nutjobs,” but so hard to admit there are nutjobs of every religion…and some nutjobs with no religion at all?”-Cattyfan
(raising hand) nutjob with no religion at all (unless you count that scary Catholic one I was raised on).
Also, given that the woman on the plane was wearing her scarf, I’m pretty sure she had already spent way more than the regular amount of time (which is outrageous as it is)in the security line than someone with no outward signs of Muslim religious beliefs, plus endured the stares, whispering, and finger pointing that Muslims always seem encounter at the airport(I’ll bet most of us have witnessed it. I know I have on several occasions) and was completely frustrated with the way her day was going. Should she have cussed someone out? No. Do I understand why it might have happened? Most definitely.
I laughed so hard I lost bowel control. Now when I read TVgasm, I sit on a pile of newspapers, just in case.
Per a Reuters article Kayak didn’t bow to pressure – according to their Chief Marketing Officer, they pulled their advertising because “the show sucked.”
Don’t know how much truth there is to that statement, don’t even really care. I just found it to be a hilariously refreshing commentary on Reality TV programming.
Yes, Kayak handled this one pretty well — they also pointed out they didn’t pull their ads, they just haven’t bought new space. A nuance. And the CEO also mentioned receiving ‘thousands’ of emails from the Florida idiots. Which he ignored.
@Cattyfan: you know that “It’s no different than someone wearing a slogan on a t-shirt or taking part in a parade” isn’t true. (Unless the parade is a neo-Nazi rally, I suppose). Because this kind of religiosity is the hallmark of people intent on forcing the rest of society to adopt their value system. This is what the “religious right” is all about.
There’s a very thin line between thanking your god for every little thing you do (although I can understand doing this after a good dump) and believing that your ‘special relationship’ with your god justifies whatever the hell you feel like doing.
Mostly though, what offends me most about these displays of religiosity is the feeling that I’m drowning in a sea of stupidity and superstition.
At the point, I can’t even vote anymore. Between a president who declares his “love” for jesus, and the GOP’s cast of characters from a megachurch remake of an Abbott & Costello movie, this election is a true intellectual desert.
Oh, and as for yarmulkes — they’ve ALWAYS made me uncomfortable. As if wearing a beanie (in public) made these people just a little bit holier than the rest of us.
@someguy I don’t think they’re exactly offended. It makes some of them feel kind of scared and confused and mixed-messaged because for them to see a Muslim sheriff or a football coach or federal agent and all the rest of those yawnballz people on AAM living “just like they do” is so opposite from some of their strongest beliefs that they need to keep other even stronger 1s in place. Kind of like Jenga.
And others of them just feel disappointed and ripped off.
If you put yourself in their place, sitting down all stoked to watch a show about a group they have these strong feelings against, expecting to have a whole hour of 3 minute hate like in that 1984 book.
And the best they can come up with for outrage is somebody making a grumpy comeback to somebody else’s making an offensive remark, on a plane, where everybody’s annoyed to begin with? That’s got to be a big letdown.
Shoot, if I was that lady and somebody said that to me, I’d probably whip out another scarf and tell her yeah me too. Here, put this on and we’ll both feel better.
I blame John Boehner.
I know that unclefucker has an angle in this somehow.