Wednesday, December 14, 2011

How low(e) can you go?

I'm really trying very hard to wrap my head around what is happening with the controversy between All American Muslim, Lowe's and the Florida Family Association. I just can't seem to understand what it is that the FFA wants to accomplish with all this.

First thing that happened was the FFA issued a statement against AAM and sent this statement to all the advertisers on the show. Basically the statement was about how the show showcases Muslims in too much of a normal light. They wanted to see more Muslims on the show following jihad, sharia, and basically blowing things up. Because that is the only version of Muslims that they know from having interviewed various Muslims around Florida (I hope you read the sarcasm there). Ironically, one of the companies (Lowe’s) decided to listen and pull their ads. I say ironically because these blowing up Muslims would have needed that company to supply the components to blow up things.

In their press release, Lowe's acknowledged that it received messages from a "broad spectrum of customers" and that is why they decided to pull their ads. So basically Lowe's also felt that AAM needed scenes of Muslims going into Lowe's to buy supplies to blow things up.

So now there are sides saying that everyone needs to boycott Lowe's, while the other side thinks that Lowe's should be free to advertise on whatever show they want. I think Lowe’s should look into shows that highlight true American values, such as Sister Wives, Toddlers and Tiaras, 20 Kids and Counting, and of course my all time favorite, Hording: Buried Alive.

So here lies my dilemma with trying to figure out what it is that America wants from its Muslim society: After 9/11 there were lots of questions asked about 'Where are the moderate Muslims?!?' Now here is a television program showing America where the moderate Muslims are existing (Dearborn), living very boring lives (adjusting to motherhood, marriage, job transitions), and not blowing things up. But now we have a group that is asking 'Where are the radical Muslims?!?'

In the words of Seth Meyers "Really...?"



P.S. If you click on FFA or Lowe's in my first paragraph, it will take you to the petition from Sign On. Yes, this was intentional.

No comments:

Post a Comment