Los Angeles, CA (TSG) December 15th, 2011. Actors Parvesh Cheena and Rizwan Manji (NBC's "Outsourced") star in a Lowe's commercial that, according to the YouTube description, ran into some difficulties:
"In Winter 2011, The Lowe's Company pulled their television commercials from TLC's new series "All-American Muslim" under pressure from a Florida Christian Group ...This is that commercial."
Too bad they pulled it. I kind of like it.
I watch "All-American Muslim" last night.
ReplyDeleteWas a lot better show then SP show.
I'm still trying to figure out how it is that these ridiculous "Christian" "family" organizations that magically appear to complain about things any sane person would laugh right in their idiotic faces about, manage to get taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteI mean c'mon, "we're offended because this show portrays Muslims as NOT being insane anti-American jihadists"?? Seriously? How much of an epic gigantor fucking moron does someone have to be to think that even represents a valid point of view?
Who would actually be idiotic enough to say something that stupid OUT LOUD?
One would have to have their head stuffed so far up their own ass that oxygen deprivation is dissolving their brain stem...
That commercial just gave me the heebie jeebies.
ReplyDeleteIF (big IF) they could read they would see that one of the main people in the show is a US Federal agent. Another cast member works for a prominent judge. So basically what this group in Florida is saying is that it's ok for the cast members to work for the FEDERAL government and in the court system but they are not good enough for LOWES? Ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI loved it.
ReplyDeleteThe Christians would be furious that it said "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMy Muslim neighbors put up a christmas tree for their kids, just like my Jewish parents did for us when we were little. There is very little religious connotation to Christmas anymore.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why the Christians had a problem with that. I would think the Muslims would not be too happy though.
ReplyDeleteI mailed the following letter on Wednesday to Lowe's corporate management - and cc'd it to Robert Niblock, Keith Olbermann and CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) --
ReplyDelete"Attn: Lowe's Management
My husband and I moved to Maui, Hawaii, four years ago. Since then we've purchased a top-of-the-line Whirlpool stove and refrigerator from our local Lowe's on Dairy Road in Kahului, where we shop all the time. The staff are always courteous and helpful, so it pains me to say that I cannot, in good conscience, EVER shop at a Lowe's store again after the blatant bigotry of your CEO, Robert Niblock. Major FAIL. I am a Pacifist, and my many Muslim friends are FAR more committed to Peace than the Tea Party crazies your behavior caters to. Shame on all who make this world a "You OR Me" place. I choose to live in a "You AND Me" world. Goodbye Lowe's."
Is there any doubt (among sane people) that we need an OBAMA landslide in 2012?? And let's give him a Congress that works for the 99%, NOT for the evil Koch brothers!
Peace, All. And Mahalo to Jesse for his valiant pursuit of Truth and Justice in an America that sorely needs both.
That was misleading and played into every stereotype imaginable. The darkness of the video so heavily outweighed the lightness of the end message that the intended impact was completely lost and overwhelmingly a step back into fear-mongering. I'm still feeling creeped out by it and I'm a minority that has dealt with racism and stereotypes my entire life. One thing the video did, however -- which I can truly appreciate and understand -- is it definitely helped give clear insight to the anxiety American Muslims must feel every time they purchase something that can be perceived as an explosive material or component.
ReplyDeleteOverall:
Good intentions? Yes
Mission accomplished? Nah.
If I were Muslim I would be insulted by the implications of that commercial. Right up until the end they are giving the impression that these guys are up to no good. It actually reinforces a lot of stereotypes. I don't think it's witty or clever, I think it's xenophobic.
ReplyDeleteI think some people here are not realizing that is commercial is a joke.
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved it!
No better way to stick it to Lowe's for their shortsighted answer to the "Christianist" demands.
did not like it at all. i agree with many posters here who found it unflattering to muslims.
ReplyDeletei'm glad that it is off the air although still offended for the reasons that it was pulled.
That was weirdly entertaining. I watched it twice. I do have to agree with some of the comments though that portraying those two men as sinister and suspicious was inappropriate. It could have been done in a more positive light instead of waiting until the very end...you know...fair and balanced?
ReplyDeleteI loved the commercial and shame on Lowe's for pulling it.
ReplyDeleteI like it a lot. Would make me shop at Lowe's if they had aired it.
ReplyDeleteUh... newsflash people: that "commercial" IS A JOKE. Lowe's DID NOT MAKE THAT COMMERCIAL.
ReplyDeleteI swear, sometimes we're just as dumb as the Peebots.
I thought it was very cute. Too bad zealot Xtian's got their panties in a twist over it.
ReplyDeleteI loved it! The music was beautiful and soulful much more than the canned Xmas music played at the malls...
ReplyDeleteHow was this offensive to Muslims?
To anyone?
Great awesome commercial. To bad Lowes listening to religious zealots...they lost my business...
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteUh... newsflash people: that "commercial" IS A JOKE. Lowe's DID NOT MAKE THAT COMMERCIAL.
I swear, sometimes we're just as dumb as the Peebots.
10:50 AM
************
<A HREF="> Oh so the LA times is in on the joke, I guess too?</A>
Speak for yourself idiot no for "We"!
I watched it and really didn't like it. It played into every stereotype out there about Muslim extremists and was not saved by the ending when they light the house with "holiday" lights. If I were Muslim - and I'm not - I'd be totally insulted by it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not saying that from a "Christian perspective", because I'm Jewish. I just thought it was stupid and demeaning.
I swear, Americans are the most gullible people in the world. Even our liberals (who SHOULD be the rational thinkers) fall for stuff. Can you folks not get that this was a joke?
ReplyDeleteIsn't this interesting and funny.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the music meant that they were being called to pray and they were trying to decide between facing Mecca and praying or going shopping like they obviously had planned.
And they chose to go shopping! And they gave those funny looks because they felt guilty about shopping instead of praying.
Ha. Ha. Ha. How differently we interpret things.
Now that you tell me they were making fun of so many Americans' assumption that all Muslims are terrorists, I think the whole thing is hysterical.
I like it, the joke is on us for automatically equating Muslim=terrorist(or those who think all Muslims are terrorists).
You probably guessed correctly that I don't automatically, or even with time to think, think that Muslim=terrorist.)
I can see why a Muslim would be offended either way it was meant to be (pray or bomb).
Was it really just a joke on the Internet, or was that a real commercial?
As someone who appreciates humor in general and subtle humor in particular, I kind of liked it because of the unexpected ending.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who believes they recognize racism when they see it, I don't think the ad quite fits the bill although it comes close in some respects. Terrorists come in many forms and all ethnic groups. Middle Eastern groups are just the current focus but they are not comprised exclusively of Middle Eastern men.
So in general, the ad gets a pass from me on being a bad thing. Some will find it offensive but people get offended by a lot of things and get over it eventually.
As someone who dislikes religious zealots who protest everything outside their tunnel vision of life, Lowe's gets a black mark from me for caving into pressure to pull the ad.
As for the religious group who did the complaining, they should use their sphincter-strangled voices to protest something of more substance, something more important to society as a whole, such as the actions of people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Arpaio is a _big_ problem; he is a real, dyed-in-the-wool bigot of the worst kind. The flap over the ad will be forgotten in a few days but Arpaio won't disappear that quickly -- although he should be fired now.
That music was just beautiful.
ReplyDelete