Witness to Discrimination: What Would You Do?

cnredd · #1 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 11:51 AM

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The Sept. 11 attacks, the Iraq war and suicide bombings worldwide have changed not only the way we live but the way we look at those around us, especially Muslims. "Islamophobia" has entered the American vernacular, and the anti-Muslim attitudes and prejudice it describes remain common.

But what if you witnessed "Islamophobia" in action and saw someone being victimized because of someone else's prejudices? What would you do?

ABC's production crew outfitted The Czech Stop, a bustling roadside bakery north of Waco, Texas, with hidden cameras and two actors. One played a female customer wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf, or hijab. The other acted as a sales clerk who refused to serve her and spouted common anti-Muslim and anti-Arab slurs.

The polarity of reactions was shocking, from support to seething disapproval. Never did we expect customers to be so passionate or candid.

Our actor, Sabina, walked into the bakery in search of apple strudel. When she reached the counter, an actor posing as a sales clerk was quick to greet her with hateful anti-Muslim language.

"Get back on the camel and go back to wherever you came from," he said. "You got that towel on your head. I don't know what's underneath your dress. Just please take your business and go elsewhere with it."

Once again, the media creates a situation because they don't have the time nor energy to find a REAL situation...

This happened before when NBC's Dateline paid Muslim-looking men to go to a NASCAR race in an attempt to stereotype racecar fans...

What's worse is that this story HYPES the myth of Islamophobia...

From 2 months ago...Hyping Hate Crime Vs. Muslims

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New FBI data on hate crimes reveal Muslim groups are crying wolf about exploding anti-Muslim abuses. They're actually shrinking, belying claims of mass Islamophobia.

Not only are anti-Islamic hate crimes way down, but they're a fraction of overall religious hate crimes. The overwhelming majority of such crimes target Jews, something CAIR and other Muslim groups don't seem all that concerned about.

In 2006, a whopping 66% of religiously motivated attacks were on Jews, while just 11% targeted Muslims, even though the Jewish and Muslim populations are similar in size. Catholics and Protestants, who together account for 9% of victims, are subject to almost as much abuse as Muslims in this country.

Last year's anti-Islamic hate crimes totaled 156. While just one hate crime is one too many, that's a 68% drop from 2001.

The FBI report gives lie to CAIR's alarmist narrative of "Islamophobic" lynch mobs marching on mosques across America. In reality, Americans have been remarkably, and admirably, tolerant and respectful of Muslims and their institutions since 9/11.

foundit66 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 12:53 PM

It's not just "Islamophobia".
I heard about another "special" where they had people walking by active vandalism, a car accident, etc, etc...
Staging "special" events to film people's reactions to them.

"Islamophobia" seems to have more of a spotlight.
Doing it like that can be seen as CREATING a molehill, and giving it the perception of a mountain.

Quite frankly, maybe somebody should do a special about creating a fake news situation, and then filming the reaction of news crews that get to the location.
Perhaps we could do it where the news crew could act to help a victim, or inhibit a crime. Monitor their reactions.
< gasp! >

I see some validity to the GENERAL issue of societal self-inspection.
But at the same time, a certain degree of annoyance as well...

crazyflamingos · #3 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 01:34 PM

I still can't get my head around what you guys object to about these shows. They are not presented as anything but just what they are, infotainment.

It is clearly stated, ad infinitum, that it is a set-up and which people are actors vs real people having real reactions.

They were told afterward that it was a set-up and the faces of those who did not want to be shown are fuzzed out.

There were people shown who had a full range of reactions.

They were given a chance to explain themselves if they chose. (And if they felt that their behavior needed explaining.)

I just don't get the problem. But to each his own.

Talk amongst yourselves. Maybe if I keep reading your objections they will start to make sense to me.

I do have one question. Did you only object to this segment of the show? (Or maybe you weren't aware that there were 3 other segments.)

The other 3 segments involved people's reactions to:

1. A fiancee of a friend who is publicly cheating,

2. A driver who leaves the scene of a fender-bender involving a parked car,

3. Teenage "mean girls" verbally bullying another girl.

Do you find these equally objectionable?

cnredd · #4 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

I still can't get my head around what you guys object to about these shows. They are not presented as anything but just what they are, infotainment.

This is put out by their NEWS depatment...Not their entertainment department...

And it's not "info" if it's made up...

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

It is clearly stated, ad infinitum, that it is a set-up and which people are actors vs real people having real reactions.

They were told afterward that it was a set-up and the faces of those who did not want to be shown are fuzzed out.

There were people shown who had a full range of reactions.

They were given a chance to explain themselves if they chose. (And if they felt that their behavior needed explaining.)

I just don't get the problem. But to each his own.

Talk amongst yourselves. Maybe if I keep reading your objections they will start to make sense to me.

The objection is that it's done to ferment negsative perceptions...

You could just as easily place a Jewish guy in Dearborn, Michigan and see how Muslims would react, but ABC would NEVER do that because it doesn't fit into their social commentary (and the fact they'd have a dead Jew on their hands)...

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

I do have one question. Did you only object to this segment of the show? (Or maybe you weren't aware that there were 3 other segments.)

The other 3 segments involved people's reactions to:

1. A fiancee of a friend who is publicly cheating,

2. A driver who leaves the scene of a fender-bender involving a parked car,

3. Teenage "mean girls" verbally bullying another girl.

Do you find these equally objectionable?

I find them objectionable, but not as much...more just stupidity...

Fiancees, driver, and teenge "mean girls" cross religious and political spectrums...whereas this vulgar display does not...It pinpoints by creating a charged atmosphere where there was none...

Also...The three instances you've shown are things that DO happen in everyday life at a rate that is seen by everyone...How many Muslims walk into a shop in Waco, Texas?...Why not do this in New York?...Berkeley?...Hell!...Let's see them pull that stunt in East LA...

On top of that, the issue of so-called "Islamophobia" isn't even the BIGGEST issue when it comes to stuff like this...It's JEWS that are the most harrassed...6 times as much as Muslims...

Where's the story on them?...(nevermind)...

lackluster · #5 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyflamingos

I still can't get my head around what you guys object to about these shows. They are not presented as anything but just what they are, infotainment.

It is clearly stated, ad infinitum, that it is a set-up and which people are actors vs real people having real reactions.

They were told afterward that it was a set-up and the faces of those who did not want to be shown are fuzzed out.

There were people shown who had a full range of reactions.

They were given a chance to explain themselves if they chose. (And if they felt that their behavior needed explaining.)

I just don't get the problem. But to each his own.

Talk amongst yourselves. Maybe if I keep reading your objections they will start to make sense to me.

I do have one question. Did you only object to this segment of the show? (Or maybe you weren't aware that there were 3 other segments.)

The other 3 segments involved people's reactions to:

1. A fiancee of a friend who is publicly cheating,

2. A driver who leaves the scene of a fender-bender involving a parked car,

3. Teenage "mean girls" verbally bullying another girl.

Do you find these equally objectionable?

I wasn't one who had already chimed in, but I find shows like these pretty objectionable across the board because they are so cynical and manipulative. By intentionally placing others in uncomfortable positions like this, the show is invading people's privacy in a way because it is really just about some people (and do pardon my French here), fucking with other's people to get their jollies.

Don't much care for that, myself.

KnightOfSappho · #6 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

This is put out by their NEWS depatment...Not their entertainment department...

And it's not "info" if it's made up...

The 'info' comes in while gauging the reactions of people that witness such an event.

My first reaction in hearing this story, if I had been in that shop, would be to call the manager over and explain to him exactly why his/her store was losing my business, and then walk out.

Quote:

The objection is that it's done to ferment negsative perceptions...

You could just as easily place a Jewish guy in Dearborn, Michigan and see how Muslims would react, but ABC would NEVER do that because it doesn't fit into their social commentary (and the fact they'd have a dead Jew on their hands)...

You say that like it is a certainty.

Quote:

On top of that, the issue of so-called "Islamophobia" isn't even the BIGGEST issue when it comes to stuff like this...It's JEWS that are the most harrassed...6 times as much as Muslims...

Where's the story on them?...(nevermind)...

What one person experiences is not negated because another person experiences something worse. If one person is mugged at gunpoint, it does not mean that he/she has no right to feel bad because someone else was mugged and beaten.

Simply put, ignoring what one group goes through because another group goes through more is not good for anyone.

If you want to see a story on abuse of Jewish folk, write to the the media. They may do a story or they may not, but it would be interesting enough to draw readers, so they may well do it.

foundit66 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-27-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lackluster

I wasn't one who had already chimed in, but I find shows like these pretty objectionable across the board because they are so cynical and manipulative. By intentionally placing others in uncomfortable positions like this, the show is invading people's privacy in a way because it is really just about some people (and do pardon my French here), fucking with other's people to get their jollies.
Don't much care for that, myself.

Ditto.

Plus, it's qualifications for "news" is barely a few steps away from "reality TV shows".

This isn't much different than the "Punk'd" show, is it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightofSappho

My first reaction in hearing this story, if I had been in that shop, would be to call the manager over and explain to him exactly why his/her store was losing my business, and then walk out.

I can't help but wonder how many people would JUST walk out.
And would the "news" crew provide THEIR actions when they air the show.

Or how about the people who call up a couple days later to complain?
Or write a letter to the Better Business Bureau?
Or give a call to Channel X news to ask them to do a story on the behavior they saw in the shop?
Is THAT going to make it to "video-tape"?

Quite frankly, it would seem the "video-taped" response leads more to people who are more confrontational. Those with more "appropriate" responses (like yours) would be less in the lime-light.
You can't video-tape the people who are not going to do business at that place again because of what they saw.

And if I were a business owner, I would NEVER allow such a mock-umentary in my place.
I shudder to think of attracting customers who applaud such prejudice, and driving away those repulsed by it.

KnightOfSappho · #8 (**permalink**) 03-05-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foundit66

I can't help but wonder how many people would JUST walk out.
And would the "news" crew provide THEIR actions when they air the show.

I suspect that they would show that action, but not stop to interview the people when they did.

Quote:

Or how about the people who call up a couple days later to complain?
Or write a letter to the Better Business Bureau?
Or give a call to Channel X news to ask them to do a story on the behavior they saw in the shop?
Is THAT going to make it to "video-tape"?

Quite frankly, it would seem the "video-taped" response leads more to people who are more confrontational. Those with more "appropriate" responses (like yours) would be less in the lime-light.
You can't video-tape the people who are not going to do business at that place again because of what they saw.

Sadly, those things, though they should be shown, would probably not be.

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And if I were a business owner, I would NEVER allow such a mock-umentary in my place.
I shudder to think of attracting customers who applaud such prejudice, and driving away those repulsed by it.

If I was a business owner, I don't think that I would allow such a thing to take place in my business. Reputation is an important part of running a business and soiling it is such a manner is unthinkable to me.

I find it interesting to watch people's responses to situations like that, but I think that business owners that participate are not thinking long term.

crazyflamingos · #9 (**permalink**) 03-05-2008, 12:38 PM

I actually watched this episode and I thought their treatment was very balanced. Afterwards, they interviewed some who agreed with the clerk, some who stood up to him and some who just stood there without comment.

Did anyone else watch it?

If so, what did you think?

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