Sunday Funnies: Cheerios Ad Parody

In June of this year, a Cheerios ad featuring an interracial family generated some controversy. In response to the backlash, comic filmmaker Kenji created the following parody (which has over 1 million views on You Tube).

Religious Scholar Takes Fox News Host to School

On July 26, author and religious historian Reza Aslan was a guest on "Spirited Debate", a FoxNews.com webcast about religion hosted by Lauren Green. Aslan was on the program to promote his new book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. The interview has gone viral and Ms. Green has been heavily criticized. Words such as "the worst", "most embarrassing", and "cringe-worthy" have been used to describe her interview with Aslan. You can watch and see if the criticism is apt or not.



The merits of Ms. Green's opening question regarding why a Muslim would write a book on Christianity is debatable. One could argue that it was designed for those not familiar with Aslan's work. This theory may be giving Ms. Green too much credit though. However, once Aslan gave his response, Ms. Green sounded downright silly when she asked why he'd be interested in the founder of Christianity. If Pamela Geller was on "Spirited Debate" promoting one of her books about Islam, do you think Ms. Green would have questioned why a Christian is writing about Islam?! After watching the interview, it may appear to some as if Aslan wears his academic credentials on his sleeve. However, I think it was unfortunately necessary for him to repeatedly state his credentials because Ms. Green couldn't get off her talking point of whether or not he was qualified to write the book in the first place. As a side note, I'm willing to bet Aslan knows more about Christianity than many of the so-called Christians walking around.

During the interview, Ms. Green read criticisms of the book by two theologians and someone watching the webcast. Nothing wrong with that. However, the interview would have been much better if she also read passages from the book itself and then asked Aslan questions related to them. Ms. Green also accuses Aslan of trying to conceal his Muslim background. At this point she should have stayed down because Aslan easily dismantled her claim.

Until this past weekend, I had never heard of Reza Aslan. However, I think this interview will serve to raise his profile in a positive way because he calmly and eloquently stated his reasons for writing the book. Although I was familiar with Ms. Green's previous work reading news updates on the Fox News channel, with this interview many others are probably seeing her for the first time. The word "inauspicious" comes to mind.

Reza Aslan's interview with Lauren Green has proved to be a win-win for him. In addition to thoroughly schooling Ms. Green, Aslan has seen sales of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth skyrocket. While it was selling steadily before the interview, as I write this post it is the #1 book on Amazon.com.

More Thoughts on the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin Case

Last night, George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of Travyon Martin. Zimmerman's supporters and his detractors will never come to a consensus on his guilt or innocence. However, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that only two people know for sure what happened on the fateful night of February 26, 2012 and one of them isn't in the position to give his side of the story. 

One of the sad aspects of this case is how it became a left-right issue. I think it turned into one because of the involvement of the Rev. Al Sharpton and the comments made by President Barack Obama. Just to be clear, I don't think the actions and/or words of these men made it a political issue. It was how these actions and words were interpreted by many on the right which turned it into one. Because many on the right have a dislike/hatred for the Rev. Sharpton and President Obama, I think they automatically took what they perceived to be the opposite side. What many on the right seemed to have missed is that the Rev. Sharpton only became involved after being contacted by the lawyer for Travyon's family. It's not like he was combing the internet and thumbing through newspapers looking for a case in which the victim was black. Also, the Rev. Sharpton took action and President Obama said what he said (only after being asked to comment by a reporter) because they wanted justice to be served... which is perfectly understandable. 

"If anybody watching this show -- either live or on the Internet -- doesn’t believe that if an African-American shot a 17-year-old white boy walking through a neighborhood carrying ice tea and Skittles…if they do not believe that an arraignment would be scheduled by the next morning for the African-American shooter and that the white boy’s family would be called immediately…that an office would actually drive to the white boy’s home and sit down with the parents on the couch and console them because they have lost a 17-year-old son. If you don’t believe that this case and the handling of this case by the people in Florida has nothing to do with race, you are living in a fantasy world."- Joe Scarborough, 3/21/12

Here's my question for the righties: If one of your loved ones was killed and the killer was still walking the streets, wouldn't you want some answers?

With the not guilty verdict, the NRA folks must be dancing in the streets. I don't know about you, but I don't feel safe in those streets... especially if I was in Florida. You think I'm kidding?!

Cheerios Ad Featuring An Interracial Family Generates Appreciation and Controversy

From l-r: Grace Colbert, Whitney Avalon, and Charles Malik Whitfield

A recent Cheerios commercial featuring a bi-racial family has elicited strong reactions, both pro and con. In the commercial (which you can watch below), a child (Grace Colbert) asks her mother (Whitney Avalon) if it's true that Cheerios is good for the heart. After her mother confirms it is, the child does her part to ensure her father (Charles Malik Whitfield) has a healthy heart. In addition to being thoroughly pleased to see an interracial family being portrayed in an ad, I also thought the commercial was brilliant in its simplicity.

Most of the reactions to the commercial have been positive, with people echoing thoughts similar to mine. However, the ad has predictably brought out the bigotry in some people. According to an article on the website Adweek, the comments section of the You Tube clip posted by Cheerios was littered with references to Nazis (wtf?!) and racial genocide (again, wtf?!). The backlash has caused Cheerios to disable the comments on the clip. On Cheerios' Facebook page, commenters stated they found the ad "disgusting" and that it made them "want to vomit". Although Cheerios has closed the comments section on the clip they posted, you can still "like" or "dislike" it. If a count of "likes" and "dislikes" is any indication, love is trouncing hate. As of this writing, the You Tube clip posted by Cheerios had 19,302 likes as opposed to only 1,323 dislikes.

The Cheerios' ad is the latest in a developing trend in which interracial relationships are being portrayed in advertising. Although the Cheerios' spot is obviously not the first U.S. commercial to feature an interracial couple,  it's the first one I can recall which features a black-white interracial couple AND their child. In addition to the links below which feature interracial couples in commercials, I've also noticed in-store ads at my local Target which reflect this change in society.

Apple iPhone

Bank of America ad touting cash back deals

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

The Cheerios commercial and others like it are reflecting the growing trend of interracial marriages in the U.S. With the rise in interracial marriages, it makes sense for companies to create ads which represent this expanding demographic. Sorry bigots, get used to it!

There was a time when seeing minorities on TV was practically an event. I've heard stories of how black people would alert their neighbors/relatives and huddle around the TV when someone like the Supremes would appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. Now, it's not a huge deal. I look forward to the day when interracial couples in advertising becomes just as commonplace.

A Tale of Two Michel(l)es

During her husband's race for the White House in 2008, soon-to-be First Lady Michelle Obama made a controversial comment about her being proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.  In the 2011 clip below, Melissa Harris-Perry discusses how the media portrayed Ms. Obama's comments vs. similar ones made by Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann. You may be wondering why I'm posting about a topic that should be dead and buried. The reason is because while most people have either forgiven or forgotten about Michelle's statements, people on the right like my good friend "dmarks" can't let it go.

Here's my question for the righties who continue to trash Michelle Obama for this: How is what she said any different from the comments made by Congresswoman Bachmann?

By the way, happy belated 49th birthday to Ms. Obama (who is rocking the bangs quite nicely).

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Fox and Friends Epic Fail Over Phony Obama/Pirate Controversy

On Fox and Friends this week, Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, and Brian Kilmeade made a big deal out of a photo President Obama tweeted in honor of "Talk Like a Pirate Day" (which was Wednesday, September 19th). However, as Al Sharpton points out in the clip below, there's a bit of problem with Doocy, Carlson, and Kilmeade's critique of the president. If these three weren't so stupid, they might be embarrassed by their clownish antics.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Political Silliness In Michigan: The Vagina Dialogues

While speaking last Wednesday against a bill requiring doctors to ensure women aren't coerced into ending their pregnancies, Rep. Lisa Brown (D-MI) told Republicans, "I'm flattered you're all so concerned about my vagina. But no means no." As a result, Rep. Brown was barred from speaking in the House on the grounds she violated decorum. Since when did using the medically correct term for a body part become an offense?! To really offend the GOP, maybe Rep. Brown should have said "Keep your stinking paws off my pussy, you damned dirty Republicans!"

Mich. lawmaker barred for "vagina" comment in abortion debate 

Rep. Lisa Brown's op-ed piece on the controversy

On last Friday's installment of The Ed Show, guest host Michael Eric Dyson had on Rep. Brown to discuss the controversy.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In an awesome postscript, Rep. Brown will take part in a performance of the play "The Vagina Monologues" along with the writer of the play (Eve Ensler) on the state capitol steps on the evening of Monday, June 18th.

Final Results of the Recent President Obama/Same-Sex Marriage Poll

In the poll where I asked readers if President Obama's stance on same-sex marriage will affect him politically, nearly half of you thought it would have a negative impact. Here are the final results:

It will hurt him- 46%
It will help him/It won't matter- 26% each

Thanks to everyone who participated.

Rick Santorum Say What?!

Having yet another controversial moment on the campaign trail (remember his "blah" controversy earlier this year?), GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum appears to have almost called President Obama a "nigger".  Santorum was speaking at a rally in Janesville, WI last week when the incident occurred.

In the clips below Sam Seder (host of "The Majority Report") and The Young Turks give their takes on what Santorum may have said.





After listening to the clip several times, I think Santorum caught himself just in time before he completely derailed any chance he might have of becoming POTUS. Although a part of me finds it hard to believe he could be so stupid as to come that close to making a racist remark in public, I can't come up with another word that he could have intended to say that makes any sense. Also, the nervous transition leads me to believe he's guilty. Because the evidence isn't conclusive, Santorum will be able to remain a thorn in Mitt Romney's side for at least a couple more months.

Do you think Rick Santorum almost called President Obama a "nigger"?

CTFD: Right-wing Outrage Over the Casting of Jane Fonda As Nancy Reagan

According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda will portray Nancy Reagan in the upcoming bio The Butler. The film is a biopic of Eugene Allen, a butler who served in the White House from 1952 to 1986. Because the film will cover a long time period, Fonda's role will be a supporting one.

The casting of a liberal icon to play the wife of the most popular conservative president in U.S. history has gotten some people on the right in an uproar. In various spots on the Internet, conservatives have voiced their outrage. Below are some of the comments left on Michelle Malkin's Twitter curation site Twitchy:

"What a Slap in the face to Nancy Reagan, I for one will not pay to see this Hollywood Trashing of a Great Lady How Sick."

"A Liberal playing a Conservative. How F***ed is that."

"Liberal activist???  You mean liberal traitor!  America's Tokyo Rose.  She should be in jail with her comrade kerry."

You can read more by going to the Twitchy link I included earlier.

All I can say is ctfd! Should performers only portray people who share their political beliefs?! It's called acting for a reason.

For those who are still upset over Fonda's July 1972 trip to Hanoi, she's already apologized more than once. Since Fonda can't hop into a customized DeLorean and change what she did 40 years ago, I don't know what else she can do. 

If the right-wing really wants to get revenge on those evil liberals who have the audacity to besmirch the reputation of Nancy Reagan by casting Jane Fonda to play her, they should make their own film and cast either Janine Turner or our favorite "Politichick" Victoria Jackson in the role of Hillary Clinton. I'll bet those two could use the acting gig. Here's an idea! Turner and Jackson can go head-to-head in a real-life "Celebrity Deathmatch" to determine who gets the role. However, Jackson isn't allowed to pluck her prized ukelele or sing with that golden throat of hers because doing so would give her an unfair advantage.

Sign Petition to Get Justice for Trayvon Martin

By now, you have probably heard and/or read about the shooting of Trayvon Martin. If you haven't, you can click on the preceding link. As of 3/21/12, George Zimmerman (the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed Martin) has not been arrested. If you'd like to let your voice be heard over this travesty of justice, there are several online petitions. Below is the link to the one launched by Color of Change:

George Zimmerman petition

The Fallout From Rush Limbaugh's Comments About Sandra Fluke

In the aftermath of Rush Limbaugh's controversial comments about Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, several companies pulled their advertising from his radio program. On March 3rd, Rush did something I don't believe he's ever done when faced with backlash from any of the outrageous statements he's made... he offered an apology. At least it's the closest he could come to one.

Posted on Rush's website is his "apology":

"For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week.  In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.

My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

 

Rush's apology rings false because after his initial Wednesday February 29th attack against Ms. Fluke, he hurled additional verbal bombs at her on Thursday and Friday. It was only after a number of advertisers started to abandon ship that he saw the error of his ways. Apparently, his "apology" hasn't stopped the bleeding because another advertiser, Carbonite, pulled their ads from his show. After dropping Limbaugh's program, Carbonite CEO David Friend said the following:

"No one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady. Mr. Limbaugh, with his highly personal attacks on Miss Fluke, overstepped any reasonable bounds of decency. Even though Mr. Limbaugh has now issued an apology, we have nonetheless decided to withdraw our advertising from his show. We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse."

 

While writing this post, I learned that another company (Pro Flowers) yanked their ads from Limbaugh's show on March 4th. Props to all the companies who have finally had enough of Limbaugh's "entertainment". 

 

If you'd like to let the companies still advertising on Rush's program know that you don't approve of his misogyny, below is one of the sites where you can make your voice heard.

 

CREDO action

 

Let me close by saying that the Limbaugh/Fluke controversy isn't a left vs. right issue to me. Even if one disagrees with Ms. Fluke's stance that health insurance plans should cover the cost of birth control, I don't see how they can defend Rush's despicable attacks against her. As always, I like to hear from people with opposing viewpoints. I'd especially like to hear from any female conservatives who read this post. 

Sandra Fluke's testimony:

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Two Jeremy Lin Polls ... Thank You

Please note that this post is "future dated" because it's poll-related. For posts which were written after this one, but have their actual date attached to them, please scroll down. Thank you.

Ever since "Linsanity" took the world by storm, I've been planning on writing a post about the man who inspired the term... New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. As of this writing, the New York Knicks are 8-1 since February 4 (the date Lin began playing substantial minutes for them). The superb numbers Lin has put up in his first eight NBA starts had the crew on NBA Sunday comparing his stats to the first 8 pro starts of Hall of Fame point guards Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and John Stockton.

Lin's success hasn't gone unnoticed by the non-sports media either, receiving coverage on regular newscasts, inspiring jokes by late night TV hosts, as well as a skit on the 2/18 edition of SNL. The meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin and the way his success has captured the imagination of sports fans and non-fans alike is a combination we don't see too often in sports. The other similar instances in my lifetime that come to mind are Mark "The Bird" Fidrych and William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

Jeremy Lin's "out-of-nowhere" success is all the more amazing given his previous "underdog" status:

• Despite being named first-team All-State and Northern California Division II Player of the Year during his senior year in high school, Lin failed to receive any college athletic scholarship offers. He wound up attending Harvard (which like other Ivy League schools, does not offer athletic scholarships)

• Although he had a successful hoops career at Harvard, Lin was undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft

• After his first year, he was waived by the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in the preseason before joining the Knicks early in the 2011-2012 season. 

• The Knicks considered releasing Lin before his contract became guaranteed on February 10 so they could sign a new player.

Because Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, his phenomenal success has brought the often uncomfortable subject of race into the conversation. On Lin's Wikipedia page, there already is a section on the racial issues that have come up before and after Lin's rise to prominence in the NBA.

Two of the stories which have arisen in the wake of "Linsanity" are the subject of the two poll questions I've posted. One involves whether or not the Jeremy Lin hype is caused by race. The question first arose after heavyweight boxer Floyd Mayweather wrote the following on his Twitter page, "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

The other poll deals with ESPN firing one employee and suspending another over the use of the term "chink in the armor" in relation to Lin.  On the night of February 18, Anthony Federico posted the following headline on ESPN’s mobile website: "Chink in the Armor: Jeremy Lin's 9 Turnovers Cost Knicks in Streak-Snapping Loss to Hornets." By Sunday afternoon, Federico was cut loose by ESPN. Also on 2/18, ESPNews television personality Max Bretos posed the following question about Lin live on the air: "If there is a chink in the armor, where can he improve his game?" As a result, Bretos was given a 30-day suspension.

After voting in the polls, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post. In the clip below, the panel of ESPN First Take discuss the role that race plays in the Jeremy Lin hype.

Final Results of the Recent Clint Eastwood "Halftime in America" Ad Poll

In the recent poll in which I asked people to give their opinion of the Chrysler ad featuring Clint Eastwood, an overwhelming majority of you voted "thumbs up". Here are the final results:

Thumbs up: 82%
Thumbs down: 17%

Thanks to all of you who participated in and commented on this poll. Below, "Clint Eastwood" has a few choice words for the people who misinterpreted the Chrysler ad.

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Clint Eastwood "Halftime in America" Ad... Thank You

Please note that this post is "future dated" because it's poll-related. For posts which were written after this one, but have their actual date attached to them, please scroll down. Thank you.

During the halftime of Super Bowl XLV, Clint Eastwood appeared in a Chrysler ad titled "Halftime in America". Feelings on the ad seem to be divided along party lines. While David Axelrod (President Obama’s campaign manager) and Dan Pfeiffer (the White House communications director) praised the ad, Fox News contributors Karl Rove and Michelle Malkin weren't so enthused.

I thought the ad was both positive and powerful in its "we may be down, but we're not out" message about America. Since when did promoting the spirit of America become a bad thing in the collective eyes of some on the right?! You can show how you felt about the Chrysler ad by voting thumbs up or down in the poll in the upper portion of the sidebar on the right.

Below is the ad followed by the Hardball segment in which Chris Matthews discusses the ad with political consultant Mark McKinnon.

Speaking of controversial Super Bowl ads, please see the post dated February 7th below.  

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Racist Incident Ruins A High School Basketball Game in Pittsburgh

From Yahoo! Sports

By Cameron Smith

Vile racism raised its ugly head during a boys basketball game near Pittsburgh on Friday when fans of a nearly all-white suburban school ran on the court in banana suits and made monkey noises to taunt the players for their rivals, who play for a school which is predominantly African-American.

As reported by a variety of Pittsburgh media outlets, the Monessen Valley Independent and WPXI prominent among them, the annual basketball rivalry game between Pittsburgh (Pa.) Brentwood High and Monessen (Pa.) High turned extremely ugly when the two teams tried to head to their respective locker rooms for halftime. Before the players could leave the floor, three fans from the visiting Brentwood student section ran onto the court in full-body banana suits.


The fans surrounded the Monessen players and allegedly began making monkey noises and hurling racial epithets at the Monessen players, with no one entering the fray to stop the horribly inappropriate catcalls.

"I was appalled and shocked," Monessen parent Terri Payne told WPXI. "I was like, 'I can't believe they're doing that, and they didn't do anything about it.'"

Disturbingly, other Monessen parents claim that the Brentwood players hurled similar racist epithets themselves, calling the Greyhounds "monkeys and cotton pickers," as one Monessen fan told WPXI.
Meanwhile, Valley Independent staff writer Jeremy Sellew claimed that Brentwood Director of Security Joseph Kozarian, who was on duty at the game, refused to intervene, instead sitting back and at one point smiling and laughing with the Brentwood fans in the stands.


As more media attention has swirled around the disgusting incident, Brentwood officials have scrambled to try and alleviate pressure on the school and district as a whole. As of Tuesday the three students involved had been identified and disciplined, though their punishment was not disclosed to the media. Similarly, officials claimed they were "reviewing school policy to make sure a similar incident doesn't happen again."

Clearly, that's not strong enough. If the banana suit incident and subsequent racist abuse from Brentwood players occurred as numerous witnesses claim it did, the entire Brentwood season should be put under much deeper inspection before moving forward.

This is legitimate hate speech, after all, and the teenagers who were responsible need to realize just how damaging that is, both to their victims, themselves and society as a whole. At the very least, any players who made racist comments during the game itself should be punished significantly.

Despite being a cynic, I'm still amazed this disgusting incident went down in 2012. Then again, it sounds like some of the folks in Brentwood have a 1952 mentality.  I can just imagine them listening to their Patti Page records while waiting to catch that week's episode of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".

For the news story which aired on WTAE in Pittsburgh, click here.

In a side note, Monessen defeated Brentwood by a score of 59-45.

Pete Hoekstra Ad Draws Criticism For Racial Insensitivity Against Asians

While getting ready to head out to a Super Bowl party, I saw the now infamous ad run by U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra against Michigan incumbent Debbie Stabenow. The ad features a young Asian actress thanking Sen. Stabenow for weakening the U.S. economy and making China's stronger. The problem with the ad is that it has the actress speaking in broken English as if she just stepped off the set of a Charlie Chan flick. It was kinda surreal for me when I first saw the ad because I had to ask myself if I saw and heard what I think I did.

Although the ad only aired in Michigan markets before and during The Super Bowl, it is getting criticism on a nationwide level (from both sides of the political aisle) due to its racial insensitivity.  In the article that I linked to above, Hoekstra defended the ad (which is scheduled to run for two weeks on cable stations across Michigan).

By the way, there is actually a website titled Debbiespenditnow.com and it's as over-the-top with the Asian imagery as you can imagine.

In the clips below, Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks and Lawrence O'Donnell attack the ad... but from different angles.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rick Santorum: Blah, Blah, Blah

Last week in Iowa, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum generated controversy with comments he allegedly made in regards to black people and welfare. In the aftermath, he at first didn't deny he made the comment. However, he later did a 180 by saying he never made the statement.

Hmm... although it's not a clearly enunciated "black", I think that's what he said or at least planned on saying. It could be that the word came out somewhat jumbled because he realized it wasn't a smart thing to say. At least one person in the audience thinks Santorum was referring to blacks as well because you can hear them utter "right" shortly thereafter.

What do you think Rick Santorum said? If you don't think he said or intended to say "black", can you explain the definition of a "blah" person?

In the clip below, Ed Schultz discusses Santorum's alleged comments with Joan Walsh and Michael Eric Dyson:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Guest Post by Monique About the Recent Lowe's/All-American Muslim Controversy

As you may know, there recently was a controversy involving Lowe's decision to pull their ads from the TLC reality show All-American Muslim. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to write a post in a timely manner. However, I recently visited moniqueblog and noticed that she wrote an excellent piece on the topic. I asked Monique if she'd be willing to let me borrow it for Diversity Ink and she kindly obliged.

 

“All-American Muslim”: The Lowe’s controversy

Credit: Wikipedia
 
I actually intended on talking about this controversy a whole lot sooner than I am, but I’m talking about it now. Recently, Lowe’s has been in the middle of a firestorm concerning their initial support–then non-support–of the TLC show All-American Muslim. According to myfellowamerican.us:

“ [L]ast week Lowe’s Home Improvement pulled its ads from the TLC show All-American Muslim in response to an organization claiming the show “falsely humanized Muslims in America.” The Lowe’s controversy has exposed more Islamophobia in America. This issue falls directly in line with what the My Fellow American project is trying to prevent and overcome in America.”

According to this post, the main group behind the statements about humanization is the fringe group the Florida Family Association.

I’m more than appalled at how some people have the nerve to say that this show about HUMANS ”falsely humanize[s]” HUMANS. Let’s get some things straight here:

• Islam is not only a religion, it is the second-largest religion in the world and is growing every day.
• Not all Muslims come from the Middle East. Islam has a very big community in the United States. In fact, some of my own family members are Muslim. Basically, ANYONE can be a Muslim–you don’t have to look like a certain person to be a Muslim.
• Islam, Judaism and Christianity are ALL RELATED. They stem from the same stories and teachings. If you respect one of the three, you should respect them all, since they are all related to each other.
• Saying that Muslims are being “falsely humanized” is not a very Christian-like thing to say. It’s not a very spiritual thing to say period. It’s gross and stupid.

So that’s my stance on this. Lowe’s should be the bigger person in this situation and actually stand for acceptance of all people. Let’s face it–it’s not just Christians who shop at Lowe’s. Muslims like home-renovation just as much as anyone else, and Lowe’s profits should diminish once some clientele stops showing up.

If you want to voice your opinion about this, make sure to go to My Fellow American. You can also share your own stories of acceptance as well as watch the short film on Muslims in America.

More reading:

The Huffington Post–A new Lowe for Anti-Muslim Bigotry

Adweek–Lowe’s in Facebook Hell as Racist Comments Pile Up