The national hardware chain Lowe’s pulled its advertising from the TLC reality show All-American Muslim—explaining that the question of whether Muslims can be presented as regular human beings is a “hotly contested debate.”
All-American Muslim is a reality show described by TLC, the cable channel that airs it, as “a look at life in Dearborn, Michigan—home to the largest mosque in the United States–through the lens of five Muslim American families…an intimate look at the customs and celebrations, misconceptions and conflicts these families face outside and within their own community.”
But the Florida Family Association, a right-wing group leading the charge against the program, saw it as part of a sinister plot:
The Learning Channel‘s new show All-American Muslim is propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law. The show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish.
Note the parallel between this argument and a complaint that Jersey Shore doesn’t depict any of its Italian-American cast members as members of the Mafia.
Mobilizing its members to send emails calling on advertisers to boycott the show, FFA scored a victory. The company responded to the group (Hollywood Reporter, 12/9/11), “While we continue to advertise on various cable networks, including TLC, there are certain programs that do not meet Lowe’s advertising guidelines, including the show you brought to our attention. Lowe’s will no longer be advertising on that program.”
Lowe’s decision prompted an outraged response—one activist wrote, “Will you next consider KKK’s demands to pull ads from BET?” (Hollywood Reporter, 12/9/11)—leading to an explanation of sorts posted on the company’s Facebook page:
It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate with strong views from virtually every angle and perspective—social, political and otherwise—and we’ve managed to make some people very unhappy. We are sincerely sorry. We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, across our workforce and our customers, and we’re proud of that longstanding commitment.
Lowe’s has received a significant amount of communication on this program, from every perspective possible. Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lighting rod for many of those views. As a result we did pull our advertising on this program. We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance.
Unfortunately, pulling your ads from a television show because it depicts a group of people as normal Americans is not a way to “respectfully defer”—it’s taking the side of bigots who believe that that group must always be portrayed as frightening and dangerous.
Lowe’s concluded its message: “We strongly support and respect the right of our customers, the community at large, and our employees to have different views. If we have made anyone question that commitment, we apologize.” One might well question the commitment of Lowe’s to the right of people to express the viewpoint that Muslims are human beings when it withholds its advertising from programs that make that point. The calculation that it’s safer not to associate oneself with groups that are hated by a vocal minority highlights the danger of relying on corporate sponsorship to support a media system that one hopes would actually embody the values that Lowe’s pretends to have.
“Traditional values” …
Well, you can’t get much more traditional that racial and religious hatred in these here United States.
Take it from an ol’ Suthin boy who grew up in apartheid Miss’ssippi, not that things are much better these days.
Let’s hope this proves to be boycott bait.
The FFA has lodged protests with advertisers for any show that doesn’t fit their incredibly narrow view of the world. Why didn’t they protest “Finding Nemo” for portraying sharks as friendly vegetarians instead of mindless killing machines?
Look, I’m not defending Lowe’s for their initial blunder, but now they’re apologizing and you’re throwing it back in their faces because of a semantic problem?
Yes, they “respectfully deferred” to a community of hatemongers, but they’ve come right out and admitted that they completely screwed up, so please don’t make them regret it, or they’ll listen to scum like the Florida Family Association, a group that makes me even more embarrassed to say I live in Florida than usual.
I don’t think that’s what happened, P.F. I think they caught heat and tried to hide but they in no way altered their policy or redressed the wrong or even admitted it, to be honest. They are still not advertising on that show and they defend that position in their statement.
Frankly, after 43 years in this movement seeing all kinds of outages, this comes close to being one of the most outrageous. I mean, they don’t advertise someplace because it shows families who follow the second most popular belief system in the world (over a billion people) and, to make matters worse, they capitulate to a group that says the problem with the show is that it’s only showing “decent Muslims”? So every reality show about “white Christians” needs to show at least one guy who’s on death row?
It doesn’t get much worse than this and the potential repercussions are enormous! For us all.
Alfredo
FAIR? No, Political Correctness. ISLAM means ‘submit’. Lowe’s cowardice was only in apologizing. Sharia orders the believer to refuse to submit to government by infidels. Read US Constitution. Anyone who refuses to abide by our infidel Constitution should be barred from entry to the US, If they’re already here, it’s under false pretenses. Deport them. — Taqqiya… Look it up. Als see See http://www.iraqbodycount.org...
Lowes caved into one guy who makes a living from hate
Boycott is our only way to fight racism and fear
I shall no longer have my company nor my family shop at Lowes
Yeah its time for a boycott its a real pain in the ass to cross the highway to get to another big box home improvement store,which will probably be the target of yet another boycott next month, but till then, screw Lowes. And JP Maher, i know everyone is ignoring you for a good reason, but i have to point out that you are the reason some people say, ” too little knowlege is a dangerous thing”. ‘Islam means submit” it means submit to GOD, you jackass, to GOD. Normally people of your ilk have no problkem with submission, when its time to submit to the police state, or the precious magical “market forces” but i guess you have a problem with a GOD who dosent do everything you tell it to.
“All American Muslim” is a sweet show that’s exactly and intentionally about this bigotry. Right-wing bigots will see this as propaganda because they’re seeing through right-colored glasses and their minds are already closed.
The rest of us reasonable people now are almost forced to boycott Lowe’s.
Lowe’s made the choice to advertise on this show — they could have abstained altogether — but now they HAVE to show some spine and reverse this action. No other action and no apology will erase this blot on their corporate character.
“Corporate character” is, of course, as oxymoronic as “corporate personhood”. So let’s just call it “corporate self-interest”.
Because Lowe’s is run by supporters of hate mongering bigots, I will no longer shop there. Home Depot or locally owned Jerry’s Building Supply will be where I will shop
I agree with the folks who advocate boycotts. I already boycott Home Depot for their backing and sharing of values of such destroyers of our democracy as the Koch Brothers. Now I will boycott Lowe’s too. Actually we here in Rockland County, NY have a “shop locally” program – encouraging people to shop in small local stores where possible. We still have small hardware stores around so I shop there. We have small clothing and women’s and men’s shops selling lovely one-of-a-kind items that look handmade. I shop there. All I can say is – if you are living on a very low income, have several kids, maybe lost your job, go ahead and try to get the cheapest stuff you really need from any big box store. But if you can afford to do so, Shop locally and support your community – or these stores will eventually disappear and all you will have is fast food, t-shirt stores, stationery stores selling lotto tickets. And nothing much of beauty or cleverness or talent. Is that the community you want?
“…[A] media system that one hopes would actually embody the values that Lowe’s pretends to have.”
Not “hopes,” “wishes.” It would be completely irrational to hope for our media system to embody values other than profit and toeing the line. They are capitalist media, not some sort of project to inform the public.
Solerso has it right.
I am a half-breed American Indian, and if America didn’t have a TV mentality all would know how low-down, brainwashed and subservient US citizens have become to corrupt mortal man’s rule while pretending to be beholding to the highest power (they even have its name wrong), this is hypocrisy in its true form; what are you going to say when your time comes? Why is America failing? The corrupt mortals you worship watch them as they fall. Islam is right; the majorities of Americans are wrong on this religious issue and has been mislead by the leadership of an unmentioned most popular US religion, and smearing a martyred man’s good name in the process; almost unbelievable that they would smear with prejudice their franchised namesake; and it is not Lowe’s! America will fall because Americans aren’t willing to stand for what is rightâ┚¬Ã‚¦simple peer pressure controls the weak American, the majority.
J.P. Mahler-“…refuse to submit to government by infidels…refuse to abide by our infidel Constitution…”
Idiot is too dense to realize that “submission to government” and “abiding by the Constitution” are not only not automatically mutually exclusive things, but sometimes directly in conflict with each other.
And on a more nit-picking note re:”infidel Constituion”: The word “infidel” is used to indicate a person, not a thing (“Constitution,” in this particular context). Anyway, I don’t really know why this particular word seems to get anti-Islam types in such a tizzy. It’s basically just the Islamic equivalent of “sinner.”
Lows really has only one job.And that job is NOT to support, or attack- any interest group that does not have a direct correlation to their bottom line.Their job IS….to put out advertising that enhances sales, and their bottom line.Where their bottom line is effected by a lightening rod mentality, it would be better in every case to pull the adds and let the waters calm.
Fair often deals with uncovering open propaganda on a plethora of issues.Can Lowe’s be blamed now- for disengaging from a matter that is a no win for them,resulting in being accused of bigotry for that disengagement?Lowe’s board of directors is not made up of community activists who benefit from stirring up the waters of discord.Exactly the opposite in fact.They tried something…..it did not work as they hoped, and they cut their losses.Simple and understandable business decision.
Lowe did the right thing ..we are BOYSCOTTING TLC Till All American Muslim is removed.
THendrix: “…we are BOYTCOTTING TLC Till All American Muslim is removed.”
Why?