CBC to air comedy "Little Mosque On The Prairie"

[JerrySeinfeld]

Let's face it: it's more than likely going to be just another bad canadian show.

But I'm going to give it a chance - who knows it might be really good.

I just don't have a ton of faith in CBC product. Most of it (regardless of political stripe) is just plain awful.

If you have to get government funding to do something it usually isn't very good to begin with.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Let's face it: it's more than likely going to be just another bad canadian show.

But I'm going to give it a chance - who knows it might be really good.

I just don't have a ton of faith in CBC product. Most of it (regardless of political stripe) is just plain awful.

If you have to get government funding to do something it usually isn't very good to begin with.

I'll watch it once. If it confirms all the prairie hick stereotypes it hints at in the ads I will be far from shocked.

If it surprises me I'll say so.

[Black Dog]

What about the line I quoted?

The dumb, white prairie hick makes a sexist racist comment to the poor, over-worked, over0-educated, misunderstood Muslim woman. That is definitely an indication.

What about it? The show is a fish out of water concept centred on the clash of cultures. The redneck character is obviously intended to represent nothing more than intolerant rednecks and not, as you say, all white, Christian Canadians from the Prairies. Face it: there's no way you could have a show like this and not have a redneck stereotype.

Note there is no denial that there are muslims who hate Western culture and have been responsible for repeated terrorist attacks. Is this *stereotype* being attacked? Why not?

I dunno because, like you, I haven't seen the show.

From what I've read, I expect there will be a great many sterotypes up for mockery. Certainly a number of the shows poltlines revolve around Muslim intolerance of western cultural norms:

EPISODE 2:

A battle of the sexes erupts when Baber decides to put up a barrier between the men and the women in the new mosque.

EPISODE 4:

Rayyan and her mother end up on opposite sides of the fence over co-ed swimming in the local pool.

EPISODE 5:

A new white convert at the Mosque causes problems for the community.

EPISODE 6:

Yasir’s overbearing mother visiting from Lebanon, wants him to try something new – a second wife.

[bk59]

Some people just see the letters CBC and assume that it must be part of some left wing propaganda campaign to mock western Canadians.

Ignore the fact that the show hasn't even been aired yet. Ignore the fact that one line of dialogue has somehow been taken to represent the whole show. (Have you never seen a movie trailer on TV then went to see the movie and said "That wasn't what I expected based on the 30 second trailer"?)

Ignore the fact that the show's website pokes fun at Muslims with lines like:

"Muslims around the world are known for their sense of humour."

"Desperate Housewives?! Why should they be desperate when they're only performing their natural womanly duties?"

Or making fun of politicians:

"The truth? I can work with the truth. But only as a last resort."

Face it, it looks like the show will attempt to satirize everyone.

Plus the hypocrisy in some of these posts is amazing. One line of dialogue apparently means that the show is portraying western Canadians as idiotic redneck hicks. But it's OK to say that people from Toronto are silver spoon socialists out of touch with the rest of Canada. Please feel free to continue stereotyping the CBC and people from the GTA. It makes it that much more amusing when you accuse others of the same behaviour based on almost no evidence.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Plus the hypocrisy in some of these posts is amazing. One line of dialogue apparently means that the show is portraying western Canadians as idiotic redneck hicks. But it's OK to say that people from Toronto are silver spoon socialists out of touch with the rest of Canada. Please feel free to continue stereotyping the CBC and people from the GTA. It makes it that much more amusing when you accuse others of the same behaviour based on almost no evidence.

You forgot to mention the condescension of silver spoon socialists to redneck prairie hicks. But you made up for it by being condescending yourself.

Good work sir!

What does that one line mean?

[bk59]

It makes it that much more amusing when you accuse others of the same behaviour based on almost no evidence.

You forgot to mention the condescension of silver spoon socialists to redneck prairie hicks. But you made up for it by being condescending yourself.

Good work sir!

What does that one line mean?

That is good work. You were able to completely ignore the fact that when complaining about western Canadians being stereotyped you were stereotyping people from the GTA.

If you find that type of observation to be condescending on my part, then so be it. I never proclaimed that anyone was a redneck hick. The fact that some people in this world do believe in the redneck hick stereotype has nothing to do with the fact that you were complaining about stereotyping while you were stereotyping others. Should I have mentioned that? I don't think so. Any more than I would expect you to all of a sudden start talking about how some "redneck prairie hicks" are condescending to "silver spoon socialists". But I am impressed that once again you were able to introduce a new complaint - that I was being condescending - and then you turned around and were condescending yourself (i.e. "Good work, sir!").

The line you are asking about is just an indication of what I find amusing. Like the joke:

Suzy and Bobby were in Sunday School when the teacher said, "It's time to pray now. Fold your hands and close your eyes." After the prayer was finished Suzy raised her hand and exclaimed to the teacher "Teacher! Bobby wasn't praying right! He didn't close his eyes!" The teacher looked at Suzy and said "But how do you know his eyes were open if you had your eyes closed?"

The fact is you are labelling the CBC and GTA folk as producing a show that is making fun of western Canadians. You have based this opinion on only a few lines of dialogue. You have not seen an episode. You have not looked at the other (limited) dialogue available that makes fun of other people in the show. You have jumped to a conclusion that cannot be justified on the available material. And the whole time you are doing this, you are doing the exact thing that you are complaining about - stereotyping others.

At the end of the day, you might be right about this show. But right now we don't know because the show hasn't aired yet.

[mikedavid00]

There is the rub. If it is an attack on a "minority" religion people do get up in arms.

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Take a look

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[Ricki Bobbi]

Bank Of Montreal added a new sectuion to their banking website. A menu item:

Take a look

Newcomers to Canada

Welcome to Canada and BMO Bank of Montreal

The Bank of Montreal is a private company that operates without taxpayer funding.

They have every right to pursue this line of business if they so choose.

[Black Dog]

My complaint was having to contribute through my tax dollars to this stereotyping. Is your tax money contributing to what I said? Don't think so, thus you have no complaint.

You haven't demonstrated that anyone is being stereotyped.

I have said the one *redneck* comment was offensive. It is.

To who and why?

If they portray small-town prairie dwellers as ignorant, uneducated hicks a total of three or more times on the first episede will you admit that I am right?

Like they do on every episode of Corner Gas?

[Ricki Bobbi]

To who and why?

To Western Canadians. Because people from the Golden Triangle look down their noses at people from the prairies for how we vote, the vehicles we drive and the way we vote. Think I'm joking? Go to a party with self-believed *professionals* in Toronto and see how quickly that stereotypy comes out.

If they portray small-town prairie dwellers as ignorant, uneducated hicks a total of three or more times on the first episede will you admit that I am right?

Like they do on every episode of Corner Gas?

The quote about *Muslim gals* is far more offensive than anything any of the characters has said on Corner Gas.

Doesn't matter though. My point is being forced to subsidize it's productino through the CBC. The CTV is a private enterprise. If I donlt like one of their shows I just don't watch it. (Like I don't watch Canadian Idol.)

[mikedavid00]

The Bank of Montreal is a private company

I totally disagree on this.

I just thought I would throw in something off topic.

People can sugar coat the Mosque on the Prarie show alll they like. The facts are, the show sheds Canadian immigrant muslims in a postive light, and shows Canadians in a negative light.

And I do not believe it's the CBC's roll to get into the TV Entertainment business. They should focus on Canadian things only. Not American, not the world, just Canada.

Let the BBC chase their tail and waste tax dollars.

[Black Dog]

To Western Canadians.

Why would any western Canadian who's not an ignorant redneck find that offensive? I'm a western Canadian and I don't find portrayals of redneck hicks offensive because I'm not one, but I know such people exist. You keep whining about how the one character is suppossedly representative of all western Canadians, but you haven't offered up a shred of evidence supporting that assertion or showing the hick is meant as anything other than a shot at hicks.

Because people from the Golden Triangle look down their noses at people from the prairies for how we vote, the vehicles we drive and the way we vote. Think I'm joking? Go to a party with self-believed *professionals* in Toronto and see how quickly that stereotypy comes out.

Dude, you've spent this entire thread sterotyping people from the GTA as effete, elitist socialists. Kinda makes your objections to stereotyping ring hollow.

The quote about *Muslim gals* is far more offensive than anything any of the characters has said on Corner Gas.

Why is it offensive?

Doesn't matter though. My point is being forced to subsidize it's productino through the CBC. The CTV is a private enterprise. If I donlt like one of their shows I just don't watch it. (Like I don't watch Canadian Idol.)

You're not being forced to watch any CBC programs either. Just pay for it.

[madmax]

This thread is on fire.

CBC may have struck paydirt.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Why would any western Canadian who's not an ignorant redneck find that offensive?

Why would any Muslim who isn't a terrorist find that stereotype offensive?

Why would any East Indian who isn't a cab driver find that stereotype offensive?

Why would any Jew who isn't cheap find that stereotype offensive?

And so on and so on and so on...

Why is it offensive?

If a redneck walked up to a Muslim woman and asked her "Why can't you Muslim gals show a little more cleavage?" That wouldn't be an offensive thing to say?

You're not being forced to watch any CBC programs either. Just pay for it.

Exactly. But not for long. The CBC is slowly killing itself. Everytime it corners itself and shrinks its target audience the CBC increases the likelihood of it being cut off the Government umbilical cord.

This thread is on fire.

CBC may have struck paydirt.

Unlikely. Probably more people will read this thread than will become fans of that POS show...

[Black Dog]

Why would any Muslim who isn't a terrorist find that stereotype offensive?

Why would any East Indian who isn't a cab driver find that stereotype offensive?

Why would any Jew who isn't cheap find that stereotype offensive?

And so on and so on and so on...

The difference being the LMotP character is not suppossed to represent all westerners in general, despite your protests to the contrary.

Once again: what evidence do you have that the single character in question is intended to represent all western Caandians?

If a redneck walked up to a Muslim woman and asked her "Why can't you Muslim gals show a little more cleavage?" That wouldn't be an offensive thing to say?

But you're saying it's offensive to rednecks.

Exactly. But not for long. The CBC is slowly killing itself. Everytime it corners itself and shrinks its target audience the CBC increases the likelihood of it being cut off the Government umbilical cord.

Maybe this show will be the hit they need, then.

[Ricki Bobbi]

But you're saying it's offensive to rednecks.

I'm saying it's offensive to Western Canadians of all stripes. That Torontonians are laughing at us by exploiting such an inaccurate stereotype.

[newbie]

Maybe this show will be the hit they need, then.

I hadn't plan on watching, but now as a result of this dicussion I definitely will be tuning in. Thanks guys.

[Ricki Bobbi]

I hadn't plan on watching, but now as a result of this dicussion I definitely will be tuning in. Thanks guys.

If anybody is interested I'll start a poll at how many times people cringe while watching the pilot.

[Black Dog]

I'm saying it's offensive to Western Canadians of all stripes. That Torontonians are laughing at us by exploiting such an inaccurate stereotype.

Jesus wept. It's not a sterotype of Western Canadians. How difficult is that concept to grasp?

[Big Blue Machine]

My position with the CBC has always been if they didn't make such bad material, then maybe people would actually watch their shows.

[JerrySeinfeld]

I LOVE THAT LINE "why can't you muslim gals show a little more cleavage".

That's funny stuff.

If the whole show is like that - I'll watch for sure.

[Ricki Bobbi]

My position with the CBC has always been if they didn't make such bad material, then maybe people would actually watch their shows.

That's the problem. You get good shows when your priority is making good shows.

When your priority is pushing an agenda and you try and make good shows that fit the eanda you end up with a bunch of shows that fit the agenda.

[Chuck U. Farlie]

at the website: http://littlemosque.ca/ you can watch 3 short clips. Looks pretty stupid to me.

[Ricki Bobbi]

at the website: http://littlemosque.ca/ you can watch 3 short clips. Looks pretty stupid to me.

Now they are attacking protestants.

[jdobbin]

Seems that if people have a problem with the CBC, they should get on the phone and talk to their MP and ensure the CBC is eliminated. Otherwise, a lot of this caterwauling is just talk.

CBC is this big bogeyman for so many here and yet Harper is doing nothing to eliminate the channel. In fact, he appeared on a comedy on CBC. Complain to him about supporting it.