I just read an article regarding Tim Tebow and asking the hypothetical, "What if he were a Muslim? Would American still love him?"
The article brought up an interesting question at the start, but the substance of it was lacking. In any case, it prompted many comments from members of the site.
Many talked about how the United States, while extra sensitive toward Muslims, is not at all sensitive toward Christians and that it was the same case with regard to ethnicities other than Caucasians.
First off, tv shows and comedy skits typically portray Muslims as terrorists. If that's not insensitive, I'm not sure what is. Often times, blacks are portrayed as lazy and "gangster," Hispanics portrayed as illegals or working a hard-working, low-paying kind of job. However, most of the skits or comedy bits center around Christianity and whites. Why is this? The majority of people in this country whom practice religion are Christians and the majority of people in this country are Caucasian. I remember some people making a big deal about the film "Paul" poking fun at Christianity and not other religions. Will the viewing public understand Christian references more than Muslim or Buddhist ones? Yes. Since they understand said references, will they then be more inclined to laugh at the jokes? Again, yes. If a comedian or group of comedians want to gain the most potential traction with their jokes or skit, they'll likely want to include the widest possible audience whom would relate to, understand and laugh at the joke(s). Joking about religions which are rather foreign to most people in this country wouldn't make a whole lot of sense if they wanted to make a big splash with the public. Also, it is common in this country to be a bit more sensitive to those whose rights have been hindered by their gender, race, creed, orientation, etc. Yes, we all have the right to vote, but that wasn't always the case. Women are still only making $0.78 to the $1.00 that men make. Blacks are often times still the victims of racism. Gays do NOT have equal rights and face a host of other obstacles due to their orientation, including hate crimes. Muslims have been fighting for approval ever since the 9/11 attacks. Due to all this, yes, we tend to be a bit more sensitive to such people. No, some third-world countries may not be as sensitive to religions, ethnicities or orientations outside the majority, but that's what makes this country stand apart from them. I don't see that as something we should complain about. It's something that we should be proud about.
The article brought up an interesting question at the start, but the substance of it was lacking. In any case, it prompted many comments from members of the site.
Many talked about how the United States, while extra sensitive toward Muslims, is not at all sensitive toward Christians and that it was the same case with regard to ethnicities other than Caucasians.
First off, tv shows and comedy skits typically portray Muslims as terrorists. If that's not insensitive, I'm not sure what is. Often times, blacks are portrayed as lazy and "gangster," Hispanics portrayed as illegals or working a hard-working, low-paying kind of job. However, most of the skits or comedy bits center around Christianity and whites. Why is this? The majority of people in this country whom practice religion are Christians and the majority of people in this country are Caucasian. I remember some people making a big deal about the film "Paul" poking fun at Christianity and not other religions. Will the viewing public understand Christian references more than Muslim or Buddhist ones? Yes. Since they understand said references, will they then be more inclined to laugh at the jokes? Again, yes. If a comedian or group of comedians want to gain the most potential traction with their jokes or skit, they'll likely want to include the widest possible audience whom would relate to, understand and laugh at the joke(s). Joking about religions which are rather foreign to most people in this country wouldn't make a whole lot of sense if they wanted to make a big splash with the public. Also, it is common in this country to be a bit more sensitive to those whose rights have been hindered by their gender, race, creed, orientation, etc. Yes, we all have the right to vote, but that wasn't always the case. Women are still only making $0.78 to the $1.00 that men make. Blacks are often times still the victims of racism. Gays do NOT have equal rights and face a host of other obstacles due to their orientation, including hate crimes. Muslims have been fighting for approval ever since the 9/11 attacks. Due to all this, yes, we tend to be a bit more sensitive to such people. No, some third-world countries may not be as sensitive to religions, ethnicities or orientations outside the majority, but that's what makes this country stand apart from them. I don't see that as something we should complain about. It's something that we should be proud about.
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