Perhaps NBC should be checking what Kyle Petty
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has in his shoes.
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"Boogety, boogety, boogety" (no racism there, though a different sort of pony)!
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Mark
Ottawa
Discrimination by Americans proves we're racist hicks.
Discrimination by Saudis proves they have a unique and wonderful culture that we should not judge.
People should realize that a lot of what gets reported about Muslims has an element like this.
Enablers (including many Muslims) provoke the gullible, and something like the cartoon thing emerges.
I would just ask that people don't just take their stick and beat the Muslims in these things. Consider the enabler factor.
Don't quit, though. Muslims need to see how dumb they look, such that they are easily swayed by provocation.
The "temperature" of Muslim reaction and politics generally needs to be coaxed down.
Same situation but you send the muslim guys to a Green Day concert. I have no doubt that you would get the same percentage of knuckleheads as at a NASCAR race.
Posted at 2006-04-05 09:37:13 [PermaLink]Dateline NBC - isn't this the same program that faked the exploding pick-up story about a dozen years ago. They attempted to prove that a certain brand of popular pick-up truck exploded or caught fire when hit from the side (due to gas tank placement). After repeated hits with no fireworks, the producers had incendiary devices planted in the trucks.
Maybe one of the NASCAR teams will paint a Muhammed cartoon on its car. That'll smoke the undercover agent out.
"...to document the insults and discrimination they'll presumably face."
What, a few good ol' boys asking incredulously, "Are you SURE you don't want a beer and a 'dog?"
Please don't even suggest such a thing. Some people did that while I was working in Saudi Arabia. There was a huge crackdown on Foreign Christians and their 'house meetings'.
Posted at 2006-04-05 10:52:46 [PermaLink]NBC lost its contract to televise NASCAR after the current 2006 season is over to a combo of groups that include the Disney Networks (ABC, ESPN) and Time-Warner's TNT, while Fox kept it's early-season part of the NASCAR deal. So bascially, knowing that they won't be covering the sport after this year, NBC's news division can come up with an idea like this, and the high-ups will sign off on it, because they know the sports division has nothing to lose if "Dateline" portrays NASCAR fans as bigoted, ignorant hicks.
Now, whether or not a similar story as this would be tried by ABC's "20-20" with the new deal set to start in 2007 is another story entirely.
"isn't this the same program that faked the exploding pick-up story about a dozen years ago."
It is. From Walter Olson in National Review, June 21, 1993: [External Link]
"Would any half-awake news organization have helped stage a crash test that was rigged to get a particular outcome? Or concealed from the public key elements--the hidden rockets, the over-filled tank, the loose gas cap? Or entrusted its judgment to axe-grinding "experts" who were deeply involved in litigating against the expose's target? Or, after questions came up, refused to apologize no matter how strong the evidence grew?"
The piece is entitled "It Didn't Start With Dateline NBC." It has numerous examples of news media malfeasance, including some old chestnuts from 60 Minutes.
One commenter on another blog seemed to be certain the NBC memo specified no women were to be used in the sting and concluded that the famous politeness to women of the redneck species could become boring.
A woman replied that she is "five foot nothing" and used to work security at NASCAR events. The worst thing she ever had to do was say, "Now, guys....".
Imagine twenty minutes, said the commenter, of door-holding, "pardon me, ma'am", "no, y'all go ahead, missy".
That would never do.