The Race Is On and It Looks Like F*ckwits, and The Winner Loses All
So NBC really doesn't get most of this country, a revelation which should not surprise anyone overmuch. In an attempt to engineer controversy for a Dateline segment on anti-Muslim sentiment (which seems to be conflated with anti-Arab sentiment a lot of the time in both press and popular perception) in the US, they Sent a cadre of Sikhs to Martinsville Speedway on race day, looking for them to get hassled.
Leaving aside the fact that Sikhs are neither Muslim nor Arabs, the gentlemen did not, in fact, get hassled. Perhaps if NBC had gotten a bunch of guys from Central Casting in turbans and tunics to fake a gas tank explosion on a GM pickup with an effigy of Richard Petty in the back while ululating and burning an American flag they'd have gotten what they were after. I mean, no sense in holding back if you're trying to bring out the worst in people, right???
All kidding aside, this really goes to show you how little NBC's producers understand about the sport of kings (a sport they have lucratively televised for several years) and the people that love it. All you needed to do to get those dudes hassled at a race was to put them in hand-lettered t-shirts reading"#3 was a pussy." Turbans and dusky skin don't matter so much, but don't you dare question the manliness of The Intimidator.
Hat tip to loyal reader #0016, EDog.
[wik] A big shout out to the Possum for the post title.
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Leaving aside the fact that
Leaving aside the fact that Sikhs are neither Muslim nor Arabs
I think that was probably the point -- the kind of people who are likely to hassle Arabs and/or Muslims are not likely to make distinctions between yr various swarthy guys in turbans. Not that this wasn't a dumb idea.
Aw, you're probably right,
Aw, you're probably right, which makes the whole situation seem even worse to me. Because then not only do the segment's producers have contempt for NASCAR fans (of which I am one) but also wanted the opportunity to jeer at them after the fact over their ignorance of the intracicies of Asian-based religions. "Look at the slackjawed rubes!! They don't even know that Sikhs aren't Arab or Muslim!!" I mean, sheesh. After all, most, say, Methodists in this country couldn't tell you exactly what the Catholics do during mass, much less tell Shinto from shinola (haw!), and that's kind of fine, considering how little knowledge of comparative religions it takes to get through life for most people.
Or am I reading too much into this?
Jeff Gordon is fair game and
Jeff Gordon is fair game and then some, though. I was listening to David Allan Coe with my dad yesterday.
It strikes me funny that
It strikes me funny that everyone hates on Gordon. He's a talented driver, I mean, he's no Senior (R.I.P.) or Richard Petty, but I save my opprobrium for the recently retired Ricky Rudd. What NASCAR driver willingly wears orange and drives for Tide?