Sitcom "Aliens in America": Mad about “Aliens”

Last updated on: June 28, 2007 at 10:00 pm by Guest Contributor

Sitcom "Aliens in America": Mad about “Aliens” 2007-06-28T22:00:01-04:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lock up your kids

With the new television sitcom Aliens in America scheduled for release during the Fall season of 2007, perhaps July is too early for a preview. However, given the show’s concept and the international interest generated by the Canadian sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie, the early preview is warranted. Developed by the producers of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning sitcom Mad About You, this fish-out-of water teen oddball buddy sitcom concept is not original, but it happens to be the first mainstream comedy aimed at an American teen market that directly confronts issues around the phenomenon of Islam in America.

From the show’s website:

“The show is about Justin Tolchuk, a lanky, sensitive 16-year-old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin. When his well-meaning mom Franny signs up for the school’s international exchange student program, she pictures an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuk’s exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff, a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja develop an unlikely friendship that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school. It’s going to be a very interesting year for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora.”

The production of this show is both exciting and disturbing – disturbing because I am disturbed by TV in general. I have been both fascinated and repulsed by the medium ever since I devoured Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death as an alienated 16-year-old in Canada. However, I am excited that a mainstream television network like the CW is taking a chance with this timely and potentially groundbreaking comedy.

The title of the series is appealing because it employs the rich term “alien” to represent not only the immigrant experience in America but the adolescent experience in it as well. The show looks very ambitious, attempting to deal with not only racism, sexism and other identity-related issues but also with different manifestations of Islamophobia and the phenomenon of religion practiced publicly in a secular society.

But in this regard, it might be too ambitious. There is fertile ground here for comedy, but the show risks being hijacked by doctrines � both the doctrines of Islam and the doctrines of secular humanism. If that happens, the show may get a reputation for preaching rather than for comedy. What should distinguish this show is a high quality of writing and acting. But from the preview clips on the CW website, it seems uneven, with moments that are enlightening and fresh aside moments that seem to reinforce rather than challenge stereotypes. Some moments that seem meant to be funny simply fall flat.

Whether or not Adhir Kalyan, who plays Raja, is Muslim is irrelevant. In fact, it would be better for the show if he were not Muslim. All good comedies take risks and the actors in them have to do the same. Understandably, most American Muslims have not been in the mood to take a lot of risks lately, with all the negative public perceptions of them. So many Muslims (particularly young ones) in North America are struggling with self-image that to experiment with it on prime-time television might be more than they can handle.

Additionally, naming the lead character “Raja” will undoubtedly irk many South Asian Muslims who generally avoid names for their children not derived from the Arabic of the Qur’an. The name “Raja,” derived from the Indo-European language Sanskrit, means “king” and is an uncommon name for a Pakistani Muslim. A more common name amongst Pakistani Muslims like “Ali,” which is still easy for English speakers to pronounce, would have lent the character more credibility. And combining “Raja” with the obvious “Musharaff” seems to reflect the Bollywood sensibility of patching together aspects of Muslim and Hindu culture in a way that reflects social engineering rather than entertainment. Still, the American Muslims of Pakistani heritage who could form part of the core audience may ironically find a character named “Raja” mirrors their own alienating experiences in America.

Kalyan has a burden on his shoulders that would be difficult for an actor of any age, gender, and any ethnic background or religion . For the show to succeed, he has to act like an ordinary teenager, a FOB Desi (“fresh off the boat” South Asian) and a practicing Muslim at the same time. Building on stereotypes, he has to subvert expectations and conventions in a meaningful enough way to allow the diverse audience, both non-Muslims and Muslims, to relate to him. Instead, Kalyan’s Apu-meets-Yoda accent is often annoying and some of his religious manners seem way over the top. Muslims might conclude this reflects an ignorance by the producers about Islam and Muslims.

But despite these shortcomings, Kalyan has the potential to do a lot with Raja. Kalyan is a relatively inexperienced young actor trained in the performing arts from Trinity College in South Africa who speaks English, Afrikaans and French and does stand-up comedy. He has done a little television work on the BBC and this seems to be his introduction to prime time American network television.

Given the mediocrity of director Luke Greenfield’s work in The Girl Next Door, it looks like the early success of the show will depend heavily on the writing team of Moses Port and David Guarascio (who worked on Just Shoot Me) and the acting of the mostly unknown young leads, especially Dan Byrd (The Hills Have Eyes) as Justin. Byrd, in particular, seems promising.

Ulitmately, the CW is taking a calculated risk with Aliens – a leap of faith, if you like. Given that Islamophobia is as prevalent as anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, the attempt to produce such a show is laudable. If it succeeds in overcoming its awkwardness and the critical eyes cast upon it, it may also succeed in making people laugh and learn.

Rizwan Mohammad is a Canadian Muslim of South Asian heritage from Toronto. He is currently a graduate student of Islamic Philosophy at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. A version of this piece was first published in Q-News, Britain’s leading Muslim current affairs magazine.

Reviews

Previous Post

June 26, 2007

Guantanamo Bay detainees: Poetic justice

Next Post

June 30, 2007 Canadian Muslims: The beaver and the elephant

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Elections 30 Dayd 30 Writers (2017) 30 Days 30 Writers 30 Days 30 Writers (2015) 30 Days 30 Writers (2016) 30 Days 30 Writers (2018) 30 Days 30 Writers 2017 Ali Asadullah Ali Eteraz Alper Bilgili Arthur Richards Asides Asma Uddin Black History Month Briefings Charles Turner Commentary Cyrus McGoldrick Eman H Aly Fatimah Popal Hajj Hajj and Dhul Hijjah Hesham Hassaballa Hisham Hellyer Ibrahim Abusharif Inas Younis Irfan Yusuf Jalal Baig Junaid Afeef Laila Alawa Laila Alwala Mas'ood Cajee Muqtedar Khan Nakia Jackson Newsmakers Parvez Ahmed Podcasts Rabia Chaudry Rafia Zakaria Ramadan Reviews Safiyyah Ally Saud Inam Shahed Amanullah Svend White The Opinionated Oncologist Visions Wajahat Ali Zahed Amanullah Zahir Janmohamed Zainab Khan

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw the vision of the valley of dry bones?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jeremiah Isaiah Daniel Ezekiel