I finally finished watching all 6 episodes of the Muslim-y web series #UnfairAndUgly, and I have... thoughts.
Firstly, I'll admit that I enjoyed seeing something Muslim-y that wasn't too "heavy." I do appreciate Muslim writers and filmmakers getting out there and producing *something* that isn't just hijabista fashion or documentaries on Islamophobia. Storytelling is incredibly important, and it's good to see that *our* stories are beginning to be told in a way that's open and accessible.
Buuuuuut... I was also rather underwhelmed. The acting was often stilted, and the entire show was centered on very privileged, liberal, millenial characters and their issues. Not that I don't recognize that some of the issues touched on were and are relevant - racism, depression, disappointing desi parents - but it all felt very shallow and I simply could not relate to the characters at all.
If anything, they seemed to be a near-parody of the Mipster trope - the girlfriend-that-the-family-doesn't-approve-of, hanging out at shisha cafes, the so-woke-he's-cringe dude, and on and on.
The only bit that really stuck out to me, that I actually enjoyed, was the sibling relationship - there were only a few brief moments, but it was the only relationship that actually seemed genuine and unforced, and not deliberately injecting an SJW theme into every interaction.
I did find it ironic that while much of Muslim social media revolves around trying to prove that liberal millenial Muslims are *not* just a bunch of silly tropes that involve much haraamness, this show kind of proved that... well... they kind of are.
It was even more ironic that while my Facebook wall was flooded with people getting upset about judgments of young Muslim men and women having inappropriate, un-halal relationships with one another, this show - which is by and for millennial Muslims - simply proved my point.
Haraamness *is* normalized, and so much of what I - as a conservative millenial Muslim who has never really actually *seen* a lot of these things happening outside of totally irreligious circles - had initially dismissed as exaggerations are apparently not exaggerations at all.
When our storytelling and "representation" paints a rather shallow picture of privileged kids with privileged problems, that do little to dispel SJW Mipster stereotypes, what does that say about us? What does that say about the state of our community?
Of course, I'm just a judgmental Salafi anyway, so what do I know...
In any case, I do hope that Muslim creatives are able to produce more content that reflects both higher quality storytelling, and stories that are themselves deeper, more nuanced, and meaningful.
#SalafiGrinchetteReviews
#NextTimeIShouldDoAYouTubeSeriesWhereYouAllWatchMyReactionsAsIWatch
#ThereWasMuchWTFluffingAndCringeing
#DoMipstersREALLYSoundLikeThatIRLTho
#SoMuchSecondHandEmbarrassment
Firstly, I'll admit that I enjoyed seeing something Muslim-y that wasn't too "heavy." I do appreciate Muslim writers and filmmakers getting out there and producing *something* that isn't just hijabista fashion or documentaries on Islamophobia. Storytelling is incredibly important, and it's good to see that *our* stories are beginning to be told in a way that's open and accessible.
Buuuuuut... I was also rather underwhelmed. The acting was often stilted, and the entire show was centered on very privileged, liberal, millenial characters and their issues. Not that I don't recognize that some of the issues touched on were and are relevant - racism, depression, disappointing desi parents - but it all felt very shallow and I simply could not relate to the characters at all.
If anything, they seemed to be a near-parody of the Mipster trope - the girlfriend-that-the-family-doesn't-approve-of, hanging out at shisha cafes, the so-woke-he's-cringe dude, and on and on.
The only bit that really stuck out to me, that I actually enjoyed, was the sibling relationship - there were only a few brief moments, but it was the only relationship that actually seemed genuine and unforced, and not deliberately injecting an SJW theme into every interaction.
I did find it ironic that while much of Muslim social media revolves around trying to prove that liberal millenial Muslims are *not* just a bunch of silly tropes that involve much haraamness, this show kind of proved that... well... they kind of are.
It was even more ironic that while my Facebook wall was flooded with people getting upset about judgments of young Muslim men and women having inappropriate, un-halal relationships with one another, this show - which is by and for millennial Muslims - simply proved my point.
Haraamness *is* normalized, and so much of what I - as a conservative millenial Muslim who has never really actually *seen* a lot of these things happening outside of totally irreligious circles - had initially dismissed as exaggerations are apparently not exaggerations at all.
When our storytelling and "representation" paints a rather shallow picture of privileged kids with privileged problems, that do little to dispel SJW Mipster stereotypes, what does that say about us? What does that say about the state of our community?
Of course, I'm just a judgmental Salafi anyway, so what do I know...
In any case, I do hope that Muslim creatives are able to produce more content that reflects both higher quality storytelling, and stories that are themselves deeper, more nuanced, and meaningful.
#SalafiGrinchetteReviews
#NextTimeIShouldDoAYouTubeSeriesWhereYouAllWatchMyReactionsAsIWatch
#ThereWasMuchWTFluffingAndCringeing
#DoMipstersREALLYSoundLikeThatIRLTho
#SoMuchSecondHandEmbarrassment
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