There is a new comedy sketch being aired on the BBC entitled the "Real Housewives of ISIS." Public opinion, however, is split on whether the skit promotes Islamophobia and trivializes the often psychologically abusive 'grooming' that young women who join the terrorist group incur or whether it provides a necessary social critique of ISIS (also known as the Islamic State group) and attacks the organization and its values through satire and humor.
The two-minute long sketch, which first appeared online on Facebook and quickly garnered millions of views and shares, depicts the so-called "Real Housewives of ISIS" reckoning with problems such as what to wear to a beheading. It also features a "Who Wore It Best" - type standoff with two women showing up wearing identical suicide vests.
"It’s everything those guys in the chatrooms told me it would be," says one of the Housewives in the video, speaking to the way in which young women are often recruited into the group. "It’s only three days until the beheading, and I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna wear," another said in the clip.
In response, London-based journalist Sunny Hundal tweeted, "The outrage over 'Real Housewives of Isis' is ridiculous — it’s our duty to satirise people who join terror groups." He also linked to his op-ed in the Independent in which he writes, "We underestimate the power of humour. Laughing at ourselves isn't just a way to break down barriers; it is also a means to challenge fundamentalists."
And many agrees with him.
The segment aired as part of a new comedy show called "Revolting," which creates skits, much like "Saturday Night Live" stateside, based on current affairs.
The two-minute long sketch, which first appeared online on Facebook and quickly garnered millions of views and shares, depicts the so-called "Real Housewives of ISIS" reckoning with problems such as what to wear to a beheading. It also features a "Who Wore It Best" - type standoff with two women showing up wearing identical suicide vests.
"It’s everything those guys in the chatrooms told me it would be," says one of the Housewives in the video, speaking to the way in which young women are often recruited into the group. "It’s only three days until the beheading, and I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna wear," another said in the clip.
In response, London-based journalist Sunny Hundal tweeted, "The outrage over 'Real Housewives of Isis' is ridiculous — it’s our duty to satirise people who join terror groups." He also linked to his op-ed in the Independent in which he writes, "We underestimate the power of humour. Laughing at ourselves isn't just a way to break down barriers; it is also a means to challenge fundamentalists."
And many agrees with him.
The segment aired as part of a new comedy show called "Revolting," which creates skits, much like "Saturday Night Live" stateside, based on current affairs.
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