‘Real Housewives of ISIS’ Skit Gets Mixed Reviews
A comedy sketch that aired on the BBC depicting the Real Housewives of ISIS is drawing mixed reviews. Public opinion 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.”
But not everyone agrees with him.
The BBC really made a satirical show called "The Real Housewives of ISIS" while the real housewives of ISIS are being raped and abused daily
— Meraj. (@UncleMeraj) January 4, 2017
Constructing an image of Muslim women as oppressed and fond of terrorism at a time of widespread gendered Islamophobia is deeply sinister.
— Harry Shotton (@HarryShotton) January 4, 2017
. @BBC airing a show based on a terrorist group who has killed and continues to oppress and kill those in the ME is not comedy material.
— Selin Kara (@selinkxrx) January 4, 2017
. @BBC airing a show based on a terrorist group who kidnaps, tortures and rapes muslim/yezedi women daily is not entertainment material.
— Selin Kara (@selinkxrx) January 4, 2017
@BBC airing a show based on a terrorist group claiming to represent islam is not comedy but islamophobic and harmful to Muslims in the U.K.
— Selin Kara (@selinkxrx) January 4, 2017
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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