So Disappointed.
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So Disappointed. Posted on Jun 26 2008 at 12:05am by This series could have been an important vehicle to increase understanding between America and the Arab world. That is what I was hoping for when I tuned in. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the interaction and conversation between the "cast" and everyday Americans, the show spends way too much time with "artistic" establishing shots or musical interludes. If I wanted to watch a show about Clarksdale, I would tune into a show about Clarksdale. I also don't want to hear from the crew or producers about how they ran into the toll booth or how they lost a "cast" member... a little too self important. It also seemed a bit off in the Chicago episode where a crew member was chastising the "cast" because they weren't behaving in the way the series wanted them to. Weren't we interested in their reactions? Where is the critical thought? Where is the deep, meaningful conversation? I expected better from The Sundance Channel. 
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jun 26 2008 at 3:00am by I couldn't agree more.
This is one of the worst doc series that I've ever seen. Including the crew? Really? Talk about amateur hour... not to even go into the fact that their trying to manipulate their participants. And further, they're terribly inept at doing so.... I don't really know which is worse.
And then the subject matter every other episode is one of the three things:
1.) Amateur
2.) Trite
3.) Unnecessarily controversial
The idea of this doc series is great. The execution is perhaps the worst that I've ever seen in any medium.RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 5 2008 at 4:31pm by I'm very disturbed by the conversation in episode #5, Montana.
I don't know who that man was sitting on the porch apologizing for America with comments like "America has no literary tradition" etc.
What ignorant nonsense! It was embarrassing to watch and really pissed me off.
Talk about manipulation!
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 4 2008 at 2:22pm by I also agree with this message. I expected to see more of the interaction with regular Americans as the group traveled through the US. You had brief clips of comments but often only one person spoke and with none of the feedback that would normally occur between two people. I saw this series as an unscripted tool for one on one communication being portrayed .... the most useful in gaining understanding between peoples. And I have been disappointed with the outcome so far. -
RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 7 2008 at 1:38am by I agree that the show does seem to show a lot of scenery and musical interludes and at sometimes the show can be quite trite. However, there are points in each episode where one of the four cast members says or does something inspiring. It is for those few brief moments that I watch this show. When Sanad said that bit about how he is proud to be an Arab but would not defend Arabs if they did something wrong. He then extended the point to all people. These four individuals give me a glimpse at what peace would look like and give me hope that peace possibly could happen.
I am a Jew and a supporter of Israel. The interactions between Lara, a Palestinian, and Guy, an Israeli, emerge into a friendship so beautiful that it really bring tears to my eyes. Lara transforms the way that she looks at Israelis. Although she does not support Israel to any extent, she does see that Israelis are people who want peace as much as she does. I respect her most out of the four participants. In my opinion, a friendship as unlikely as the one between Guy and Lara is a big step in achieving peace. Although to quote Guy, "everybody on this RV wants peace. What kind of peace is debatable."RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 10 2008 at 7:16pm by I'm just so dissapointed, I can't find the right words. This series, originally, had a serious amount of potential, as a great vehicle to portray a misunderstood part of the world and it's everyday people. I know firsthand that this show is not as "real" as they attempted to make it, and that close to every scene is rehearsed and edited. I'm more angry than dissapointed to see such an opportunity go to waste. The show's purpose was to communicate between cultures and open more paths to understanding, and hopefully peace. It's purpose was not to edit what people really have to say, or prep them on what they'd prefer them to say. I don't really give a damn whether Ali wants to go camping ever again or if it's too stressful for the cast to be on camera all the time. I feel a bit disrespected as well that they underestimated the weight they would have on this show, their impact on the viewers, or what they could have been a part of. I believe the casting was abysmal, and that they could have chosen from so many other young Arabs with something intelligent to say. It almost seems as though a couple members of the cast do posess the ability to think for themselves, but are held back, probably by their contract with the producers. I was excited after I saw the pilot episode years ago, and was even happier to know it would be on Sundance - I really thought they had something, and hoped they'd take good advantage of the opportunity. Instead, I'm almost broken-hearted, and still yearning for someone to do this sort of thing right.
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 11 2008 at 2:39pm by I am so glad to hear that others are as disappointed in this series as I am. I DVRed the Los Angeles episode to see the show for the first time. Living in a suburb of LA, I was curious to see the places they would visit. When I heard one of the men say "TV is crap" I wondered if they realized who was paying for their journey across America. Granted, a lot of TV is crap, in my opinion. I also realize that my 90 year old grandfather LOVES Two and a Half Men. LOVES IT.
I will never watch this show again.
RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 14 2008 at 3:14pm by Me too I felt I was watching the highlights and not what should be important. I wish the series was more then a half a hour. It should have gone much longer in my words.
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 16 2008 at 9:04pm by Disappointed as well. I actually dropped HBO & added the Showtime package so I could see this show. I've only seen one episode so far: LA Part 1. The people "on the road" are very likeable and intelligent and Sundance could have really used that to create an interesting show with some insight. Instead, it is shallow and well, a bit boring. This show is more MTV caliber than Sundance Channel. RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 17 2008 at 7:46pm by Looks like lots of disappointent here. The basic premise was so good, too. And I have enjoyed it so far. It just spent too much time on cutsie stuff, the good doctor's total disinterest in being here at all, the dumb touches of a reality show...with a Sundance staffie telling them to behave,etc. But...if you listen to the dialogue, and watch their faces (and Sanad's is adorable) you learn a lot. About how they feel about us, how their perception of us and each other oozes from them sometimes. Lara's hatred of Israel is what defines her. Overall, although not produced as well as it could have been, I learned a lot and am enjoying it very much.
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 18 2008 at 9:53am by I've only seen the two L.A. episodes and the clips that are up on this website, but I also agree that this show is not nearly what it could have been. I don't think that it was necessarily amateur to include the production crew and, actually, I kind of wish they had done more of it, because I felt like what they were doing and why they were doing it should have been prefaced more often. The whole sequence where they were getting the celebrity freebies was just confusing and I really wanted someone to ask the cast if they knew who any of the TV people were, since they obviously didn't for the ones we saw them meeting. Also, the part where we were shown the crew members running under the RV window with the trees, I would much rather have just seen them talking, without the fake motion. It might have been a visual reference to the comments about how TV and movies are all fake, but I think it was just another example of the main problem with this show: that meaningful things are allowed to appear briefly then are just left open-ended.
I'm complaining about a lot of specific segments of the show, which is probably just because I've seen so little of it, but really it might have been much worse had I seen more. Either way, another frustrating segment was when they were at a bookstore and randomly start talking about freedom of expression. First of all, you don't even know if both people under stand the other person's argument, and, again, it's brief and is left unresolved. Secondly, Lara holds a copy of "Maus," which basically just sits there and looks ironic. I have no doubt that it was handed to her just for the sake of the image. The cast members don't talk about the book, nor is the topic of the book mentioned to the audience. With the surfing, skateboarding, and yoga, as well, do the cast members know about these things? Have they done them before? Obviously one is a pretty good skater, but, even if these are just cute activities, why don't we see what they have to say about them?
I really wish I could watch the DC episode, since I'm from the area, but it's not up on this website and it apparently won't air again until late August. (I guess there's a good reason for this fact?) The clips I saw of later episodes, in which the cast members go home, looked a little more promising for political discussions. Still, it doesn't seem like it would have been all that hard for us to have seen participants having full discussions where they actually figure out on which particular points they disagree, rather than us just seeing people bringing up pre-set positions and the commonly used reasonings for them.-
RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 18 2008 at 2:08pm by It is obviously pure malice that brings this post thread. Oh it is so nice to say "they could have done it better." Then do it yourself. This documentary brings people together from different cultures and ideologies. It shows the possibility of compassion which is imperative to world peace if you still believe in that sort of thing. .eg. Lara and Guy never thought they could be friends. Hatred is learned my friends. How can it be unlearned? Clearly not by you. According to the press that I've read, On the Road enjoyed tremendous success in the Middle East. Are they more interested in compassion than you guys are? I love watching On the Road becasue it is a fantastic presentation and reminder that we can change the world. Flawed or not. It is I that am so disappointed. In all of you. -
RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 18 2008 at 5:22pm by I was a cast member myself, my best friend and I being part of the original cast. We shot the pilot episode, which you “might” see on August 20th, and then we were replaced by the director by “producers’ request”. Because we were hip, engaging, real, and straight to the point, we didn’t sugarcoat anything. We said exactly what today’s youth says in very exciting, heart to heart conversations, and we were constantly interrupted by directors to say what they thought should be said. Worst of all is that they barely know 5% of what we know, since they’ve lived in the US all their life, and they still wanted to impose on us to say what they want us to say, as if recreating a modern “Lawrence of Arabia” visual, to the point where they would kindly request us to be more emotional, to cry on queue…is that what the US audience is interested in?
See, if I was interested in seeing Palestinians and Israelis hugging, I would go see “The Zohan”. This show was supposed to be more than just a minute or two of on-screen camaraderie; it was to hear what they have to say in order to learn about each other and bridge differences, not reflect the directors’ and producers’ image of Arabs through the cast and lens. Since when is skating, or going out clubbing, a new thing to Arabs? Do you even know that we have public clubs for all sexual orientations in about 80% of the Middle East, when republicans here are constantly fighting around these issues? Do you know that Dunkin’ Donuts shops are fancier in the Middle East than most of the restaurants in the US? Have you ever known that Arabs invented Algorithm, and half of the words you use are derived from Arabic? Do you really think we are still riding camels in the desert, or that a “Madrassa” is anything other than the Arabic meaning for a regular, lay school where kids prepare for the SATs? Or that all of the new “toys” the cast are being “introduced” to on the show reflects what these guys have or have not seen in their life? I could understand the amazement if they got them front row tickets to a Lakers/Celtics game, but heck, is it really that the people of the United States (producers, at least) think Arabs have seen nothing out of what they are showing the cast?
From an Arab’s point of view, and I speak for millions who have already watched the show in the Arab world, we were disgusted by how ridiculously the show represented us and the rest of the cast and crew. This show was an absolute failure in terms of all the efforts directed towards the breaking of stereotypes, and reaching out to the US audience. We wanted to say that we are peaceful people, that we have extremists like any and all religions, and that all countries and all eras have had this dilemma at some point in time. We should battle these stereotypes and terrorist ideals together. We wanted to say that Arabs have their customs, and share them with those unfamiliar to them. We wanted to show that we really do love hummus, tabboule, dancing at our weddings, and praying in the mornings. We look forward to graduating from school with our parents in the crowd, looking for work. We get happy, get depressed, date and break up, love and hate, possess all the feelings that proves we are all the same. We could have taken it all to a deeper level that the show was avoiding. We wanted to show why people write “Death to America” on the walls, and where that hate is streaming from. What’s the deal with all this hate? At the same time we wanted to show how we love American movies, how sitcoms in the Arab world are as much a hit as they are in the US, and how my friends even Americanizes my name to “Moe” because they like your lifestyle… wasn’t this what the audience was interested in?
Weren’t you interested in knowing that I was disappointed that the families are not so close to each other in the US, or that I was impressed by how peaceful and diplomatic people can be together at the workplace? Or how I was disappointed with how the healthcare system is messed up here, or how the value of money amongst friends and family is ever more material than it is back home? I was impressed with how pleasant people are in the Midwest, and how bright people are in the business sector. I was disappointed by how Puerto Rico is a part of the States, yet is still treated so inferior, the way New Orleans was during the time of Katrina. I was interested in telling you about how I eat, drink and live my days with my buddies in the Middle East. I wanted to tell you how I loved little Italy and my first cannoli, and how we wished we had made Arabic coffee for American youths and shared ideas on how we can to convey their messages to our friends back home; about what we can do about our governments to propel them towards peace and coexisting on this planet. I had a lot to say about the experiences that I know you are interested in hearing about, my first, last and many reactions and cultural shocks when I came to the States, because fresh eyes always tell you something you didn’t know about others and yourself. For this reason, I will write my own book about my real journey, and will be happy to send it to anyone interested in actual human experiences. Just send me an email to moe@bachouti.com to add you to my list.-
RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 19 2008 at 1:02pm by "Moe" sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee aiming to get back at the production while promoting his "book about my (his) journey". I really love this show. It is very entertaining and moving at the same time. The cameraman and Lara story is inspiring and gives me hope that people can get a long if they have contact in a non-political setting, which seems to be the theme of the show. The producers deserve a lot of credit for taking a risk and attempting to do something that matters. Remember, those who can DO, those who can't TEACH and those who can't do or teach are CRITICS. So why don't you all save your disappointment and get off the couch and try to do something positive. RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 19 2008 at 1:22pm by You can say whatever helps you sleep better at night, but that doesn't change the fact that they brought down the idea of the show to a minuscule level, disappointing the audience that needs to have that peace in every way, especially the political.
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RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 22 2008 at 9:47am by Your comment is obvious from someone that represents this awful documentary.
I must admit that I have been watching it, hoping for some type of improvement with each episode. I have to say that the Homeboys organization was the most educating topic on this show thus far.
This show should be on the Travel Channel, not Sundance.RE: So Disappointed. Posted on Jul 31 2008 at 3:46pm by Damn, I don't know what y'all have been waiting for, but from what I saw it was a very good doc. What were y'all hoping for? Some fights like in "Real World" or whatever? I thoght the 'characters' were honest, truthful and very refreshing. I thought it was very well balanced as well.
If y'all want a serious political discussion, there are channels like CSPAN, MSNBC, FOX etc... If you were hoping to have the main issue, the divide between the West and the Arab world and the Israel and Palestine issue in this one show, maybe your expectation was unreasonably high. Other than that, I think the show did a reasonable degree of good to some including the participants who got a better picture of what the American people are about. I think that goes a long way.
As for the poster who was pissed at the Montana guy who apologized to them, I guess the truth really hurts, doesn't it?
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