LBCI Airs Racist And Bizarre Promo For New “Comedy” Show

LBCI’s recent promo video for a new weekly sitcom Marhaba Dawle has stirred controversy and widespread criticism on social media for its bizarre content.

The teaser features a police officer engaging in a purportedly “comedic” dialogue with a migrant domestic worker who is standing on the edge of a building, contemplating suicide. It sparked outrage due to its demeaning and racist undertones considering the vulnerability of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon and the horrifying work conditions they’re subjected to under the Kafala system.

The portrayal not only trivializes the serious issue of mental health, but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes. LBCI is facing backlash for insensitivity and questionable decision-making in its promotional material.

According to their website, Marhaba Dawle is “a weekly sitcom produced by “Shoot Productions” and written and directed by Mohamad Dayekh. It addresses, through the diaries of a group of security personnel in an imagined police station, the ambiguous relationship between the citizen and the state in a social and comedic form”.

Once again, media outlets disregard their responsibility in ensuring “entertainment content” does not perpetuate harmful narratives towards marginalized communities in Lebanon.

For more news updates, make sure to check out the #News section on our website.