Roseanne's Muslim neighbor episode draws mixed responses

Los Angeles Times

Some felt that Roseanne falsely thinking her Muslim neighbors are terrorists isn't even funny. As Lorraine Ali notes, "the Roseanne Muslim panic episode, as it's now been called, isn't the next progressive leap in demystifying an entire faith and people. It's a throwback to the bigoted rhetoric of Archie Bunker, but as offensive as many will find it, it serves a purpose. Ignorance, not hatred, underpins Roseanne's suspicions about her hijab-clad neighbor Fatima (Anne Bedian). And that's a distinction that matters, as evidenced by another big moment across TV on Tuesday — also the result of a rebooted story line involving rogue Muslims with weapons of mass destruction."