HBO Comedy 'The Brink' Sparks Fury in U.S. Ally Pakistan

[Stannis Baratheon]

Broady what ?

Nicholas Brody from Homeland. They were really pissed of for having a US soldier convert to Islam in a TV series.

 

[TheNoob]

I'm fine with you propagating my country as a shit hole, but never show us as arabs or that we live in a desert.
NEVER!
Next, I will cut the balls of the american i see now.

 

[Mabs]

INtolerance in Pakistan

It's called freedom of speech. It's intolerance when you throw stones/bottles at players, storm houses/buildings and stop people from performing. That didn't happen here, that only mainly happens in India.

 

[Providence]

Nicholas Brody from Homeland. They were really pissed of for having a US soldier convert to Islam in a TV series.

So what did americans do after getting pissed off ?

 

[khakhi_chaddi]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — HBO comedy "The Brink" is following in the footsteps of "Homeland" by ruffling the feathers of viewers in Pakistan — those who can get their hands on it, anyway.

Featuring Tim Robbins as the U.S. Secretary of State and Jack Black as a bumbling foreign staffer, the one-season wonder was dropped last month after U.S. viewing figures dipped well below 1 million.


Actor Jack Black arrives at the premiere Of HBO's "The Brink" in Hollywood on June 8. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images, file
In Pakistan, "The Brink" sparked a similar backlash to that which greeted Showtime's award-winning "Homeland" last year — which critics alleged portrayed the country in a negative and one-dimensional way.

While "The Brink" offers a more comedic take on America's relationship with its South Asian ally, the program is still replete with stereotypes: military coups, corrupt generals, nuclear war and assassinated prime ministers.

In the capital Islamabad, sources at both a cable TV provider and a leading pirate DVD franchise told NBC News they have been "advised" by security officials not to air or sell copies of "The Brink."

"We have been advised to not run this, either in regular cable or in video on-demand services we offer," said one staff member at the Islamabad-based cable operator, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals.


Walter Larson, played by Tim Robbins, in the HBO comedy "The Brink." HBO GO
There was no official notice from authorities saying not to air the comedy, according to the staff member, who said that intelligence services had given "just the usual signaling."

"Like we know we can't show nudity, we know we can't show anti-Pakistan programs," he said.

No local cable channels have aired the series, and the national state-run network does not show any American-made programs.

Pakistan's embassy in Washington accused the show of "maligning" Pakistan and said that it "reinforces stereotypes."

"This is also an affront to the people and institutions in both countries who have invested a lot over the decades in blood and treasure in building this important and mutually beneficial relationship," embassy press attache Nadeem Hotiana said in a statement.

Hotiana also slammed what he said was the show's "repeated insinuations that an intelligence agency of Pakistan is complicit in protecting the terrorists at the expense of innocent Pakistani civilians."

Not only has "The Brink" not been aired on Pakistani TV, it has also been suppressed at Illusions, Islamabad's largest vendor in the country's popular pirate DVD industry.

"'Homeland' was awful for Pakistan. 'The Brink' is funnier, but no better [for the country's image]," said one of Illusion's sales managers, who also didn't want to be named because of fears for his safety. "After Homeland, we were advised by 'the powers that be' to take it off the shelves. But we still stock [the show], though not on display."


Claire Danes plays Carrie Mathison in "Homeland." Didier Baverel / Showtime via AP
The sales manager said it was the "same story with 'The Brink.' When we can't display something, how will it sell [it]?"

And it's not just the intelligence services that are not fans of the show. Pakistanis who have managed to watch it took to Twitter to decry what they say are inaccuracies with the sets — only the B-roll of the series appears to have been taped in Pakistan — as well as actors from arch-rival India playing Pakistani characters.

HBO didn't respond to NBC News' request for comment.

 

[Mrc]

US ally....come on are we still that???

By the way i liked the first season....
No need to be upset ... its a commedy

 

[Gibbs]

Superb series.. I dont know why people cant take satire for what it is.. Comedy is about stereotypes.. And Brink is not just about Pakistani stereo types but of American, Israeli, Indian and others as well.. Watch it for what it is.. Very good comedy based on made up but possible real global political and security scenarios.. Jack Black and Tim Robbins acting are epic

 

[Imran Khan]

They (Homeland) filmed Islamabad in South Africa, thus, none of those you mentioned are there.


You clearly haven't seen American reaction to Broady.

USA is not example for freedom sir US is police state

Bhai jaan baat criticism k nahi baat jhoot or misinformation ki hey just wo series Mey dikha rahey hain.

india ke bollywood or media ne apna sara zor laga liya kya bana jo USA ukhar le ga

 

[Jaanbaz]

It must be easy for Americans to kill people in Drone strikes and laugh it off.

 

[Stannis Baratheon]

So what did americans do after getting pissed off ?

Same thing Pakistanis did, nothing.

 

[FullMetalJacket]

My favorite line from season 1 episode 8

"Gentlemen, you're about to send the Pakistani army back to the Chinese junkyard it crawled out from."

 

[slapshot]

criticism must be tolerated dear Pakistanis its in news or film or comedy

Yeah why so serious all the time! BTW its interesting to see how Indian members like this post of yours considering their temperament about criticism

 

[Winchester]

I heard it got cancelled....and who buys dvd's these days

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Lol they showed Islamabad as a desert where people speak Arabic haha

This is Islamabad

But please dont show us as Arabs we are not Arabs


I dont know why but apparently US media thinks i live in a desert,speak Arabic and women in my country cant drive

Why do they think a white tall woman becomes invisible if she wears a hijab?
Man thats just stupid

There is a reason why American nation is called the most Dumb n Duffer in the world!
And on top of that these people even take pride in maintain their duffer status.

 

[Providence]

Same thing Pakistanis did, nothing.

Huh ? why the thread then ?