Michael and I have a friend who works for SBS, an Australian TV network that I would liken to a cross between the Discovery Channel and PBS. This week they showed a three-part "documentary", I use quotes because it's half documentary, half reality TV called Go Back to Where You Came From (all three episodes can currently be viewed on the website). The show discusses the issues surrounding refugees coming to Australia, and the different opinions Australians have on the matter. It is not light subject material. Anyway, Michael and I were invited to a live taping of The Feed Forum, which was kind of the reunion/wrap-up for the show cast.
It was interesting to have watched the show beforehand and then sit in the same room with the people. I sat next to Amar's son (they were one of the refugee families featured in the show) and was briefly able to talk to him. Basically, he said it was weird having these people and a camera crew in his house.
There were a few people in the audience shouting out comments that can't be heard in the recording, but it definitely got a little tense. The young man I was sitting next to was starting to get into a heated argument with one of the women who was loudly saying deflamatory comments about Muslims, but the show host had to intervene and stop them because the commercial break was about to end. I felt kind of bad for the guy, considering his family had been through a lot and these nearby strangers were just outright rude bigots. It probably took all his self-control not to act out. I just basically told him to not worry about them because they were the ones making themselves look stupid, and I wished him and his family luck; he said thanks.
Now we are probably more educated about Australia's refugee/immigration issues than the US's. It was definitely an interesting experience. It wasn't as jovial as going to see Late Night with Conan O'Brien being taped about seven years ago, but it was a pretty entertaining Thursday.
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