"All-American Muslim," the TLC reality show that gained attention when hardware chain Lowe's pulled ads under pressure from an evangelical group, will not be back for another season, the network said Wednesday.
The show, which followed Muslim families in Michigan, was targeted by a Florida group that claimed it was "propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims."
Lowe's almost immediately buckled, canceling its ads. Celebrities including Jon Stewart, Mia Farrow and Russell Simmons then came to the show's defense, painting its critics as intolerant. Thousands of people signed an online petition calling for Lowe's to resume its ads, and Farrow and Simmons called for a Lowe's boycott.
Stewart mock-challenged TLC to perpetuate more stereotypes, saying on "The Daily Show" that TLC's "Little People, Big World" should feature more characters who whistle while they work and make candy for Willy Wonka.
But not all of the division over the show was about its lack of stereotypes.
The travel site Kayak said the attention on the show prompted it to examine whether it should continue airing advertising on it. Robert Birge, Kayak's chief marketing officer, said he decided to pull ads not because "All-American Muslim" was propaganda, but because "the show sucked."
Though the show completed its first season, its finale had 729,000 total viewers, a 58 percent decline from its premiere.
