Four young Arabs on the road in America

On the Road in America sounds like a terrific idea: four young Arabs, each from a different country, travel around the US in a quest to bridge the cultural gulf between the two cultures. Unfortunately, according to Campus Progress the effort falls flat, not because of the program's quality (full disclosure - I don't have cable and haven't seen it) but because of the inadequate distribution channel.

Because the program stars strictly voluntary participants and airs before elite audiences (even though the show is aimed at promoting broad understanding) the effect of its cable-projected lessons is significantly curtailed. A feel-good show in its truest sense, On the Road in America appeals most to those who need to hear its message the least... On the Road projects its predetermined and predictable outcome to those most likely to agree with its conclusions—while maintaining the suspicious classification of reality television. Sundance’s affluent suburban/urban viewers no doubt interact quite regularly with a diversity of individuals—in the office, at their alumni meetings, in urban cultural centers. To them, the idea that outside of culture, politics, and religion, we’re all the same comes as little surprise. Limited to an audience the network deems “independent-minded viewers seeking something different,” the show no doubt falls short of a goal to introduce previously unexposed individuals to a new way of thinking because it fails to reach the proper targets.

And yet, slews of international exchange programs (including the Fulbright and Truman programs) are based on the idea that if you can influence elites within a society, you can impact society as a whole. Hmmm...