Homeland is not alone in its horrid depiction of Muslims, and if it was not accompanied by dozens of other television productions, movies, books, and other media, perhaps it wouldn't be lauded, showered with praise and awards. It is not the exception to the rule—it is the rule. This is what makes Homeland and other shows and movies that feature atrocious representations of Muslims acceptable and loved. They are familiar, retelling stories familiar to us from a childhood and a history filled with such characters.

SEED: An essay on how media depictions gain acceptance through repetition of childhood-familiar tropes could be compelling. DEFINE: Clarifies why problematic portrayals persist: familiarity, not exceptionalism, is the rule.

Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imag…, loc. 750