Socialist
Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya
Yes, this was
actually a recurring character from that 80s Transformers show. I
went over my head when I was a child, but now I can clearly see the
racism involved in the character of Abdul Fakkadi (King of Kings).
This character showed up in two episodes in season three. And, he is
a direct parody of Muammar Gaddafi. He behaves in an outrageous
manner just like his real life counter part.
The
nation of Carbombya (Car Bomb Ya) is a nod to Libya. And, the
fact they note the country is in Africa and not the Middle
East proves that it is a stand in for Libya (with the “ya” added
to both states). The Decepticons used this country as a base away
from their base.
Both GI Joe and
Transformers had a lot of hidden right-wing jokes toward the Left. This joke went a bit too far. Plus, they used this country not just once but twice in the season.
Yes, this was shown on the show. 10000 Camels, really?
Because of this portray of Arabs,
Casey Kasem (professional voice actor) hated the character and the
country. You see, Kasem has a Lebanese background. From
his wiki page, ((Kasem
is of Lebanese Druze heritage,[7] and
he is a vegan.
He has also been active in politics for years, supporting
Lebanese-American and Arab-American causes and politicians. Kasem has
written a brochure published by the Arab-American
Institute entitled
"Arab-Americans: Making a Difference."[8]
))
So,
he left the show in protest.
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