Osama's Place...

September 28, 2001 8:46 AM

Osama's Place... "In a town full of soldiers, on the edge of Fort Bragg, there could be worse names for a restaurant these days than Osama's Place, but it is hard to think of any."
posted by stchang (14 comments total)

What about the "World Bagel Center", or the "Pitagon"?

No...."Osama's Place" is still worse.

I definitely feel sorry the owner and workers. Right now, anti-Arab stupidity is at an all time high, and this is just piss-poor luck.

I wonder if the name Osama will become a less popular baby-name choice for Muslims, especially those living in the West, in the same way that Adolf isn't such a hot German name anymore. (This is not to say that the two's actions are comparable.)
posted by thewittyname at 9:11 AM on September 28, 2001

someone would have to be pretty damn stupid to attack that restaurant with the belief that they had anything to do with the attacks.

hmm, but then i recall some of the people i've seen on Cliff Yablonsky's site.
posted by cheesebot at 9:13 AM on September 28, 2001

Anyone hear about that internal flight in Scotland? There were an Arabian couple on it with a badly behaved young boy. Eventually, they were taken off the plane because the other passengers were perturbed by the dad shouting lil Osama's name. Ptch. I'm sure Osama will become more popular in some places, less popular in others..
posted by Mossy at 9:24 AM on September 28, 2001

Doesn't this guy's reaction (justified to me, it's not the name) remind anyone of the character Vic Hitler in Hill Street Blues, an aspiring comedian who refused to change his name because of some Austrian house painter who took the name long after his own family. Ruined his career though. Hitlers seem to have disappeared but there were definitely a lot emigrated to the states (see Ellis Island site search) including his nephew, so there's a lot of people there with a skeleton in the cupboard.
posted by Zootoon at 9:44 AM on September 28, 2001

, some customers have urged Mr. Mustafa to change his restaurant's name.

someone would have to be pretty damn stupid to attack that restaurant with the belief that they had anything to do with the attacks.

ie; someone already is pretty damn stupid. multiple someones actually. but it's a good thing for america that we don't have THOSE KRAZY LEGOS ANYMORE.

can we just stop advertising the fact that our citizens are idiots (yes; i include myself)?
posted by fishfucker at 10:30 AM on September 28, 2001

So I guess I'm the only one who has "Let's get on over to Osama's Place" running through my head, to the tune of the shortlived Saturday morning children's show "Pryor's Place"?

Anyone?

OK just me then.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:41 AM on September 28, 2001

I'll pray for this owner's and his employees' safety, but I think changing the name might be a pretty judicious move. I wouldn't worry too much about most of the Army troops. By and large, they have enough sense to realize this isn't the Osama in question. But having lived and worked in small-town eastern NC, let me tell you, there are some people there with very scary excuses for intellects.
posted by alumshubby at 10:50 AM on September 28, 2001

Intellect doesn't really enter into the equation, I suspect. It's a question of willful ignorance, probably combined with alcohol. Bored kids will do anything for amusement when drunk.
posted by aramaic at 10:57 AM on September 28, 2001

I just got an international fax today and its been confirmed: Many Americans are acting like a bunch of idiots and worse, media outlets are giving the prejudiced a larger voice to seem edgy and to keep the fear flowing.
posted by skallas at 11:11 AM on September 28, 2001

Absolutely Skallas. This story just stinks. This is fit for the Weekly World News not the NYT.
posted by dydecker at 11:19 AM on September 28, 2001

I wonder how long before "evil ogel" legos appear on ebay. (I kinda want one, myself.)
posted by epersonae at 11:46 AM on September 28, 2001

I'm more disturbed by the waitress who heard bomb threats and didn't tell the police...? She didn't want to "upset" anybody? All *kinds* of out-patients out in force these days!
posted by realjanetkagan at 12:25 PM on September 28, 2001

There is an Osama's (coffee shop) right next to the university I attend. On Wednesday the 12th, before a moment of silence held by all of campus, I heard people wondering if he (the owner, who's name is Osama) would change the name. Even my dorm has received an email because it's initals happen to be the same as a South American terrorist group, requesting that we change it. Is there any need for all this concern?
posted by rob at 1:52 PM on September 28, 2001

There is an Osama's (coffee shop) right next to the university I attend. On Wednesday the 12th, before a moment of silence held by all of campus, I heard people wondering if he (the owner, who's name is Osama) would change the name. Even my dorm has received an email because it's initals happen to be the same as a South American terrorist group, requesting that we change it. Is there any need for all this concern?
posted by rob at 1:53 PM on September 28, 2001