The Indian-Pakistani relationship is considered so incendiary a topic in the motion picture industry that only a handful of films that touch on it have ever been made in either country.

Interracial marriages and affairs, for instance, used to be considered incendiary topics.

The most incendiary topics are presented in clear, nonincendiary language.

Meanwhile, the playwright tosses additional incendiary topics on the fire: censorship, political correctness (P.C.), the battle of the sexes.

AIDS education and condoms in the schools have been incendiary topics across the country, dividing school boards, parents and educators along philosophical, religious and political lines.

Ms. Dow said sitcoms had historically used the forgiving boundaries of comedy to explore incendiary topics like racism, sexism and class schisms.

Many executives, especially those who deal directly with consumers, declined to respond, apparently fearing that they might alienate customers by expressing views on incendiary topics like Social Security and Medicare.

Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia said that it "was a serious speech about the incendiary topic of race in America."

Further, at a time when an increasing number of school districts are endorsing the teaching of creationism, evolutionary biology can be a particularly incendiary topic in discussions of education.