Sunday, January 22, 2006
Everyone's a Loser
Back during the day, when I first read about Welcome to the Neighborhood, I was a little- no, quite- disgusted. I wasn't a big fan of reinforcing the fact that the only way minorities and those outside the norm progress in this country is through the will of the Well-Off White Straight Christians. Then I heard about some of the things that were actually happening on this series: people were changing their views, learning more about those who were different, and actually reestablishing connections with family members they'd turned away.
Then, of course, it never made it to the air. And Jacques Steinberg at the NYT theorizes that it's because the gay couple won. Yeah, I know, maybe a little out there, but read this:
While other ABC shows have gay characters - including the new comedy "Crumbs" - "Neighborhood" features a real gay couple and their prospective neighbors in a continuing dialogue about homosexuality, including interpretations of the Bible.
In a recent interview, Richard Land, an official with the Southern Baptist Convention involved in the negotiations with Disney last year to end the group's boycott of the company, said he did not recall any mention of "Neighborhood." He added, however, that had the show been broadcast - particularly with an ending that showed Christians literally embracing their gay neighbors - it could have scuttled the Southern Baptists' support for "Narnia."
"I would have considered it a retrograde step," Mr. Land said of the network's plans to broadcast the reality series. "Aside from any moral considerations, it would have been a pretty stupid marketing move."
Paul McCusker, a vice president of Focus on the Family, which had supported the Southern Baptist boycott and reaches millions of evangelical listeners through the daily radio broadcasts of Dr. James Dobson, expressed similar views.
"It would have been a huge misstep for Disney to aggressively do things that would disenfranchise the very people they wanted to go see 'Narnia,' " he said.
In other words, it's very possible that ABC cancelled the series so as to not drive away some easily offendable people from a movie that was almost guaranteed to be a hit from the moment it went into production.
So, a series hits the air proving that gay people can find acceptance amongst the ruling classes of America... and those self-same ruling classes lead to the cancellation of the show before it even hits the air. Lovely.
Then, of course, it never made it to the air. And Jacques Steinberg at the NYT theorizes that it's because the gay couple won. Yeah, I know, maybe a little out there, but read this:
While other ABC shows have gay characters - including the new comedy "Crumbs" - "Neighborhood" features a real gay couple and their prospective neighbors in a continuing dialogue about homosexuality, including interpretations of the Bible.
In a recent interview, Richard Land, an official with the Southern Baptist Convention involved in the negotiations with Disney last year to end the group's boycott of the company, said he did not recall any mention of "Neighborhood." He added, however, that had the show been broadcast - particularly with an ending that showed Christians literally embracing their gay neighbors - it could have scuttled the Southern Baptists' support for "Narnia."
"I would have considered it a retrograde step," Mr. Land said of the network's plans to broadcast the reality series. "Aside from any moral considerations, it would have been a pretty stupid marketing move."
Paul McCusker, a vice president of Focus on the Family, which had supported the Southern Baptist boycott and reaches millions of evangelical listeners through the daily radio broadcasts of Dr. James Dobson, expressed similar views.
"It would have been a huge misstep for Disney to aggressively do things that would disenfranchise the very people they wanted to go see 'Narnia,' " he said.
In other words, it's very possible that ABC cancelled the series so as to not drive away some easily offendable people from a movie that was almost guaranteed to be a hit from the moment it went into production.
So, a series hits the air proving that gay people can find acceptance amongst the ruling classes of America... and those self-same ruling classes lead to the cancellation of the show before it even hits the air. Lovely.
