This is a full blog exceprt from the Houston Chronicl--Poted by Kate Shellnutt at March 17, 2011
It's a bold move to put the word "bitches" in the title of a network TV show. It's an even bolder move to put it right after the word "Christian."
But it's this juxtaposition that so perfectly describes the characters they're going for: perfect-looking women who wear sweet smiles and strings of pearls to church, but spend more time on gossip and vanity than the Bible.
"For Heaven's sake, don't let God get in the way of a good story!," says the show's tagline.
And where are these talkative, two-faced Christian ladies from? Texas, of course.
The show, like the book, is set in a rich Dallas suburb, filled with stereotypically big, bleached-blonde hair. Producer Darren Star, of Sex and the City and 90210 has cast Kristin Chenoweth as the GCB's queen bee.
Now, the biggest news about the show for now has been the name itself, which has elicited some criticism:
American Family Association: Disney-owned ABC has no reservations about creating hate speech against Christians, but you can be sure they would never consider a show called "Good Muslim B-tches" or "Good Jewish B-tches." With a title like "Good Christian B-tches," you can imagine what kind of show it will be. Even if they change the title, the content will still mock people of faith.
Christian Anti-Defamation Commission: The mainstream media continues to push the boundaries of public morality and engage in anti-Christian bigotry.... This twisted mischaracterization of the Christian faith should not be allowed to defame an entire religion. There is no such thing as a good, Christian b****.
Parents Television Council: ABC's decision is not only an affront to women, it blatantly attacks the world's largest faith. The 'B-word' is toxic and is used to degrade, abuse, harass, bully and humiliate women. And the 'Christian' element only adds insult to injury.... "Unfortunately, this show is just one example of a larger trend. ABC already pounced on another pilot titled 'Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23.' From Investigation Discovery's 'Who the [Bleep] Did I Marry?' to CBS' '$#*! My Dad Says,' it's clear the pattern will continue unless Americans speak out and advertisers come to their senses.
At Religion Dispatches, Sarah Brubaker, a Christian and professor of theology, argued that another show about women who seem to talk only about women is "both incredibly unoriginal and arguably a lot more damaging to women than the presence or absence of a PG-13 word."
"It's rich women being catty in their expensively-decorated homes and also in church. That's the basic idea. I gather we're meant to find the addition of 'church' enough to make this a fresh concept," she wrote. "I submit that maybe there's a real need for Good Christian Bitches. Not rich women soaking in Dead Sea mineral baths and schadenfreude, but a group of rude ladyfriends who--inspired by Jesus--roll their eyes at sanctimony and trumped-up moral panic."
My thoughts: First, the best way to silence bad speech is with good speech. It's garbage, ignore it (unlike my blog feature, ahem) and have a nice professional haul it away.
Alas finally, "we" need to avoid hypocrisy in our inevitable outrage or offense. Any of us who are honest or secret fans of Sex in the City or Desperate Housewives or any variation of The Bachelor(etts)...it is all fruit from the same tree, it just drops the same characters in the same plot line inside a church. If the former type shows entertain, this one will too if that is what we choose for amusement. We really can't protest this and FB about "who Brad chose"-- lest we fall into a very deep pious pit.
Someone will undoubtly say, well there is some truth to this kind of thing. Others will say its an attack on the church. I say it's worldly, and the world generally has not treated Christ (see Good Friday) with respect, why are we shocked? Time to take out the trash.
No comments:
Post a Comment