ABC Drops Show After Complaints by Civil Rights Groups

[paineinthearse]

Under pressure from civil rights groups, ABC Television yesterday canceled plans to broadcast a reality show that let the white suburban families living on a Texas cul-de-sac decide which of seven families - including one black, one Asian, one Hispanic and one gay couple - would move into their community.
(NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/business/media/30abc.html

In 'Welcome to the Neighborhood,' the three families above were to select another family that would move into their neighborhood.

June 30, 2005
ABC Drops Show After Complaints by Civil Rights Groups
By FELICIA R. LEE

Under pressure from civil rights groups, ABC Television yesterday canceled plans to broadcast a reality show that let the white suburban families living on a Texas cul-de-sac decide which of seven families - including one black, one Asian, one Hispanic and one gay couple - would move into their community. The show, "Welcome to the Neighborhood," was to be a summer replacement for the top-rated "Desperate Housewives," which is set on a fictional cul-de-sac, Wisteria Lane, where no one can keep her nose out of anyone else's business.

The one-hour reality show, developed by MGM and the producers behind such shows as "Extreme Makeover" and "The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliot," was to have begun a six-episode run on July 10 at 9 p.m. In the shows - all of them have been completed - seven diverse families seek votes from three white families in a development called Circle C Ranch, outside Austin. The white families, through a series of interviews, competitions and social interactions, award a 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, 2½-bathroom home to the winner - a neighbor, the families say, who will fit in with the community's mostly Christian and Republican values.

Critics of "Welcome to the Neighborhood," which ABC had promoted heavily, said it violated the letter and certainly the spirit of fair housing laws by allowing factors like religion to be a consideration in awarding the house. A statement released by ABC yesterday said that the intention was to show "the transformative process that takes place when people are forced to confront preconceived notions of what makes a good neighbor, and we believe the series delivers exactly that." "However," the statement continued, "the fact that true change only happens over time made the episodic nature of this series challenging and given the sensitivity of the subject matter in early episodes we have decided not to air the series at this time."

An earlier ABC press release promoting the show said in part: "Will the resident neighbors be able to see past their own ideals and accept all of the families as people instead of stereotypes? Eventually some eyes and hearts open up, opinions change and a community is transformed." In the first two episodes, some members of the voting families are seen making disparaging remarks about the gay family (two white men with a black child), questioning whether a Korean family was foreign-born and rejecting a white family who practiced Wicca, a pagan religion. One family was to be rejected each week until the last remaining family won the house. "The show directly violated the federal Fair Housing Act by rejecting families because of their race, color, national origin or the presence of children," said Shanna Smith, president and chief executive of the National Fair Housing Alliance, consisting of more than 100 private nonprofit housing agencies across the country.

more.....

[CottonBear]

1. Have these people no shame?

:grr: What bonehead came up with this stupid idea and who are the dumbasses who agreed to appear on the show? :grr:

[paineinthearse]

6. Boneheads who whore themselves for money, ratings and fame nt

[CottonBear]

7. You are spot on. They are nothing more than whores. n/t

[Sandpiper]

2. I think it would be enlightening

For everyone to see these people's bigotry in action.

Example:

White Husband: "Now honey, I've never been too fond of n**gers, but I'll take them over the f*gs."


White Wife: "I agree, those dirty butt pokers will turn our kids to a life of sodomy."


Husband and Wife: "Ok kids, all in favor of voting off the homos, say 'aye'."


Everyone: "AYE!"

[noiretextatique]

9. me too...i was looking forward to seeing

the squirming and the use of code language, cause i doubt they'd always be candid on teevee.

[sui generis]

3. dupe delete

[sui generis]

4. unbelievable -

so if you're black or gay or asian you'll be all right so long as you go to church, are republican, and don't act too black or gay or asian. I think that about sums it up.

[kedrys]

5. They should come talk to us about how rethugs ran us out

of what used to be a nice neighborhood...Our only sin was that we're not rethugs, and they basically made our lives a living hell until we finally were able to move out. Three years of unmitigated crap. If ABC wants to cover the "transformative process", they can call me. :mad: :grr:

[Fleshdancer]

8. Good! The stupid commercials made me feel uncomfortable n/t

[edhopper]

10. It remind me of the line from

Blazing Saddles; "We'll take the n*ggers and the Ch*nks, but we won't have the Irish!"

[paineinthearse]

11. Definatley a film ahead of its time

My teenager recently discovered it.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

12. I am glad they got called out on this garbage.

I saw the despicable commercials touting this crap... I would have been disgusted had this been allowed to pass without incident.

A 'reality TV' show that lets us see white middle-class suburbanites practicing all kinds of bigotry, not to mention violating the FHA.

Simply nauseating.