AFA Threatens Boycott if ABC Airs 'Good Christian B*tches'
A conservative pro-family group is threatening a boycott if the ABC network actually airs a new prime-time program that is said to portray Christian women as catty, two-faced gossipers.
The American Family Association, which has a long history of organizing protests against companies that it feels are anti-family or anti-Christian, says that it will rally a consumer boycott against all businesses that advertise during the show "Good Christian B*tches" if the pilot is broadcasted.
Although AFA has yet to contact ABC, the group's director of Special Projects Randy Sharp says AFA hopes to present a consumer petition to the network's executives soon asking them to not air the show under any circumstance.
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"If a company feels that this kind of degradation of people of faith is worthy of advertising dollars, they don't deserve the business of the faith community," states Sharp.
Sharp denounces the controversial show based on a fictional book of the same name as insulting to Christians. He says AFA staffs were "just appalled, insulted" and "shocked" when they found out about the show.
ABC reportedly picked up the Darren Star production of the Kim Gatlin book during a bidding war for new programming. The book is billed on Gatlin's website as a fun tale of the heroine – a recently divorced, single mother of two – who is the target of the gossiping, botoxed "Christian" women in her affluent Dallas community. Leslie Bibb of the movies "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2" will play the lead role.
According to Spoiler TV, which broke the news, networks ABC, NBC and CBS all tried to secure the project. Reportedly, ABC's new chief Paul Lee considers a television remake of Gatlin's book a great fit for its brand. ABC already airs the show "Desperate Housewives" and the network reportedly is thinking of changing the show's name "Good Christian B*tches" to "Desperate Housewives in Dallas."
But AFA's Sharp says the show under any name would still be offensive.
"Whether it be under the current title or under a different less offensive title, we know the content is going to be very offensive, very disturbing to the Christian community," he says.
Sharp expressed disappointment at the thought of the networks contending for a show that would portray Christianity in such a negative light. "It's part of a long history," he concludes. "They just don't portray people of faith in a good light."
AFA President Tim Wildmon says the networks are also guilty of religious bigotry towards Christians.
"There's no chance ABC would approve a series entitled 'Good Muslim B*tches,' or 'Good Jewish B*tches,' or 'Good Black B*tches.' This is just more proof that Christians alone can now be targeted for the most offensive kind of bigoted discrimination, with approval from the very people who see themselves as paragons of tolerance," says Wildmon in a statement.
The Christian Post contacted ABC to confirm details about the show and for comments about AFA's assertions, but the network did not respond by the close of the business day.
AFA has led numerous consumer boycotts in the past, including against companies that do not acknowledge Christmas. AFA has led successful boycott campaigns against Gap Inc. and Dick's Sporting Good. Also, AFA had gathered 500,000 pledges from people to boycott Home Depot for its stance on marriage.
