Christian bullies, TV wimps: AdAge is reporting that an Indiana NBC television affiliate has caved to American Family Association pressure not to run the network’s mid-season replacement, “The Book of Daniel.” The irrepressible and reprehensible Donald Wildmon, chair of the cross-carting, Bible-thumping AFA, is oozing pride over his band of bullies’ latest victory for Jesus.
The program was slated to premiere Jan. 6, but at least in Terra Haute it won’t:
Mr. Wildmon’s group was crowing that NBC affiliate WTWO in Terre Haute, Ind., has decided not to air the show. The group’s beef against the show is how it depicts Christianity. The AFA’s press release describes the show as having a main character who is a drug-addicted Episcopal priest with an alcoholic wife, a gay son, a daughter caught selling drugs, an adopted son having sex with a bishop’s daughter and a lesbian secretary.
Recall that the AFA mounted an impotent boycott of Disney for nine years due to the company’s gay-friendly policies. That boycott ended last spring only to be replaced by a boycott of Ford Motor Co. for its gay-friendly policies and advertising. That boycott was suspended in June and rescinded in December after Ford dropped its advertising in several gay publications.
“The Book of Daniel” is a situation comedy, of course, and I’ve seen a couple of previews where Jesus hisself appears to the priest, played by Aiden Quinn, and other oddball family situations arise. Here’s what “Wildman” Wildmon has to say about it:
“We are tired of NBC’s anti-Christian bigotry,” Mr. Wildmon said in a statement. The group has organized its members to call other NBC affiliates to pressure them to follow WTWO in not airing the new show.
WE are tired of your group’s un-Christian bigotry, Mr. Wildmon.
My husband worked on the pilot and says it looks like a good show. Aidan Quinn plays a minister who lives in the real world and deals with modern issues.
There is a new AFA attack on NBC, saying that an upcoming episode of Will and Grace makes fun of the Crucifixion. Watch for it (the e-mail is circulating).