New ABC show continues to generate controversy

No matter what ABC may say in public, it couldn’t be happier about all the fuss its latest drama, GCB, is going to generate. Not only because controversy always helps ratings; it really believes this show will be the one to replace Desperate Housewives in that high-gloss caricature way that seems to create hits.

Religious groups already are upset with GCB, which was originally titled Good Christian Bitches, then Good Christian Belles. The series is a comedic soap set in Dallas, revolving around a group of petty, churchgoing women who haven’t changed much since high school. When the “queen bitch” from high school, Amanda (Leslie Bibb), returns in shame and mourning to her mother’s home in Dallas, it’s payback time.

Amanda matured into a nice, normal adult, living in California with her husband and two kids. But her husband was running a Ponzi scheme that ruined countless lives and, as the opening moments take pleasure in illustrating, was in the process of leaving his family to run off with Amanda’s best friend, who put her face in his lap on the winding ride out of town — just as he drove off the side of the road and was killed. As one of the GCBs notes later, the mistress “bit off more than she could chew.”

Yep, there’s not a whole lot of subtlety in GCB, but there isn’t supposed to be. Created and written by Robert Harling, the show mixes the Texas lifestyle, Christianity, sex, riches, envy, revenge and sass into a sprawling, larger-than-life drama.

Continue reading at www.hollywoodreporter.com

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

KnowTheTruthToday

Do we really expect Hollywood scum (most of them) to produce anything but filth?
- Anne Gelinase
  
  This is just another case where any time someone can denounce religion and religious activity by showing its dark side, they will. Maybe God wants us all to see how bitchy we are. Maybe God wants us to finally resolve ourselves to truly live by the words we hear preached through the Gospel. Maybe God is pointing the finger at all of us including those who own these stations and who make these movies. Actually, maybe God is clearly thinking that the more god-awful we see ourselves and others, that maybe we will clean up our act and please God. Maybe that is what God is thinking. If I were God I would certainly be offended by the actions of all humans. that tree of life and the good and the evil battle seems that the good has given up to the evil and there is no hope anymore.
  - myrtlelinder
    
    Anne, very well said. I know that at times HE must be completely disgusted with the entire human race. When I see the things that we as humans can and do, do, I can't see how HE wouldn't be sorely displeased, we murder our own children like little mice, we legal that and other horrible things.
Jane

What does anyone expect from a failing TV network….they have to increase their ratings somehow. Unfortunately they all go too far & the lame stream viewers are too stupid to realize that they are being scammed into believing that this is anything but garbage. Understanding why they have to use religion is beyond me. Why don't they name it GMB & see just how far they get…."off with their heads" would be the answer.
Alice

Invest your time improving your brain or body instead of watch this type of garbage.

Instead read a book, mentor someone, exercise, help the poor or any number of other things.
Karen

Two words – DON'T WATCH!!!
- Myrtlelinder
  
  That is exactly what many of us do, when we cannot find one decent program on TV.
Ken

Because we all know that TV executives are all paragons of virtue, he said sarcastically…..
John Jacobsen

Stick it to Disney. They own and operate ABC and mouse that built that company has become a rat. Best bet is to not watch.
- William D'Andrea
  
  I'm sure that Walt would be turning in his grave.
msjallen

Never watch it and if one knows who supports the show let them know you will not be buying their products. Money talks.
If ABC wants to blaspheme God, they are looking for great trouble.
John J Flanagan

This show was produced Starr Productions, operated by a Jewish homosexual. Do you expect anything pro Christian to come out of this vile excuse for entertainment.?
http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11

Be better christians. The scandals may be that the church does not inspire the world to glorify God. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matth…
Matt. 5
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
- TSB
  
  Be better Christians? Really? Do you think that will make them stop attacking us? Personally, I will be a "better" Christian over time by reading the word of God, not by succumbing to artificially imposed guilt coming from Hollywood heathens and their warped opinion on what Christianity really is and who Christians are.
aceituna

Shows that Christians can fall into sin, but, thank God, He has provided salvation for us through Jesus, our Savior. He forgives us every time. I don't watch these shows, but suspect that they glorify falling into sin. The Bible, especially the OT has many examples of this happening, but the difference between the Bible and these shows is that the Bible shows us the real consequences whenever we fall into these sins. No glorification of sin there!
Buck

Nothing but more filth prevalent in a secular society bent on destroying ALL religion .
http://twitter.com/Deepizzaguy @Deepizzaguy

I remember reading in a religious magazine in the 1980s that the producers of the filth in Hollywood will wind up like the prodigal son and live in a pig house before they die.
keyboardshark

I notice they never seem to produce programs that are insulting to Islam or other Eastern religions. False religions always get a free pass from Hollywood, but Christians seem to be fair game these days. Of course Christians don't threaten them with getting their heads chopped off like with Islam either, but the main reason they target Christianity is because, unlike other religions, it points a divine finger at mankind's sinful ways. Since they don't want to give up their sinful lifestyles, they mock the messenger instead.
- http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
  
  South Park on Comedy Central has produced programs insulting to Islam.
  - keyboardshark
    
    Yes, South Park did try that. Here's what happened when they did:
    
    “South Park,” the Comedy Central series, is an animated show that tries its best to push buttons and the boundaries of free speech by mocking every high-profile target in sight, from Hollywood celebrities to religious figures. But its creators may have gotten more than they bargained for with two recent episodes that satirized the Prophet Muhammad — one that elicited an ominous message from an Islamic group based in New York, and one that was censored by the cable network that shows it.
    
    On April 14 Comedy Central broadcast the 200th episode of “South Park,” a cartoon that Trey Parker and Matt Stone have produced for that channel since 1997. In honor of the occasion, Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone populated the episode with nearly all the famous people their show has lampooned in its history, including celebrities like Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand, as well as major religious figures, like Moses, Jesus and Buddha.
    
    Cognizant that Islam forbids the depiction of its holiest prophet, Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker showed their “South Park” characters agonizing over how to bring Muhammad to their fictional Colorado town. At first the character said to be Muhammad is confined to a U-Haul trailer, and is heard speaking but is not shown. Later in the episode the character is let out of the trailer, dressed in a bear costume.
    
    The next day the “South Park” episode was criticized by the group Revolution Muslim in a post at its Web site, revolutionmuslim.com. The post, written by a member named Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee, said the episode “outright insulted” the prophet, adding: “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid, and they will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”
    
    Mr. van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker and a critic of religions including Islam, was killed by an Islamic militant in Amsterdam in 2004 after he made a film that discussed the abuse of Muslim women in some Islamic societies." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/arts/television…
    
    So it wasn't just Islam that they offended, since they also depicted Moses, Jesus and Buddha, but it was the threat of violence from Islam that caused the show to be censored by the cable network that shows it.
    - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
      
      That does not change my point. They produced a show that was insulting to Muslims. They also made shows making fun of bin laden. I agree that many Muslims are religious wacko nut jobs. And while many in the West want to try and placate them, that will not work. Either the moderate Muslims will temper the extreme ones, or the world will be forced to treat them like the mad dogs they are acting like.
      
      Christianity went through a similar process in its past. It acted out violently against anyone they considered a threat. However, they were also finally muzzled when people stood up and took away their power base. If the Christian church thought it could get away with killing its detractors, it still would be doing that very thing.
      - keyboardshark
        
        I pretty much agree with your first paragraph, but you lost me on the second. When did Christianity "go through a similar process in its past."? If you are referring to the Crusades, that was perpetrated by Catholics, not Christians. Catholics are not Christians.
        
        "The Crusades were a series of religious expeditionary wars blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church, with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem. The crusaders comprised military units of Roman Catholics from all over western Europe, and were not under unified command." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
        
        Islam is not just 'going through a process' which it will eventually outgrow. Violence is a very integral part of islam:
        "The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
        
        Unlike nearly all of the Old Testament verses of violence, most of the verses of violence in the Quran are open-ended, meaning that they are not restrained by the historical context of the surrounding text. They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of Allah, and just as relevant or subjective as anything else in the Quran.
        
        Unfortunately, there are very few verses of tolerance and peace to abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to Islam, or are killed. Muhammad's own martial legacy and the remarkable stress on violence found in the Quran have resulted in a trail of blood and tears across world history."
        
        Link, with verses: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-viole…
        
        Islam still, for the most part gets a free pass from Hollywood. Shows like "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door" are used as propaganda to promote Islam. Fortunately, not everyone in Hollywood is pro-Islam or liberal, but those who aren't are rare:
        
        Victoria Jackson: "Frankly, I’m afraid to say anything about Muslims. Why? Because they kill people.
        
        Maybe that’s why the liberals kiss up to them – fear. I can’t wait to see Katie Couric do a story on the new Muslim women’s magazine al-Qaida just put out!
        
        Katie: Why, look at this! “Al Shamikha.” It means “The Majestic Woman”! What a lovely magazine!
        
        Veiled Woman (only eyes showing): Yes, this is our new magazine.
        
        Katie: It’s so beautiful! And glossy! And the articles are so relevant! Here’s a beauty tip! Stay indoors and veiled at all times. Your skin will look like baby skin! Oh! I should try that! I have all these freckles!
        
        Veiled Woman: Yes. Our ways should be everyone’s ways.
        
        Katie: Oh! And, look! How to raise a suicide bomber! I could use that! I’ve never thought of … well, too bad my girls are already grown! Maybe I can use this on my grandchildren! Thank you so much! You are so beautiful!
        
        Veiled Woman: Allahu Akbar!
        
        Katie: I’ve heard that before! Wasn’t it Fort Hood?! Oh, we must go to a commercial! Be right back after this word from Coppertone Sunscreen, the skin care for pre-Muslims!
        
        Why do liberals embrace Shariah law even though “beheading your wife” seems to go against the feminist movement’s mantra? Why do liberals embrace Islam knowing it frowns on homosexuality?
        
        Because they have the same goals. Progressives, communists, liberals, globalists and Muslims want to destroy America. When that goal is reached, they will fight for top billing. It will be bloody." http://www.wnd.com/2011/03/276421/
      - Bobseeks
        
        While I am no fan of the roman heretics, the crusades are often falsely portrayed as being an unprovoked assault on muslims. The facts are that the muslims had invaded Europe long before and parts of what we call Spain were once part of a muslim empire. Islam is, and always has been, an aggresive spiritual disease that needs to be cured by Christ. We must be aware that GOD uses infidels to punish His peop[le when they become faithless and that we are well on our way to reaching the point of apostasy that will bring GOD's wrath on us through this loathsome, malignant false religion.
      - keyboardshark
        
        That's true Bob, Muslim aggression was certainly a trigger for the Crusades, so I'm not saying that it was an entirely wrong idea. If you are directly attacked you do have to defend yourself. I wasn't sure if Jeff was referring to the crusades as a way to paint Christianity as violent since he didn't specifically say as much, but that was my suspicion. Even though the initial motive may have been self-defense, some of the tactics used, such as execution of prisoners and destruction of cities, gave the crusades a bad name. Then skeptics use this as a way to 'prove' Christianity is violent or evil, or at least was in the past.
      - Wordman
        
        Jeff, Isn't it interesting, though, how differently Christians and Muslims characteristically respond to cultural events that demean their respective faiths? You continually slander Christians but never fail to omit the fact that modern Christians rarely if ever respond to criticism with violence. Why can't you admit that, even by your standards, Christian responses, on the whole, are morally superior to those of Islam? I challenge you to be as objective and fair as you claim to be.
http://youtu.be/ltW-AKROlXQ Despeville

Used to have four TV sets. Now one and I watch what I decide to watch via Netflix.
Cuts down on junk for your mind and saves time too, like time needed to reading. Try it.
John J Flanagan

Basically cowardly deviants, most Hollywood producers are too frightened about the possibility of Muslim violence, so they turn their bullying and offensive humor towards peaceful Christians. Since many Christians today are often in tune with the world and do not wish to make a stand for their faith, they will sit and watch these shows and laugh along with the wicked.
Bobseeks

The best way to deal with shows like this is to contact the advertisers and let them know you are going to stop buying their products until they drop their sponsorship of these anti-Christian shows. That is really the only thing these ammoral vermin who sponsor these shows understand. If you are not willing to do that, quit complaining because you are just wasting your breath.
For Christ

The show does not mix "Texas lifestyle, Christianity, sex, riches, envy, revenge and sass into a sprawling, larger-than-life drama" It mixes Texas lifestyle and church going etc. Going to church no matter how often does not make one a Christian. If a person has no relationship with Jesus Christ they are not a Christian no matter what they profess. A persons life will reflect arelationship with Jesus Christ or lack there of, period. This show may try to make Christians look bad but true Christianity will be uneffected by the trash this show promotes.
bighoss

GCB is just a cheap, poorly-scripted portrayal of someone's disordered concept of Southern rich white trash women. Its feeble attempt to taint Christians falls flat. I will stick with Downton Abbey, a superbly written and produced, highly-upscale soap opera about the British aristocracy and their "help". It is available on disc from Netflix and other sources.

One episode of GCB was more than enough for me. YUK!
A. Reginald

We watch ABC for only one thing – the local weather. Other than that it's mostly such things as specials on National Geographic and such channels. Who, other than perverts, wants the filth spewed by the series shows on the MSM?
topperj

It's TV, for better or worse. I doubt it will last. Most new shows don't, thankfully.