“GCB” and The “B” in Apartment 23 – My Thoughts

I had a long list of things to do today and I’ve spent three hours working on this post.  When I get on a soap box it’s really hard for me to step down.

Imagery

Sometimes I wonder what picture pops into the minds of people in other countries when they hear the words “Americans.”  Do they see us all the same way or do they realize how diverse we are?

What about the word “Christian.” When they hear that word what image do they see?

I don’t know about you but my definition of American and Christian sometimes feel far removed from what is portrayed on television and the movies.

Freedom of Speech

I don’t believe Freedom of Speech was ever intended to give people the right to pour profanity and sexual immorality into our homes via television and movies, and I don’t believe that being a Christian means I have to turn the other cheek when someone bashes my religion!

The Times They Are A Changing

When I was a little girl growing up in Kentucky I don’t remember swear words on television. Maybe there were a few in the movies, but nothing like there is today. Now it is almost impossible to watch anything without hearing a few expletives mixed in and the more we hear it, the less we are shocked.

Maybe it’s because of my age but when I heard the title of two of ABC’s new programs, I couldn’t believe that now profanity is even accepted in titles of shows. The “B” in Apartment 23 and GCB (Good Christian “B”) are thinly veiled attempts at hiding the rest of the B word.  ABC says the B in GCB stands for Belles, but the book title the series is based on says differently. Do they really think America is stupid enough to believe that the B stands for Belles?

I haven’t watched the B in 23 (and won’t) but here is what the New York Times said about it, “In the show’s opening scene, Chloe enters her apartment and instantly hustles a guy into having sex on top of a birthday cake.” By the way, the author of this article referred to it as “ABC’s 2nd B show.” I guess they forgot to send him the memo about B standing for Belle.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-04-11/news/31326755_1_chloe-rent-money-apartment

I have watched part of one episode of GCB, just to see if it was as bad as I heard it was, it was.

Consider this, would ABC have aired a show called “GMB”? With the M standing for Muslim? Or what about “GJB” for Jewish? Of course they wouldn’t!

So why has it suddenly become okay to make fun of Christians? Because we Christians are allowing it to happen.  When it comes to our religion we are too nice. Our silence allows acceptance and acceptance allows more profanity and more mockery of the principles this country was founded upon.

Even the pictures used to advertise the show are offensive.  In this ad they make a mockery of “Love thy neighbor” by portraying the woman in a short skirt and making sure we see the cross dangling from the C.

If you haven’t seen or heard of this show then you need to know that I am not the only one who is upset. Dr.Ted Baehr is chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission. Here is what he says in part in an article in U.S. News

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/peter-roff/2012/03/06/abcs-gcb-tv-show-and-the-medias-culture-wars-hypocrisy

“Although the series may prove better than its trailers and name suggest, the fact that GCB ridicules God, morality, and Christians, who are little more than stereotypes, raises concerns for both families and Christians,” Baehr added, calling for people who share his concerns to call or write letters to Robert Iger, chairman of the ABC-owning Walt Disney Company, and let him know how they feel.”

These two shows are not the only ones that are filled with inappropriate things for children, but they are a sample of just how low society can go. And if you don’t think that children pay attention to what they see and hear on television, read this article written by The Parents Television Council http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/stateindustrylanguage/main.asp

One of the points the article makes is this:

Mounting evidence also points to the fact that highly sexualized images on television can shape teens’ attitudes towards sex.  Teenaged girls who watch a lot of sex on TV tend to have more sex partners.  Young women who watch as little as 22 hours a month of prime time TV are more likely to endorse a “recreational” view of sex than young women who watch less TV[1].  Teens who watch sexy TV shows tend to engage in sexual behaviors more frequently than teens who watch less sex on TV. Children who are exposed to sexual material in media become sexually active earlier in life, putting them at higher risk for STDs and pregnancy.

Never think that things can’t get worse….they can

If none of this bothers you then consider that the Supreme Court will soon make a decision that could allow what is now considered by the FCC as Family Friendly television to essentially have zero regulation. You can read about that here in the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/10/supreme-court-mulls-profanity-nudity-on-network-tv/?page=all

While these two shows happen to air on ABC there are other shows just as morally offensive (or worse) on other networks. But I’m sure you knew that.

Focus on the Family reviewed GCB and you can read that opinion piece here.

http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/pluggedin/2012/03/07/gcb-initial-reactions

In case you want to make your thoughts known you can comment on my opinion here, by clicking on the word COMMENT, or sign a petition demanding decency on television on my NanaHood Facebook page, or contact Info for executives of the show:

CONTACT INFO: Disney and ABC executives:  Robert Iger, CEO – The Walt Disney Company – Anne Sweeney, President– Disney-ABC Television Group – Paul Lee, President – ABC Entertainment – 500 S. Buena Vista Street – Burbank, CA 91521 – Phone: (818) 460-7777