7/2/05 Reality series pulled because it may be illegal
Reality series pulled because it may be illegal
07/02/2005The Washington Post
ABC has pulled a reality show scheduled to debut this month after it was suggested to the network that the plot -- three couples considering race and religion to help decide which contestant family becomes their neighbor -- violates the federal Fair Housing Act.
In "Welcome to the Neighborhood," seven families competed to win a 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house on a cul-de-sac near Austin, Texas.
They were a religious, African-American family; a Wiccan family; a Latino family; an Asian family; a picture-perfect white family (except mom is a stripper); a young white family headed by staunch Republicans, only mom and dad are covered in tattoos; and a white gay couple with an adopted African- American infant.
The couples who determine their fates, housing-wise, are white, Christian, Republican and close-minded.
Over the six episodes, ABC said, the locals learn "to see people, not stereotypes."
Shanna Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said residents on the show make statements about the contestants' ethnicity and religion. The act makes it it illegal to deny housing because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also cautioned ABC. GLAAD entertainment media director Damon Romine, who has seen the entire series, said that although it's clear "the producers intended to send a powerful message about the value of diversity, if they only watched the first episode or two, viewers could come away with a message that prejudice and discrimination are not that big a deal. Regardless of how things turn out at the end of the last show, it's dangerous to let intolerance and bigotry go unchallenged for weeks at a time."
Whether the show airs or not, one family was awarded the house. The other contestants probably cannot challenge the outcome based on discrimination, Smith speculated, because they probably had to sign waivers to appear on the series.
ABC issued a short statement defending the show and declined further comment.
Updated 3:02 pm
07/02/2005The Washington Post
ABC has pulled a reality show scheduled to debut this month after it was suggested to the network that the plot -- three couples considering race and religion to help decide which contestant family becomes their neighbor -- violates the federal Fair Housing Act.
In "Welcome to the Neighborhood," seven families competed to win a 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house on a cul-de-sac near Austin, Texas.
They were a religious, African-American family; a Wiccan family; a Latino family; an Asian family; a picture-perfect white family (except mom is a stripper); a young white family headed by staunch Republicans, only mom and dad are covered in tattoos; and a white gay couple with an adopted African- American infant.
The couples who determine their fates, housing-wise, are white, Christian, Republican and close-minded.
Over the six episodes, ABC said, the locals learn "to see people, not stereotypes."
Shanna Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said residents on the show make statements about the contestants' ethnicity and religion. The act makes it it illegal to deny housing because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also cautioned ABC. GLAAD entertainment media director Damon Romine, who has seen the entire series, said that although it's clear "the producers intended to send a powerful message about the value of diversity, if they only watched the first episode or two, viewers could come away with a message that prejudice and discrimination are not that big a deal. Regardless of how things turn out at the end of the last show, it's dangerous to let intolerance and bigotry go unchallenged for weeks at a time."
Whether the show airs or not, one family was awarded the house. The other contestants probably cannot challenge the outcome based on discrimination, Smith speculated, because they probably had to sign waivers to appear on the series.
ABC issued a short statement defending the show and declined further comment.
Updated 3:02 pm
posted by Aestrea Raven at Saturday, July 02, 2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home