Ryan Murphy's new NBC sitcom draws anti-gay protest
An anti-gay group is calling for a boycott of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming NBC comedy The New Normal.
One Million Moms, an ultra-conservative organization that previously criticized JC Penney for featuring a same-sex couple in a catalog, is now coming after the Glee co-creator’s new show. Murphy’s New Normal is about a gay male couple having their first child via a surrogate.
The group complained in a posting on its Web site: “NBC is using public airwaves to continue to subject families to the decay of morals and values, and the sanctity of marriage in attempting to redefine marriage. These things are harmful to our society, and this program is damaging to our culture.”
Continued the organization: “OMM is prepared to contact any and all sponsors of this program if it is aired. It is proven this strategy works! It was not too long ago that NBC announced The Playboy Club was canceled after only three episodes because of lack of advertisers! Millions of Americans strongly believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman. NBC’s The New Normal is attempting to desensitize America and our children. It is the opposite of how families are designed and created.”
Last fall NBC’s Playboy Club did indeed come under fire for its embrace of the veteran soft-core porn brand. But its rapid cancellation seemed inevitable given its low ratings and poor reviews. Earlier this year, ABC’s cross-dressing comedy Work It was slammed by transgendered organizations. That, too, was quickly cancelled, lacking both critic and audience support.
The pilot for New Normal (trailer here) is an unusual breed of sitcom. Part comedy, part polemic, it’s an earnest call for the warm acceptance of all types of people. “Love is love,” as one character puts it. Yet, in true Murphy fashion, it’s also a bit of a gauntlet thrown-down in the culture wars — the pilot features the characters taking shots at Republicans and Christians while proclaiming non-traditional families as “the new normal.”
NBC did not return a request for comment.
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