KSNW, Channel 3, is a business that can choose to serve its customers however it thinks best. But it was a disservice to the vast majority of its Kansas viewers to pull the NBC drama “The Book of Daniel” from its Friday night programming in response to 300 orchestrated complaints — all from people who haven’t yet seen the show but have prejudged it to be offensive to Christians.
“The Book of Daniel” is about the dysfunctional family of an Episcopal priest. Maybe it’s junk, like 95 percent of the rest of what’s on television. Maybe it’s the show of the decade.
KSNW should have let all its viewers decide for themselves, via their remote controls. Instead, it let a few hundred people, urged on by the Mississippi-based American Family Association, decide for all of us that we shouldn’t be able to see it.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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21 Comments
I was surprised that the article about this story which appeared in today’s Eagle did not mention KSN’s pulling of Saturday Night Live when that show first came on.
It was pulled when John Belushi did an immitation of Joe Cocker. Cocker really does have C.P. and I think some censor did not understand that fact.
This is Kansas. Remember to set your watches back at least 50 years.
The Taliban scores another win.
Just read that freedom might prevail over the Taliban in Wichita after all.
Oh, so true. First of all, they caved in to 300 e-mails – I thought the population of Wichita was much larger? I haven’t lived there since 1998 but, even then, 300 was not a majority.
My favorite line from the story is: “Among the group’s criticisms is that the show portrays Jesus — who appears and speaks to the minister — as a “good ol’ boy, nonchalant, happy-go-lucky kind of guy,” Sharp said.”It’s not a true representation of Jesus Christ,” he said.” And how does he know??? Has Sharp met Jesus in person?
My God – and I am a Christian – has a sense of humor. I wish some of these Christians would develop one as well.
Terry Fox and KSN should be ashamed of themselves… they are now into censoring? Here is a totally radical thought, for someone who is offended by the show, DON’T WATCH IT! I know, I am being extreme. After all, Terry Fox and his minions as well as Southwind are all going to determine what everyone else will be allowed to view and what is bad for us.
This is sickening that a tv station would cave into such garbage. I heard that Kansas was “conservative” before moving here. I had no idea it was Victorian prudish.
Rhonda,
I take it from your comment you view it okay for public television to degrade a segment of the population. The premise of this show, and the information is available, is degrading to me as a Christian. If any other race or religion was degraded on public television you would be one of the first to complain, why does not this segment of society deserve the same consideration.
Degrading? Have you seen the show? OF COURSE NOT! You are censoring it ahead of time.
Here is a real radical thought for you in person, Darrell–if you don’t like it, DON’T WATCH IT.
I find Fear Factor disgusting..so I exercise my freedom and change the channel. I do not try to tell you or anyone else to either watch it or not watch it.
Get off your high horse and quit trying to tell the rest of us how to live our lives.
Darrell – so if I decide that a show denigrates scientists it should be banned? If my attorney doesn’t like Boston Legal it should be banned? If the eagle doesn’t like the portrayal of Jimmy Olsen and Perry White Superman should be banned? What makes you so special?
Darrell, I wonder what your other brother Darrell thinks. I guess you didnt worry much when the christian taliban was denigrating gay people. Oh, I forgot what the Rev. Phelps says. God really does hate fags.
Every time Terry or Joe open their mouths they denigrate those who dont agree with them. Maybe we should ban them from the airwaves too. Nah. Wouldnt work since their political messages still reach thousands every Sunday. What was their IRS status again? Has anyone examined their tax returns for Jack’s jack? They are against casinos, arent they? As always, follow the money.
i have to semi agree with Darrell. If this was about the muslim religion and muslims and they were offended would it be aired. The same with many other religions or ethnicities. But because it is about christians secular progressives feel its ok to denigrate them. That being said, I’m n ot to fond of other people making all my choices for me either. If it is viewed and christians strenously object will it be ok to pull it then or do their concerns not count? Christians aren’t anymore special than any other group but they aren’t to be viewed with anyless respect than any other group. i think that is Darrells’ point
How about letting people decide for themselves? If its crap, it won’t last three weeks. It will only last as a series if it draws viewers, because the $$$ altar is where the commercial media worship.
Does it in fact denigrate Christians? From what I have heard the answer is NO. Rather we see that a Pastor is (gasp!) a human instead of a God – with all the faults, doubts, etc that go with that.
Maybe what they should really do is a movie about what Amerika would be like ruled by a Taliban. Then have some resistence fighters fighting against the Fox/Phelps rulers. Kind of like Red Dawn.
Ben, wouldnt “Red Scorpion” be more like it?
I thought Red Dawn was the movie about those kids who resisted a Soviet occupation of the US. They became “resistence fighters”
Many christian leaders and followers have no problem denigrating everyone elses beliefs. If this show does indeed denigrate christian beliefs, isn’t a bit of turnabout fair play?
This whole flap sort of makes me glad that I don’t watch TV. Of course, if the “Aytollah” Terry Fox begins to pick on the libraries i guess I’ll have to get concerned. You don’t think he will, do you?
I recently perused an edition of a religious newspaper. In it, on the editorial page, was a criticism of the upcoming movie, ‘The Di Vinci Code”. The thrust of the editorial was the movie tended to denigrate the Catholic religion by making false statements concerning events in early Christianity. “Historical inaccuracies”, he termed it
My reaction was to want to grab this individual by the throat and yell in his ear, “it’s fiction, stupid.”
I am not familiar with the “The book of Daniel”, but I assume it is a topical subject, and may or may not put Christians in a bad light. But being able to see it is a decision I should be able to make, not one generated by some religious group with an agenda. Show it, and they will watch.
Dennis Kennedy, be careful what you say. We don’t want them to get any ideas. They’ll be wanting to burn books before you know it.
I watched the show – my opinion is that it did not put Christians in a bad light – it did much worse: It actually portrayed a Episcopalian minister as HUMAN! Now, by association, that might infer that ALL Christians are human; that members of their families might have problems; that there might – ohmigod – be GAY Christians; and that maybe they (as people) don’t have all the answers for the rest of the world, having their own plate full with handling their own problems. No wonder the Fox and Hound were all in a tizz over it.
why don’t our local ‘reverends’ speak up & out about Pat Robertson’s latest fox, err, i mean faux pas? now that’s what should REALLY denigrate Christians! or is he afraid of losing Pat’s financial backing?
Where was Terry Fox when George Burns was portraying a wise-cracking (cigar smoking?) God in OH, GOD?