A&E scraps KKK series after learning of cash payments

[Archae]

Source: WBAY-TV, ABC affiliate in Green bay, WI

NEW YORK (AP) — A&E is scrapping plans for an eight-part documentary series about the Ku Klux Klan after finding out that some participants of the hate group were paid for their work on it.

The network said Saturday it was dropping “Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America” a day after discovering that “nominal” cash payments were given by third-party producers.

“While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary,” the network said in statement.

Read more: http://wbay.com/ap/ae-scraps-kkk-series-after-learning-of-cash-payments/

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This was going to be called "Generation KKK," but they changed that.
Now it's shelved.

Maybe if A & E went back to ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT, not these "reality" bullshit shows, they might get viewers back.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. That is good news. Fuck 'em!

[MADem]

2. The "intent" of the series?

Haters gonna hate. You don't need a reality show to figure that out...

[TeamPooka]

3. Wrong Answer A&E! So if the KKK didn't charge for it then A&E would have done it? Correct answer:

"We're not going to help a hate group market their message so we're canceling a show that was wrong to develop in the first place."

[EarthFirst]

6. Exactly this!

I do not give one flying fu*k about giving them an opportunity to explain their twisted viewpoints to America.

[pablo_marmol]

4. Very convenient for A&E.

They knew they had blundered badly, and luckily were handed a face-saving way out.

[cstanleytech]

5. I think the real reason is why do a show about the KKK that will cost money to make

when you have Trumps new show coming on in January for the next 4 years with a possible extension to 4 more?

[Initech]

7. A&E did give us one of the best shows ever so I do cut them some slack.

I would like to see this because the KKK and especially the alt right terrorists need to be exposed for who they are. I hear Leah Remini's Scientology expose is great.

[Hestia]

25. It's not too bad at all. It's sad more than anything because they are talking on air to people

who escaped the cult, and they are banding together so the cult won't take them all to court at the same time, which is how they operate. Take the people out one by one and make them spend all their cash. One lady just recently paid off her legal bills from the 1970s after the cult brought lawsuit after lawsuit against her, all for reporting negative things about the cult.

These people were brought into the cult via their parents and were separated with no schooling at all and some to be given to a pedophile. After they left, they are cut off from their children and parents, along with other family members.

[sobenji]

27. I agree. It should be aired

Exposing a cult, and getting people to recognize the awfulness is always the right choice.

[spiderpig]

28. I've followed the nutty CO$ for years, and this is an excellent expose

I'd never watched anything Leah Remini had done before, but she's very effective exposing this cult for what it is.

[OldHippieChick]

30. She's actually a very talentend comedic

actor, but I have to say she brings some heavy hitting to this expose. I saw an episode last nite (not sure if it was the first) and was quite impressed w/ how it's being handled.

[Hoyt]

8. That might not be good news if the documentary would have exposed the ignorant white wing racists

behind KKK. Now, if the documentary would have been one of these "we need to understand the reasons ignorant white people join hate groups," I'm glad it has been shelved. There are no acceptable reasons for the KKK or their sympathizers, including a lot of Trump supporters.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. Exactly right.

[brooklynite]

11. like "Duck Dynasty" did for religious idiots?

[otohara]

31. Quacks

normalizing stupid and hate somehow makes good Christians - ugh.

[keithbvadu2]

32. A bunch of yuppies who grew beards and are play acting.

[NobodyHere]

21. A&E partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change to produce the documentary

So it probably wasn't going to be sympathetic to the KKK.

[Hoyt]

22. That's good, but it shouldn't have been canceled in that case.

[brush]

29. Who needs a documentary to show that the effin KKK is a hate group? Duh! We know that already.

The old saying applies: Any publicity is good publicity.

Don't give it to them. We don't need to awaken more racist idiots.

[jberryhill]

10. "Network" again proves to be bang on!

[Warpy]

12. "Klansville, USA" is already out there

and did a great job of exposing the fast buck artists at the top and the no hopers in the rank and file. It's about the heyday of the Klan in NC when Bobby Jones had his run---my formative years.

Found it on YouTube:

[bravenak]

13. I would love to see arts on a&e

[napi21]

14. I really don't think the intent of the documentary was to spread thed mnessage of the KKK.

I think the intent was to expose real hatred in America and who & what's behind it. I understand many of you are saying you don't want it shown because everybody already knows, but there are a lot of people who DON'T.

I lived in a suburb of Pgh, pa. until I was 48 years old, when I was transferred top South Carolina. I SWEAR to you, I had never seen a confederate flag except in a book until I moved there. The 1st Sunday I was there, I drove to downtown Greenville. Everything was closed so I took a walk to check out what was there. I was really SHOCKED when I looked down a side street and there was a dirty old water fountain hanging on the side of the building with a sign over top saying "colords only"! I had heard about the lunch counter stories and the marches for integrating the schools, but I thought that was all ancient history! I got a whole new education there. When I told my relatives about my experiences, they too never thought things I'd seen still existed.

While I lived there the KKK announced they were holding a rally at the local High School! It was to be on a Saturday at a school I had to pass by on my way to work. I usually worked Saturday mornings, but I told the boss I wouldn't be in that day. I'm whiute but I was scared of that crowd!

I know that was 1987 and the hatred has expanded north & west, but there are still a lot of people who REALLY don't know what's going on in some areas.

[brooklynite]

24. Gee, -I- thought the purpose was to run a "controversial" show to boost ratings...

[47of74]

15. These were the same people who brought us the Duggars and Honey Boo-Boo

[Hestia]

26. Those were aired by TLC, not A&E. And I don't watch reality anything until

the Scientologist show.

The klan show actually looked to be pretty decent. It is about one guy in a small town exposing his friends, family, etc., about being in the klan. He said he was tired of the hate and didn't want his kids to be raised around that type of thinking.

[EL34x4]

16. Is the KKK even a thing anymore?

Seriously? It's not 1965.

I remember when Anonymous was supposed to dox all these KKK'ers, up to the highest levels in government. Turned out to be about a half dozen rednecks living in trailer parks waving Confederate flags and liking KKK stuff on their Facebook pages. The joke these days is that half of the KKK's 2000 members are undercover FBI agents.

So while elements on the left are looking under bushes for hood-wearing Klansmen burning flags and riding horses, we've got people like Richard Spencer wearing a suit and tie, making white nationalism respectable. Maybe A&E needs to do a show on this? They might not have to pay actors to pretend to be Klansmen.

[lastlib]

17. Yes, it's still a real thing. Google Harrison, AR KKK

I've seen some documentaries about the Klan settling in there. Pretty terrifying, and I'm 300 miles from it.

[EL34x4]

19. Thomas Robb lives there. So what?

The KKK wields no real power or influence these days. They've not infiltrated into high elective office, law enforcement, or the military. They're not establishing public policy. You can't hold a real job and be a Klansman these days.

They're basically a joke.

Sure, they're not completely dead. There's still a handful of beer-bellied unemployed white guys with criminal records sitting around the trailer park bitching about taking the country back between hits of meth while undercover federal agents take notes.

My point is that the Klan, in 2016, is not a formidable force to be reckoned with, or to fear. The problem for the Left is that the KKK were such perfect bad guys in their multi-million strong heyday, they don't want to give them up!

[Hoyt]

23. It's a real thing, but the hatred is much greater than formal Klan membership.

[sarisataka]

18. Sounds like

The money is already spent

[J_William_Ryan]

20. The Klan is a thing

to the extent it is representative of the alt-right and rightwing extremist hate groups in general, such as the likes of Spencer.

To expose one is to expose them all – as all rightwing haters and extremists are worthy of warranted ridicule and derision.

[keithbvadu2]

33. Has Trump tweeted his whine that they would not show his supporters?