Where was the gay mafia when I needed a hit?

[William769]

The creator of NBC’s short-lived The Book of Daniel wonders why his fellow gays and lesbians didn’t fight back when the American Family Association attacked him

By Jack Kenny

An Advocate.com exclusive posted, February 14, 2006

Recently I created a short-lived show for NBC called The Book of Daniel. It was a simple story about an Episcopalian priest, Daniel Webster, and his journey from the man he is towards becoming the man he wants to be—a journey that we are all on. He was helped along this journey by his faith, his family, and his internal discussions with Jesus. His family happened to include 22-year-old Peter, a gay son, played brilliantly by Christian Campbell (Trick, Reefer Madness). We made little issue of this, as it has always been a personal goal of mine to create a gay character who was not defined by his sexual orientation but for whom it was second nature. He had trouble coming out to his grandfather—a bishop of the diocese—but other than that, Peter lived openly with his family.

Shortly before our premiere on January 6, 2006, The Book of Daniel wound up at the center of a controversy. Advertisers had already been skittish (as they had with Desperate Housewives, Queer Eye, NYPD Blue—any show that pushes the envelope), and this controversy, started by a very small group of bullies in Tupelo, Miss., pushed them further away. Every show lives or dies on numbers, and ours dwindled due to lack of advertisers and therefore lack of budget and support for promotion. It’s just an unfortunate truth about network television. Shows get less and less time to find an audience.

But my beef is not with NBC, nor with the advertisers, nor even with the American Family Association. We all know what the AFA is—a small group of loud-mouthed bullies who traffic in hate and fear and have been using and promoting homophobia to raise money for years. No, my issue is with my own community: the LGBT community.

http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid25531.asp


He's absolutely right!!!

[msongs]

1. maybe gays won't support a crummy tv show?

never saw it myself, sounded like a dud. so if the glbt crowd refuses to support a crummy tv show, that is bad?

after all the gay angle was deliberately put in the show as a calculated move, for reasons not specified here,doesn't mean everybody who is gay has to bail out the guy who calculated the move.

besides, if the show was good enough, it might not have died regardless of the AFA.

would be a shock to learn that jack kenny was gonna make money off this show if it was a hit, and probably
made money anyway?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/democratsmugs.htm

[William769]

2. Since you never saw the show....

What can I say about your comment?

I have seen avery episode shown plus the ones on the internet and IMHO it's been one of the best shows to hit network tv in quite awhile.

[kweerwolf]

4. You really thought it was that good?

I completely lost interest after the second episode. While I adore Aidan Quinn, the series just seemed wildly uneven, going back and forth between over-the-top humor and treacly sentimentality. I thought it could have been a good show had the writing been a bit more even.

And I hate to sound like AFA and other knunckle-draggers, but I could see their objections to the imaginary post-modern Jesus Dude character who came across as a mix of Sean Penn's stoned-out surfer in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the Buddy Jesus dashboard figurine from "Dogma."

All in all, I thought it was a good concept wrapped in mediocrity ... which is why some whiner like Jack Kenny pisses me off when he pisses and moans about how the LGBT community didn't support his show. I guess it's not enough that we have real life issues like marriage equality, "don't ask, don't tell," hate crimes, adoption and parenting issues, adequate funding for HIV/AIDS, etc., etc., but he stomps his feet and places his hands on his hips and tell us it's all OUR fault his show was cancelled.

But when he claims to be a victim of "gay bashing," he losese all credibility with me. To quote my favorite line from "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," "Get down off that cross. Someone needs the wood!"

Sure, Mr. Kenny wrote what could have been an interesting television series. But based on the two episodes I saw, my response to the show was lukewarm at best.

So to paraphase something the Post-Modern Jesus might say: Like, Dude, because you're neither hot like my double-Dutch mocha decaf latte nor cold like my refereshing Diet Coke in a Big Gulp cup, I will spit you out of my mouth.

[William769]

5. I liked the show

Because it dealt with Homosexuality, teenager on drugs, adoption, mother with a drinking problem Grandfather (bishop) cheating on wife Mafia involved with the building of the church school & the list goes on & on. All this by the way in a Ministers family. Anything that could piss a freeper off was in this show. I thought it actually showed what life is really like in a typical family. It's a shame it's no longer on.

[davidinalameda]

3. some of us did fight back

sorry!

[xchrom]

6. i'm not giving one inch to the afa.

i'm one of those who wrote a letter.

the afa should be fought at every turn -- and not allowed to censor what the rest of watches, reads, or is allowed to express as opinion.

afa IS the enmy -- period.