TV watchdog: ABC show title demeans women, Christians

The group, which recently drew headlines for its campaign against companies that advertise on MTV’s risqué teen soap “Skins” is now targeting the working title of ABC’s “Good Christian Bitches.”

“ABC’s decision is not only an affront to women, it blatantly attacks the world’s largest faith,” said PTC President Tim Winter in a statement. “The ‘b-word’ is toxic and is used to degrade, abuse, harass, bully and humiliate women. And the ‘Christian’ element only adds insult to injury.”

{mosads}Winter was unconcerned that the show, based on a novel by the same name, has yet to finish casting or air any episodes. Actress Leslie Bibb is reportedly set to star with Darren Star directing.

“Regardless of whether the title ultimately makes it to broadcast, ABC has publicly proclaimed its values, and it has tarnished the Disney brand,” Winter said. He also suggested ABC’s tolerance for the offensive title demonstrated a double standard against Christians.

“Would ABC even consider another faith to denigrate? Would they even consider a program title or a plot line based on ‘Bitches’ who were Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist? I suspect not, and I certainly hope not,” he added.

PTC has also recently targeted the title of the CBS sitcom “$#*! My Dad Says” as well as the ABC pilot “Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23.” In the statement they called the titles evidence of a “pattern that will continue unless Americans speak out and advertisers come to their senses.”

“This is the latest strike in what appears to be a concerted effort to popularize profanity on network television. On prime time broadcast TV, use of the b-word alone increased from 431 instances in 1998 to 1,277 in 2007,” Winter said.

Updates: Executives familiar with the situation told Hillicon that networks often purchase a number of pilots around this time of year with working titles attached. Should the show reach the air, the executives said it would almost certainly be re-named.