Can I Call It Or What!
Remember about a week ago when I reported on the new reality show on ABC called “Welcome To The Neighborhood”? Well it looks like reality descended on reality television.
“ABC has pulled “Welcome to the Neighborhood” after it was suggested to the network that a reality series in which three couples consider race and religion to help decide which contestant family gets to become their neighbor violates the federal Fair Housing Act…Because the network does convey a home as a result of the show, Smith’s organization believes the “Welcome to the Neighborhood” program is covered under fair housing laws, which make it illegal to deny housing or otherwise make it unavailable because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status.”
So prejudicial behavior towards prospective home-owners is still illegal even if it is masquerading as a reality-driven game show. I was also able to find out about one of my predictions about the show.
“So how long will the Pagan family last? I don’t plan on watching the show but I wouldn’t place any money on the Eckharts making it too far. They will be easy to eliminate because no cries of racism could be leveled, and since many see our faith as a cult, or worse, a joke I doubt too many repercussions would ensue from their quick removal.”
So how right was I? The Washington Post tells all…
“In the second episode, the residents decide unanimously to boot the Eckhardt family because they are Wiccan.”
Got that? First family voted off the White-Christian-Republican island were the Wiccans. No big surprises really. I doubt that the Wiccans were a part of “the transformative process that takes place when people are forced to confront preconceived notions of what makes a good neighbor”. They were just the religious nuts voted off first, which rips apart ABC’s argument that this was a learning experience and not a crass attempt to make money off prejudice.
One response so far
I believe the Eckhardts were the second family to be voted off (see below for my reference), but it wasn’t surprising they were one of the first. Unfortunately, I don’t think paganism would have seen the ‘enlightenment’ that some of the homeowners had about race, etc.. Sadly, they were just an easy family to get rid off that would not cause an uproar (pagans, Goddess love us, just aren’t that organized).
I do find it refreshing that they Eckhardt’s were probably the nail in the coffin for the Fair Housing people. It would be interesting to know why the Asian-Americans were chosen as the first to vote out.
From the Yahoo! news article “ABC gets Unfriendly ‘Neighborhood’ Welcome”
< <"I didn't think that people would be this nervous," Andrea Wong, head of alternative programming at ABC, said before Wednesday's decision to ditch the show. "Because I really think it's such a positive show and such a good thing to put on TV and cause viewers to look at themselves, I'm surprised by the negative reaction to it."
ABC’s lawyers gave “Welcome to the Neighborhood” the go-ahead, and it apparently didn’t disturb Wong when the family that shared her Asian-American descent was the first to be knocked out.>>