Cancel the Anti-Catholic ‘The Real O’Neals’ Show!
“The Real O’Neals,” is based on the life of a foul-mouthed, raging anti-Catholic bigot, Dan Savage. The episodes were, predictably, filled with anti-Catholic stereotypes. Catholics are asked to write to Ben Sherwood, Disney/ABC Chief, and program advertisers. —Bill Donohue, President, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
—List and advertiser contact info HERE.
Letter from CDL Board Member Marlene Reid
Dear Mr. Sherwood:
The name Disney has always been associated with “Wholesome Family Entertainment.” Is Disney now trying to disassociate from that admirable, since-its-founding, reputation?
If not, why would you want to taint that reputation by carrying a program that projects and represents nothing short of contempt for Catholics and Catholic families, and belittles their Faith in episode after episode? The program “The Real O’Neals” does just that, blatantly, continuously, and, apparently, unashamedly. WHY?
Where would the Disney channel, Disney theme parks, Disney-produced movies, books, and memorabilia, be today if it hadn’t been for the massive number of large Catholic families who have watched, attended, supported, bought Disney-identified services and products? Probably out of business or in bankruptcy!
Why risk offending a large segment of your most loyal audience and supporters? Someone is giving you bad advice, and I imagine that you will be hearing from your advertisers soon that they too have been sold “a bill of tainted goods” and are feeling the pinch. I, as a practicing Catholic, with a large extended family and influential outreach, will no longer be purchasing any of these advertisers’ products or frequenting their establishments. I plan to notify the offending companies of this decision, and will strongly encourage others to likewise boycott these advertisers, until such time as they decide that they would prefer to put their dollars behind decent, wholesome, uplifting, entertainment.
Hollywood has long been known for “pushing the envelope” just for the sake of delivering a liberal message and/or supporting a liberal agenda, desensitizing the public to the latest shocking craze, or promoting sexually explicit material until the decency limits have been exhausted, but why would ABC and Disney want their names associated with bigoted TV fare? What is there for you to gain? Maybe a TV audience with a weird sense of humor and some anti-Catholic ax to grind. I can well imagine they would greet such bigotry with glee! Mr. Sherwood, you, and your advisers, will have to decide if this is the type of audience ABC/Disney is appealing to and catering to. I truly and sincerely hope this is not the case! If so, Disney will have turned a corner that it not in the best interest of our nation’s families and of society. Certainly, it will be to the detriment of the Disney name and all it stands for.
Sincerely,
Marlene C. Reid