She’s not a homophobe in real life, but she plays one on TV. Now this liberal actress is acting like a right-winger in real life by preaching one American freedom and ignoring another entirely.
I’m talking about Ellen Barkin, a star of NBC’s upcoming “The New Normal,” who has accused the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City of being “blatantly homophobic” for refusing to air this show about a gay couple hiring a baby surrogate.
Hey, they aren’t homophobic — they’re Mormon! Well maybe they are personally homophobic, but that’s not what drove their decision.
KSL-TV, you see, is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a city full of Mormons, such a show would be counter not just to the owners’ beliefs but many of their viewers’ too.
Sorry, as much as I do not agree with its decision, I also don’t agree with Barkin’s accusation of censorship.
Would she walk down the street in a bikini in Cairo or Jerusalem? No, because she’d respect their beliefs.
Last time I looked, we still have religious freedom to go along with free speech. NBC has the free speech right to air the two-dads sitcom, and its Mormon affiliate has the religious freedom to say it’s not for them.
Still Barkin is barkin’ mad. She can’t see how KSL could justify airing shows that feature violence while refusing to air a show about a loving gay couple.
No confusion necessary. Mormon history is as full of violence as every other religion. Founder Joseph Smith was killed by a crazed mob after being imprisoned, ironically for attempted censorship after trashing the office of a newspaper that accused him of polygamy (he may have had more than 40 wives, one as young as 14).
KSL-TV airs “Law & Order: SUV,” which has explicit content, including child slavery, yet won’t air “New Normal,” Barkin gripes. (Well, some would say that marrying a 14-year old is child slavery.)
As for violence, Smith’s successor Brigham Young preached blood atonement for murderers, saying it was preferable to eternal torment in the afterlife.
Look, I think “New Normal” is a very good TV show. But if I were a network affiliate-owning Mormon, fundamentalist Christian, Orthodox Jew or observant Muslim, I can’t imagine I’d want that show on my station, either.
Hey, not picking it up is not like destroying the one newspaper in town anymore.
Folks in Salt Lake can always watch the show online or on demand.
Last season, KSL refused to air “Playboy Club” for its explicit sexual content as well.
That decision I disagree with. They should have banned it for its explicitly moronic content.