How to offend absolutely everyone — TV show

From Fox News:

An ABC pilot called “Good Christian Bitches” has religious and women’s groups up in arms over what they describe as an extremely offensive and distasteful show title.

The dramedy, based on Kim Gatlin’s novel of the same name, will be brought to life by famed “Sex and the City” and “90210” executive producer Darren Star. The plot centers on the life of reformed “mean girl” Amanda, played by “Talladega Nights” actress Leslie Bibb, who returns to her hometown of Dallas to find herself fodder for malicious gossip from the women in the Christian community.

Rare is the TV or movie producer that can manage of uniformly offend people in a fully democratic fashion, that is, regardless of color, creed, gender, nationality, ethnicity, etc. But, Father Orthoduck thinks that this pilot is well on its way to doing that.

If you read the article, the complaints have been:

• Unfair portrayal of Christians — from a Christian publisher
• Inappropriate use of a curse word in the title — Parents’ Television Council
• Misogynistic title — Women’s Media Center
• Redefining of morality by the media — Culture and Media Institute

Quite a mixture of organizations would you not say? However, here is the interesting part. If you look at the book on which it is based, it is actually written by a woman who is a Christian and a fund-raiser for charitable organizations. Supposedly the book is a humorous approach to some of what she has seen in churches. The book blurb says:

Good Christian Bitches is the devilishly fun, yet strikingly honest, tale of Amanda Vaughn, a recently divorced mother of two. To get a fresh start, she moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew up. In an Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Desperate Housewives on steroids style, her old friends are already out to destroy her reputation.

In the whirling midst of salacious gossip, Botox, and fraud, Amanda turns to those who love her and the faith she’s always known. Will the Good Christian Bitches get the best of her, or will everyone see that these GCBs are as counterfeit as their travel jewelry?

It is supposed to be a book with a Christian moral! Father Orthoduck has included a small interview with her below. As you can see from the interview, she intended this book to be a warning against the evil of gossip. If this book really is that, then it might be worth reading. But, Father Orthoduck must admit that he wishes the title had been quite different. Is the book really Christian? Father Orthoduck does not know, but it most certainly interests him as it already has a pilot filmed for it. Is it worth reading? Well, it might very well be. Is it theologically sound? Well, given the title, the author has already gone past the Saint Paul’s recommendation not to use impure or inappropriate language. (In passing, Father Orthoduck is not necessarily against the use of inappropriate language in a book. For instance, a book about President Richard Nixon would have to include that language to at all accurately portray him in his talks with his people.)

But, Father Orthoduck is quite afraid of what ABC will do with the book, even if it were to be found to be a fully Christian book! Lord, have mercy.