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 Faith in a Box
Entertainment Television & Religion
2005-2006
By Christopher Gildemeister
Introduction
This, the seventh
study by the Parents Television Council on the treatment of religion in
prime-time broadcast entertainment programming, examines the treatment of
religious matters from the beginning of the fall season in 2005 throughout an
entire year. Religious subject matter was divided into five categories: Faith,
Clergy, Laity, Institutions and Doctrine, and Miscellaneous. References to
institutions were the most prevalent, at 393 out of 1,425 mentions. References
to faith were close behind, at 379 mentions. References to laity constituted 303
references, while clergy came in for 184 mentions. Another 166 miscellaneous
mentions of religion also occurred. Straightforward depictions of faith
(particularly by contestants on reality programs) tended to be overwhelmingly
positive, while in all other categories (especially on scripted dramas and
comedy shows) negative depictions dominated. Such findings imply that while most
Americans enthusiastically endorse religious belief, Hollywood tolerates an
indistinct "spirituality" but is deeply negative towards openly religious
individuals and organized religion.
Methodology
PTC analysts
studied prime-time entertainment programming on the six commercial broadcast
networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, WB and UPN) between September 1, 2005 and August
31, 2006. Instances of religious content were entered into a computerized
Entertainment Tracking System (ETS) database.
Within each
category, depictions were classified as positive, negative, neutral, mixed or
unable to determine. A "neutral" portrayal is one which was neither positive nor
negative towards religion. A "mixed" portrayal signifies an instance in which
both positive and negative views were expressed (typically, one character voiced
a perspective on religion while another character voiced the opposite view).
"Unable to determine" means that there was insufficient information presented in
the scene to make any determination.
Overview
-
The ABC network had by far the
most treatments of religion, averaging a little over one incident per hour
of programming. NBC averaged almost exactly one treatment of religion per
programming hour. Fox averaged one treatment every 1.8 hours, WB one every
3.6 hours, and CBS one every 3.7 hours. UPN featured the fewest treatments
of religion, only one in every 5 hours of programming.
-
CBS was the network with the
highest percentage of pro-religious incidents, with 47% of its treatments of
religion being positive. WB followed with 41.3% positive treatments and ABC
with 37.7%. NBC (27.8%) and Fox (27.2%) nearly tied, while UPN (19.3%) had
the lowest percentage of positive religious portrayals.
-
Fox had the highest percentage of
anti-religious depictions, with 1 of every 2 depictions of religion – almost
exactly half (49.7%) – being negative. NBC closely followed, with 39.3% of
their depictions of religion being negative, while 35.4% of UPN depictions
were negative. 30% of ABC's portrayals were negative, followed by 29% of
CBS' and 21% of WB's.
-
Program format was a heavy
determinant of the portrayal which religion received. Of all negative
treatments of religion, 95.5% occurred on scripted drama and comedy
programs. Only 4.5% of such negative treatments occurred on reality
programs. Furthermore, 57.8% of positive treatments of religion also
occurred on reality programs, while only 42.2% of positive portrayals
occurred on scripted programs.
CATEGORIES
FAITH
This category
denotes instances in which individuals manifest their religious belief or lack
thereof, either through a simple declaration of belief or the act of prayer.
POSITIVE
(69.6 %)
Cindy Teas, who
started a summer camp for handicapped children, states: "I thought about how
many times I felt like God held my hand and walked me through this walk of
faith…and there were all those little hands I've had the opportunity to hold."
(ABC, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition October 16, 2005)
Dunstin, who is
suffering from cancer, says: "I just trust in the Lord to take care of my
children and family…Sometimes you wonder, why me? But then…you give thanks to
the Lord, pray, and move on." (ABC, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, March
19, 2006)
P. Miller says:
"You gotta pray and you gotta thank The Man up above for just givin' you the
opportunity to do some of the things that you wanna do." Miller and his dance
partner Ashly are shown holding hands in prayer before their dance performance.
Both say "Amen" at the conclusion of their prayer. (ABC, Dancing with the
Stars, January 27, 2006)
Danni leads her
group in prayer to Jesus, giving thanks for their meal. (CBS, Survivor:
Guatemala, October 13, 2005)
Mandisa tells Simon
Cowell that she has forgiven him for his rude remarks about her weight because
of the grace she was given through Jesus Christ. (Fox, American Idol,
February 15, 2006)
Melony states:
"I've been blessed to still be alive this year, and God gave me life. He gave me
another chance, and I'm going to live and live it healthy!" (NBC, The Biggest
Loser, January 4, 2006)
Carly, who was
diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was four years old but recovered, says: "A
lot of people prayed for me and I think that really helped me." (NBC, Three
Wishes, September 30, 2005)
The Weaver family
prays and asks God to keep them safe. Mrs. Weaver is heard in voice-over stating
that it was the family's relationship with God that enabled the family to get
through her husband's death. Throughout the episode Mrs. Weaver prays for help
in accomplishing her tasks. (CBS, The Amazing Race: Family Edition,
September 27, 2005)
President Allen is
informed that North Korean warships are preparing to attack an American vessel
trying to rescue trapped sailors. Allen says, "Maybe we should say a prayer."
The President, her husband and her Chief of Staff join hands and pray. (ABC,
Commander in Chief, January 17, 2006)
Simon prays before
his wedding: "Help me today and tomorrow and every day after that. Because God,
I think I got myself into something I'm pretty sure I can't handle. I don't
know, maybe all grooms feel that way. But please make sure I'm doing the right
thing." (WB, 7th Heaven, May 1, 2006)
NEGATIVE
(14.7 %)
At a church
fundraiser, two men play a game called ‘Halo Toss,' in which they must throw
rings around the heads of statues of saints. One man states that "It's all a big
scam." The second man asks, "The game?" The first man replies, "No, religion in
general." (Fox, The Simpsons, March 19, 2006)
House tells a
religious patient that the patient is either psychotic or a scam artist for
believing that God speaks to him. (Fox, House M.D., April 25, 2006)
Larry tries to call
a woman friend, but dials a wrong number. Larry: "No thank you, I don't want to
accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior." (Fox, The War at Home, April
16, 2006)
A young patient,
Justin, requires a new heart but feels guilty that another child had to die. A
priest tells Justin: "God wants you to live. That's why He sent you the heart.
Justin replies: "I'm not stupid, okay? God didn't send me the heart. There's no
such thing as God." (ABC, Grey's Anatomy, December 11, 2005)
Bright tries to
console Hannah, saying that although bad things do happen good may ultimately
result. Hannah disagrees: "If there were no God, man would surely have created
one. You either believe God exists and everything else came after, or you
believe we were all so freaked out by everything that came after that we
invented something bigger than we could explain, so we wouldn't have to explain
it." (WB, Everwood, November 10, 2005)
MIXED
(7.6 %)
Dr. Burke explains
his personal beliefs to Cristina: "With all medical realities being equal, why
does one patient live and another die? I believe there is a mind-body-spirit
connection." Cristina responds: "Let me get this straight. You don't just
celebrate Christmas, you actually believe in Santa Claus?" (ABC, Grey's
Anatomy, December 11, 2006)
Gideon speaks to a
troubled girl, who asks him if God punishes bad people. Gideon replies that
during Hurricane Katrina, some people said that the city got what it deserved
because of all the drinking and partying that took place there, but that others
said that the storm proved God's love and protection because the levees didn't
break until the storm was over and thousands of lives that could have been lost
were saved. (CBS, Criminal Minds, November 30, 2005)
NEUTRAL
(6.6%)
Van is excited by
his new television set and exclaims: "Oh, thank the Lord! This is the best thing
that's ever happened to me." (WB, Reba, January 27, 2006)
INSTITUTIONS AND
DOCTRINE
This category
refers to mentions or depictions of specific religious denominations or beliefs,
and to Scriptural references.
POSITIVE
(18 %)
David tells the
judges about his faith and love of dance: "I'm a modern Orthodox Jew auditioning
for a dance competition…Sometimes I'll be in synagogue praying and I'll just,
y'know, bust a move and people will start giggling." A judge introduces David's
routine by saying: "Representing the Orthodox Jewish community!" Dave responds:
"That's right!" (Fox, So You Think You Can Dance, May 25, 2006)
Eric tells the
youthful Sam and David the history of St. Nicholas: "Nicholas' parents died when
he was just a little boy. But he inherited all of his parents' wealth, and even
when he was still just a young man, he used all of his money and everything that
he'd been left to help other people. And he dedicated his life to serving
God…People started giving in his name just as he had given in the name of
Christ. And Nicholas is still celebrated in the form of Saint Nick, or as we
call him, Santa Claus." (WB, 7th Heaven, December 12, 2005)
Ty and his crew
build a worship/prayer room into a Hindu family's home. Ty states: "We have
learned a lot about Hindu religion this week, and we wanted to make certain we
honored that in your house." The family is shown removing their shoes and
chanting, kneeling and bowing in prayer before a statue of Kali. One daughter
says: "Our religion is everything to us. That's what got us through."
(ABC, Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition, May 7, 2006)
NEGATIVE
(47.6 %)
Jesus Christ is
depicted as a teenager arguing with St. Joseph: "Up yours, Joseph! You're not my
real dad!" Jesus phones Heaven, where God the Father answers while lying in bed
with a woman. God hangs up on Jesus and leers at the woman, who holds up a
condom. God responds: "Oh, come on, baby. It's my birthday." (Fox, The Family
Guy, November 20, 2005)
God is shown
passing gas and lighting the gas on fire. Peter explains that this is how God
created the universe. (Fox, The Family Guy, May 14, 2006)
Ned Flanders
complains to his minister about evolution being taught in the public schools:
"They're telling people we're descended from a pack of apes! There's nothing
about that in the Bible!" Ned's pastor holds up a Bible and says: "You've gotta
take this thing with a grain of salt." When the pastor's wife tells him that the
controversy could attract new members, the pastor considers: "Our membership HAS
been dwindling since the Episcopalians put in those vibrating pews." (Fox,
The Simpsons, April 15, 2006)
Homer visits India
and is told he is a god. Homer says: "God has a white beard and invented the
DaVinci code." A Hindu tells Homer: "In our system of beliefs there are many
gods." When his wife and children arrive they find Homer in a temple being
worshipped as a god. (Fox, The Simpsons, April 9, 2006)
An aide tells
candidate Santos before a political debate, "You can't let this communion thing
bother you. Most Catholics are pro-choice. How do bishops expect politicians to
do what they can't even do in their own church?" (NBC, The West Wing,
October 30, 2006)
Shirley Schmidt
defends a fellow lawyer who attacked a priest with an axe. She
cross-examines the
priest: "You knew your parishioner was a pedophile…If a pedophile killer
confesses his crime, you'll protect that secret." The priest protests: "I cannot
break the confessional seal. It's canon law." Shirley sneers: "Is that
stupid?...Has the Catholic church earned some special exemption when it comes to
pedophiles? Do we trust them more in this area?...Do I dare ask where those
three fingers had been prior to my client chopping them off?" (ABC, Boston
Legal, December 13, 2006)
Young Jake prays
that his teacher catches anthrax. His father Alan asks him where he learned
about prayer. Jake tells him: "This guy on TV, Reverend Don. He talks to God."
Alan asks if Reverend Don told him to ask God to strike down his teachers. Jake
replies: "No, activist judges. But I figure, why can't it work on Miss Stanley?
And you know what else? If I send Reverend Don money, God will make me rich."
(CBS, Two and a Half Men, November 21, 2005)
Detective Conti has
tracked down murderer Darryl. In a flashback, Darryl is shown kneeling in prayer
over a dead elderly couple and drawing an Orthodox cross on the dead woman's
forehead in blood. Conti remarks: "Good churchgoing boy that he was, he felt so
guilty about the murders that he made a cross on Mrs. Terzian's head." (ABC,
Injustice, February 3, 2006)
MIXED
(22.4 %)
House remarks on a
Christian patient with an STD: "Yeah, the hand of God reached into the kid's
pants and made him have sex…he's just another liar and manipulator." Dr. Wilson
responds: "Oh, nobody's as perfect as you are. It is possible to believe in
something and still fail to live up to it, y'know." (Fox, House M.D.,
April 25, 2006)
Veronica, hoping to
catch a drug dealer, plants a hidden camera and microphone in a confessional,
then tells the priest that she is going to Hell because she sometimes does bad
things to expose criminals. The priest quotes from Romans chapter 12: "
‘Vengance is mine. I will repay, sayeth the Lord…Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.' That might be something for you to think about." (UPN,
Veronica Mars, February 1, 2006)
Lee and Dan state
that they will not be attending work as they will be observing Rosh Hashanah.
Lee says: "I will be going to synagogue to pray. I definitely have my team in
mind during the whole holiday…I'm saying a special prayer for them." But
co-worker Lenny is irritated: "This is (bleeped) stupid!...I'm Jewish like other
guys but I didn't use it as an excuse not to work." (NBC, The Apprentice,
March 13, 2006)
Bones discusses
voodoo: "Voodoo healing is quite effective. No crazier than acupuncture or
exorcism." Booth protests: "Hey, go easy on the Catholics, okay?" (Fox, Bones,
April 19, 2006)
Hassan greets
Charley at a Christmas party: "Congratulations on the day of the birth of your
savior. Not my savior, but we can agree to disagree." (ABC, Hope & Faith,
December 13, 2006)
NEUTRAL
(9.7%)
While searching the
Wolfowitz home, Catherine picks up a menorah and says: "Shabbat Shalom." Brass
replies: "Jewish?" (CBS, C.S.I., February 9, 2006)
Contestant Cheryl
points out that her entire church is in the audience. Host Howie asks: "The
whole church is here? They're all dressed the same." Cheryl replies, "They're
all dressed the same because that's my church choir." (NBC, Deal or No Deal,
February 27, 2006)
CLERGY
POSITIVE
(30.4 %)
Lindy returns home
as a single mother. She feels she has shamed her family and fears that her
father, a Baptist deacon, will reject her. Lindy's father preaches on Sunday
from a pulpit: "Darling, I love you…And when that little girl that you gave us
was born, she brought more joy into my life than I can imagine. She put a smile
in my heart that will never fade, and I just want to tell you that there's never
been a time I was ashamed of you." (NBC, Three Wishes, September 30,
2005)
The crew builds a
new home and chapel for the family of deceased Rev. John White. White's widow
Dana remembers him: "He really was a missionary to the broken-hearted. He wanted
to be there for hurting people. That's what a pastor does." (ABC, Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition, March 12, 2006)
Assistant pastor
Lucy talks to her father Eric, a senior pastor. She reveals that she's afraid
because the congregation is relying on her to make important decisions. Eric
comforts her: "We're not super-reverends. We're just people, people who rely on
life (Eric looks heavenward) to show us the way – so that we can show others."
Lucy gazes up to Heaven and replies: "I need to remember that…I know You're
there for me, so bring it on!" (WB, 7th Heaven, October 17
2005)
Mr. Eko recalls his
brother Yemi, who was a priest. Eko forced Yemi to smuggle drugs on a Christian
relief flight. When soldiers approached to capture Eko, Yemi leapt in front of
him, took the bullet meant for Eko and died. Yemi's heroic action inspired Eko
to reform and become a priest himself. (ABC, Lost, January 11, 2006)
NEGATIVE
(33.7 %)
Sister Olivia
confesses that she assisted in assaulting a black man: "He begged me. And I
stared at him right in the face and I said, ‘What are you looking at, nigger?'
and then I kicked him in the face." (NBC, Law & Order: Criminal Intent,
October 23, 2005)
Dwight asks Shirley
to represent him in a divorce, stating that he committed bestiality by having
sex with a cow: "It's not what you think…I've been a good husband for 23 years.
I'm a deacon at our church!" (ABC, Boston Legal, November 8, 2005)
Sara pretends to
have a "clergy fetish" in order to get Rev. Diddum to agree to her terms in a
lawsuit. She asks Rev. Diddum to remove his clerical collar. After sniffing it
sensually, Sara demands they have sex on the desk. Rev. Diddum agrees, saying:
"Maybe what you're feeling isn't the product of a fetish so much as two of God's
children desirous of coming together…It's what God wants." (ABC, Boston Legal,
October 11, 2005)
Episcopalian
bishops Bertram and Bea have been having an affair with one another, Bertram
cheating on his wife to do so. Bertram speaks to Bea: "I have given this a great
deal of thought, and I've decided that our happiness – yours and mine – it's
more important than our vocation." Bertram proposes to Bea. She indignantly
refuses to marry him, but makes it clear she is willing to continue their
affair. (NBC, The Book of Daniel, January 20, 2006)
Fr. Daniel takes
prescription medicine for his headache. Bishop Bea demands a pill. Daniel warns
her of their strength, but the bishop persists: "I lived through the Sixties. I
doubt you could bring me down. What have you got?...Oooh, I like codeine. Gimme!"
Later Daniel catches Bea rifling his desk for more drugs and warns her: "These
can be tough on your liver." Bishop Bea replies: "Yeah well, so can brandy. But
I figure, at my age how much more damage can I do, right?" (NBC, The Book of
Daniel, January 6, 2006)
Members of a
synagogue believe that their Chamash, a copy of the Torah used in prayer, has
been saved from the Nazis and has been sacred for generations. The Chamash is
desecrated and a man is murdered. When a man is about to be convicted for the
killing, a rabbi comes forward and states that he has lied about the Chamash,
admitting that he bought it in a used bookstore. When McCoy asks him to account
for his deception, the rabbi replies: "The Bible is full of stories that may be
apocryphal. Do we believe that Methuselah lived 900 years? Or that Moses parted
the Red Sea?" (NBC, Law & Order, December 7 2005)
Rev. Lovejoy needs
to pay a toll and takes money from the offering plate, saying: "Don't worry,
this one's on Jesus." When his dashboard-mounted Jesus figurine appears to
glare at him, Lovejoy says: "Oh, just be cool for once." (Fox, The Simpsons,
January 8, 2006)
NEUTRAL
(19.5 %)
Police officers
stand over the dead body of a priest in a church. A nun sits talking to a woman
who saw the killer. (CBS, Criminal Minds, March 22, 2006)
A minister comes to
see Rodney after parents complain about Rodney's Sunday school teaching. Rodney
tells his wife: "Take off your shirt so he thinks it's a bad time!" (ABC,
Rodney, October 4, 2005)
MIXED
(13 %)
Sr. Theresa and
another nun argue about sheltering prostitutes at the church. Sr. Theresa
protests: "Their pimps come looking for them, it's a menace. This is not our
mission." The other nun replies: "It's our Christian duty." (NBC, Law & Order:
Criminal Intent, October 23, 2005)
LAITY
This category
concerns depictions of individuals who profess religion and consider it a strong
or central force in their own lives. It encompasses both overtly religious words
and deeds and secular conduct.
POSITIVE
(26 %)
After winning the
$100,000 prize for best home video, Karen tells the host: "God provided this
money for us because of an answer to a prayer I had put in. We're going to
donate some to the church." (ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos,
December 11, 2005)
Kaysar states that
he came on the show to represent Muslims and to break down stereotypes and bias
against them. He says he has difficulty with the competition because it involves
lying and scheming, which is against his religion. Kaysar is shown kneeling and
praying on his prayer mat. (CBS, Big Brother 7: All Stars, July 20, 2006)
The foreman of a
construction crew quotes Psalm 127 before beginning work: "The Good Book says,
‘If the Lord doesn't build the house, in vain do the builders labor.' "The crew
later donates $300,000 to Beverly to help with her children's education. (ABC,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, May 21, 2006)
Sandy tells Ruth
that the Camdens spend Christmas Eve day every year volunteering, because
helping others is the true meaning of Christmas. The Camden children are shown
giving gifts to a needy family, visiting a nursing home and volunteering at a
hospital. (WB, 7th Heaven, December 12, 2005)
NEGATIVE
(50.8 %)
Alyssa invites
Chris to join her at a Young Republicans meeting: "We perpetuate the ideal that
Jesus chose America to destroy non-believers and brown people." (Fox, The
Family Guy, April 30, 2006)
Annabeth
interrogates Cindy, who is covered with blood and manically reciting Bible
verses. Cindy states that she spoke to the Lord, that God told her to kill her
husband and that God's hand guided hers as she stabbed her husband to death.
Cindy says that she knows that murder is against the law, but that she answers
to a higher authority. (CBS, Close to Home, October 25, 2005)
JT briefs the team
on Lars: "When our MPs arrested him, he calmly explained that he was on a holy
crusade to kill Muslims. These are the Holy Crusaders – a fundamentalist group
formed by Lars Vogel." Later, Lars shrieks at his Muslim hostages: "You Muslims
aren't the only ones who know how to blow things up!" (NBC, The E-Ring,
November 16, 2006)
Gabi goes to
confession and lies to a priest, telling him that Sr. Mary is having an affair
with her husband. After gloating at getting Sr. Mary transferred to Alaska, Gabi
slaps Sr. Mary and pushes her into a rack of candles, setting her on fire. (ABC,
Desperate Housewives, January 22, 2006)
Eric complains to
the detectives about his synagogue's Torah being desecrated. Eric is in a strip
club receiving a lap dance at the time: "The rabbis say ‘A happy husband makes a
happy marriage'." It is revealed that Eric himself ordered the Torah destroyed
in order to swindle the rabbi. (NBC, Law & Order, December 7, 2006)
Freddie talks about
his sister's list of ‘Things To Do Before I Go To College': "There was a big
check next to ‘Lose Virginity'. It was right between ‘Make Sexy Mix Tape' and
‘Apologize to Christ'." (ABC, Freddie, October 19, 2005)
Gabi has had sex
with teenager John. John tells her: "Me and my friend Justin had this bet to see
who could lose their virginity first this summer at Bible camp. Guess I beat him
to the punch." (ABC, Desperate Housewives, May 21, 2006)
Jason asks Bernie
for permission to date his niece Vanessa: "I won't go into a girl's house if
her parents aren't home. I believe in hands-free kissing and I only date in
groups. I'm a Christian. I know a lot of people say that, but it's important for
me to walk the walk." Bernie later catches Jason necking with Vanessa in his
car. (Fox, The Bernie Mac Show, March 31, 2006)
Maya and Darnell
argue over whether to go to Darnell's Episcopal church or Maya's Baptist
service. They ask young Jubari to decide. Jubari tells them to do what they
always do. The family drives straight to a restaurant to arrive "before all the
church folks show up." (UPN, Girlfriends, December 12, 2006)
NEUTRAL
(5.6 %)
Rod and Todd
Flanders play a game of "Christian Clue." (Fox, The Simpsons, March 19,
2006)
MIXED
(14.5 %)
Nick accidentally
puts $100 in a collection plate. Realizing his mistake, he tells J.T. to take
the money back when the plate comes to him. J.T. asks him: "You gonna steal from
Jesus?" and refuses to help. (UPN, Eve, February 16, 2006)
Rose and Simon
discuss their wedding plans. Rose says: "I hope you don't think we have to get
married in a church." Simon replies: "We absolutely have to get married in a
church!…I've been going to that church my whole life. And my father is the
minister there, and I want him to marry us." (WB, 7th Heaven,
February 13, 2006)
MISCELLANEOUS
POSITIVE
(12.6 %)
A woman tells
military widow Katie: "God bless you. I'm extremely sorry for your loss. It's my
loss, too." (NBC, Three Wishes, October 28, 2005)
Lisa Rinna explains
her performance: "Some higher power came in and started dancing through me."
(ABC, Dancing with the Stars, January 27, 2006)
At the inauguration
of President-elect Santos, Cardinal Doherty leads a prayer and a choir sings
America the Beautiful: "God shed his grace on thee." (NBC, The West Wing,
May 14, 2006)
A tombstone reads:
"Heavenly Father, bless this Unknown Boy." (NBC, Law & Order: SVU,
November 8, 2005)
NEGATIVE
(26.5 %)
God descends from
Heaven in the form of a shapely woman. Steve asks to see God's "boobs." God
shows Steve Her breasts. (Fox, American Dad, November 13, 2005)
Looking at a
Christmas nativity scene, Will mentions that his friend Jack "put the Wise Men
in a three-way." (NBC, Will & Grace, December 8, 2005)
President Bartlett
states: "Mozart's father believed his son to be a miracle from God. He was so
convinced of this that he forced young Wolfgang to play all over Europe. His
father felt it was his duty, in a world where no one believed in miracles
anymore, to show them God's latest…it pretty much screwed him for the rest of
his life." (NBC, The West Wing, October 16, 2005)
Dr. Melon shows off
his wife's breast implants: "Never again will a woman be stuck with what the
Almighty gave her." (NBC, Las Vegas, November 7, 2005)
NEUTRAL
(46.4 %)
Freddie points out
a nativity scene: "Please welcome the entire Christ family!" (ABC, Freddie,
December 14, 2006)
Margarette arrives
at the Filsher family's home and sees a star-shaped figure on the wall. The star
represents astronomy, but Margarette mistakes it for a satanic symbol. (Fox,
Trading Spouses, November 2, 2005)
Police question a
man. A woman states that the man talked to her about the Book of Mormon. The
Book is shown lying on a car hood. (Fox, Cops, June 9, 2006)
Clark (Superboy)
begs Jor-El to help him save Lana. Jor-El responds: "Our powers are
extraordinary, Clark – but we are not gods." (WB, Smallville, January 26,
2006)
A murder suspect
tells a detective: "What a little pagan you are. Don't you know that the secret
of luck is never to trust it?" (NBC, Law & Order: Criminal Intent,
October 14, 2005)
A woman gives
Dwight a glass of wine and says: "It's alright. Jesus drank wine." (NBC, The
Office, November 22, 2005)
Jon has been trying
to track down a witness: "I've got a lead on the drummer. You wouldn't believe
how many Christian rock labels there are out there. Hundreds. Maybe thousands."
(ABC, Injustice, March 24, 2006)
MIXED
(7.8 %)
During a nativity
play, a little girl is shown walking up from the audience and taking the Baby
Jesus doll out of the manger. Tom Bergeron quips: "It's good to find Jesus. It's
bad to find Jesus and take Him back to your seat." (ABC, America's Funniest
Home Videos, December 2, 2005)
UNABLE TO
DETERMINE (6.6 %)
Karen tells Grace:
"You're going to have a Jewish black baby!" (NBC, Will & Grace, March 16,
2
Joan states that
she and Quagmire will be married in a church. (Fox, The Family Guy, March
12, 2006)
CONCLUSION
On
May 18, 2005
CBS president Les Moonves canceled
one of the highest-rated shows of the
previous season,
Joan of Arcadia.
The program portrayed God appearing to the teenaged Joan and confronting
her with moral questions. CBS replaced Joan with Ghost Whisperer,
a show about a spiritualist medium who talks to ghosts.
Although this cancellation of a
top-rated program produced an outcry from many viewers and a campaign to save
the show, Moonves defended his move with
the statement, "Ghosts skew younger than God" -- implying that God and organized
religion are unpopular and obsolete. This incident serves as an excellent
illustration of the difference
between Hollywood's attitude toward religion and that of the American public.
The vast majority of Americans hold religion to
be of deep personal importance, and for many it is the center of their lives.
Most Americans treat religious beliefs with respect and reverence and would like
to see the entertainment media do so. In a November 2006 Zogby poll, a large
majority (84%) of adults stated that they are not offended by references to God
or the Bible on network television. Half (51%) of those responding expressed a
wish for more network shows with positive messages, and even for specific
references in programs to God, the Bible and religion. These sentiments are
echoed by the overwhelming enthusiasm shown for religion on reality TV. On such
programs, average Americans openly acknowledge the importance of religion and
frequently demonstrate their belief in God by words, actions and prayer.
This stands in
stark contrast to Hollywood's "creative" elite, which demonstrates its contempt
for religion -- and for its own viewing audience -- by deliberately portraying
God as subject of ridicule, and followers of organized
religion as oppressive, fanatical, hypocritical and hopelessly corrupt. In
television's "creative" circles, calling a series or movie "irreverent" is the
highest praise. Mockery of God is a constant on
comedies like American Dad, The Family Guy and The Simpsons, while
such dramas as Boston Legal and C.S.I. viciously caricature
religious individuals and beliefs and put diatribes against religion into the
mouths of their lead characters.
It is long past
time that television networks abandon their long-standing opposition to
religion, and begin to treat it – and the American viewing public – with the
respect they deserve. As poll results and the popularity of the networks' own
reality programs show, doing so would only increase television's popularity. At
a time when broadcast television is losing ever more viewers to cable, such a
move could benefit both their viewers' sensibilities – and their own bottom
line.
Executive Summary
| Statistical Appendix
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