'GCB' Gets Bitch-Slapped By Conservatives

ABC's new comedy-drama series "GCB" (previously titled "Good Christian Bitches" and then "Good Christian Belles") has been under fire from conservatives who are demanding that viewers around the country boycott the show because of its portrayal of Christians.

One of the most vocal people in the crusade against "GCB" is Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D), who said the show is an "outrageous attack on the Christian faith." He is also furious that the show's original title was "Good Christian Bitches," Politicker reported.

"The title of the show alone is yet another outrageous attack on the Christian faith. Charlie Sheen will be back on 'Two and a Half Men' before we see a similar title targeting another religion," Vallone said in a statement. "No one is fooled by that ridiculous claim. The original intent is clear, and changing the title of a show in your head doesn't count," he said.

"GCB" is based on the novel "Good Christian Bitches" by Kim Gatlin and follows the life of Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), a mother of two who is recently widowed, who returns to her small hometown near Dallas where she finds herself up against her old high school enemies. The show was developed and written by Robert Harling who is probably best known for producing and directing "Steel Magnolias."

The councilman took to his Facebook page to criticize the show. He wrote, "so on this lenten sunday i'm reading a post column called 'the joke's on Jesus' about a show called 'GCB' (short for Good Christian B*tches) in which the star, kristin chenoweth says 'if you cant laugh at yourself you are taking life too seriously...' The point isn't that Christians cant laugh at themselves, the point is why is it always Christians the hollywood is laughing at?? We won't hold our breath until we see a show with a title like this about some other religion.."

Presidential GOP candidate Newt Gingrich also spoke out against "GCB" when campaigning in Mississippi, Politico reported.

"Here's to show you the biases of the elite media, look at the new show that's on that has the word 'Christian' in it and I want you to take the exact name, drop out Christian and put in Muslim," Gingrich said. "And ask yourself, is there any network that would have dared to run a show like that and you know the answer is not a one because anti-Christian bigotry is just fine in the entertainment industry but they have to be very protective of Islam."

It appeared as though Vallone has had some success in his attempt to boycott the show as Kraft Foods recently announced that it pulled its Philadelphia Cream Cheese ad from the show. The food company, however, later claimed that it did not remove its commercial because of "GCB"'s content or because of the show's controversy, the Hollywood Reporter noted.

"The brand has decided to redirect advertising to other programs with an established audience," Kraft said in a statement. "Although we received a few consumer complaints, this decision was not linked in any way to the content of this particular show."

The group affiliated with the ultra-conservative Christian organization American Family Association (AFA), One Million Moms, also made it their mission to bring down the ABC dramedy. The group, which recently admitted defeat in its attempt to get Ellen DeGeneres fired as JC Penney's spokeswoman, said that "GCB" mocks Christianity, the Christian Post reported.

Christian Leaders for Responsible Television (CLeaR-TV), which is also connected with the AFA, have approached sponsors of programs that it considered immoral in the past. In 1989 the organization was able to persuade a number of major sponsors to pull their ads from "Saturday Night Live."

The Christian website WorldMag.org was also in a tizzy about the controversial show and said, "Whatever it's called, we can be clear about one thing-none of the foul-mouthed, barely dressed characters on 'GCB' are actual Christians. And after 15 minutes there's no question about the intent of creator Darren Starr ('Sex and the City'). He aims to paint those who profess Christ with the broadest and ugliest brush he can find."

Despite all the heat the show has received, actress Kristin Chenoweth, who also plays a major role on the show, defended "GCB" in an ABCNews.com interview.

"The Bible tells us that we're not supposed to judge, and people shouldn't judge before seeing the show," she said. "I'm a Christian, I think that's pretty well known, and I would never do anything that I think crossed the line."

Perhaps Vallone's boycott has backfired as "GCB"'s latest episode became the first scripted show this year to attract more 18-49-year-old viewers in its second week than in its first, New York Daily News reported.

The show, "slipped a little in total viewers, from 7.56 million to 7.25 million, but even that number isn't so bad for ABC, since most new shows lose up to 20% of their viewers in the second week," the newspaper said.