08/03/2005
A Look Inside ABC's Welcome to the Neighborhood
The un-aired ABC reality show Welcome to the Neighborhood featured three conservative Christian families choosing a family from an "alternative" pool of contestants (African-American, Hispanic, Korean, Wiccan, tattooed, gay, and a strip-tease artist) in order to find a new neighbor for an Austin, Texas cul-de-sac. The Chicago Tribune takes a look at the entire series and reports that the taping exposed that city's ugly discriminatory underbelly.
Writer Howard Witt reports that the show itself actually revealed some softening of prejudicial attitudes after the damning first two episodes which most critics of the series saw. The finalists came down to the black couple and the gay couple, and the resident who declared he would never tolerate homosexuals said "You forget about the gay issue and realize they are just people" while another resident declared "what nice, pleasant and even well-versed people" he found in the black family.
In real life, however, an entirely different story was playing out. When the gay couple won the house, the neighbors behind them put theirs up for sale, saying they couldn't live near homosexuals. And recently, another black family bought a house on the cul-de-sac, prompting one of the more tolerant residents on the street to comment, "I'm feeling a little uncomfortable for them, not really knowing what they were getting into. I hope they'll like it here."
Welcome to the Neighborhood: Roll Out the Unwelcome Wagon
[chicago tribune]
(thanks Brian)
UPDATE: Reality blurred reports that FOX Reality Channel has made ABC an offer for the series but ABC refuses to let it go. ABC Entertainment President McPherson: "If I don’t think something should be aired, why would I sell it to somebody else? For financial gain or just to get it out there? That doesn’t make any (sense). If you don’t think something is responsible to be broadcast, why would you encourage it to be broadcast elsewhere?"
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 10:45 AM EST by Andy in Film & TV | Permalink
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"even well-versed people"?
I'm assuming he included "even" because he didn't expect black people to have ever read a book? That's the perfect example of a backhanded compliment.
Posted by: chrisafer | Aug 3, 2005 11:37:12 AM
I went to college in Austin, and lived there for 8 years afterwards. It is THE most tolerant city in Texas, and probably one of the more tolerant cities in the U.S., however the Circle C neighborhood is NOT tolerant and does NOT reflect the true nature of the city. It saddens me that ABC turned this in to such a mess...and, sadly, Austin is paying part of that price.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 11:45:52 AM
Despite Austin's commercially-marketed attitude for tolerance, Texas is still Texas. As soon as you look just below the surface, the bigots are alive and well. This series clearly demonstrated that and didn't even try very hard. This intolerance runs so deep throughout Texas, it will take a few generations before it approaches the more open attitudes in places like San Francisco and NYC.
Posted by: Ian | Aug 3, 2005 12:01:05 PM
i want to see this unaired series now. it sounds like the people who come off looking bad are the bigots. is ABC trying to protect the image of white fundies?
Posted by: anthony in sf | Aug 3, 2005 12:09:54 PM
Ian, do you live in Texas? If so, where and for how long? Yes, it's definately a red state, but while living in Austin, and on all visits since that time, I've had no problem wandering down the streets arm in arm with my husband. No strange looks, no discriminatory comments...nothing. I currently live in Dallas and I feel very comfortable when we're out together, and both of us are "out" to everyone we know with no issues at all. Yes, our State government is overrun with bigots, but that doesn't mean that the entire state is hate filled. No, you don't see gays together as you might in NYC or San Fran, but outside of those two cities where else do you see that anyway? I love my state and will continue to fight for my/our rights. I refuse to blame an entire state for a few idiots ignorance.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 12:22:49 PM
I'm glad to hear that the gays won. Go gays!
Posted by: Drew | Aug 3, 2005 1:06:40 PM
"a few bigots"??? WHO elected that state government--Martian absentee voters?
WHO propelled Smirk from a multiple failure businessman constantly getting bailed out by his Daddy's rich friends to the statehouse, on his way to the White House? Where did Karl Rove begin his Mesmer's routine of exploiting homophobia for votes? Where did an expensive change in its textbooks to define marriage as only between a man and a woman likely result in a change nationwide because of the prohibitive cost of printing different books for different states. Where did, within a few hours drive, I believe, from where you live, two of the three animals who spontaneously stomped a teenager's face last fall into unrecognizability because he was gay only get probation, and the 3rd 6 months--not even in jail, but "bootcamp"--appropriate in a way given that he was wearing steel-toed boots when he smashed the kid's face like a pumpkin. Where did Barbara Jordan go to her grave still in the closet? Everybody: TEXASS! I'm happy for your and your partner's survival, and hope that it persists, and salute your being so out, but I respectfully suspect that it is the exception not the norm, that it is more a reflection of the circles in which you move than a reflection of the majority in the state. Every state has its pocket of progessives. Bloomington is called by locals "the San Francisco of Indiana," but I wouldn't want to live there. Laramie was considered the best place in Wyoming to live; so accepting. Until someone out riding his bike discovered what he first thought was a scarecrow tied to a fence....
Posted by: Leland | Aug 3, 2005 1:10:32 PM
Where do you live, Leland?
Posted by: timothy | Aug 3, 2005 1:28:16 PM
Yes Leland, where do you live? In Texas, I hope, or your going to look like a moron. Some in Texas government have tried (and failed) to bring discriminatory legislation to bear, but it hasn't worked. I testified before the House just last Spring, and assisted in the defeat of the bill that would have banned gays from being foster parents here. Your examples of Rove and Bush are biased and lame...the entire country elected those two, not just the state of Texas. I'm not claiming that Texas is a hot-bed of liberal activisim, it's not, but it's also not full of hateful bigots. When the gay pride days roll around every year it's the stereotypes that you see on television...the drag queens, the leather men...you don't see the average gay joe. Same goes for Texas. You see, and hear about, the lame East Texas redneck with a "christian" background who is 100% pro-Bush. That's not who every Texan is. And I don't run in pure gay circles. My family are south Texas christians, God fearing, and so are most of their friends. But they all accept me and my husband, and not one of them believes I'm a sinner who's going to hell. I believe that you see what you want to see...it's easier to blame and point fingers than it is to get off your ass and make a difference. Well, I can't sit on my ass and blame everyone else. I stood up for myself the day I came out and I haven't stopped fighting for my rights since that day...and I never will...and I'll also fight for you Leland.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 1:40:34 PM
People in Austin always go on and on about how "Diverse" the city is. I'm actually glad someone has finally called them on their b.s.
Austin is made up of a bunch of white people who love to talk amongst each other about tolerance and diversity, but rarely use those concepts on a daily basis. It's not necessarily their fault (sky-rocketing real estate prices have made the city even less diverse in recent years) but it is true.
The reality is that most of those well-meaning Austinites only interact with someone from a different culture when they speak to their Land Rover mechanic or ask the bus boy at Guerro's Tacos for more water.
That being said...I freakin' LOVE Austin and get there as often as possible. If you like corn-fed, hot boys I highly recommend a visit.
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 3, 2005 2:28:04 PM
But Stephen, even you are generalizing...what you describe happens in every single city in the US, even in San Fran and NYC. This is not isolated to Texas...we just get notoriety because our idiot President hails from here.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 2:44:33 PM
Sweeping generalizations are always accurate.
-----Clip ' n ' Save!--------
Everyone in Texas is __________.
Everyone in Austin is __________.
Everyone in San Francisco is __________.
Everyone in __________ is __________.
-----Clip ' n ' Save!--------
Posted by: david | Aug 3, 2005 2:46:46 PM
Well Wayne
Our President really hails from New England where he was born and raised and went to school. But he and Rick Perry do give Texas a bad name in many circles.
I have not spent much time in Texas a couple of weeks each in Dallas, Houston and Austin for work and I found the people there not much different than the people everywhere else.
Though I must tell you I once had someone work for me as a temp in Dallas who said he would pray for me because I was a liberal, Democrat, non-Baptist, from Pennsylvania. He then invited me to a stripper bar on Friday (I demured) and came in the next day full of hickeys. He was a very swishy and I am pretty sure he went to stripper bars to fight the demons. It was quite a trip.
Posted by: Donald | Aug 3, 2005 2:59:31 PM
I strongly disagree with you Stephen. As an african-american homosexual and someone who's traveled a lot, Austin is maybe one of the best cities I've been too, number two at most. Like Wayne said, the description your giving is a situation nearly all if not all cities experience.
Posted by: Damon | Aug 3, 2005 3:00:24 PM
Wayne is right. As a life long Texan born and raised in Corpus Christi and 12 year Austin area resident (8 yrs in Austin, 2 in Wells Branch and 2 in Round Rock), I will say that Circle C justifiably has a reputation in the Austin area of being a whiny, conserative WASP, anti-tax community for those that couldn't afford to live in Westlake Hills or Rollingwood. Circle C fought Austin over annexation for YEARS even getting the State Legislature to pass a law exempting Circle C from Austin's extra territorial jurisdiction ostensibly over water quality issues (because you know Austin has those prickly environmentalist tree-huggers that want, you know, clean water and a habitat for nearly extinct salamanders). Some of the municipal utility districts in Circle C deliberately kept their debt high to discourage Austin from annexing them since the city would assume their debt on annexation. Nice short term solution, but it bite them in the ass later because their tax rate went up in excess of Austin's to pay off the debt. After the aforementioned law was declared unconstitutional, Circle C finally got annexed in 1997, but still is a collective pain in Austin's rear. While few Austin residents will deny that our police dept has a serious race problem (among the dept's numerous other problems), Austin itself is very tolerant especially when compared to the rest of Texas or some of the surrounding suburbs, who tend to be very less tolerant, consisting mostly of the people that like Austin, but don't like Austinites (read Round Rock, Westlake Hills, Rollingwood, Cedar Park, etc).
And Leland, that was Barbara Jordan's choice. As a black woman, she knew more than just about anybody about dealing with prejudice, but there is a point at which you tire of fighting. She fought the prejudices of being black and of being a woman. At that late stage in her life, maybe she decided to let someone else fight that battle. And being gay is not the bar to public office in Texas it once was. As Gov, G.W. Bush was represented in the Texas Lege by a GAY liberal Democrat. For the eight years prior to last election Travis County, the county Austin is in, had a lesbian sheriff, though after she retired last year, Texas didn't lose the distinction of having a lesbian sheriff of a major metropolitan county as Dallas County elected a lesbian who is Hispanic as its sheriff. (Travis County's new sheriff is black BTW.)
Posted by: Craig | Aug 3, 2005 3:18:46 PM
Texas sucks balls
Posted by: Sean | Aug 3, 2005 3:23:22 PM
Of course what happens in Austin happens in every city but not every city constantly talks about tolerance and diversity like they do in Austin. You have to laugh at the irony of a predominantly white city that's always bragging about its diversity.
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 3, 2005 3:26:57 PM
Thanks to my fellow Texans for supporting my take on this. I certainly don't pretend that Texas is a Gay mecca, or that it ever will be, but Austin specifically is very tolerant and it's one of the most beautiful cities on the planet to boot! Not all Texans are right-wing rednecks, nor are we all left-wing anarchists...most of us fall in between...just like the rest of the world.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 3:27:18 PM
Stephen, who exactly are "they"? I love when people base their opinions on what "they" said instead of what you really believe. Whom, specifically, in Austin is bragging about it being a diverse city? It is a very diverse city, and every city in the US is predominately white so I don't understand your arguement here. Can you name a city that is not predominately white? And, if so, what is their stance on these issues?
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 3:47:48 PM
Not every city is predominatley white - Miami,Detroit, Louisville, Memphis, LA, El Paso to name a few are not
Posted by: Donald | Aug 3, 2005 4:04:45 PM
Wayne...Let me get my list together of "Whom, specifically, in Austin is bragging about it being a diverse city." I'll email it to you as soon as I'm finshed, say around...2009?
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 3, 2005 4:07:19 PM
Wayne...Let me get my list together of "Whom, specifically, in Austin is bragging about it being a diverse city." I'll email it to you as soon as I'm finished, say around...2009?
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 3, 2005 4:08:38 PM
Hey Stephen, you're the one quoting "them" as bragging that Austin is a diverse city. Either put up your facts or shut your trap.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 3, 2005 4:21:18 PM
"Them" is people I know who live there or have lived there. Inevitably "they" mention Austin's diversity as one of the high points of living there. IN MY OPINION, it's just not that diverse. Most of the people I have come across who talk about Austin's diversity have never lived in a truly diverse city like L.A. or New York (or even Houston, for that matter).
I'm not saying Austin isn't diverse. It is. It's just not as diverse as many people like to think.
Posted by: Stephen | Aug 3, 2005 4:50:22 PM
"moron...biased and lame" Gee, Wayne, thanks. I gave you a fair and representative sample of events and all you can come back with is misrepresentations of what I wrote and misstatement of the facts--all in the name of your limited, subjective experience and, I grant you, admirable activism. "Some in Texas government have tried (and failed) to bring discriminatory legislation to bear, but it hasn't worked." I guess you were out of town when the bill to place a gay marriage ban on the ballot was introduced, debated, passed, and signed by that governor all those Texas liberals elected. You might not be sitting on your ass, but somebody must have sat on your reading glasses--or is it just your cliched, kneejerk defensiveness--"Git the shotgun, Ma, ther critisizin The Great State Of Texas agin!"--that is shortcircuiting your thought processes? "the entire country elected (Bush and Rove) not just the state of Texas." I claimed no such thing--only that if the son of a bitch (yes, of bugeyed Babs) had been stopped in Texas, he might not have made it to the national ballot. And, I'm sure it was the same overheated defend-Texas-to-the-death myopia--that is SUCH a crashing bore, BTW--that caused you to unintentionally state that Rove holds an ELECTED office, when I know you know better (if Rove doesn't himself). Neither did I say it was "full of hateful bigots." They're simply, and obviously, the majority who vote, no matter how big your accepting family and circle of friends. That's the same line of functionally irrelevant nonsense HRC, GLAAD, et al. spew regarding the 60% who (allegedly) support gay marriage or civil unions. That's really comforting. I just have one question: when is President Kerry having us over for tea? Where I live is irrelevant. You don't have to be knee deep in horse shit to know it when you smell it. But, I have lived in Houston, and, just two weekends ago, was stopped, frisked, and interrogated as if I were an international terrorist by police in Garland for the crime of standing under a shade tree for too long waiting for my ride to the airport--someone had called them because I looked "suspicious." Even after finding nothing illegal in my pockets or my bag, and explaining that I was only visiting The Great State to say goodbye to my cousin in Murphy who had died the night before, they STILL would not let me go until the station radioed back that there were no outstanding warrants for my arrest. Ah, southern hospitality. I loathed what Texas represents, despite you and the other good people there, long before that incident. I've met good people in bad places the same as I have bad people in good places. That's not the point. Enjoy the subculture in which you survive, but your effort to paste it over the rest of the state is what's lame. Red state; redneck. What's the difference.
Posted by: Leland | Aug 3, 2005 5:08:22 PM