NBC announced today that it cancelled the new series, The Playboy Club. They claim it was due to poor ratings (only 3.4 million people watched it Monday night) and it may have also been due to pressure from conservative groups, such as the Parents Television Council.
I am so angry about this announcement, I can't even think of words to describe what I want to say. And that's saying a lot.
Only three episodes of the show had aired, so obviously, I'm not a die-hard fan or anything. But after three episodes, I really enjoyed the show. I could already tell it was going to be a show I was going to watch every week.
The acting was decent. The stars were sexy. The costumes were fabulous. The plot was thick with adventure, mystery, suspense, and jaw-dropping twists. It wasn't perfect, but it was a show which clearly had a lot of potential.
As for the ratings, all great televirion shows need time to develop a faithful audience. You can't just expect 20 million people to watch and fall in love with a show on the first night. It just doesn't work that way.
So, for NBC to cancel the show based on "poor viewership" after only three episodes is ridiculous.
As for the conservative groups which protested the show, I'm even more distressed. They denounced the show for being "pornographic" and for trying to sexualize women.
The Playboy Club was not pornographic by any means. It was based on the Playboy Bunnies (not the playmates) who were the waitresses at the illustrious Playboy Club in Chicago during the 1960s. These women were not strippers. They were not prostitutes. They were young, beautiful, and educated. Many were wives, mothers, and future businesswomen.
And as for thd sexploitation of women, give me a break. Perhaps we should get rid of supermodels. Perhaps we should get rid of pop stars. Perhaps we should get rid of reality television show stars (which I wouldn't oppose, haha). There is nothing wrong with women wanting to be sexy and acting sexy. The fact that people call women being sexy sexploitation is what makes it sexist.
The show had an element of class to it, which you don't see very often on television these days. It highlighted the glamour of its era, plus focused on historical elements facing Chicago during this time period. It showcased gay rights, civil rights, and women's rights. Sure, it had romance and sex. But it wasn't graphic. It wasn't sleazy. There have been shows with much worse content.
I'm just really frustrated that a good show, with such great potential, got cancelled before it was even given a chance.
I'm tired of turning on the television and seeing stupid, meaningless shows that were created for the real-life Homer Simpson.
Because those are the shows which last in this country.
Many of the shows I've fallen in love with over the years have failed with the average American.
Freaks & Geeks. Sports Night. Arrested Development.
It makes me really sad.
There is a Facebook page to support the show. Perhaps with our collective fabulousness, we can save it. (Well, perhaps not, but humor me).
So please like the page, if you liked the show! Thank you.
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