The October 27 episode of ABC’s “Politically Incorrect” triggered a record number of complaints to the Catholic League. The discussion was Halloween and how it relates to paganism. The show’s host, Bill Maher, commented how “Christianity is grafted on paganism”; media critic Holly McClure agreed. Actor Guy Torry then remarked, “Halloween was started in the Catholic Church,” a quip denied by McClure. The most important exchange occurred next.
McClure: “We are so ignorant on the whole reason why we do it [celebrate Halloween]. We just go along like sheep to the slaughter.”
Maher: “Which is the perfect description of religion itself. I mean, what is scarier than drinking the man’s blood every Sunday? That’s not a spooky ritual? Here kids, drink his blood and eat his body. Like that’s not pagan? What can be more pagan than that?”
The league announced to the press its response to this episode of “Politically Incorrect” in the following news release:
“The relentless assault on Catholicism that emanates from ‘Politically Incorrect’ suggests an animus against Roman Catholicism that is deep-seated. We will ask our members to flood the offices of ABC with phone calls, faxes and letters.
“Thus far, Olivia Cohen-Cutler, the new vice president of Broadcast Standards & Practices at ABC, has shown little interest in addressing the anti-Catholic virus that Bill Maher willfully spreads on his show. It is time she acted responsibly by directly confronting this issue.”
Members are urged to contact Cohen-Cutler by writing to her at 2040 Avenue of the Stars, 5th floor, Century City, CA 90067. It would be useful to know what Maher’s problem is and what ABC is going to do about it.
