"New Normal" Cast Members Andrew Rannells & Ellen Barkin Weigh In on the Controversy

[JamesG]

Andrew Rannells on "The New Normal" Backlash, One Million Moms
08/28/2012


For a show that hasn't premiered yet, NBC's "The New Normal" has seen its fair share of backlash.

From a Utah NBC affiliate refusing to air the show because of its subject matter to the anti-gay organization One Million Moms boycotting the series, the Ryan Murphy comedy is making headlines and causing controversy.





According to the show's star Andrew Rannells, it's more than a little ridiculous.

"The silly part is that no one has seen it," Rannells told PrideSource.

"So what that boycott is based on is a two-line description of what they read this show was about and, just based on that alone, they're upset. That's disappointing because ultimately, what the show is about is how much love it takes to start a family -- and not just our family."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0..._1835963.html?

[JamesG]

Ellen Barkin Responds to "The New Normal" Controversy
Aug 29, 2012
by Sadie Gennis


NBC's freshman sitcom "The New Normal" hasn't even premiered, but it's already become a popular target for conservative groups.

The show, created by "Glee's" Ryan Murphy, features a gay couple (Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells) who try to have a baby via surrogate (Georgia King).

It has already has been boycotted by One Million Moms, and a Mormon-owned Utah NBC affiliate has vowed not to air the program. (The same station refused to air NBC's "The Playboy Club" last fall.)





Series star Ellen Barkin, who plays the hyper-conservative grandmother Jane, became the center of a media firestorm earlier this week when she tweeted her irritation at Utah's KSL-TV for their stance against the show. But it appears the actress has no regrets.

"Quite frankly, I felt good about it," Barkin told reporters Wednesday of the responses she got to her tweets, some which were quite volatile.

"Yes, it is their right to ban something, but I do think it's a form of censorship."





In KSL-TV's explanation for cutting the same-sex family comedy, they referred to the series as "explicit," "offensive" and "crude." Yet Barkin noted the station has no problem airing series which feature graphic violence and explicit language.

"I don't understand why a show that I happen to love, like 'Law & Order: SVU' ... is acceptable, but a show about a very loving, committed same sex-couple wanting to raise a child... is explicit and offensive," she said.

"So yeah, I did take a position on that, and being responded to on both sides made people pay attention. And I think that is what matters."





What Barkin seems to seek is honest dialogue between the polarized stances, something she first tried to achieve after the One Million Moms boycott in July.

"I sent out a tweet asking the One Million Moms, who I think are 3,000 moms, to meet me for tea and let's talk about it," she said. "You know, they didn't answer back. I guess their position would be, 'We know where she stands and where Ryan Murphy stands, so we have nothing to say to them' and that's what makes this country divisive."





Barkin believes "The New Normal" has the potential to help mend this gap, by evolving society's current notion of what an acceptable family might be.

"I hope everyone starts maybe opening up a tiny bit and are able to redefine what normal is," Barkin said.



"The New Normal" premieres Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.
The pilot is already available online.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ellen-Ba...y-1052475.aspx