Posted on 04/30/2003 2:21:52 PM PDT by bedolido
(CNSNews.com) - Homeschoolers are panning a new sitcom called The O'Keefees that portrays children from a "not-so-normal family" who have difficulty absorbing the realities of life in public school.
The show will air sometime this summer on The WB, serving as a midseason replacement. But even before homeschoolers have had the chance to see it, they're already lashing out at its portrayal of the fictional family.
The Home School Legal Defense Association became involved in the issue last month. The group's president, J. Michael Smith, wrote to Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer to express his concerns on behalf of the 75,000 families the organization represents.
"We believe that the initial description of the sitcom is not an accurate portrayal of the homeschool movement at large," Smith wrote. "Homeschoolers are very concerned that the program not portray homeschooling in a negative light."
Smith, who wasn't available for comment, viewed a pilot of the sitcom Tuesday, which The WB released to the group. In his letter, Smith said he feared that the show would perpetuate certain myths about homeschooling.
According to The WB, the show is a semi-autobiographical comedy created by Executive Producer Mark O'Keefe. It stars actor Judge Reinhold as a father who, after prodding from his wife and kids, agrees to let two of his children attend public high school. A third child remains at home for schooling.
"This new half-hour family comedy series takes a humorous look at our so-called 'normal' society through the eyes of one not-so-normal family as they try to keep their own unique values alive in a world where conformity rules," according to The WB's description of the show.
Paul McGuire, a spokesman for The WB, said six episodes have already been filmed. The show was originally scheduled to air last summer, but it will instead be used sometime in the coming months.
McGuire said he personally responded to Smith with a phone call, but he hadn't spoken with him again as of Tuesday morning. The WB has received four additional letters expressing concern about the sitcom, McGuire said.
"The show rewards the values of this family," he said, "and I think people should take a look at it first before they judge it."
Even though The WB's description of the show called it a "semi-autobiographical comedy," McGuire said it was about a fictional family living in an imaginary world.
Those passionate about homeschooling have written more than 100 anonymous critiques of the concept behind the show on the website TV Tome, which hosts a message board and includes information about various sitcoms.
Homeschooling parent Isabel Lyman wrote in a February column for the libertarian Ludwig von Mises Institute that it was only a matter of time before Hollywood "discovered" homeschooling.
"It's infuriating, but not surprising, that homeschoolers, the largest group in the so-called school choice movement, still elicit scorn," Lyman wrote.
In his letter to Warner Bros., Smith challenged some of the myths he believes The O'Keefes will perpetuate. He said homeschoolers are normal American families, and students tend to score higher on tests and are better socialized than their public school counterparts.
As for Smith's offer to work with The WB on scripts for future episodes, McGuire said it was too soon to make any promises. The first six episodes are already taped, he said, and the show's future will depend on its ratings this summer.
There is a family down the street that home schools, the father is a paranoid lunatic, the wife who apprently does the schooling apprently dropped out of school in grade 8. And in 1998 they dug up their entire back yard to build a massive bomb shelter, and frequently the police are called when they are playing loud hyms very poorly in the middle of the night.
The kids often play in the yard, but run inside the second anyone so much as looks in their direction, the woman wears rubber gloves and a face mask when she gets the mail and the husband can often be seen rummaging through the neighborhood garbage
I am sure there are lots of great home schoolers out there, but there are alot who are just schizophrenics and those of you who can't stand having a little fun poked at you probably fall into that category
As am I. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get into the ring! : )
I homeschooled my oldest daughter, the second part of her Kindergarten year----this was "forced homeschooling." At 5 years old, in November of her Kindergarten year, my daughter was forced to hug a male counselor while her lunch was withheld from her by her teacher. They decided she had "issues" because she refused to share her feelings in Magic Circle, a controversial, psychologically manipulative program; a program used on my daughter without my knowledge or consent. Her negative behavioral changes were immense for the weeks. I had no idea what caused these changes. Finally, she blurted out to me, immediately prior to Christmas Break (PC Winter break), the above information. Long story short, I pulled her out of school (subsequently joined a Citizens Group and fought against the School District (CA, of course), after being lied to, talked down to, ignored, repudiated). We won, but not after months of work.
While homeschooling, I learned of other homeschoolers, which met, every Friday, for a "p.e. class," where all homeschooled children met and played and competed against each other. My daughter, now 17, said she has, to this day, the most fondest memories of that time in her life. She learned a lot, jumped ahead in 1st as far as ability (in Kindergarten, she wasn't taught anything; she could not read, write, add by mid-December). By June, she could read, write, in both caps and small letters, add and learned geography, to boot; she still remembers our lesson about Ethiopia, especially, Africa and its varied topography and climates.
There's few homeschoolers, as I understand it, who do not participate in group activities during the week with other homeschoolers.
Ruh roh....
Don't hit me, but do you live in Oklahoma?
LOL!
As compared with the realities of public school? With their condom on the bannana routine, shootings, drugs and kids that can't find the pacific ocean on a map?
It would be little wonder if this show wasn't financed by the unions and intentionally designed to make home schoolers look like fools.
It's the only chance the teachers unions have.
Yeah, I know I'd be very concerned if my kids couldn't converse with kids their own age. Doing sex, drugs and rock'n'roll is essential to their development.
< / sarcasm >
That is funny! - Come on... homeschoolers should know better than to be curmudgeons.
I hope.... 2J may strangle me for the mail joke!
You're right. I've been told that with some frequency, lol. It's a quote from Walter Williams so I'm leaving it alone.
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