Residents of a Connecticut city that has been mocked on an ABC sitcom say the jokes need to stop, citing a Halloween episode featuring a character dressed up as a pregnant ‘Norwalk prom girl.’
‘American Housewife’ is set in Westport, and characters have occasionally derided their neighbors in Norwalk, drawing the ire of the city’s real-life residents.
‘It’s a constant attack on Norwalk,’ Sen. Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said to the Hartford Courant.
‘American Housewife’ is set in Westport, Connecticut, and characters have occasionally derided their neighbors in Norwalk, angering actual residents
A Halloween episode featuring a character dressed up as a pregnant ‘Norwalk prom girl’ particularly angered those who call the town their home
Both Westport and Nowalk are real towns with the latter having a population of close to 89,000
‘Their portrayal of our city is poor, it’s insensitive and it reflects our children, especially, in a poor light.
‘I’m disappointed in Disney because they are supposed to be a family values company and here they are mocking a community, mocking children and making light of the fact that we are a city rich in diversity that I view as a strength, not a weakness.’
Duff added that the show often paints Norwalk as being a town ‘town that people escape,’ instead of a ‘a growing city people are moving into.’
Sen. Majority Leader Bob Duf (left) f, D-Norwalk and Norwalk superintendent of schools, Steven J Adamowski (right, both wrote letters to ABC Entertainment Group President Channing Dungey to voice their disdain of the constant insults
In a letter to ABC Entertainment Group President Channing Dungey on November 21, Duff asked for the insults to stop.
‘I would ask for these attacks to cease and for ABC to issue an apology,’ he added.
Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe says residents of his town feel the show is unfair to them as well
‘If your company is truly family friendly then it will keep the humor to people who can defend themselves, not attacking high school students.’
Norwalk superintendent of schools, Steven J Adamowski, also wrote a letter to Dungey voicing his concerns on the show’s message surrounding bullying.
‘As superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools, I’m writing to let you know that insults about Norwalk children on a national network TV show are not funny,’ he said.
Rather they are pejorative, demeaning and divisive. Ms. Dungey, are you aware that you are promoting bias?’
Adamnowski made the suggestion that their were possible repercussions for students.
‘Our high school students in particular now find themselves the target of stereotypes and prejudices, on a TV network owned by Disney,’ Adamowski added.
Andy Ross created the website stoptheinsults.com to petition network owner Disney to apologize. He says he doesn’t understand why the show can’t needle a fictitious city instead.
Andy Ross created the website stoptheinsults.com to petition network owner Disney to apologize. He says he doesn’t understand why the show can’t needle a fictitious city instead
Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling tells the Norwalk Hour that mocking high schoolers is ‘a form of bullying.’
Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe says residents of his town feel the show is unfair to them as well.
ABC did not respond to requests for comment.