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Miami Herald

NBC Under Pressure to Pull New Comedy Series

Oct 30, 2014  •  Post A Comment

One of NBC’s new comedies has offended a group of viewers, who are putting pressure on the network to cancel the program. The Miami Herald reports that the sitcom, “Bad Judge,” is taking heat from female attorneys.

The attorneys say the show depicts a female judge as “unethical, lazy, crude, hyper-sexualized and unfit to hold such an esteemed position of power.” They have sent a letter to NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke, asking him to cancel the show.

“We believe that media images that depict women in a negative light, even when intended to be funny, are damaging and often dangerous,” said Deborah Baker, president of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. “Our mission has been to advance women in the legal profession, to help women climb the ranks and to be taken seriously in the legal profession. However, this show does just the opposite.”

The complaints include references to Kate Walsh’s character having a hickey, parking in a disabled spot, and showing up late to court because she was hung over, the story says.

“Our organization understands that ‘Bad Judge’ may be intended to be hyperbole, but we nonetheless find it damaging to women in the legal profession,” Baker said. Her letter pointed out that fewer than 35 percent of active judges on the 13 federal courts of appeal are women, and there have only been four female justices on the Supreme Court.

NBC didn’t return calls requesting comment, the article notes.

bad judge-title

14 Comments

  1. Jeez, it’s a COMEDY. Quit sniveling. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.

  2. This is just a television show and it does not depict the life and working habits of female attorneys especially those who hold judicial positions. As a female attorney, I do not find it offensive. It’s a matter of taste. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it!

  3. This woman is right. We need to go back to shows which portray men as “unethical, lazy, crude, hyper-sexualized and unfit to hold such an esteemed position of power.” I mean, that’s the way God intended TV to be, right? Further, I believe that “media images that depict men in a negative light, even when intended to be funny, are damaging and often dangerous,”

    Also, there’s no need to raise a fuss. This show won’t be long for the world anyway

  4. OMG. Just rolling my eyes in disbelief. It’s a sitcom, people, not a documentary. And even if it was, IT’S JUST TELEVISION!!! Sheesh

  5. Its a little known fact that the American Society of High School Chemistry Teachers petitioned AMC to remove Breaking Bad from its schedule due to its detrimental portrayal of High School Chemistry teachers as ‘unethical and murderous methamphetamine’ dealers.

  6. All this brouhaha sounds like NBC struck a nerve.

  7. So would they prefer that networks go back to sitcoms that only focus on men? Women want equality until they actually get treated the same as men and then they scream that it is unfair. Harry Anderson has been looking for another job since Night Court. I am sure that he would be happy to be the male judge that parks illegally, is hung over and late for work.

  8. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”

  9. “unethical, lazy, crude, hyper-sexualized … ” Where do I find such a female attorney?

  10. Haven’t watched one episode of this show…now I will. “Unethical, lazy, crude, hyper-sexualized and unfit to hold such an esteemed position of power.”

    My kind of show.

  11. Wow, a series on NBC being noticed by… anyone. Good move.

    In the mean time, it appears these attorneys need to get out of the courtroom once in a while and get a life.

  12. Bad Judge is the funniest show that my wife and I have seen since The Big Bang Theory came on. Since Revolution was cancelled, it was looking like there wouldn’t be a single show on NBC that we watched, Bad Judge changed that.

  13. Cosby’s new comedy won’t be nearly as controversial, except for the rape thing.

  14. I’ll bet the offended just wished they looked that good.

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