There’s a new docudrama series coming out in January. It’s A&E‘s Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America. Doesn’t that sound like a powerful show in the face of America’s current political climate? However, originally this show was titled Generation KKK. That fact is a reminder. Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America is from the same network that’s given us Duck Dynasty, Hoarders, and Intervention.
It’s true: A&E has turned its lens to the infamous long-time terrorist group known as the Klu Klux Klan -aka the KKK. As reported by Deadline, when ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo read the news of A&E’s Generation KKK she took to twitter calling for a boycott. This caused A&E to reach out to her on Twitter. They explained that the show was about, “extracting families from the KKK & exposing hate.” It was also pointed out that Generation KKK is supported by the Anti Defamation League (ADL). Obviously though Pompeo’s comments had some effect. Two days later A&E gave Generation KKK a new title.
The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions
Despite A&E’s Generation KKK being changed to Escaping the KKK, the show itself isn’t going to be any different. Therefore, it still has the same problems. For starters, let’s take a look at what set Pompeo off.
We’ll soon get a weekly look inside the lives of several families headed by KKK members https://t.co/uQfOPZ0eNk pic.twitter.com/syVEkKf7YO
– Salon (@Salon) December 20, 2016
Shame on you @AETV https://t.co/eeGrdYbdjS
– Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) December 21, 2016
Although the Salon article isn’t written by A&E the photo is from their promotional package. It suggests a tender, caring, loving…KKK. An image is worth a thousand words. Sure, later on it may be put into a context of a young man trying to get out of the KKK – but as promotional material there’s no way to know that.
Pompeo wasn’t the only one who reacted in anger to this image. There were many other tweets from non-famous people expressing outrage at the display. For example:
@Salon How about a look at real heroes who fight racism every day rather than normalizing? @ADL_National #exposehate
– RaiselM (@raiselm) December 20, 2016
@Salon Cause, nothing more depicts “struggle,” than two white male tattooed bigots hugging each other for the cause, right? #CNN#MSNBC
– ApolloCreed (@Apollo_Creed_) December 21, 2016
If it were just that one photo that was problematic with the show’s imagery A&E could pull it and be fine. It’s not. Within two minutes into the show’s nearly 8 minute trailer the KKK’s surface is already painted as a strong organization with everyday family structure. The Grand Wizard’s just a family man trying to take care of his kids. The group’s rituals – including cross-burning – are shot in glamorized slow-motions. The final straw is listening to this guy state the KKK’s manifesto. Changing the title to Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America does not, and can not fix the show’s underlying problem. This show makes the KKK seem mainstream.
Why A Title Change Isn’t Enough: the Name Isn’t the Only Normalizing Factor
Two days prior The New York Times had run an article A&E’s Generation KKK series. Social media exploded, to the point that the controversy was picked up by major media like CBS and listed as “a moment” on Twitter. One twitter commentator in the CBS article, author and blogger Olivia A. Cole, was especially haunting in her assessment.
Normalization and legitimization = giving cute names like Alt-Right and Generation KKK to violent white supremacists. This makes a Roof.
– Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) December 19, 2016
Her points are well taken. The title alone gave the show – and the KKK – an innocent vibe.
There can be no doubt that A&E is aware of the show’s pitfalls. In the New York Times piece, A&E’s general manager Rob Sharenow explains the “delicate balance required between winning the trust of the Clan members and ensuring that the show didn’t propagate views the network executives abhor.” This statement is nothing but a fancy disclaimer of the abhorrent views that will be propagated by the series. They know full well that the nature of what A&E’s Generation KKK is – a weekly docudrama series – makes it impossible not to do so. There’s simply no way to tell the story of trying to get people out of the KKK without giving the KKK leaders a nation platform to state their views and convictions. This is why changing the title, which certainly was a good thing to do, can’t change that airing the show is a bad idea.
There’s No Such Thing As Bad Publicity
This isn’t to say that A&E or the series itself is pro-KKK. If you read the aforementioned New York Times article it’s clear that executive Producer Aengus James had good intentions.
“The struggles we were most drawn to were the struggles with the internal families,” said Mr. James, an executive producer of the series, whose previous credits include TLC’s “I Am Jazz,” about the transgender teenager Jazz Jennings. “We had a stance, and we were clear with folks that we were hoping for them to see the light and to come out of this world. It’s an incredibly destructive environment for anybody to be in, let alone children.”
Unfortunately, a docudrama series is the wrong format to tackle this because it’s just two steps up from a reality show. They are meant to be provocative, informative – and entertaining. Also, because it is a series and not a straight-forward documentary it will be entering people’s homes week after week. Doing so will make the KKK a topic being discussed as a part of everyday life.
When that happens, the subject of the KKK will gain a stamp of normalcy in the spectrum of Americana. This has nothing to do with the title. Even something like the reality show “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo” ended up opening a dialogue about whether or not there was anything wrong about the family’s way of living. It set up poverty and poor nutrition as life choices a person has conscious control over, and American viewers as judge and jury. This phenomena of making a topic normal and a question of choice has nothing to do with a show’s title.
Unfortunately, A&E’s Generation KKK has Dangerous Timing
A&E’s Generation KKK was conceived a year and half ago. I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt on their intentions. While A&E may have gone about it badly, it does seem like the first intentions of the show’s producers were good ones.
Perhaps if things today were like they were when A&E got the idea, this show wouldn’t be as upsetting. After all, shedding light on those who help get people out of the KKK is an interesting angle. The show might have been seen as a provocative inside look at a dangerous terrorist organization. It might even have inspired a few people to leave the KKK, or have been a deterrent to someone joining one. By the same token, it could have done the opposite.
The thing is, America is not where it was a 18 months ago.
The Recruitment Factor
During the twitter exchange between Pompeo and James she asked him an interesting question. He had defended the show as one that exposes the KKK for what it is while helping people to leave the organization.
Have they done one on Muslim extemism? https://t.co/gjHIHkAIKp
– Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) December 21, 2016
Can you imagine the uproar if there was a weekly show following families involved with militant Muslim extremism? “The ISIS Generation” a show where week after week they’ll get to spread their views to the world – all in the hopes of convince some to leave the organization. It will never happen. ISIS/ISIL uses all publicity to help in their recruitment. Every time they’re on TV it adds to their esteem. Americans saying how awful they are is used as justifications for their attacks.
The Political Factor
Since the election of Donald Trump there has been a documented rise in hate crimes – including a few attacks on people wearing Donald Trump campaign hats. In addition to the actual crimes of violence and property damage, the verbal acting out hasn’t been pretty either. People have been caught on video exploding on racist rants in malls across America. It makes the timing of A&E’s Generation KKK dangerous.
As Olivia A Cole’s earlier mentioned twitter statement points out, there is no such thing as self-radicalization. Dylan Roof spent a lot of time on neo-Nazi websites before walking into a church and murdering nine innocent African-Americans and injuring a tenth. With A&E’s Generation KKK those messages he found online will be coming straight out of our television sets. It will be like lighting a match in a room full of explosives.
The Wrap Up
The question of should I add to this show’s publicity was weighed heavily before I started this article. However, there are too many articles treating this show like any other docudrama series. It is the same kind of the thing that went on for the 18 months prior to the U.S. Presidential election. If its one thing major media should have learned it’s that there are times where you have to call things as you see them. A&E’s Generation KKK – now known as Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America is not like every other “controversial” television series. Our current political climate makes this a show one that shouldn’t be aired right now.
Currently America is a country deeply divided. One sign of this: Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly three million, but still lost the electoral college. As such, despite Trump’s views not representing the U.S. majority he is the president-elect.
One the one hand, some can take comfort in knowing Trump’s win doesn’t reflect the majority viewpoint of Americans that voted. Nevertheless, it’s chilling to know that Trump’s documented words of racism and sexism didn’t faze nearly half the country. Add to that the very public support of Trump’s campaign by the KKK and neo-Nazi groups and it’s downright scary.
Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America is supposed to start on January 10th. On January 20th Donald Trump gets sworn into office. During this time emotions on both sides will be running even higher than they are now. As such, whatever the producers intentions, this winter/spring season is not the time to be airing this show. It’s akin to running a TV episode involving a mass shooting the day after one actually occurs.
Furthermore, whenever this show airs it will present the same problem. Escaping the KKK gives the KKK a place at the table of debatable lifestyle choices. It doesn’t matter that the show’s purpose is to expose the KKK as being a hate mongering organization and terrorist group. Within that framework the KKK still gets to present itself as just another point of view in America. Aside from actual racists, no one want the KKK’s beliefs to be seen as a legitimate choice within American existence. A&E may have meant well, but now is not the time for this show. It doesn’t matter what they call it.
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