by RANDALL MURPHREE | AFA Journal Editor

Marriage is fast becoming a rainbow array of relationships including un-traditional and even bizarre arrangements, according to prime-time TV. Television has joined whole-heartedly with various politically correct pressure groups such as the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign and various other homosexual-rights groups. They are determined to diminish the impact of moral values in our culture.

More often than not, television marriage seems to be evolving into a short-order commodity designed to sate one’s desires at the moment, requiring little or no real commitment. This phenomenon may, in fact, be a realistic reflection of what many of the culture gurus and entertainment trend-setters live out in their own experience. For example, entertainment legend Zsa Zsa Gabor boasts nine marriages, and Elizabeth Taylor, Larry King and Mickey Rooney all tally eight. At age 47, Billy Bob Thornton, who just dismissed wife number five, may be making a run for the crown.

“Television is doing its best to dismantle marriage as we have known it,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “Rarely do we see the networks portray marriage in the traditional sense. At the same time, they make way for all kinds of live-in lover arrangements, heterosexual and homosexual.”

The Judeo-Christian concept of marriage as a lifelong union of one man and one woman began to weaken in the mid-1900s. By the turn of the century, the assault on traditional values had reached the point at which marriages on the small screen were often between spouses (1) who simply tolerate each other or do emotional battle in dramatic series and movies; (2) who ridicule and disrespect each other in sitcoms; or (3) who are paired by the most bizarre gimmicks – including viewer votes.

CBS: Profound dishonesty
In the May 29 debut episode of Amazing Race 4, CBS proclaimed Reichen and Chip “The Married Couple.” The two Beverly Hills men are one of 12 teams in Amazing Race’s road rally/race around the globe.

One of the men declared, “We cemented our relationship in the traditional manner that a heterosexual couple would.”

His partner added, “I have a personal vendetta against all the times that I’ve been made to feel inadequate because I’m gay.”

A CBS spokesperson responded to WorldNetDaily’s questions about the “married” men, saying “They’re married and they’re gay. Is there an issue?”

“This is profoundly dishonest [of CBS] and is intended to persuade Americans that so-called ‘gay marriage’ is already a reality, when no jurisdiction in America has legalized it,” said Robert Knight in the same WND article. Knight, a former news editor at the Los Angeles Times, is director of the Culture and Family Institute.

The state of Vermont has legalized “civil unions” for homosexuals, but Texas recently became the 37th state to pass legislation preventing the legal recognition of same-sex unions. That’s 37-0 in favor of traditional marriage, but even those numbers don’t stop CBS from its distorted depiction of marriage.

“Clearly, CBS is playing word games and intentionally misleading their viewers,” said Wildmon. Ironically, the Amazing Race team introduced just after the homosexual partners advocated Biblical principles. The team includes a man and woman who have been dating for 12 years and are still virgins. The man said he believes in what the Bible teaches about sex before marriage. CBS’ subtle – but clear – implication is that they are the weirdos.

Fox: Prolific decadence
The Fox network may have lowered the bar more than any other network with its Married by America (2003) and Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? (2000). Both series exemplify the spate of “reality” series in which the networks manipulate and exploit willing participants who abandon all modesty and dignity for a chance at fame, sex or money. Fox has made a mockery of marriage, reducing it to little more than a game.

In Multi-Millionaire, Fox made mini-celebrities of Rick Rockwell and Darva Conger. Conger was the “winner” from a number of women who were selected to compete for Rockwell’s hand in marriage. Unfortunately, however, Conger and Rockwell’s much-hyped February 15, 2000, on-air marriage lasted only 50 days, when Conger received an annulment.

In Married by America, Fox manipulated a handful of hopefuls, pairing men and women who became engaged without ever having met each other. Their families, friends and Fox’s viewing audience helped pair the lovers and narrow down the field to one final couple.

In Joe Millionaire, a bevy of desperate women did combat for Joe’s hand in marriage, only to be told in the end that he was not a millionaire at all. To Fox, marriage is clearly nothing more than a gimmick to garner viewers and appeal to their worst voyeuristic inclinations.

ABC: Polite debauchery
ABC’s The Bachelor followed a similar formula, while trying to superimpose a more genteel ambience. ABC’s bachelor interviewed and “group dated” 25 women, then took aim and picked them off one by one until only one was left standing.

New York Post columnist Linda Stasi wrote that she was “so embarrassed for the desperate women who are on [The Bachelor], that I am now officially ashamed to be a woman.”

In the ABC drama NYPD Blue, the network takes another cheap shot at redefining the whole concept of marriage and family. In the May 13 episode, Det. Andy Sipowicz, series hero, enjoys a quiet evening at home with his son, Theo, about 6; Connie, his live-in sex partner; and Connie’s baby niece. Connie and Andy were granted custody of the baby after Connie’s sister died.

A friend observes, “You’ve got a nice family, Andy. You’re lucky.”

NBC/Bravo: Predictable depravity
Given the direction of other networks, it was predictable that NBC would jump on the band wagon. Its latest effort is Boy Meets Boy, scheduled on the NBC-owned Bravo network this summer. The series will feature a homosexual man looking for a sex partner among 15 potential men.

Some of the contestants are heterosexual men paid by NBC/Bravo to pretend to be homosexual. The “star” of the show (taped before airing), however, does not know that any of his sex targets are imposters.

On the Bravo Web site, series creator and executive producer Douglas Ross said, “I think this will be truly groundbreaking television.” He says he thinks Boy Meets Boy is a serious sociological exploration of male stereotypes.

Bravo earlier featured homosexual themes including a show called Gay Weddings. Over the past decade, such “weddings” – though they have none of the advantages of law – have been the subject of too many network programs and specials to count.

The agenda is clear – destroy the sanctity of marriage and distort the meaning of family. The result will further rob our culture of its traditional moral strength. And there’s no doubt that network television is a major player in the game.