THE GANGS OF CAMDEN COUNTY
10.04.2007 | 8/7c | TV14
The prison warden (Craig T. Nelson) asks for Earl's help to end the growing problem of gang fighting in the jail yard. Meanwhile, Randy continues to have trouble adjusting to life without Earl and seeks to reunite with his jailed sibling.

Stop with the gay agenda push or im outta there.

We enjoy watching My Name is Earl as a family with our sons, but when two men kiss on the show with no parental warning listed or warning that something inappropriate is going to happen we do not appreciate it. Maybe the PG14 rating should have been adjusted. Sincerely Laura Harvey and family.

US TOO!!!! It was tolerable in season 1, but this episode just took it to a new level. NBC just pushed our tolerance level over the line. If we see that crap again, we're gone. Here's a suggestion: if you agree with this problem, express your concerns to the advertisers and maybe they'll quit messing with the show.

Keep doing what you're doing, NBC. It's not being shoved down these people's throats. Why do they have to leave out stuff just because some people have tolerance level that stops at one place and others have a tolerance level that stops at another. Don't watch it then. You live on planet Earth in the year 2007.

Rock on, rainsan. NBC, if you're losing viewers, (then they) are the ones worth losing anyway.

Ditto - I don't care if the rating is TV14. There are still some things that I just choose to not let my 14yr old view.

We weren’t given a choice. Go ahead and throw out the label “homophobe”– guess that’s all you have when your losing the battle. It just shows how narrow minded you are and how persistant you are in name calling when you hear comments that don’t agree with your views. The broadcast networks are not a medium for conditioning people to accept unnatural lifestyles.

im outta here.

Hi, my name is VBarkley I am the moderator of the My Name is Earl board. I have not yet seen the episode, but I would suggest that if you are unhappy with the content, you voice your opinions here.

yer so mature. holy cow, how old are you?

So what you are saying is that if you are in support of tonights episode it is okay to post here but if you disagree you have to post somewhere else???

No, as I said before, I haven't even seen it yet. I am saying if you want the network to hear you to tell them. They don't read these boards. I am merely a fan volunteer.

Use the dropdown menu on the link I posted to choose Earl as the show you want to ask about.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dear Moderator,

It seems you are evading the question. It still sounds like you wish that negative comments were not welcome. Individual opinions should be allowed to be expressed.

The subject matter did not bother me had it only been my spouse and me viewing the episode. However, in this case, it was also our children viewing it with us. Then to be blindsided by the extreme subject matter and graphic visual aids was something I did not feel like I should have had to be prepared to explain to our children.

Are you associated with NBC and/or its programming in any way, shape or form?

How can you be a moderator if you haven’t watched the show? If you are watching on the left coast, I will allow for the time delay, but unless there truly is a situation, you feel you need to moderate, you should not comment on posts regarding an episode you haven’t seen yet.

The confusion you have caused vaguely appears to be the opinion of a single-minded individual.

Additionally, I have notified NBC directly as to my opinions about tonight’s episode but I choose to share my opinion with those who are likeminded.

lost me tonight.........I hope I never see it again.

That was just wrong

I am a fan volunteer, not affiliated with NBC. As moderators, we strive to help boards members abide by the forum rules listed above. My concern was to keep the forum from getting too inflammatory between posters of differing opinions that had already led to name calling. Everyone's opinion is welcome, but verbally insulting other posters is not.

Peace out.

Yeah, this episode had a definite 'Ick' factor for me.

What was wrong, the homosexuality or the inter-racial aspect?

The couple in question happened to be a pair of convicted felons. That's hardly a ringing endorsement for any lifestyle.

Agreed. I am very disappointed with NBC and this show for broadcasting such subject matter in an 8PM time slot. I have loved the show from the beginning because under all the blue collar humor is a very spiritual message. I have tried numerous times to defend this show to other people for that reason, and now NBC resorts to shock value. Gee, thanks.

Clean up the mess and get back to what the show is about: repentence, restitution and redemption.

Most of the discussion on the episode is in the "About To Lose A Viewer" thread, but I just wanted to add that I didn't really like this episode at all. I agree with those viewers who stated that there should have been a warning. I have no problem with homosexuality, but this is an 8:00 show and I can see how parents with children would be concerned about the content. Also, they could have made the guys (I forgot their names already) best friends or half brothers or something. It was just too unrealistic to me and I was disappointed.

Not that she needs my two cents, but VBarkley is an excellent moderator and a respected member of these boards. As she stated, all moderator work is on a volunteer basis. She does reside on the West Coast and therefore had not seen the episode when the discussion began.

NBC does not seem to read anything posted on these boards. We have complained about content, messageboard changes, and inability for Canadians to access deleted scenes. The link you were given in order to complain is correct. In addition, your bolded statement above uncalled and for unneccessary. You have every right to complain about this episode-- you were not the only one--but you do not need to join a messageboard and insult the people who are moderating it.

I think what VBarkley meant to say was that we are free to view our opinions about the show on this board (within the boundaries of its rules) but that if we really want NBC to know our opinion we should go to the listed link. I did. To be fair to Atirem, VBarkley's original post was written in a way that could be misinterpreted.

Let's get back on the subject...

Took a long time to register just to tell you that you lost us as fans.Material way to inappropriate for my wife and i to view w\o children present . Really disappointed. Enjoyed the show until now. Probably will not watch again

The way I saw it, the episode's jokes concerning prison life were based on broad stereotypes of "Lifers" in close quarters without women. They were like B-Movie scenerios turned inside-out. The "Don't ask, don't tell" ending was a hoot and Randy being a guard was a nice touch.
I saw no evidence of agenda pushing.

I thought it was a great episode about tollerance and developing communication skills.

Seeing Joy bounce around like a bimbo from one man to another is not a good message for a 14 year old???

Seeing racially motivated gang violance depicted as "normal" is not good for 14 year old kids???

BUT, if a parent draws the line at two people finding love and expresiing it in a loving manner just because they happen to be the same sex... there is something wrong with the parent.

I let my kids watch this show and have starting with season 1. It is a great show and NBC is raking in the big bucks with it. It will be on for along time so I just hope everyone who wants to turn a blind eye at REALITY can learn to turn the TV off and stop drawing lines in odd places when it comes to raising their kids.

I also was extremely upset about the gay content and have considered not watching it any more.
It has always been a show I looked forward to coming on thursday's. But I'm with you I'm about to not watch the network if that is what they promote. It disgusted me! the 2 men kissing was over the top.

Thanks for the support, Wedd. Actually I am East Coast, but was at the hospital with my mom last night, and watched the episode later.


*sigh* Next time I will simply post, "No name calling, please." Forgive me if my statements were misinterpreted. I am new to moderating, and was just trying to make sure we did not get into a verbally abusive situation. This is a fan website, and as fans we should all respect one another's opinions.

That being said, personally, I didn't like it either, and I won't watch this episode again. My view is if you are that unhappy with something, you should tell the people who have the power to change the situation, not just express your feelings to others. That is why I posted the link.

There is a thread that was started last February entitled Has Earl Lost It's "Family Friendly" Feel? Take a look at it. Other people have felt like this for awhile.

When did Earl ever promise to be family friendly TV? It never did. For instance, topics that have been dealt with like premarital sex, infidelity, theft, kidnapping - and not one of the characters on the show is exactly a role model. Yeah, Earl is looking to right his wrongs, but the topics dealt with here are not child-friendly.

Generally, I would probably imagine that most shows with an entirely adult cast should only have an adult audience. This isn't "Beverly Hillbillies" or "Leave it to Beaver." Sadly, I don't think there is such a think as Family Viewing Time anymore.

I thought you were from California like Liz and mixed. Where are you from again?



I agree. Last week we had Earl on and we were putting Jay (he's 5) to bed. They were showing the court scene and them taking Earl away and he saw the kids and he got upset and asked why they were putting the daddy in jail. So we had to change that real quick.

I'm from middle America and LOVE this show. I'm married with three kids and think this show sends a great message.

Again, there are so many morally "over-the-top" things about this show that I can't believe THIS is the one thing people are finding questionable.

I would prefer to explain two people in love to my kids (even if they are the same sex) than having to explain to them why Randy is telling Joy (Earl's ex-wife who is now married to the man she had an affair with while married to Earl) that she has a nice RACK, or how nepotism works and why the warden has his hob, or how Earl commited perjury and is serving time for a crime he didn't commit or why there is a racially motivated war inside a prison. I don't have any trouble explaining to my kids that love and acceptance are hard to find and it shouldn't be tossed aside because of the package it comes in.

This show is FULL of morally questionable situations. Why is THIS one the reason to stop watching the show? It's not homophobia because I don't think anyone is actually AFRAID of the gay lifestyle... it's intollerance and denial of it's existance.

If your delicate sensibilities are that easily offended to where you can't handle the content presented in that episode, perhaps you shouldn't be watching sitcoms, but rather just have the "Left Behind" series on a continuous loop. Seriously, you're complaining about THAT?

So what you're saying is that extramarital sex is fine to you. And affairs are fine (Joy and Darnell). And all sorts of other "naughty" sexual behavior is fine, but heaven forbid any imagery of something that relates to roughly 6% of the population (and no doubt some of your friends whether you're aware of it or not) comes across your screen?

I wasn't all that thrilled to see 2 dudes kissing, either--just not my thing. But I'm not gonna get all outraged about it. There are a lot of things I see on TV that aren't my thing, but I don't consider them an "agenda".

Did anybody besides me happen to catch a little glimpse of Guitar Hero 3, while the prison wardon was in his office.

Just a friendly reminder:

VB--nice thread name change!!!

And yes, I did notice the Guitar Hero as well!

Love the name change for the thread!!! LOL

Some people are too sensitive for TV-14 or the internet. lol

Since all the posts on the old thread had to do with that particular episode, I merely merged it with the episode thread, and changed the title accordingly.

Everyone hated it, wow. I thought the show was brillant. It had all the satire in all the right places. I know for most it's a moral thing but it's tv. They aren't pushing or forcing anything on you. It's just the story of one mans life. Why do you want to push your personal agenda on a fan site? I think the show had clever writting and wonderful acting. I saw nothing wrong with the content. there are plenty of other gay characters on a tv ona regualr basis. Besides childern know more and do more than what most parents think. enjoy the show for what it is. A off beat comedy about a white trash guy making his life better through different adventures that happen in his quest.

I loved itand was happy to see Randy and Earl back together again.

^^ agree. Rnady seems to be breaking out but still someone attached to earl. Its funny how they make him do that.

I am disappointed by the downward path of this thread. People who were bothered with one issue about this show enough to consider stop watching it should not be made to feel guilty about it or be accused of hypocrisy because of not complaining about numerous other issues that should be taken up on other threads. Being told to "put Left Behind on a continuous loop" is a cheap shot at Christians. A show's "family friendliness" is decided by the individual viewer, or head of household, but that doesn't mean a show has to automatically be "Disney."

Be thankful that people were willing to voice their opinion about their dislike of ONE issue on the show. It's a shame that some people posted they were going to stop watching period, I wish they wouldn't. Others, like me, love the show and complain about ONE issue exactly because we DO NOT want to stop watching and would rather not see it lose viewership and face cancellation. Would it be better if we just say nothing, walk away and let the ratings drop? I'm worried that this chilling effect may already taken place because I've noticed the message board has had little activity and no new threads this week.

On a lighter subject, last week's episode thankfully toned down the shock value a little but took respite from the list. It seemed like a variation of a clip show, expanding on older back stories. Still very funny. I look forward to see what's next.

LOL

So... you are saying that the people who told others they shouldn't be complaining are really the people who shouldn't be complaining??? Only the people who want to voice their opinion in the way of complaining about one episode should indulge themselves but the people who defend the show shouldn't???

I don't have an issue with anyone voicing their opinion, but when the opinion is motivated by prejudice... I will always speak up. In the opening moments of this week's show Randy felt up Joy. Randy felt up his brother's ex-wife while in the official capacity of his job as a prison gaurd. Randy took advantage of a pregnant woman. I fould that shocking, but it's about what I expect from this this show because it was funny.

BTW, I don't care if people complain about the episode. If they were offended by the show's content or think the show has changed in some way, that's perfectly normal. I have an issue with them hiding behind how shocked their "kids" were or saying it was something other than THEY don't want to deal with homosexuality. If someone wants to come out as prejudice and plainly state it... GREAT, but hiding behind another issue like "it was all of the sudden" is a cop out. That's what needs to be challenged because bigotry is still bigotry no matter what it hides behind.

Randy the prison guard is going to end up with a huge sexual harrasement case on his hands. I adore this show.

This episode wasn`t horrible! It just was weird. I mean people COME ON! Its just a tv show! No reason to have a huge fight over the episode. I mean it was great just weird and I`m still watching tonights episode. For all those die hard Earl Fans this is coolcat23306 Signing off.

VBarkley, I think you did a good job. Keep up the good work.

I've been on too many boards in the past where people start getting all upset with others opinions and they start name calling and it just ruins it for everyone. I think your suggestion was good and how you handled it was perfect.

Hey, I'm not a gay person, either. But I do have gay friends. I don't think the show was promoting a "gay lifestyle" by showing that. But then, that's just MY opinion.

Maybe they should of put up a warning about that kind of content. I don't know. I watched it with my 10-year-old and since me and my husband know gays and she's met them, she's not freaked out by it. We teach her to accept all kinds of people, be they gay, straight, black, white, Catholic, Lutheran or whatever. How someone else wants to raise their kids is their own business. But I can honestly say my daughter was not traumatized by that episode and she watched tonight's with me, too.

Keep up the good work, people on Earl. I have no complaints at all.

I think it's all kinda funny how so many people are forcing their own life styles on a tv show. perhaps some need a quick shove back into the real world again

VB we need some games or stuff up on here. I keep checking on here but there doesn't seem to be a lot of MNIE fans hanging about

Are you busy writing complaints to tv shows?

Men kissing in such a circumstance is a commonly fodder for humor.

Do you mind 2 men punching each other in the face?

All week long on TV, bla bla... fiction...bla bla bla..seen worse...bla bla..who cares.

Well said.

Look, I'm pretty sure this episode didn't turn anyone gay.

I think there are some who know that homosexuality will always exist-- but what they dislike is having it in the open. As in "It's OK to be gay, but please stay in the closet."

The "agenda" they oppose seems to be the promotion of tolerance of a lifestyle, not the lifestyle itself.

To those who were offended by this episode, does this sentiment feel familiar?

Seems like most people would like or dislike this episode based on whether homosexuality is a deliberate decision (like being devoutly religious, drinking excessive alcohol) or a genetic attribute (like gender, race). There's no hard science to support either stance, so it's a crap-shoot. I've never met an openly gay person, and until I do, this issue has zero direct effect on me.

My feeling is: if it's genetic, then you can't criticize them just for being themselves, anymore than you could criticize someone for being say, Italian, or female, or mentally retarded. They had no say in that matter, it was thrust upon them before birth. Now if it's a choice, then it deserves no special legal protection. Freedom is not, never was and never should be unlimited in this or any other country.

I just wish someone would scientifically isolate the "gay gene" already or declare it just doesn't exist. Haven't they mapped the entire human genome yet ? This fence-sitting gets uncomfortable sometimes.

Back on point: I thought the gayness was very much "in-your-face" but then again so has every other aspect of MY NAME IS EARL (adultery, larceny, etc) from day one. And it happened in a prison, the one place where that kind of stuff does happen on a regular basis. So, basically, it was par for MNIE all along.

I find this too funny cause most people are long time earl watchers but are new people and only come to complain about the sexual content of the show.

veebs-thanks for bringing back some of the older threads from the begining of the show. I was wondering where they went to. =)