Christians led by a conservative activist group are protesting NBC for not censoring a contestant who repeatedly took God’s name in vain in a pre-recorded reality TV game show. They are accusing the network of disrespecting the Christian faith by allowing the offensive reference to remain uncensored.
“Deal or No Deal Island,” a spin-off of the original game show “Deal or No Deal,” features contestants on an island competing in various challenges and strategic decision-making to win cash prizes, with a unique tropical setting distinguishing it from the original studio-based format.
A Jan. 23 broadcast of the reality competition series included several censored curse words but allowed a profane use of God’s name to air freely, according to One Million Moms, which notes that children might be watching the TV-PG rated show.
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“Many of our supporters have submitted complaints on this serious issue of NBC censoring most profanity but not censoring the profane use of God’s name,” says the group, a division of the American Family Association.
“No other religion would tolerate such blatant blasphemy, and Christians will not either,” it adds. “As stated in the Ten Commandments, God clearly prohibits the use of His name in vain. The Ten Commandments are there for believers to live by since God knows what is best.”
Removing coarse speech from the final edit, while keeping the words “G.. d…” intact sends a troubling signal, says the group, whose goal is “to stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media (TV, music, movies, etc.).”
One Million Moms is asking NBC to ensure that the same level of censorship applied to general swearing extends to any use of God’s name. The group encourages Christians and others who share these views to demand that the network eliminate offensive language in its family-friendly programming.
“Mocking God is extremely disrespectful to Christians, and NBC needs to be held accountable!” says One Million Moms.
An online petition the group started against NBC has garnered over 13,500 signatures as of Sunday. “As a Christian, I am highly offended that NBC network chooses not to censor the repeated profane use of God’s name,” states the petition.
“Deal or No Deal Island” last February.
In each episode, contestants participate in daring challenges to retrieve hidden briefcases containing varying cash values. The contestant who secures the highest-value briefcase gains immunity and selects another contestant to face the “Banker’s Challenge,” a high-stakes game where making a “bad deal” can lead to immediate elimination. The season culminates with the last remaining contestant playing a final game of “Deal or No Deal” for a chance to win a substantial cash prize, potentially the largest in the show’s history.
