Norwalk has ABC on the run. At least its sitcom “American Housewife” is backing off making fun of the real Connecticut city with a Southland namesake.
TheWrap reports that the show placed in fictional town of Westport would no longer use neighboring Norwalk as a punch line or punching bag.
“As a comedy, ‘American Housewife’ isn’t intended to offend anyone,” producers said Wednesday. “We’ve heard the concerns of the people of Norwalk and have made the decision to omit any mentions of the city from future episodes.”
It was less than two weeks ago that the local paper, The Hour, told of complaints from local school and city officials.
“The insults about Norwalk children on a national network TV show are not funny,” Superintendent Steven Adamowski wrote ABC Entertainment Group President Channing Dungey.
Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said: “This is a form of bullying. Making fun of Norwalk students, making fun of any student is inappropriate and it’s painting Norwalk with a broad stroke ugly brush, and nothing could be further from the truth. Our students are excellent students with our graduating class every year is accepted to the best colleges in the United States.
“I plan on reaching out again, and I plan on continuing to reach out again until they stop. And if everybody in Norwalk, and everybody who is as offended as I am, stops watching the show, the ratings will go down and they’ll cancel it.”
Among other things, “American Housewife” on Oct. 29 depicted a character dressed up as a “Norwalk Prom Girl” for Halloween, wearing a gown over a fake belly to suggest being pregnant.
.@AmericanHousewifeABC producers say they’ll omit mention of Norwalk in future episodes https://t.co/wA57A26pWu pic.twitter.com/4gXDUAxm6S
— Hartford Courant (@hartfordcourant) November 29, 2017