Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center liked the CW's "Nancy Drew" reboot at first -- but only because one episode pushed a right-wing talking point in passing. Dawn Slusher gushed in an April 1 post:
The CW’s ghostly drama Nancy Drew, (based on the beloved series of children’s books), featured a historical mystery Wednesday night, but real history was made when the show had the courage to admit the truth about the racist and eugenicist beginnings of abortion giant Planned Parenthood. And no, this is no April Fool’s joke, as hard as it is to believe!
Actually, all that happened wds that one character said that "Margaret Sanger started Planned Parenthood to support eugenics." Which is arguably true. What's less true is Slusher's assertion that racism was wrapped up in that. As we documented when the MRC launched a factually challenged smear campaign against her in 2015, there's no evidence that Sanger was particularly racist or that Planned Parenthood was founded based on racism.
Ah, but the bloom fell of the rose pretty quickly, if only because "Nancy Drew" wanted to reflect what was happening in the world instead of pushing right-wing talking poiints, and Slusher's viewing assignment turned into hate-watching. Thus, Slusher complained on May 6 that a new episode of the show focused on racism -- which the MRC absolutely hates -- prompting her to feel the need to lecture her narrow right-wing audience about how saintly the police supposedly are:
We’ve already seen Hollywood use fictional stories to paint the police as violent racists, but Wednesday’s episode of the CW’s Nancy Drew might take first place for the most over-the-top and racially divisive anti-police storyline. Not only were police vilified, but a few white suspects who aren’t officers were thrown in as evil participants who harassed an innocent black woman for good measure.
[...]
The line, "They all cry for their mothers," was an obvious reference to the George Floyd case, which was an outrage to most everyone and resulted in a guilty verdict for the officer. And, of course, they inserted Fraser’s desperate claim that Dolores was resisting arrest into the dialogue when it’s clear that Fraser was just an evil racist who took his hate out on an innocent black person.
The liberal lecture being that we can then assume the same is true for any officer in real life who ends up having to use deadly force on suspects who resist arrest. When in fact, most officers face a life-and-death split-second decision while doing their best to protect their community, and it has nothing to do with race whatsoever.
But as long as Hollywood and the left keep pushing these false narratives and make-believe stories, it’s only going to create further fear, division, and hate - the very things the left claims to be fighting against.
The following week, Slusher found another reason to be outraged at "Nancy Drew" -- not only did it discuss race again, there was a gay kiss:
Another week, another liberal racial episode of the CW’s Nancy Drew. This is obviously not the beloved character you may remember from the classic childhood series by Carolyn Keene. And, now, it looks like the show is going to help promote a spinoff with yet another liberalized version of a beloved childhood character from another book series - Victor Appleton’s Tom Swift.
Wednesday’s episode, “The Celestial Visitor,” introduced Tom (Tian Richards) at the start as he helps Nancy (Kennedy McMann) and the “Drew Crew” solve a mystery. Only, because it's 2021, this version of Tom Swift is black and gay.
[...]
Tom shares in the victimhood, too, telling Nancy he can’t come out to his father because he doesn’t want to be seen as “his gay disappointment.” In the end, though, Tom decides to send a strong message to his father by getting Nick, who is straight, to kiss him for a picture he ends up posting on his social media for his father to see.
[...]
Fingers crossed, prayers up, God willing, I would just like to watch television without a liberal lecture and not have anymore classic childhood characters politicized.
Of course, it's clear Slusher is the one who sees Tom Swift as a "gay disappointment." And these shows don't lecture nearly as much as she does.
