ABC manufactures news in Birmingham while media calls it a "social experiment

ABC is doing a social experiment in Birmingham, Alabama that includes having same-sex couples show affection for each other in public, according to Birmingham police department sources. ABC was working on a week-long project to see how people would react to things like public displays of affection by gay and lesbian couples. It's funny how the merchant and the police officer call it a "project", not news.

This incident is laughable on so many levels. Michelle Malkin is on it with some history of ABC's "project."First, it is apparent that ABC's news shows are so bad they have to create what they call news to get people to watch their station. Read what UA Professor Gary Copeland said about ABC's "project" Gary A. Copeland, professor and chairman of the telecommunication and film department at the University of Alabama, said

such types of "gotcha" situations are not news and what ABC is doing doesn't have any of the features one would expect in a controlled experiment. He added that what the show is really doing is trading the embarrassment of other people for the story....."Not everyone who came by (will make) the show," he said of passersby. "They picked out the people they wanted to use in the show." "This is not some breaking news that will radically change the nation," he said. "This is just a piece that will attract the curiosity of viewers. And it could just as easily perhaps be done on an entertainment show like `World's Greatest Bloopers,'" he said.

Secondly, ABC's research into the location where they are staging this "project" is non-existent. The area is fairly well-known for homosexual activity.See here and here. Birmingham is the metropolis for Alabama. Did ABC think they could drive to Alabama, set up shop and the biggots would come running. Birmingham is the largest city, well-known for business and the arts and it would not be surprising to most to see a homosexual couple in town. This is the bustling urban center of Alabama So forget about any stereotypes that include overalls,bare feet, or waterhoses. Not that ABC will not find at least one ignorant hick to fulfill their blue state bias but because it happened in Alabama,that proves what redneck, backward hicks we are.

Take the word of the following concerned real people:
James Little, president of the Five Points Merchants Group, said

"Five Points is a diverse, urban, laid-back and open-minded area where people of
all cultures, races, and backgrounds interact. He said if the Birmingham segment is negative, it would destroy the work the merchants, residents and property owners have done to create a positive reputation for their area."

He said that besides filming gay couples, the crew had a girl running up and down the sidewalk in her pajamas as if she was crazy. "They were trying to create an image that does not exist," he said.

Kris Childs, owner of a Southside optical shop called iiis, said she was also concerned.

"If their motive is to make it look like people are going to have a bias against gay couples, we're not like that," she said. "This is misrepresentation to deliberately stage something and make it appear how they want to make it appear. We embrace everybody."

Two off-duty Birmingham police officers, who stood by both days to keep order, said they saw few people react to the scenes, but that some people did do double takes.