Hi Cousin Butchie!

I am a Catholic priest and wish to remain anonymous. For the record, I am liberal, loving and gay. I also abhor the sex scandals and the men in the hierarchy who made it all worse by moving pedophile priests from parish to parish.

My reason for writing is to express my views on a new television program which has made me angry. "The Real O'Neals" is supposed to be about a typical Irish-Catholic family. Because Dan Savage is one of the writers, and because I figured that parishioners would be watching it, I saw three episodes. The advertising which generated my interest in seeing it is the excellence of Dan Savage and the fact that the son in the show comes out of the closet in the first episode.

I can definitely say that I have not seem such an idiotic show in ages. I want people here to know that there are many laughable things which occur in Catholic families, but nothing is ever as stupidly portrayed as it is in "The Real O'Neals".

I hope you will let me warn LGBT people that the show is dissapointingly trashy. The Catholic Church has enough problems, but this show is a total embarrassment.

Thank you... and God Bless!

Father Anonymous

 
Dear Father Anonymous,

When I first started reading your posting I thought you were referring to the Academy Award winning "Spotlight" which focuses on the mishandling of the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, and I was ready to make it clear that this is an excellent movie.

I was wrong, and I'm happy that's so.

This will be a brief answer. I have watched this program, and I agree with you about its banal and unrealistic qualities. I  am also not happy about the fact that any number of television critics have given this show praise.  Perhaps, readers will watch "The Real O'Neals" tonight (Tuesday) at 8:30 PM on Channel 7.

You are invited to write back with your opinions of the show.

Let's hear from you!

Cousin Butchie