Tweet
Glendale News Press, CA
May 30 2014
Upcoming TV show, 'Glendale Life,' faces criticism
Online petition opposing the show has garnered more than 1,600 signatures.
By Brittany Levine, [email protected]
May 30, 2014 | 7:05 p.m.
Critics of an upcoming reality show following a group of Armenians who
live in Glendale have created an online petition and fast-growing
Facebook page in an attempt to pressure an Armenian television station
to cut the program before it airs next month.
Opponents have called "Glendale Life" on USArmenia TV "degrading for
Armenians," "an embarrassment," and "tasteless" on the Facebook page.
It features socialites clubbing in Hollywood, drinking, crashing cars,
getting plastic surgery and lounging by a pool in its online trailer.
The page, called "Stop 'Glendale Life' Show," has garnered nearly
6,000 likes in about two weeks, while the online petition on
change.org has more than 1,600 signatures.
But Bagrat Sargsyan, chairman of USArmenia TV, said the show is not
unlike any other reality television program, which are engineered to
be "provocative and interesting."
"Everyone has a right to express their opinion, especially the media's
freedom which can't be threatened," Sargsyan said. "Hopefully, this is
just an emotional thing and people in time will understand the
boundaries of freedom."
The Armenian reality TV show takes place in Glendale because it has
one of the largest Armenian populations outside of Armenia.
This is not the first time a reality TV show featuring a minority cast
has faced backlash from others within their own community. Bravo's
"Shahs of Sunset," which is about a group of Iranian American
socialites in Los Angeles, sparked several petitions within the
Persian community calling for a halt to the program when it premiered
in 2012.
"Shahs of Sunset" persevered and is now in its third season.
Those who criticize "Glendale Life" say it will shine a bad light on
the Armenian American community and will dishonor the 1.5 million
ancestors who died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks during the
Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1918.
"This show will do nothing but slander and deprecate the memory of
each and every one of the 1.5 million men, women and children who died
for our heritage," the petition states. "We are more than this. We
will not be made a mockery of for their monetary gain."
But Sargsyan said he found that statement extreme.
"The two things are not related to each other," he said, adding that
USArmenia TV is planning on airing a television series near the 100th
anniversary of the genocide next April.
Still, some critics on Facebook have called for a boycott of USArmenia
TV's advertisers.
Another Facebook page called "Start.Glendale.Life," started in
reaction to the critiques, has received more than 2,400 likes in two
days. When one person called for a respectful dialogue about the show,
the response of the "Start.Glendale.Life" moderator was "What are u
talking about, have u seen [an] Armenian wedding with no fights?"
Although the trailer is mostly in Armenian, the show is expected to be
mostly in English, with some Armenian mixed in, Sargsyan said.
In addition to airing on USArmenia TV, the program -- which may be
weekly or multiple times a week, depending on content -- is set to be
syndicated worldwide, he said. So far, 14 episodes have been produced.
Online Petition is at
http://www.change.org/petitions/armenian-community-stop-production-distribution-of-the-television-show-glendale-life
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-upcoming-tv-show-glendale-life-faces-criticism-20140530,0,6616593.story
From: Baghdasarian
May 30 2014
Upcoming TV show, 'Glendale Life,' faces criticism
Online petition opposing the show has garnered more than 1,600 signatures.
By Brittany Levine, [email protected]
May 30, 2014 | 7:05 p.m.
Critics of an upcoming reality show following a group of Armenians who
live in Glendale have created an online petition and fast-growing
Facebook page in an attempt to pressure an Armenian television station
to cut the program before it airs next month.
Opponents have called "Glendale Life" on USArmenia TV "degrading for
Armenians," "an embarrassment," and "tasteless" on the Facebook page.
It features socialites clubbing in Hollywood, drinking, crashing cars,
getting plastic surgery and lounging by a pool in its online trailer.
The page, called "Stop 'Glendale Life' Show," has garnered nearly
6,000 likes in about two weeks, while the online petition on
change.org has more than 1,600 signatures.
But Bagrat Sargsyan, chairman of USArmenia TV, said the show is not
unlike any other reality television program, which are engineered to
be "provocative and interesting."
"Everyone has a right to express their opinion, especially the media's
freedom which can't be threatened," Sargsyan said. "Hopefully, this is
just an emotional thing and people in time will understand the
boundaries of freedom."
The Armenian reality TV show takes place in Glendale because it has
one of the largest Armenian populations outside of Armenia.
This is not the first time a reality TV show featuring a minority cast
has faced backlash from others within their own community. Bravo's
"Shahs of Sunset," which is about a group of Iranian American
socialites in Los Angeles, sparked several petitions within the
Persian community calling for a halt to the program when it premiered
in 2012.
"Shahs of Sunset" persevered and is now in its third season.
Those who criticize "Glendale Life" say it will shine a bad light on
the Armenian American community and will dishonor the 1.5 million
ancestors who died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks during the
Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1918.
"This show will do nothing but slander and deprecate the memory of
each and every one of the 1.5 million men, women and children who died
for our heritage," the petition states. "We are more than this. We
will not be made a mockery of for their monetary gain."
But Sargsyan said he found that statement extreme.
"The two things are not related to each other," he said, adding that
USArmenia TV is planning on airing a television series near the 100th
anniversary of the genocide next April.
Still, some critics on Facebook have called for a boycott of USArmenia
TV's advertisers.
Another Facebook page called "Start.Glendale.Life," started in
reaction to the critiques, has received more than 2,400 likes in two
days. When one person called for a respectful dialogue about the show,
the response of the "Start.Glendale.Life" moderator was "What are u
talking about, have u seen [an] Armenian wedding with no fights?"
Although the trailer is mostly in Armenian, the show is expected to be
mostly in English, with some Armenian mixed in, Sargsyan said.
In addition to airing on USArmenia TV, the program -- which may be
weekly or multiple times a week, depending on content -- is set to be
syndicated worldwide, he said. So far, 14 episodes have been produced.
Online Petition is at
http://www.change.org/petitions/armenian-community-stop-production-distribution-of-the-television-show-glendale-life
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-upcoming-tv-show-glendale-life-faces-criticism-20140530,0,6616593.story
From: Baghdasarian