Earlier this week, City Council Ed Flynn released a statement regarding the Showtime series SMILF. See below:
Dear friends,
In recent weeks, many of my constituents have relayed to me their disgust with Showtime’s TV Show “SMILF” and its depiction of the people of South Boston. The proud mothers I know from Southie, who work so hard for their families and our community, have told me they find it unwatchable as it is a degrading, crude and inaccurate portrayal of their life in the neighborhood. At the same time, I noticed advertisements for the show featured at bus shelters around the city. I’m tired of Hollywood making a profit off of these abysmal shows that in no way capture the real lives, character and contributions of the people of South Boston. As a result, I reached out to officials from the City of Boston and they have kindly agreed to remove these advertisements. Thank you to those of you that brought this to my attention.
Ed
Well, Frankie Shaw – writer and star of SMILF responded with a powerful statement on Facebook.
We are hoping that Flynn takes Shaw up on her offer to watch the series with her. We are also hoping that Shaw takes up our offer to be on our Podcast with Flynn to discuss the controversy. Can’t we all just get along?
On Sunday, Family Guy creator, writer and actor Seth MacFarlane weighed in.
” I WAS RAISED BY A SINGLE MOM WHO GREW UP IN SOUTHIE ” ..” I SPENT ALL MY “FREE TIME IN SOUTHIE”..So you DIDN’T grow up in southie,right? Your just another phony calming to be from southie ( and know EVERYTHING about the neighborhood) QUESTION, where did you grow up (NEIGHBORHOOD PLEASE!)? Whatever that neighborhood was why didn’t you film the program there? YOUR NOTHING BUT A BIG PHONY..GO BACK TO WHERE TO YOU REALLY CAME FROM.!!
“Since I’ll be moving to “one of your neighborhoods” for FIVE MONTHS”..YOU BIG PHONY!!..QUESTION: what does one of your neighborhood mean? QUESTION ; so your moving to “one of the neighborhood ” , so is this the FIRST TIME in your life you have lived in SOUTHIE and why ONLY 5 months? LAST QUESTION: WHERE DO YOU REALLY RESIDE ? AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED THERE?..your a joke..
**you’re
This whole thing is a joke. Your main concern is that she isn’t from Southie. Your also upset about the people she represents in Southie. She is right how many other time has Hollywood made the City look bad. This is a waste of your time. She is creating jobs that may not have been available and creating opportunities to people in the city as well. Stop wasting your time being upset about this and look at the positive parts.
She can go create jobs where she came from.
I noticed you didn’t DENY 1) she isn’t from SOUTHIE yet she tries to portray she is..All she is doing is trying exploit this town in a NEGATIVE WAY for her own benifit..I’m sure whenever she can’t from their are PLEANTY of single moms, abused women ect.Yet she USES SOUTHIE As a backdrop for her phony series for ratings at the expense of the MANY GOOD PEOPLE OF THIS TOWN..SHES A BIG OPPORTUNIST PHONY..please answer where did she grow up and where does she live now..! The answer to both is NOT IN SOUTHIE..
Stop trying to glorify living in Southie. Your MVP (Mr Bulger) dressed up like women and molested young girls. He’s also a heinous rat. The 70s are over pal, no more bussing.
One last point just because your ” creating jobs” that doesn’t give you the right smear a neighborhood for your own self gratification. I’m sure if the people where she grew up ( certainly NOT in SOUTHIE) were on the receiving end of this SMEAR CAMPAIGN they WOULDN’T BE HAPPY ABOUT IT EITHER!!
Oldtimesouthie, you are one angry person. Lighten up!
I have just discovered SMILF. I have found it to be fresh, raw, real. Very, very real. The stories transcend Southie. The stories do not represent a specific neighborhood, but rather a specific population from
Anywhere, USA. This show touched a nerve with me due to my life experiences. Perhaps theose who are taking offense do not share the same experiences as Bridgette or Tutu or Rafe , so they have trouble getting beyond the backdrop. It’s ok to be offended. But, please remember that there really are dysfunctional families everywhere. To be able to watch how a fictional character deals with the day to day might just be enough to get us through ours.
Have you watched the show? There is no Southie Smear going on, at all!
The congressional districts need to be redrawn and young people need to have an ounce of awareness about local politics. Simple as that.
Thank god Cheers wasn’t based in Southie.
YOU UNDERSTAND THIS IS A TV SHOW!! Get over it. If you don’t like it don’t watch it.
Your all missing my POINT,I’m not saying their are notdysfunctional familys EVERYWHERE, what bothers me is this phony ( WHO IS NOT FROM SOUTHIE) choses SOUTHIE as the backdrop for her story..If you talk to most people from SOUTHIE they are very upset as to how we are portrayed..she/the producers picked SOUTHIE as their backdrop FOR RATINGS..yeah I’m angry at these phony money grubbing people using this town for their own personal gain.$$ and i did watch some of this series..IT SUCKS!
**you’re
Sorry for the typo..you’re not implying you’re more intelligent than me are you..? Typical response when you CANNOT deny what I’m saying IS TRUE.steth McFarland another phony, use the LILLY WHITE town you came from as the backdrop for your LOUSY SHOW and let’s see the reaction from the people from your neighborhood!
You’re POINTS lack CREDIBILITY when you insist on CAPITALIZING every other word for EMPHASIS. Also – something actors make a living doing is portraying people. That’s, like, their job. She’s not claiming to be a Southie native; she’s saying she has experience with the area that goes back to her childhood.
The triabalism held onto here is a bit much, especially since your main gripe is essentially her being a foreigner. Her, not her character. And a foreigner racially, but to a neighborhood. She’s an actor playing a part. Does it equally incense you that Russel Crowe wasn’t Roman, that Ray Liotta was never actually a gangter, or that the director of ‘Friday Night Lights’ didn’t actually grow up in a rural Texas town?
What is really the problem for you?: her not being ‘Southie’ enough for you?
Steth McFarland..born KENT CONNECTICUT..97% white..went to all upscale white privilege schools.
Big PHONY..frankie shaw..born BROOKLINE, LILLY WHITE boston surburb..94% white..went to MILTON ACADEMY ( PRIVATE 84% WHITE school).we in SOUTHIE don’t need to be lectured by you white privileged PHONIES!
Give it a rest old timer. Your time shall soon pass.
Looks like you can’t handle the truth…
You give it a rest..as long as I’m here I’ll defend SOUTHIE Values and TRADITIONS!
How are you defending the values and traditions of south by ranting about a FICTIONAL TV show? Who cares where the writer grew up and went to school it is irrelevant because it is a FICTIONAL TV SHOW!!
And which set of traditions and values are you defending, labeling anyone not born here a yuppie, even if I’m trying to raise my family here and be part of or the value of turn a blind eye as you originally from southie friends are selling their homes to developers and moving to the south shore? I bet you love to go visit them and complain how much Southie has changed.
The truth about the supposed past? It’s not that I can’t handle, it’s that I do not care for it. The time is now.
People called Ed’s office about it and he tried to help those people out. Seems like an effective City Councilor to me. I think people like Frankie and Seth are the one’s overreacting.
P.S – I have watched the show. I gave it 5 episodes. There are just WAY too many plot lines. Bridgette has an alcoholic baby daddy, she has an over-eating disorder, she has sex with anything with a penis (minus the old guy who touches her in that Target or wherever they were), she wants to be a professional basketball player, she has father issues, her mom is a nut-job. I stopped caring after episode 5.
What set of tradition and vales, I’ll tell ya : FAMILY VALUES, PEOPLE HELPING ONE ANOTHER IN TIME OF NEED, SPORTS,CHURCH,SCHOOLS..not some SMILF who ” HOOKED UP” with some irresponsible DEADBEAT …Iguedd you just don’t get it..We the good people don’t like the portrayal of US as a bunch of losers.I have watched a few episodes NOT ONCE did I see anything POSITIVE about the MAJORITY of HARD WORKING people here..this FRANKIE SHAW Is nothing more than a upper class white liberal portraying herself as person who grew up here,SHE DIDN’T, SHE went to a ” LILLY WHITE ” (PRIVATE) SCHOOL.$48,000 A year tuition, lived in an UPSCALE ( LILLY WHITE) L.A..neighborhood..you don’t get it she’s EXPLOITING the good people of south boston, showing us as a bunch of ” LOSERS” then goes home with a fat paycheck to her palatial home in California..she’s a PHONY!
Still confused about how you define “family values”? Like Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton?
And God forbid any self-respecting woman or man hook up with a deadbeat — that never happens.
Did you like the way the movie “Southie” from the 1990’s portrayed Southie and your family values.
If you really want to entertain yourself… read ‘oldtimesouthiesays’ posts in Morty Seinfelds voice and SCREAM the words in caps!!! it’s pretty funny!!!
YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME???? YOU GOT IT! (season 8, episode 4)
LOLOL “My WALLETS GONE” what kind of WEBSITE are you running here!!!”
Funny..but true..
There’s a good sport. C’mon oldtimer. Let me buy you a drink.
thumbs up meet you both at the Boca Breeze–drinks are on me
The show sucks so bad. You would know something is up when you see Rosie o’donnell is involved. ROSIE IS A LOSER. BELIEVE ME!
I’m an outsider that now lives in southie. And I will go out of my way to teach all the left leaning youngsters that they have been scammed when they realize they are saddled by college debt with no real solid job opportunities as this country looks to pillage pensions and retirement and increase the cost of healthcare, all while adding to a giant credit card bill.
Worry about more important things Ed. If you really think that ” these abysmal shows that in no way capture the real lives, character and contributions of the people ” then why make such a big deal over it? While the show doesn’t capture my real life living in Southie, I also understand this is a fictional show.