Can We Please Stop Using Profanity In TV Show Titles Just To Create “Controversy”? [Rant]

ABC has decided to KEEP the B-word in the title of "Don't Trust the [B-word] in Apartment 23" . . . and censor it with dashes.  You know, kind of like CBS did with "[Bleep] My Dad Says".  (--They wrote it as "$#*! My Dad Says".)

And that worked out well.  CBS canceled "[Bleep] My Dad Says" after one season.

In the case of "[Bleep] My Dad Says", it was based on a Twitter feed of the same name . . . so the publicity-generating debate over the profanity was inevitable.

But then, it became a pointless trend.  In addition to "Don't Trust the [B-word] in Apartment 23", there's "Good Christian [B-words]", which was changed to "Good Christian Belles" . . . and

"My Frickin' Family" , among others.

And for what?

Okay sure, announcing a show with a profane title will make a splash on the blogosphere . . . and with the PTC . . . but the next day, no one cares anymore.

"[Bleep] My Dad Says" proved that you're not going to find a young audience by putting a naughty word in the title and pretending that you're "edgy."  Viewers may not be smart . . . but they're smarter than that.

Here's a novel gameplan:  Come up with a truly original idea . . . hire a kickass writing staff . . . and don't over-think the marketing.  Just show off your idea, and have FUN.  If your publicity is interesting, a lot of people are going to be interested.

Nothing is guaranteed to work . . . but that's a stronger approach than relying on GIMMICKS.  Because I don't know if "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" is going to be any good, but I already feel like I'm being tricked into watching it.