By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, June 1, 2015
Reality TV often makes people nervous, especially the types that end up on networks like Bravo that revel in personal conflict.
Bravo's "Mother Funders," which is set to debut June 14 and features women of a PTO in Locust Grove, was given a 30-minute preview treatment last month. That episode unleashed a backlash that led Henry County schools to temporarily dissolve the PTO at Bethlehem Elementary School until the show airs and the controversy passes.
Henry County schools, by the way, has nothing to do with the show, did not endorse it and didn't allow cameras in schools.
Bravo's "Mother Funders" features several parents from that particular school bickering and feuding over leadership roles and fundraising options.
According to spokesman John Hardin, the Henry County school system did not endorse the show in any way and had to tell a lot of parents they had nothing to do with it. They did not allow any filming on school grounds and requested the school name not be used (though Bravo ignored that in the preview.)
Hardin said the school chose to shut down the parent teacher organization until the show finishes airing:
We wanted to stay as far away from this as possible. We just had a very uneasy feeling about the intent and purpose of the show from the beginning. We didn't see how this could be a benefit for the school or the students, staff, and families who are associated with it, thus why we made it clear they could not use any part of our school or the system in physical, visual, or verbal forms.
PTOs in general raise money for school activities.
Bravo did not respond to requests for comment.
Seven women were primarily featured on the show, which was taped a few months back. President Carla Stephens worked with board members Shayzon Prince, Robin Dyke, Amber Bryant, LaShon Thompson, Amber Coulter, and former member Shana Koorse.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
I reached out to Stephens on Facebook and am awaiting a comment. She was cast as the leader with plenty of attitude, the protagonist, described by Bravo "as the perfect blend of a Betty Crocker and a drill sergeant who rules with an iron fist."
So far, the negative feedback is more localized in Henry County than that of VH1's Atlanta-based "Sorority Sisters," which caused a national outcry earlier this year among black sorority and fraternity members. Critics felt that show cast a bad light on black sororities in a broad sense. Several cast members were booted or suspended from their respective sororities for participating on the show. "Sorority Sisters' was quickly buried and cancelled.
Given what Henry County has done to this PTO, the likelihood of "Mother Funders" coming back for a second season appears grim, even if the show generates ratings.
Tim Sullivan, who writes for PTO, made this observation after watching the preview, wondering if all this conflict might scare away volunteers at the school itself:
At every school, there are volunteers who will stay involved with the PTO or PTA through almost anything because it is their passion or their legacy or they feel like it's their responsibility. But the vast majority of parents and potential volunteers will fade away or stay away from a group that isn't pleasant and welcoming and respectful of time. In the long run, strong fundraising results are not enough. The function of a PTO is so much more than that. Furthermore, even the fundraising results will actually suffer as more and more volunteers are run off or scared away in the first place. That's my biggest worry for Locust Grove.
Here are some comments made by anonymous folks when I wrote about "Mother Funders" last month. I am not responsible for grammatical issues:
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