A&E 'Generation KKK' / 'Escaping the KKK' Cancelled After Outcry

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Since we first wrote about Escaping the KKK (originally called Generation KKK), the documentary series on the KKK that followed white supremacists around in their daily life, there has been a lot of response.

Several well known celebrities have called for a boycott of the network, and critics have been very outspoken regarding Escaping the KKK.

But even with all of the concerns about the show promoting hate and normalizing racism, A&E remained steadfast and planned to move ahead with the show.

They did try to make it more palatable by making teasers that were more focused on anti-bigotry groups challenging the KKK than the KK itself.

But that didn't quell the outrage, as it appeared to be putting a band-aid on the issue.

Today, however, A&E made a statement that was published in Variety saying that they have decided to cancel the show altogether.

The statement said that A&E learned that the producers paid money to the KKK in order to get access:

However, A&E learned last night from the third-party producers who made the documentary that cash payments -- which we currently understand to be nominal -- were made in the field to some participants in order to facilitate access. While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E's policies and practices for a documentary. We had previously provided assurances to the public and to our core partners - including the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change - that no payment was made to hate group members, and we believed that to be the case at the time. We have now decided not to move forward with airing this project.

In the statement, A&E went on to say that they take stopping racism seriously, and because of that, they decided that they could not move forward with the show.

A&E takes the authenticity of its documentary programming and the subject of racism, hatred and violence very seriously. Just because this particular show goes away, the issues of hate in America do not. We will still seek to fight hate in America through on-air programming including town halls and documentary programs produced in partnership with civil rights organizations, as well as continue to work with the civil rights community to facilitate a deeper dialogue on ending hate through comprehensive educational and outreach campaigns.

While it is good that the network has decided to stop the show, the circumstances around the cancelation raise even more concerns.

Now they're paying the KKK? As we discussed in the original article on the subject, this kind of approach to bigotry only serves to make the bigots part of normal society.

The idea of paying a white supremacist group to do a show that is bound to bring them many new members is extremely scary.

Variety mentions that the show may now be shopped to another network. Fox anyone?