There's an old saying that any publicity is good publicity, and if the network formerly
known as The Learning Channel's track record is any indication, it seems to hold that sentiment
as a core value.
Here are the biggest scandals to ever hit TLC.
Long Island Medium
Long Island Medium's Theresa Caputo has impressed many fans with her supposed ability to communicate
with the dead, but she's also faced plenty of skepticism.
She often invites doubters to readings in the hopes that she'll show them something
they weren't expecting.
But some of the voices in the crowd are louder than others, and Caputo's been criticized
by some of the loudest voices in the industry.
For example, in 2012, the James Randi Educational Foundation urged Caputo to attempt "The Million
Dollar Paranormal Challenge," which promises to reward anyone who can prove they possess
paranormal abilities.
She didn't take them up on the offer.
Earlier that year, the foundation awarded TLC the "Pigasus Award for Media" and Caputo
the Performance Award.
As the foundation explained in Wired,
"We have bestowed the Pigasus Award as an annual recognition of the most egregious examples
of flim-flammery, the most deserving charlatans, swindlers, psychics, pseudoscientists, and
faith healers, along with their corporate enablers."
"I don't believe being a medium that my job is to prove anything to anybody."
Breaking Amish
Breaking Amish claimed to follow Amish and Mennonite people as they left the lifestyle
of their faith for the first time.
But some of the cast members were allegedly long-removed from the Amish faith before filming
even began.
Jeremiah Raber, for example, reportedly had a MySpace page.
He'd also been married and divorced and even posted pictures of himself in non-Amish clothing.
And that's just one of the many storylines that were said to be fabricated as well.
In a tell-all finale, the controversies were addressed.
But there was no explanation for why cast members Rebecca and Abe said they hadn't met
before the show, despite photographs that suggested they not only knew each other, but
possibly had a child together.
It was also finally revealed that the whole cast actually left their communities long
before the show claimed, and several even had criminal records.
Little People, Big World
Beginning in 2015, Jacob Roloff, the youngest son on Little People, Big World, started taking
TLC and the show's producers to task on social media.
It started with Jacob tweeting,
"Man I wish it didn't feel like I was getting f---ed out of the money from the show that
was my childhood right now."
A few months later, his appearances on the show had all but stopped.
He then explained on Instagram why he distanced himself from the show and the network:
"When I was standing here, behind the scenes and watching it from an outside perspective
I just couldn't stop laughing.
Laughing at how hard the producers have to try to get us to follow the talking points,
and at how ridiculous the talking points are."
The show then faced more controversy with some seemingly anti-LGBT stances held by Jeremy
and Audrey Roloff.
In one particularly striking example, their marriage advice blog, "Beating 50 Percent,"
was questioned for its lack of representation for same-sex couples.
All American Muslim
Reality shows often highlight niche or misunderstood populations.
So, when TLC announced a new series, All American Muslim, that would look at the lives of Muslim
Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, it made sense.
But the show would run for only one season because of controversy.
Some people were convinced that the program was serving a malicious purpose.
The Florida Family Association, for example, slammed All American Muslim as Islamic propaganda
that threatened American liberties and values.
The association then asked the network's advertisers to boycott the show.
It worked with one company, as the retail chain Lowe's pulled its ads from the show,
with a spokesperson stating,
"We understand the program raised concerns, complaints or issues from multiple sides of
the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs
covering the show."
My Husband's Not Gay
Even before TLC aired the one-hour special My Husband's Not Gay, it was embroiled in
controversy.
The show followed a group of men who are married to women but are attracted to men...but also
claim that they aren't gay.
When the show was announced, a Change.Org petition that received more than 130,000 signatures
was created to stop it from airing.
GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis spoke out against the show as well.
"This is a dangerous show.
This show says that being gay is bad, that you should hide it, that you, that it's a
choice."
But the network didn't back down and decided to air the special anyway, releasing this
statement:
"TLC has long shared compelling stories about real people and different ways of life, without
judgment.
The individuals featured in this one-hour special reveal the decisions they have made
and speak only for themselves."
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