The Catholic League turned up the heat against those responsible for “Nothing Sacred” by flooding Disney with petitions and launching a boycott against the show’s sponsors. The response to both drives was spectacular.
When the league asked its members to sign a petition against Disney for promoting the ABC show, “Nothing Sacred,” they reacted with characteristic zeal. Hundreds of thousands of petitions were signed and delivered to Disney chairman Michael Eisner. In addition to Catholic League members, the petition was signed by bishops, priests, religious, nuns and those of other faiths. Entire parishes signed on, as did orders of nuns. Most touching were the sixth grade students from Holy Name School in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania; they each wrote their own letter to Mr. Eisner.
Getting to Eisner was one thing, but it was quite another when the league decided to warn prospective sponsors of the price they would pay for supporting “Nothing Sacred.” In an ad that was paid for by league members in a special appeal, the Catholic League published a statement in Advertising Age, the flagship trade house publication in the advertising industry. The ad was published in the September 8 edition, just ten days before the show premiered; it is printed on p. 2.
The league sought the support of many other organizations in its boycott against the sponsors. Here is a list of those groups that signed the boycott at press time: American Catholic Lawyers Association; American Family Association; American Life League; Americans United for the Pope; Ancient Order of Hibernians (Division #4, New York County); Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation; Cardinal Newman Society; Catholic Answers, Inc.; Catholic Coalition of Westchester; Catholic Defense League of Minnesota; Chinese Catholic Information Center; Concerned Women for America; Focus on the Family; League of Catholic Voters; Legatus; Jewish Action Alliance; Jews for Morality; Morality in Media; Muslim Coalition/Peace Press Association; Pro-Life Action League; Sons of Italy, Commission for Social Justice; Women for Faith and Family.
Just as we promised in the ad, the league would garner support from Protestant, Jewish and Muslim organizations, as well as from Catholic ones. It is now up to everyone to follow through with the boycott. A list of those advertisers who sponsored the premiere edition of “Nothing Sacred” appears on
