The cable channel Oxygen has scrapped a show in development called “All My Babies’ Mamas†after the promotion of an online petition that condemned the channel, accusing it of exploiting and stereotyping black children and families.
“As part of our development process, we have reviewed casting and decided not to move forward with the special,†the channel said in a statement.
Sabrina Lamb, an author who started the petition against the show last month, said she was pleased that Oxygen “has heard the outrage of over 37,000 consumers and shareholders who said, ‘enough is enough.’â€
The show idea, with the working title of “All My Babies’ Mamas,†was announced by Oxygen in late December. The channel said the show would be a one-hour special, not a regular series â€" though channels routinely use specials as a way to decide whether to order a series.
“All My Babies’ Mamas†was scheduled to have its premiere in the spring, ut it was “cast-contingent,†meaning it would go ahead only if the talent â€" in this case, the father, the mothers and the children â€" were on board.
Then a Web site belonging to the production company behind the special, DiGa Vision, was broken into. A pitch reel soon popped up on YouTube that previewed how DiGa had sold the special to Oxygen: with video clips of the rapper Shawty Lo and his 11 children born to 10 women. A graphic read, “1 man, 10 baby mamas, 11 kids. Oh, and a new girlfriend … who is the same age as his oldest kids.â€
Other families were considered for the special, as well. But the production company’s cameras had interviewed Shawty Lo, whose name is Carlos Walker, and his girlfriends and had even been present on Father’s Day last year.
The video clips disgusted Ms. Lamb, who rallied a number of activists and black commentators to support her petition on Change.org. It called for Oxygen to cancel the show and threatened an advertiser boycott. “With your voice,†the petition read, “this ugliness will not see international airwaves.â€
Oxygen and the producers, meanwhile, were still considering who, if anyone, to cast for the show â€" a process that was sped up by the online uproar.
An Oxygen spokeswoman declined to comment on what specific effect the petition had on the decision-making. But the petition had 37,000 signatures by Tuesday morning, when copies of it were delivered to Oxygen in New York and its parent company, Comcast, in Philadelphia.
On Tuesday afternoon, Oxygen confirmed rumors that the special was not going to be produced, after all.
A version of this article appeared in print on 01/17/2013, on page C2 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Oxygen Klls a Show After Racism Criticism.