Bill O’ Reilly was very indignant on Thursday night, but this time his ire was only tangentially related to his new favorite subject – contraception – as he railed against the NBC drama, Parenthood. Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker reported that on Thursday’s O’Reilly Factor, Bill was upset that Drew and Amy – two high school sweethearts on the show – shared their first sexual encounter without hellfire and brimstone raining down.
“So the consequences were not shown?” O’Reilly bleated angrily at his guests. Of course, the fact that the episode was the season finale escaped him. As did the fact that the day after the sexual encounter wasn’t even shown. But, that’s not his fault. You see, Bill doesn’t even watch the show as evidenced by his question: “So this doesn’t happen every week?”
No Bill, Drew and Amy don’t have sex every week. That’s why they discussed mutually “losing their virginity.” And in fact, if he did watch the show, he might have even shed a tear when Drew – the shy, quiet and proverbial “George Harrison” of the Braverman clan – finally consummated his love with his girlfriend. Much like Bill himself, the attack was uninformed and unimaginative. Parenthood has previously had teenagers have sex. Amber, Drew’s sister is only 18 and she’s portrayed as being decidedly un-virginal. Haddie, Drew and Amber’s teenage cousin, lost her virginity to her older, recovering alcoholic boyfriend last season and accidentally pocket-dialed her parents while doing the deed.
The storyline with Drew and Amy has been different from the other teenage story lines. It’s been a heart-tugging, sensitive and nervous one to watch. Their romance has been so realistically written and portrayed, that when they held hands for the first time, I blushed. (Although I don’t know if it’s because I was remembering being that shy and awkward, or if it was for them.) So, when Drew climbed into bed with the first girl he’s loved, I felt a strange sense of pride for the character.
But, O’Reilly was indignant that “they don’t show the consequences!” As if sex always has consequences. Or maybe he’s nervous that he’ll have to pay for their birth control, because we know that’s something which terrifies him.
However, if Parenthood gets picked up for another season, fans of the show know there will be consequences for Drew. His loving mother, father, sister, grandmother, grandfather, three uncles, three aunts, teenage cousin and his mother’s boyfriend will take turns smothering him with a hug, and demand that he “be careful!” They will ask for embarrassing details. He will be mortified and never want to have sex again, because being a Braverman can be the best form of forced abstinence.
So don’t worry, Bill. But thanks for your concern.
