With reunited childhood best friends, falling snow, and love in the air, the iconic Hallmark holiday movies have been a staple for many students throughout the years, but the Great American Family Network (GAFN) has begun to steal viewers’ hearts.
The Hallmark Channel is home to many nostalgic holiday movies that give people hope that holiday love will be around for them, as well. When students think of holiday love, they tend to think of Hallmark movies; however, the Christmas romance has began to take over the GAFN.
“I think for a lot students, the Hallmark Channel is played in the background of their houses during the holiday season, but I have heard that a lot of people have switched to the Great American Family Network,” Peter Nguyen, junior, said.
The GAFN has been gaining viewers due to a controversy on whether the Hallmark Channel is family friendly or not. Some believe that Hallmark’s association with the LGBTQ+ community is not family appropriate, leading to their loss in watchers to the GAFN. Many parents and families are now watching more of the GAFN, even if they have been loyal Hallmark followers for years, as they disagree with their association to the LGBTQ+ community. Some popular actors who have been a part of the Hallmark Channel for several years, like Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, and Trevor Donovan have recently chosen to transfer to the GAFN amid the controversy.
“[Hallmark], basically, is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership,” Bure said.
Bure and Jodie Sweetin, the former co-stars on Full House and Fuller House, have been struggling with their opposing beliefs about the networks. The women have been engaging in a strong argument on social media, as Bure believes Hallmark is not family friendly anymore and Sweetin thinks it still is. Sweetin was especially upset with Bure’s choice to move to the GAFN, as she had chosen to stay with the Hallmark Channel.
“It is really sad to see that Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin are currently in a fight becuase they have grown up togther. They also have been co-stars pretty much their whole life, so seeing them in such a heated argument is really upsetting,” Molly Mohrmann, sophomore, said.
Whether or not one considers Hallmark to be family friendly, many actors have made their choice clear on where they stand in this whole controversy.
