Some Borderlanders Say ABC Drama ‘GCB’ Promo Goes Too Far

It’s just a short clip teasing the season finale of the ABC drama “GCB” as the main characters visit our sister city of Juarez. But it has some borderlanders worried that the comical portrayal of the borderland could send the wrong message, especially for a city that’s working hard to change its image.

“When I saw the promo, I was very disappointed because they are using the name and relating it to a problem about kidnapping. The truth is I just came from Juarez and people are in business as usual,” said Jose Luis Mauricio Esparza, CEO of the local business magazine Ser Empresario that serves Juarez and El Paso.

ABC-7 spoke with a few El Pasoans who said they thought the exposure could go both ways.

“I think that if you show that you can have fun and that you can still travel on the streets of Juarez that it’s a good campaign for tourism, I guess you could say. In the end, the violence still lingers. People still have to know about that side as well,” said UTEP student Hector Gutierrez.

“I mean, it’s important for people to know that also bad things happen there. You can’t go without knowing it, but it’s also positive to know that you can still have fun if you’re cautious. I think you can have a nice time in Juarez,” said Juarez resident Sasha Toval.

But even with the positive side of the exposure from the episode, some worry the playful take on kidnappings in the borderland isn’t so funny.

“I think that’s a disrespect to the families of people who have been kidnapped and probably killed. I think they have to approach it in a different way. I haven’t seen the program totally, maybe it will turn out something different,” said Esparza

ABC-7 promotions director Mark Ross got a sneak peek of the episode. He said he doesn’t want to spoil the episode for fans, but the episode in its entirety, doesn’t reflect poorly on the borderland.