They might not have listened to the masses of sex workers and related associates who howled their outrage loud and clear from the get go, but after some terrible ratings and a mainstream media pile-on to denounce it, the blockheads who run the A&E network have finally pulled 8 Minutes from their schedules.

The show followed Pastor Kevin Brown and his attempts to ‘rescue’ sex workers from a life he deemed unsuitable. Appointments were made under the guise of a standard client booking, only for Brown and a camera crew to ambush the worker they had booked and try to convince them that the life of a sex worker is immoral and wicked. The meek shall inherit the earth indeed.

Numerous individuals and organisations took umbrage at the methods and message relayed by 8 Minutes. A Change.org petition was filed while a heartfelt and emotional open letter was sent to the show’s producer pleading with him to consider the potential damage 8 Minutes was due to wreak upon the lives and unwitting and unwilling sex workers.

With 8 Minutes having zero credibility to begin, the show and the network’s reputation was diminished even further after an exposé from Buzzfeed revealed that the sex workers who had been tricked into appearing received none of the promised after-show assistance. It left many workers vulnerable and afraid for their livelihoods and private lives. A&E washed their hands of those they had intruded upon in one of the most offensive ways imaginable – claiming that since the show is no longer on the air any consequences are not their responsibility.

While we can celebrate this awful piece of trash being sent to the great TV set in the sky, it’s telling that A&E did not do so on humanitarian grounds. Theirs is a ratings and PR worry.

Fuck you A&E. Fuck you 8 Minutes. Fuck you Kevin Brown. Why don’t you pick on people who are spoiling for a fight instead?