S.C. Johnson drops sponsorship of <i>He's a Lady</i> (14106)

Household products manufacturer S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. says it has backed out of sponsorship of He's a Lady, a reality show on the Turner Broadcasting System that involves cross-dressing. "We have assessed the show, and we will not sponsor it," S.C. Johnson spokeswoman Margie Mandli said, declining to answer further questions about the decision.

The show, which was scheduled to debut Tuesday night, features 11 men dressed as women competing for $250,000 in a series of feminine challenges.

A group called the Traditional Values Coalition has urged people to contact TBS and S.C. Johnson to complain about the show. The conservative group described He's a Lady on its Web site as a "new homosexual-inspired transvestite show."

The station issued a statement saying it could not comment on Johnson's decision. "In the spirit of Tootsie, this is a show that takes a lighthearted and comedic look at how gender roles in our society affect our everyday lives, and once it airs, viewers will see that for themselves," the statement, attributed only to a TBS spokesperson, added.