Editing Dawson's Creek (section)

===Controversy===
''Dawson's Creek'' generated a large amount of publicity before its debut, with several television critics and consumer watchdog groups expressing concerns about its anticipated "racy" plots and dialogue. The controversy drove Procter & Gamble Productions, initially a co-producer of the series, away from the project.<ref name="P&G end" /> Syndicated columnist [[John Leo]] said the show should be called "While Parents Cringe", and went on to write, "The first episode contains a good deal of chatter about breasts, genitalia, [[masturbation]], and penis size. Then the title and credits come on and the story begins."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leo |first=John |date=February 2, 1998 |title=Raging hormones on TV |volume=124 |page=9 |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |issue=4 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_u-s-news-weekly-special-issues_1998-02-02_124_4/page/9/mode/1up |access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref>

The [[Parents Television Council]] (PTC) proclaimed the show as the single worst program of the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons by being "the crudest of the network shows aimed at kids", complaining about "an almost obsessive focus on pre-marital sexual activity", references to pornography and condoms, and the show's acceptance of homosexuality.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 10 Best & Worst Family Shows on Network Television 1998–1999 TV Season |url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/98top/main.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523062216/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/98top/main.asp |archive-date=May 23, 2012 |access-date=April 6, 2012 |publisher=parentstv.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Angulo |first=Sandra P. |date=July 13, 1999 |title=''Dawson's Creek'' is named the worst show on TV |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/07/13/dawsons-creek-named-worst-show-tv/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> Former [[UPN]] President [[Lucie Salhany]] criticized The WB for airing ''Dawson's Creek'' which features "adolescent characters in adult situations" in an early time slot while the network is supposed to be 'the family network.'"<ref>{{cite web |last=Braxton |first=Greg |date=June 11, 1997 |title=UPN President Knocks Rival WB Network |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-11-fi-2230-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306031833/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-06-11/business/fi-2230_1_rival-wb-network |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2012 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2018 |title='Dawson's Creek' at 20: That Time It Was Condemned for Safe Sex, LGBT Acceptance |url=https://www.thewrap.com/dawsons-creek-20th-anniversary-parents-television-council-lgbtq-safe-sex/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=[[TheWrap]] |language=en-US}}</ref> However, on the opposite end of the ideological spectrum, the [[National Organization for Women]] offered an endorsement, deeming it one of the least sexually exploitative shows on the air.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fazzone |first=Amanda |date=June 8, 2001 |title=Boob Tube: NOW's Strange Taste in TV |pages=26–35 |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |issue=4515. v. 225, n. 5}}</ref>

Much of the criticism cited the show's early decision to feature a storyline about a romantic relationship between a high school student and a teacher.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=Howard |date=January 19, 1998 |title=These Teens Skipped Over the Wonder Years |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-19-ca-9762-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509121510/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-19-ca-9762-story.html |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=March 3, 1998 |title=Teens Flow to 'Creek' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-03-ca-24754-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509121522/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-03-ca-24754-story.html |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nowalk |first=Brandon |date=June 5, 2012 |title=Dawson's Creek: Dawson's Creek |url=https://www.avclub.com/dawson-s-creek-dawson-s-creek-1798173051 |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |language=en-us}}</ref>