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Netflix shoots down criticism it features too many gay characters
During this time of lockdown, more of us than ever before are turning to streaming services such as Netflix for entertainment. And thankfully, the streamer has plenty of LGBTQ-flavored characters amongst its shows and documentaries. In fact, a few too many for some people – prompting the perfect response from the media giant.
One Twitter user took to Twitter this week to post a meme complaining about the amount of LGBTQ representation on Netflix.
The meme from @AdamSB___ was a screenshot from animated show SpongeBob SquarePants. Patrick Star (labeled “Netflix”) is seen force-feeding a pumpkin (“an unnecessary gay character”) to Spongebob (“any new series”).
Every damn new series pic.twitter.com/zLJstwiThm
— Chilambo
(@AdamSB___) May 5, 2020
That tweet has – disturbingly – had more than 117k likes and more than 30k retweets. It also brought out the homophobes to comment.
“They Promoting that Sh*t they want society to accept it and start Viewing it as normal as a way of life…” responded @Chinwike_LFC.
They Promoting that Sh*t they want society to accept it and start Viewing it as normal as a way of life…
— Chinwike (@Chinwike_LFC) May 5, 2020
Related: WATCH: Jeremy Pope, Jim Parsons & Jake Picking dish on the ‘Hollywood’ casting couch
Fortunately, when the tweet began to gain traction, many others came to the streamer’s defense.
“So straight characters are normal but gay characters are unnecessary?” countered @femmenart. “The whole point of representation is to normalize it because being gay is normal and so it isn’t unnecessary, its important and is no less ‘necessary’ than straight characters.”
so straight characters are normal but gay characters are unnecessary? the whole point of representation is to normalize it because being gay is normal and so it isn’t unnecessary, its important and is no less “necessary” than straight characters
— chelsea
(@femmenart) May 5, 2020
Personally I dislike all the unnecessary straight and cis people
— Disgusting hive of sin
puppyphobic (@T0YB0NNIE) May 5, 2020
Netflix itself has now chimed in. Its official Twitter account tweeted a response to the original tweet, saying, “Sorry you have yet to realize that every gay person is very necessary.”
sorry you have yet to realize that every gay person is very necessary t.co/xTOEcLWryc
— Netflix (@netflix) May 6, 2020
Its tweet has had over 360k likes and 60k retweets at the time of writing.
Related: Queer Eye renewed for season six at Netflix
Not wishing to be overlooked, even Prime Video, from Amazon, signaled its support for LGBTQ representation – responding to Netflix’s tweet with a gif of Spongebob and a rainbow.
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) May 6, 2020
Others were quick to roll their eyes at the original poster’s tweet.
Oh, poor straight people and their lack of representation in the media, right?
— Rao (@RaonyPhillips) May 6, 2020
Some Netflix shows also responded.
— The Most (@Most) May 6, 2020
As did Netflix social media accounts in other territories.
Oui.
— Netflix France (@NetflixFR) May 7, 2020
Whilst we’re all looking for show recommendations to pass the time, feel free to namecheck your favorite LGBTQ characters and Netflix shows in the comments below.
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