HBO is known for pushing the envelope, but now the network is being accused of going too far.
On Sunday, the network responded to the viral social media outcry urging them to drop their upcoming slave drama Confederate. The controversial series takes place in an alternate timeline where the Southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.
But after the #NoConfederate campaign (organized by April Reign, creator of the #OscarsSoWhite outcry) took over the Internet during Sunday night’s Game of Thrones, HBO is speaking out, “We have great respect for the dialogue and concern being expressed around Confederate. We have faith that [writers] Nichelle, Dan, David and Malcolm will approach the subject with care and sensitivity. The project is currently in its infancy so we hope that people will reserve judgment until there is something to see.”
See some of the Twitter reactions below:
https://twitter.com/localblactivist/status/891837780870955008
https://twitter.com/BintibirdC/status/891861922320187392
https://twitter.com/ShanelleLittle/status/891842848173154304
HBO programming president Casey Bloys defended the show last week and urged viewers to reserve judgment until after they’ve seen the show, saying, “Everyone understands there is a high degree of getting this right. … If you can get it right, there is real opportunity to advance the racial discussion in America. If you can draw a line between what we’re seeing in the country today with voter suppression, mass incarceration, lack of access to public education and healthcare and draw the line to our past and shared history, that’s an important line to draw and a conversation worth having.”
This idea sounds just as bad as Joseph Fiennes portraying Michael Jackson.
HBO Responds To Twitter’s #NoConfederate Campaign was originally published on globalgrind.com
