Today in bizarre news, a radical Christian watchdog group is calling on Netflix to cancel the hit Amazon Prime series Good Omens.
Good Omens, a series based on the hit Neil Gaiman novel has become a huge success for Amazon Prime. The series focuses on an angel and a demon who must team together to help stop the apocalypse, and it stars the amazing Michael Sheen and David Tennant. However, one religious group isn’t feeling the love for the series.
The radical Christian watchdog group Return to Order is upset with the series because they feel it is dangerous because it makes “Satanism appear normal, light, and acceptable” and “destroys the barriers of horror that society still has for the devil.” According to Vanity Fair, the group is so bothered by these things that it is calling on Netflix to cancel the series.
The problem is, of course, that Netflix doesn’t own Good Omens, Amazon Prime does. A religious group protesting a movie or a show they feel is harmful and wildly against their beliefs isn’t anything new, but they usually do the homework to be sure they get their network or production company correct.
The group’s mistake made it all the way to Neil Gaiman himself, who thought the entire thing was hilarious. The author took to Twitter to share his feelings.
I love that they are going to write to Netflix to try and get #GoodOmens cancelled. Says it all really. https://t.co/8WNxCY1YmV
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 19, 2019
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But because he’s Neil Gaiman, he also got serious and touched briefly on how he handled incorporating religion into his book. He also explained that though the bookGood Omens took on the tenants of a major world religion and fictionalized it (much like shows like Supernatural, Lucifer, and MUCH more do all the time), he was very intent on being respectful in his portrayal of key religious moments.
Those intentions shine through on the show and in the book pretty clearly. Just one look at Gaiman’s Twitter, and you can see it is filled with retweets of Christians and people of other religions praising the book, the series, and the treatment of religion.
Thank you! If we couldn't have done it with respect, we wouldn't have done it. https://t.co/Nc5UK5ydtv
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 20, 2019
It doesn’t matter if you’re a person of religion or not, it’s cool to see Gaiman both using religion as a catapult for creativity without insulting something that is incredibly important to many people. Basically, add it to the list of reasons we love Neil Gaiman, and another reason why this petition feels totally bonkers.
As for the petition, Netflix and Amazon Prime both took to Twitter to address the call for cancellation.
Hey @netflix, we'll cancel Stranger Things if you cancel Good Omens. 😉 https://t.co/EJPmi9rL7g
— Amazon Prime Video US (@PrimeVideo) June 20, 2019
ok we promise not to make any more https://t.co/TRPux36kcX
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 20, 2019
It seems that the petition isn’t making much purchase over at Amazon Prime (mainly because it wasn’t sent to them), but it has caused the fandom to rally together, which is awesome. If you haven’t checked out Good Omens yet, you can stream the entire first season now on Prime.
And remember, if you feel passionate about something and want to start a petition, always check to be sure you send it to the right place.
Source: Vanity Fair
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