Author Hamish Steele said he received many homophobic and anti-Semitic emails after Elon Musk called for the cancellation of Netflix because of the transgender character in the animated film Dead End: Paranormal Park.

Elon Musk calls for Netflix subscription cancellation because of transgender character in Dead End: Paranormal Park – Photo: Getty Images

Elon Musk’s statement has ignited the “Cancel Netflix” campaign and led to great pressure on the film’s author.

Elon Musk and the controversy that led to calls to ‘cancel Netflix’

According to Variety, the controversy began in late September, an excerpt from Dead End: Paranormal Park posted by the Libs of TikTok account on X (former name: Twitter) showed the main character Barney admitting to being transgender.

Accompanying the clip, this account accused Netflix of promoting transgenderism to children.

Barney’s character in Dead End: Paranormal Park, the focus of controversy posted by the Libs of TikTok account on X

The video quickly went viral, attracting millions of views and many mixed comments. Controversy revolves around whether streaming platforms should feature transgender characters in teen shows.

From that incident, Elon Musk – the owner of social network X – wrote: “This is not ok” and called: “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids”.

Elon Musk later confirmed that he had stopped subscribing to the service and encouraged others to follow suit.

Elon Musk’s status lines on X quickly went viral, contributing to the outbreak of controversy around Netflix – Photo: Screenshot

This statement immediately sparked a wave of boycotts of Netflix. Some Elon Musk supporters argue that the company has “crossed the line” by including transgender messages in children’s content.

While another part of the audience countered, emphasizing that the portrayal of gender diversity in films is necessary and justified.

Author Hamish Steele is under pressure from a wave of public opinion

As the debate intensifies, Hamish Steele, the creator of the movie Dead End: Paranormal Park, has become the target of attacks on social media.

Many accounts have attached his name directly to criticism of Netflix, describing Steele as “the man behind spreading transgender ideology to children”.

Hamish Steele, creator of the movie Dead End: Paranormal Park

In a post on the (later deleted) Bluesky social network, he shared: “Extremely vulgar, homophobic and anti-Semitic emails began to flood in… The situation is starting to get scary.”

Hamish Steele says the amount of negative emails and comments is increasing, putting a lot of pressure.

He plans to limit his appearances on social media to avoid unnecessary stress.

At the same time, Hamish Steele affirmed that Dead End: Paranormal Park is not a product to “impose” any ideology, but only reflects the true experience of the LGBTQ+ community.

The fact that Barney’s main character is a gay transgender teenager is seen by him as a way to provide a role model for audiences who rarely see themselves in animation.

Dead End: Paranormal Park and the debate hasn’t stopped

Dead End: Paranormal Park premieres in 2022 on Netflix, based on Hamish Steele’s own DeadEndia comic book. The content revolves around Barney, a gay, transgender teenager and a group of friends who work in an amusement park full of supernatural elements.

Zach Barack as Barney, Kody Kavitha as Norma, and Emily Osment as Courtney in Dead End: Paranormal Park

The film has received positive reviews from critics for showing gender diversity and bringing representation to the LGBTQ+ community in animation. However, Netflix decided to cancel the show in January 2023, after only two seasons of airing.

The fact that Elon Musk, one of the world’s most influential media figures, directly called for a boycott caused the controversy about the film to erupt once again.

According to Business Insider, this incident clearly reflects the deep division in American cultural life, where entertainment products often become the focus of socio-political controversy.

Meanwhile, Netflix has not issued an official response regarding the “Cancel Netflix” campaign initiated by Elon Musk, nor has there been any comment on author Hamish Steele’s being attacked with hate emails.

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