Disney Cancels Its ‘Queer Coded’ Adaptation of ‘Goosebumps’ After Two Seasons Amid Company’s Retreat From Gay-Themed Content

Disney is canceling “Goosebumps,” its “LGBTQ inclusive” Disney+ adaptation of the wildly popular children’s book series by R.L. Stine, after just two seasons. The decision was first reported by Variety, which says that the producer of the series, Sony Pictures Television, will “shop the show to other outlets and explore different creative directions.” Disney did not provide an explanation for the decision to cancel the show. But Disney’s “Goosebumps” — despite being a show for children — was known for its gay and transgender themes, and the cancellation comes as Disney has been dialing back on what its critics had called gratuitous depictions of same-sex intimacy, especially in content popular with children. “Goosebumps” made its debut on Disney+ in October 2023, and according to Variety it garnered 75 million viewing hours in America over two seasons. Season one had 10 episodes, and the second season had eight, with each episode lasting between 30 and 50 minutes. The show was popular among gay viewers, who said it was “queer coded.” Its cast featured a trans actor and LGBTQ activist, Miles McKenna. In the episode “The Vanishing,” written by a lesbian writer, Mariko Tamaki, a lesbian couple share an intimate kiss. The show also includes an openly gay male character, played by Miles McKenna.Some users on social media defended the show by arguing that Mr. Stine’s books, on which the show is based, are “inclusive.” Supporters of the show and its sexualized themes touted that it did not include “coming out” stories or dramas, and rather presented the characters as openly gay or lesbian. In the episode “The Vanishing,” a young lesbian named Cece says “sexuality is a spectrum.”However, the books, which were some of the best-selling children’s books after “Harry Potter,” did not explicitly include a lesbian couple, though some fans of the books interpreted LGBTQ themes and relationships in the stories.The decision to cancel “Goosebumps” upset some LGBTQ viewers who noted it was the third “queer-coded” show canceled by Disney in recent years. In 2023, Disney canceled “Willow,” which was based on a 1988 fantasy movie with the same name that was popular among LGBTQ viewers. In 2024, Disney+ canceled a Star Wars prequel series, “The Acolyte,” after just one season, as it was heavily criticized for its “woke” storylines, which included a coven of what the show’s detractors called “lesbian space witches.” Show runner Leslye Headland, who is openly gay and cast her wife as a bald, green-skinned Jedi in the series, observed during an interview with the Wrap in June that “The Acolyte” is the “gayest Star Wars” show. She also said that R2-D2 is a lesbian.The cancellation of the shows comes five years after the then-president of Disney’s General Entertainment Content, Karey Burke, said that the company had to make its content more inclusive. In a 2020 Zoom call, Ms. Burke — who says she is the mother of two “queer” children (one is transgender and one is “pansexual,” according to Los Angeles magazine) — said she wanted to see “many, many” LGBTQ characters. Meanwhile, the then-chief executive of Disney, Bob Chapek, told shareholders that he wanted the company’s content to “represent our audience” and to “tell stories that our audience wants to hear, that reflect their lives.”However, the push to produce more inclusive content wound up alienating conservative Americans, and several shows that were celebrated by coastal elites for their inclusivity saw their audiences shrivel. “The Acolyte” received 4.8 million views when it made its premiere, and within five days, it received 11.1 million views. However, amid the growing criticism of its “woke” storylines, the audience steadily dropped off as the season progressed. As Disney floundered under Mr. Chapek’s leadership, his predecessor, Bob Iger, successfully staged a comeback as chief executive in 2022. After several bruising years of seeing Disney’s content flop at the box office and on its streaming service, Mr. Iger declared in April 2024 that the company would focus on entertaining instead of trying to push “any kind of agenda.”“I’ve always believed that we have a responsibility to do good in the world, but we know our job is not to advance any kind of agenda,” he said during Disney’s annual shareholder meeting. “For as long as I’m in the job, I’m going to continue to be guided by a sense of decency and respect, and we’ll always trust our instincts.”The pullback from “woke” content and the culture wars has reportedly affected the creation of other content, such as Pixar’s “Elio,” an animated film about an 11-year-old boy who gets beamed into space and becomes an ambassador of Earth. It was released in June after a year-long delay and drew in a measly $20.8 million.Pixar, which has been owned by Disney since 2006, pushed the creative team behind the movie to tone down its LGBTQ messages, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which said the main character, Elio, was originally supposed to be “queer coded.” However, scenes that alluded to his sexuality, such as a picture of his male crush, were removed. Also stripped out were scenes about Elio’s passion for environmentalism.

Disney Cancels Its ‘Queer Coded’ Adaptation of ‘Goosebumps’ After Two Seasons Amid Company’s Retreat From Gay-Themed Content

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