This Is Why Peacock Is Adding A Content Warning To The Queer As Folk Revival
The following article includes discussions of gun violence.
The groundbreaking drama Queer as Folk will soon receive a revival courtesy of Peacock. The upcoming season, which is slated to premiere on the streaming platform on June 9, will follow a group of people in the LGBTQ+ community who seek to rebuild what they had in the aftermath of a shooting at a nightclub in New Orleans. The show's creator, Stephen Dunn, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about drawing inspiration from the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida for the season, stating, "I wanted to re-envision it through the lens of what happened post-Pulse ... Our show is completely fictional, but the trajectory of our story is inspired by the realities of what that was like — not just that night, but the aftermath and the way that the community of Orlando rebuilt in the wake of that tragedy."
Sadly, the nation has once again been rocked by another tragic shooting, this time at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. As such, Peacock has opted to showcase the following message when the entire season premieres: "'Queer as Folk' is a fictional series about the vibrant LGBTQ community in New Orleans rebuilding after a devastating tragedy. Some viewers may find elements of the first episode distressing as it depicts the aftermath of a shooting. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by these senseless tragedies." As the country continues to reel from the deaths of 19 students and two teachers, "Queer as Folk" is just the latest example of fiction hitting a little too close to reality.
Stranger Things and Obi-Wan Kenobi have also added content warnings related to the Uvalde shooting
Stephen Dunn aimed to bring a realness to the proceedings of this season of "Queer as Folk." He even went so far as to work with several survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting, some of whom even served as consultants on the show. As Dunn went on to tell The Hollywood Reporter, the people impacted the most by the Pulse shooting were just regular people thrown into an impossible situation, and that's what the latest season aims to reveal. As he said, "What you'll see in 'Queer as Folk' is the honest truth of what it is like to go through something like that and how it's not this saintly victim tragedy story. These are real people and they're not victims. They survived a tragedy, and they are human beings whose lives were completely turned upside down after this."
"Queer as Folk" is just the latest in a string of television shows that have chosen to add a disclaimer to its latest season. "Stranger Things" Season 4 has a disclaimer before its first episode, which depicts violence against young people. The card reads, "We filmed this season of 'Stranger Things' a year ago. But given the recent tragic shooting at a school in Texas, viewers may find the opening scene of episode 1 distressing. We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable violence, and our hearts go out to every family mourning a loved one."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" also has its opening scene depicting violence against young people through the events of Order 66, with Stormtroopers laying siege against the Jedi. As such, the show has also opted to air a disclaimer warning people about the sensitive subject matter.