Complaints Lead to Changes in FX's The Strain Billboards

[Esmeralda Portillo]

Complaints Lead to Changes in FX's The Strain Billboards

FX replacing billboards for The Strain following numerous complaints.

The newest horror series coming to FX The Strain [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/moviesandtv/tvrecaps/11625-The-Strain-Preview-FXs-Vampire-Drama-Doesnt-Skimp-on-Scares], created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, has upset potential viewers. Billboards promoting the show has a close-up of a woman's eye with a worm coming out of it, which many find deeply disturbing.

BuzzFeed first reported on the outraged reaction some people are having to the billboards, with a few claiming they won't watch the show out of protest. A quick search of tweets relating to this issue express extreme concern for their children seeing the imagery.

A representative then reached out to BuzzFeed stating the network is "in the process of replacing the key art for The Strain on outdoor media in several locations."

The Strain will premiere on FX on July 13th at 10PM Eastern. The series is based on the novel trilogy of the same name, also created by del Toro.

Coincidentally, I was just discussing this very same billboard with my friends last night. While I'm able to stomach quite a bit, the billboard still manages to bother me a little, so I'd like to think FX somehow overheard our conversation and took action accordingly. That said, I can't wait for this show's premiere.

Source: BuzzFeed [http://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/the-disgusting-billboard-for-the-strain-is-grossing-out-la]

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[Barbas]

Bleeergh. That's disgusting. They posted that over roads??? Glad they are changing them.

 

[Rad Party God]

Personally I find it pretty cool, but I see it could potentially upset a lot of people and I don't blame them really. Looks interesting though, they won a potential viewer here

EDIT: Oh wow!, this is the imagery they're going for in this show!?, holy shit!, they DEFINITELY won a viewer here!

Spoiler: Nightmarish stuff.

EDIT EDIT: Also the trailer looks pretty interesting too!.

Spoiler: Clickity click.

 

[rofltehcat]

Is that some form of metal implement piercing the eye? Or is it some kind of worm that is pulled out and continues down inside the cheek skin?

Either way it really is some quite disturbing imagery. Though I have to say that lately I have seen comparable stuff because some popular science sites like ifls have taken to display stuff like that in their side bars to click-bait (I just push the browser part with it out of the screen because it is quite distracting).
But having a bloodied eye depicted on a science site is still very different from having it on a giant public board.

 

[oldtaku]

It's pretty disgusting, but as soon as I see someone pull 'Won't anybody think of the chiiiiiiiildren?!?' I suddenly want them to be left up.

Oh well, publicity was achieved. I'm sure they expected this.

 

[AJey]

Isn't it hypocritical, though? It's okay to show on TV, but not okay on a billboard? This is going to be on the Internet like yesterday, so EVERYONE will see it anyway, especially kids. It's not gory, it's not sexualized, it's not anything negative. It's purely medical. I just dont see what's the problem.

 

[Darks63]

I would usually be against such censorship but even I think that billboard is a bit much.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

It's pretty disgusting, but as soon as I see someone pull 'Won't anybody think of the chiiiiiiiildren?!?' I suddenly want them to be left up.

Oh well, publicity was achieved. I'm sure they expected this.

haha unfortunately I fall under the same opinion, anytime children is mentioned I want to feed them like a fat kid filled with horror and strong language.

This seems a bit much, especially if someone is driving by this billboard, I know I would do a double-take on it and look at if that was a worm or what exactly, which would be a odd distraction from driving.

 

[Eri]

Boycotting a show over a billboard? Yeah, that's not retarded at all.

People need to understand that marketing departments are rarely attached to the creative departments. You're blasting someone's hard work and they most likely have nothing to do with the ads in question.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Yikes, you don't fuck with eyes man. Eyes, fingernails and open fractures. Those get a nope from me. Boycotting the show is a little extreme, so many people often react too extreme, but yeah I get the complaints.

Isn't it hypocritical, though? It's okay to show on TV, but not okay on a billboard?

Not exactly, as they're quite different media. You can prevent your child from seeing that sort of thing on TV, same with the internet. They're not perfectly controllable, but a lot easier than when you're driving on a motorway. In that case there's no possibility for control whatsoever, so yes I can understand the complaints surrounding this. To put this sort of thing in the open like this isn't the smartest thing to do.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Yeah, I think that's a little much for a billboard, but not watching the show over it? You'd have to be a right old bellend.

Personally I'm fucking excited to see anything that Del Toro touches, it's always top-notch stuff.

 

[schrodinger]

Is that some form of metal implement piercing the eye? Or is it some kind of worm that is pulled out and continues down inside the cheek skin?

It's a worm-like creature that slithers into a host and changes them into vampires. They can pretty much dig into any part of the body, and it looks like FX isn't holding back on the graphic details.

OT: can't wait for the show~

 

[Zakarath]

Eugh, that's nasty. I'd be pretty pissed at seeing that on some billboard, too. It's fine if there's some gore/body horror in a show, but that doesn't mean you should shove it in everyone's face as they drive to work or whatever.

 

[Xyklos]

I don't really see the issue. Are people really that squeamish? Seems like everyone is being a bunch of big babies to me.

 

[Rozalia1]

Took a while to make out it was a "worm", looked more like a bit of metal.
I'm against the censorship of course, but as the main objective is to drum up publicity I'd say they've been pretty clever.

 

[templar1138a]

I often feel that people who refer to children are the ones who are least in touch with their own. In this case, however, I agree. We are a captive audience when it comes to highway billboards. We cannot change the channel, we cannot turn them off, and we're NOT going to take a different route over a billboard. And an image like that is the kind that can scar a child for life. I, for one, am still haunted by the "He chose poorly" scene in The Last Crusade.

 

[omega 616]

If they change them, I want it! Stick it on my wall or ceiling, be a nice "statement" piece.

I'm all for shock, horror, gore etc and I know why they did it, nothing creates great advertising like public outrage! But damn! A worm coming out of the bottom eye lid? People of a sensitive disposition would be in for a shock, cruising to work when you are suddenly confronted by a massive bloody eye with a worm in it, would make anybody choke on their morning coffee.

 

[Je-Tze]

Hmmm, i wonder what people would think in countries where common medical reality includes worm parasites very similar to that. It would probably seem like some sort of Public Service Announcement.

 

[Thaluikhain]

You'd have to be an idiot to not expect that this would happen. Calculated publicity stunt, likely. They get show publicity and look like good guys for taking it down swiftly with no intervention from the owner of the billboard.

My thought exactly.

Hmmm, i wonder what people would think in countries where common medical reality includes worm parasites very similar to that. It would probably seem like some sort of Public Service Announcement.

Would sorta be ruining the effect of real PSAs, I guess.