Complaints Lead to Changes in FX's The Strain Billboards

[Lil_Rimmy]

Yeah, I'm against censorship like crazy, but really? I mean, we have late night ads for this reason, so people who don't want to see something disgusting or disturbing don't have to. Then someone shoves a giant billboard on a major road? Eww. I get that people like this stuff, and hell, I don't mind a bit in a creepy movie, but I seriously would not want to see this on the drive to work.

Hell, I even get pissed off at people with skin as thin as paper, but there is a big difference between being a cry baby or complaining about everything that doesn't suit you and just not wanting to see someone have a worm pulled out through their eye in the morning. The major difference being is that one could make someone actually sick or disturbed, whilst the others are just hurt feelings. TV and Internet, you can control that. Giant sign in public? Unless you are literally going to let go of the wheel and cover your eyes, you are a bit fucked.

 

[Jandau]

I'm looking forward to this show quite a bit, but I completely understand why people wanted it removed. It does have a fairly high "ewwww" factor, and many people are extra squemish when it comes to eyes. While I do like a bit of body horror every now and then, I don't want to look at it while I'm trying to relax on my way to work or some such.

 

[gridsleep]

It's tasteless, that's about it. True horror is in the anticipation eating at the audience's calm. A horror master knows exactly where the tipping point is to make the pants-wetting shot truly delightful. You spill your load on a billboard before the show even airs and you're just being an exhibitionist. Besides, worms coming out of eyeballs happens in real life all the time. It's a parasite that lives in tropical and subtropical regions.

 

[Dr. Octogonopus]

Had a quick read through its Wikipedia page. Kind of bummed that there's no mention of a Ron Pearlman appearance besides a character that was created with Pearlman in mind, but he's played by a different actor. Maybe season two? Bonus points for having Ramin Djawadi score the soundtrack.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I get what they're saying, to be honest. I saw the picture on my Facebook wall and I thought "ouch"; but then I'm a kind of don't-let-things-near-my-eye kinda guy. Like, body horror is most effective on me when it's going through an eye. Ech.

So in that respect, the ad is actually most effective indeed.

 

[Vrach]

It's purely medical.

So is cutting a penis up with a scalpel, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want the image on a billboard on your way to work.

TV has air times, quick Google search says 10 PM, most small children are sleeping at that time. You also have TV guides, so you can easily avoid that stuff. A giant billboard is there all day, all night.

And fuck "think of the children". This creeps me out and I sure wouldn't want to see it if I was driving to work past one every day.

 

[Duskflamer]

People are talking about how this is or isn't offensive to people, all I'm imagining is someone driving, looking up at that billboard, recoiling in horror and reflexively screwing their eyes shut, and causing an accident. IMO, taking this down is a matter of public safety, not a matter of people getting offended.

 

[Vareoth]

I don't want to see such things when I'm moving along the highway thank you very much. Absolutely revolting. Glad they removed it.

Also, advertising based on shock value make me very weary of the final product. It's such a cheap way to garner publicity.

 

[Doclector]

Y'know, it is probably too graphic for public places. But as a huge horror fan and lover of people being creeped out unexpectedly, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

HA.

 

[beastro]

Always a smart move to put something that makes you want to cover your eyes wincing in sympathetic pains along the roadside.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

The idea of insects or worms under the skin has always made me nauseous. (Teenage intern work at an Aviary with an unexpected Botfly infestation being the culprit I assume) So yeah, I can see how this image might upset people.

Still I'm always a bit perturbed when folks get their dander up about something relatively benign and feel the need to raise a bit boycotty stink about it.

 

[Alfador_VII]

Good decision to change out the billboards. I saw it and instantly went "eww", I wouldn't like to have to drive under that every day.

They did manage to get some cheap extra publicity for the show with the controversy though...

 

[CBanana]

I think there's actually a safety issue here. Some people feel faint at the sight of certain gory images so if they're driving, they're far likelier to get into an accident because of that. You certainly don't want something on a billboard that could unsettle drivers like that.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I can understand why, my eyes literally started to tear up in fear just by looking at this. I wold hate to see that while stuck in traffic. That being said, it certainly is an "eye catcher."

 

[Xan Krieger]

I'm all for 99% of body parts being injured but the eyes? That's just a nope area. I remember a movie in which a guy fell off a seaside cliff and when he landed he was basically paralyzed so this crab came over and dug out one of his eyes with it's claws, so much nope in one scene.

 

[Esmeralda Portillo]

I understand the mentality that "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" in terms of this being a 'calculated' publicity stunt, but given the amount of money involved in advertising (especially on billboards all over Los Angeles, for example), the amount of channels that need to approve a marketing concept, the back-and-forth necessary when this type of backlash happens, etc... I'm on the side that this wasn't planned. But I do agree probably the people that are 'protesting' the show were likely not going to see the show anyway.

 

[Alexei F. Karamazov]

Well, if the advertisers were going for the shock value of the ad, they certainly obtained it! I don't find it particularly disturbing, but considering the attitude of the general public, I can see why it would cause such ripples. I suppose it's good that those disturbed by the ad are boycotting the show, considering the plot apparently revolves around the worms and their various travels within the human body, so I guess it's best for them to leave now before they get a heaping plateful of "nope!" after watching the first episode, and THEN complain about it.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I get it that this can freak people out big time, I hate worms myself and seeing the poster does make me cringe, but giving in and forcefully taking it down because people 'freak out' is basically just giving in, not standing and saying 'no fuck you people, we are keeping this because we made it and it speaks to the kind of show we are planning to release.' (of course in nice terms)

 

[elvor0]

ptsh. It's not that bad. Not bad at all, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

Also, "not going to watch it in protest"? Fuck off, you wernt't going to watch it anyway, you didn't even hear about it before that billboard, nor do you care, you just want to scream "think of the children!"

 

[Moeez]

Did children complain about this?

Oh. No. It was adults concern trolling once again in the guise of trying to save their children. It's not even anything sexual, so having Americans get up in arms about this is just odd.

Bothers you, fine. Going to protest about it like it was some injustice is just pretentious. Is this billboard really where you want to make your faux stand? Do you want to go to court with this?