Look — up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s fabulous!
And now it’s canceled.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Universal Studios Hollywood is shelving its Bill & Ted’s Halloween Horror Nights show after gay rights advocates charged that it is “homophobic.”
The show featured Superman, who was ‘turned gay’ by being sprinkled with ‘fairy dust,’ according to reports. The Superman character then displayed a series of gay stereotypes meant to be played for laughs.
‘After thoughtful consideration, Universal Studios Hollywood has made the decision to discontinue production of the Halloween Horror Nights’ ‘Bill & Ted’ show for the remainder of its limited run,’ Universal Studios Hollywood said in a statement.
GLAAD (whose own website fails to explain that the acronym stands for “Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation”) shared its concerns about the show with NBCUniversal on Tuesday. The organization subsequently praised the decision to pull the show. GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said:
NBCUniversal has taken quick and strong action regarding this matter and also started a productive dialogue around future ‘Bill & Ted’ programming to ensure that all park visitors can have an enjoyable experience. This decision falls in line with NBCUniversal’s history of including groundbreaking and positive depictions of LGBT people across its brands.”
The Hollywood Reporter assures readers that there’s still plenty of fun to be had at the Halloween Horror Nights show, which features a maze and terror tram inspired by AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”
Yeah, maybe so, but lots of places have mazes and scary thrill rides on Halloween. How many can promise to have your favorite superhero in a pink body suit — apart that is from comic books.
