Netflix Hit With Backlash From Millions Of Christians For Christmas Movie Depicting Jesus As A Closeted Gay Man
A new Netflix special from Brazilian satirical comedy group Porta dos Fundos has greatly angered many people for its portrayal of Jesus Christ as a closeted gay man.
A gay Jesus is far from the only sacrilegious part of the film, but it is the one that most seem to fixate on in their protests against the satire.
The special, titled The First Temptation of Christ, is currently available to watch on streaming giant Netflix. In it, Jesus brings a very close friend named Orlando home to meet his parents.
Instead of finding Mary and Joseph home alone, however, the two stumble upon a huge surprise party for Jesus' 30th birthday.
The guests and Jesus' parents trying to figure out exactly who Orlando is to Jesus is played for laughs throughout the special.
A Change.org petition for the removal of the film has been created and signed by nearly 1.9 million people. The petition calls for Porta dos Fundos, whose name translates to "Back Door", to be:
"held responsible for the crime of villainous faith."
The petition also calls for a public retraction.
"We also want public retraction, as they have seriously offended Christians."
Many have taken to social media to vent their outrage as well.
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, of the diocese of Tyler, Texas, tweeted his condemnation of the special, and his decision to cancel Netflix.
Just cancelled Netflix....hardly have time to watch it anyway but blasphemers don’t deserve a penny of support!— Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishop J. Strickland) 1576448764
Others apparently followed suit.
Some of the more radical doomsday-predicting Christians have made claims via social media that The First Temptation of Christ will somehow hasten the coming of the apocalypse.
Netflix Releases Christmas Special 'The First Temptation Of Christ' Featuring A Gay Jesus, Can We Now Also Expect T… https://t.co/CYHTmAPnlh— Now The End Begins ✈️Flight #777 (@Now The End Begins ✈️Flight #777) 1576248699
Others on Twitter were confused by the level of Backlash over a Brazilian satirical Christmas special, out of all of the other potentially offensive content on Netflix.
Leave the little movie alone and stop the nonsense about #Netflix. The First Temptation of Christ isn't hurting a s… https://t.co/9XEqrkV6kf— Drain the Trump-publican Swamp & #WearAMask 🆒♻️ (@Drain the Trump-publican Swamp & #WearAMask 🆒♻️) 1576278995
Some just appreciated the film's sense of humor and occasional disregard of the 4th wall.
I'm loving the #FirstTemptationOfChrist so far! #gayjesus trust me, it's funny for more than just the constant blas… https://t.co/SjISlpAQki— Sibusiso (The Decolonise Science Guy) Biyela 🇿🇦 (@Sibusiso (The Decolonise Science Guy) Biyela 🇿🇦) 1576484012
The First Temptation of Christ isn't even Porta dos Fundos' only sacrilegious comedy special. The group previously made another reimagining the last supper, titled The Last Hangover.
For their part, Porta dos Fundos consider the flim a success and aren't concerned about the backlash. They even go so far as to link to one of the protest petitions in their celebratory tweet.
Enquanto tá rolando abaixo assinado contra, a gente comemora o sucesso de mais uma criação de Deus: nosso Especial… https://t.co/s4ZoEzL02F— Porta dos Fundos (@Porta dos Fundos) 1575903259
When The New York Post contacted Netflix, the streaming service refused to comment directly on the controversy, but instead provided a statement from Porta dos Fundos.
"Porta dos Fundos values artistic freedom and humor through satire on the most diverse cultural themes of our society and believes that freedom of expression is an essential construction for a democratic country."