American Horror Story (AHS) has become an instant cult classic, but its “cult” of fans was quick to abandon their favorite binge-worthy show after the cast of the the latest season was announced. Lena Dunham and Colton Haynes, two actors scheduled to appear on this season, have been dubbed by the internet as “problematic”—the former for allegedly sexually abusing her younger sister and the latter for donning blackface on multiple occasions—causing fans of the show to call for a boycott.
Usually when a group cries “boycott” or “protest” their morals are in the right place and should be applauded, but the fact that a pumpkin still sits in the Oval Office even after all of the recent protests raises a certain degree of skepticism as to the effectiveness of such measures in the mind of this author.
However, though it is still early in the season, it is blatantly apparent that the show has seen a significant drop in viewership, which may have a dramatic impact on its future.
According to data from Nielsen Media Research, the viewers (in millions) for the first episode of last season was 5.14, while this season premiere received only 3.93. The last time the show had a season premiere rating so low was its second season (3.85 million) when the show was still establishing itself.
The drop may have also been caused, in part, by the election theme of the seventh season, entitled “Cult,” which Trump supporters have taken personal offense to (and they call liberals snowflakes).
While it is a far less noble cause than speaking out against racism and sexual abuse, it aids in the effort of showing the TV and film industry that the public will not lie down and accept the fact that they are placing contemptible people upon a pedestal.
It may seem a bit harsh to say that someone should be fired or never again hired in their industry for a simple mistake, but these mistakes were not simple—at least not in Hayne’s case. Dunham’s “mistake” could be seen as normal behavior according to psychologists.
“It’s common for young children to explore their own bodies and even those of friends or siblings in this way,” said Debby Hebernick, associate professor in Indiana University’s School of Public Health and author of Sex Made Easy, in an interview with USA Today. “That doesn’t mean it’s OK. And it’s just as common for parents, teachers and caregivers to set boundaries and to teach children what’s OK and what’s not OK.”
Dunham claims that her intentions were not sexual and Grace Dunham, her sister and the alleged victim, released a series of tweets in support of Lena because, in her eyes, there was no wrongdoing to begin with.
“Heteronormativity deems certain behaviours harmful, and others “normal”; the state and media are always invested in maintaining that”
— Grace Dunham (@simongdunham) November 3, 2014
“As a queer person: i’m committed to people narrating their own experiences, determining for themselves what has and has not been harmful”
— Grace Dunham (@simongdunham) November 3, 2014
“2day, like every other day, is a good day to think about how we police the sexualities of young women, queer, and trans people”
— Grace Dunham (@simongdunham) November 3, 2014
Dunham’s actions were not okay in the eyes of the public, psychologists, and this author, but as previously stated, they were, from a psychological perspective, normal. Dunham was seven at the time of the alleged assault and probably (no outside perspective can know for sure) acted out of curiosity with no malicious intent. It would be cruel to eternally condemn her for actions she took at such a young age, especially when the “victim” has forgiven her.
Haynes on the other hand should be crucified. He is young, but not so young that he should not be held accountable for his actions. It is common knowledge to any sensible person with at least a middle school education the historical use of blackface and why it is unacceptable in our supposedly evolved society, but clearly Haynes is not sensible.
His lack of sense has been made apparent on not one, but three occasions. The first was in 2009 for a My Chemical Romance video where Haynes had been painted entirely black, in stark contrast to his female co-star painted all white.
In this instance, Haynes can be forgiven. His character was not a negative portrayal of black people and he was only playing a part, as every actor does.
In fact, all those who condemn Haynes for the paint should be directing their anger toward My Chemical Romance. The band’s purpose was most likely solely for art and to dramatize the contrast between the characters, but they should have been more conscious of the fact that their intentions could be misconstrued and seen as wildly offensive.
However, the second and third instances are entirely unacceptable. In those cases, the actor broke out his brown foundation for Halloween two years in a row so that he could dress as Kanye West (2011) and Gandhi (2012).
“I was not aware that I was offending people,” said Haynes in a 2013 apology video, a statement that is hard to believe. Maybe in 2011 he could have claimed ignorance, but once the backlash rolled in, he should have learned his lesson and apologized immediately. But to let it happen again and then wait to apologize a year later is a tell-tale sign that he knew what he did wrong and simply didn’t care.
Yet sympathizers argue that he apologized and never did it again, “so what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that he received criticism for the same offensive action twice consecutively and only gave a less than forty second, insincere, and off-handed apology during a Q&A session a year later, and it is likely that the only reason he didn’t do blackface again is because he knew his career wouldn’t survive it.
So, sorry Colton, apology not accepted.
He is not the only AHS star with blackface controversy, though. Lady Gaga, who appeared on seasons five and six, held a gay slave auction in 2011 in which the slaves donned blackface, and she did so herself for the cover of V Magazine’s fall 2009 edition.
Understandably, AHS fans were outraged due to her past and called for a boycott when she was first scheduled to appear. While the ratings did not show as dramatic a drop in viewership in the fifth season as it does this one, Gaga did not return for this season.
The precise reason for her not returning has not been revealed, but for those boycotting this season, her absence serves as a spark of hope that Dunham and Haynes will not be asked to return either.
It would be unfortunate if Dunham were to be fired over the backlash, but she seems to be the one fans have the most problem with, so if Haynes goes it is likely that she will too.
However, the real villains in this whole controversy are the show’s casting directors for repeatedly hiring actors who’ve acted erroneously, and fans seem to agree. While their issues lie with the actors themselves, they are boycotting the show and FX for hiring them in the first place.
As public figures, actors have influence over the general public, especially younger audiences. We as a society cannot send the message to our children that committing illegal or immoral acts will earn them a life of fame and success by allowing people like Haynes and Gaga to lead such lives, and those boycotting AHS seem to understand that.
