They say that “the Devil is in the details”, but it appears that the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property was more concerned with the Devil, than the details in the case of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens adaptation.
The organization (also known as The Christian Return to Order) got a little too hot under the collar about the new Amazon Prime series, and forgot which streaming service was responsible for the “…mockery of God’s Order and religion…”. The petition (since removed from their website) demanded that Netflix remove the series from the airwaves, and asked signers to send the message to “…Netflix that we will not stand silent as they destroy the barriers of horror we still have for evil.” The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property was able to elicit over 20,000 signatures before they realized that they were petitioning the wrong streaming service.
As expected, the misguided petition garnered responses from Neil Gaiman, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, among others.
I love that they are going to write to Netflix to try and get #GoodOmens cancelled. Says it all really. https://t.co/8WNxCY1YmV
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 19, 2019
It seems like the petition may have worked, as the UK and Ireland branch of Netflix promised not to make any more episodes of the series.
ok we promise not to make any more https://t.co/TRPux36kcX
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 20, 2019
Amazon Prime responded by offering to broker a deal with Netflix, if they also stopped making one of their hit series.
Hey @netflix, we'll cancel Stranger Things if you cancel Good Omens. ? https://t.co/EJPmi9rL7g
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) June 20, 2019
Many devout Christians also posted on Neil Gaiman’s twitter page, stating that they love the show and were by no means offended by Good Omens.
Thank you! If we couldn't have done it with respect, we wouldn't have done it. https://t.co/Nc5UK5ydtv
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 20, 2019
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property was also bothered that God was “…voiced by a woman” in the series and they have (according to The Guardian) also protested a number of other random offenders in the past such as a “blasphemous” ice cream franchise called Sweet Jesus, the film Office Christmas Party, Jesus bath mats and toilet covers, and (naturally) AMC’s Preacher.
Good Omens is currently available for viewing on Amazon Prime (not Netflix).
