Religious Group Petitions to Remove Amazon Prime’s Good Omens from … Netflix
Photo by Sophie Mutevelian/Amazon TV News Good OmensMore than 20,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that the “blasphemous” series Good Omens be removed from Netflix.
The only problem is that the series is on Amazon Prime, not Netflix.
First launched by the Return to Order campaign, a religious group under the U.S. Foundation for a Christian Civilization, the petition argued that the show normalized Satanism.
Titled “Tell Netflix to cancel blasphemousGood Omens,” the petition has since been pulled down from the Return to Order website and replaced with one that accurately blames Amazon, calling the Netflix slip “an oversight by Return to Order staff.”
“This type of video makes light of Truth, Error, Good and Evil, and destroys the barriers of horror that society still has for the devil,” the petition explains.
The six-part series, based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s 1990 sci-fi satire novel, stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen as a demon and angel who work together to prevent the advent of the antichrist and the resulting apocalypse.
Among other complaints is that God is voiced by a woman (Frances McDormand), that there are groups of Satanic nuns chosen to raise the Antichrist, and that the Antichrist is portrayed as a “normal kid.”
The website also referred to the series as a mockery of religion as it depicts “God as a tyrant and the Devil as being good.”
“In the ned, this is a denial of Good and Evil; morality and natural law do not exist, just humanitarianism and an ultimately useless creed,” the petition states.
@neilhimselfpic.twitter.com/XYbtfivKk1
— Walter de Bruin (@wdebruinjr) June 19, 2019
In a hilarious turn of events, the members of the Christian group concluded the petition by calling on Netflix to cancel a show that isn’t even theirs. Way to do your research, guys.
The blunder has gone viral on Twitter since Thursday.
Netflix U.K. responded to the inadvertently viral petition in jest, promising not to make any more Good Omens episodes.
ok we promise not to make any more https://t.co/TRPux36kcX
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 20, 2019
Amazon responded as well, telling Netflix that they’d cancel Netflix’s Stranger Things if Netflix cancels Amazon’s Good Omens. Seems like a fair deal to us.
Hey @netflix, we’ll cancel Stranger Things if you cancel Good Omens. https://t.co/EJPmi9rL7g
— Amazon Prime Video US (@PrimeVideo) June 20, 2019
One fan tweeted that if Netflix did’t cancel Amazon Prime’s show, he would boycott HBO.
If Netflix won’t cancel Amazon Prime’s show, I’m going to boycott HBO. Who’s with me?
— Zubi (@BeardedGunny) June 20, 2019
Gaiman, who also adapted the book into a screenplay after Pratchett’s death, also responded bemusedly.
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
He then went on to respond to and retweet tweets from supportive and similarly amused fans.
As a committed Christian who has just completed a three-year seminary degree, an M.Div, at @Trinity_College@UofT let me say that I adored this show. Thanks @neilhimself and @GoodOmensPrimehttps://t.co/3MbUIxlkfa
— Michael Coren (@michaelcoren) June 20, 2019
Thank you! https://t.co/yVlJlOk5Xg
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 20, 2019
Some fans shared joking anecdotes about how Gaiman’s work led them to Satanism.
I’m so stoked an evangelical Christian group is petitioning to have #Goodomens canceled because it feels like we time traveled to 1985 and I knew @neilhimself was low key metal as fuck but I didn’t realize he was SATANIC metal as fuck, I’m so happy for you Neil!
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) June 20, 2019
neil gaiman came through the television to tell me that satan is Extremely Dope and now I am damned and also on the drugs and jazz music please 1 like equal 1 prayer https://t.co/KjaMpPBxQA
— Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) June 20, 2019
I hear if you say Neil Gaiman three times in front of a mirror he appears and makes you watch #GoodOmens until you agree to worship Satan and all his works. Though I tried it and all that happened is a message appeared on the mirror telling me to rethink my life.
— David Smith (@davidivor) June 20, 2019
It’s also worth noting that this is not the first time Return to Order have launched petitions and campaigns to combat the normalization of Satan. In April, they petitioned for Walmart to stop selling “Satanic products.” They also organized a 2018 protest against an ice cream chain called “Sweet Jesus.”