The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke has come to the defense of the Prime Video series' cast against misogynistic online trolls.
Series star Erin Moriarty revealed in an Instagram post earlier this week that she has been the victim of "dehumanizing" and "paralyzing" harassment online over her performance as Annie January/Starlight in The Boys. Following the actor's statement, Kripke made a Twitter post supporting Moriarty and lambasting the show's toxic critics. "Hi trolls! One, this is literally the opposite of the show's fucking message," he wrote. "Two, you're causing pain to real people with real feelings Be kind. If you can't be kind, then eat a bag of dicks, fuck off to the sun & don't watch [The Boys], we don't want you."
As Kripke stated, one of the central messages of The Boys is the harmful effects of toxic masculinity. The message is further explored in the show's recent third season with the inclusion of Soldier Boy (Jenson Ackles). "So often, power means fronting as this macho illusion that never existed," Ackles previously said about his character. "Especially in the [United] States, we put so much stock in this Western cowboy, John Wayne, Marlboro Man myth. It's such bullshit."
Another character whose arc in the third season explored toxic masculinity was Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid). In June, Kripke explained that Hughie's use of V-24 in Season 3 was a metaphor for toxic masculinity and how it can be "addicting." Following the release of the season's penultimate episode, in which Starlight seemed to approve of Kimiko's (Karen Fukuhara) use of Compound-V but disapprove of Hughie's consumption, some audience members questioned if this was a double standard on the show's part. Kripke responded to the situation following the episode's release by explaining how Hughie wanted powers due to a "selfish" desire to "feel macho," while Kimiko was making a "selfless sacrifice."
Based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys is a satirical look at both modern American culture and at the superhero genre. The show has become infamous for its gross and over-the-top special effects, including a constructed several-foot-tall penis, seen in the Season 3 premiere. Stephan Fleet, a visual effects supervisor for The Boys, recently suggested that the show's upcoming fourth season will include even more gross-out moments.
The Boys' first three seasons are streaming now on Prime Video. Season 4 has no official release date at this time.
Source: Twitter