The Boys is a TV show that has often courted controversy thanks to its extreme violence and bizarre sexual content. Season 4 has certainly had plenty of the latter, including extremely uncomfortable scenes of Hughie getting sexually assaulted by his former childhood hero. That would have been bad enough, but The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke admitted that he and other crew members found Hughie’s plight as “hilarious,” which many fans have deemed hypocritical since the showrunner was so careful and respectful about portraying Starlight’s own sexual assault in season 1.
A Difficult Scene
To explain how The Boys caused so much controversy in the most recent season, we need to return to season 1. That season featured Starlight as a newcomer to The Seven, but the shine of her new gig wears off once her childhood hero The Deep assaults her.
It was an extremely hard scene to watch, and to listen to the show’s creator, it was also very hard to film.
Kripke Took Great Care
The Boys’ creator and showrunner Eric Kripke knew how much controversy that scene would cause and “wanted to get it right,” a goal he realized by having “a lot of conversations with a lot of women” in which he tried to “get the f*** out of the way and just let them speak.”
He knew that the stakes were impossibly high “because if I got that wrong, it’s not just that it would fail as a scene, it would be hurtful.”
Hughie Doesn’t Get The Same Care
In retrospect, he said and did all the right things and functionally pulled off the impossible, using The Boys to tell a relatively respectful and insightful casting couch-style scene while minimizing potential controversy.
Unfortunately, that seems to have completely gone out the window a few years later: in a recent interview, Kripke was asked point-blank about the decision to torment Hughie by having him endure sexual assault from his childhood hero so shortly after his dad died.
An incredulous Kripke replied “Well, that’s a dark way to look at it” and claimed, “We view it as hilarious.”
A Double Standard
Certainly, Hughie’s sexual assault in season 4 of The Boys is played for laughs, but the controversy stirred by Kripke’s comments means that nobody in the fandom is laughing. The circumstances Starlight and Hughie faced in the show are broadly very similar: they are each young people sexually assaulted by a superhero they once admired.
In what seems to be a very clear double standard, the showrunner treated her assault as a delicate incident that could upset many fans and treated his assault as nothing more than a gross punchline.
What Happened Between Then And Now
It doesn’t help that many fans think the most recent season of The Boys has been going through the motions, so the last thing it needs is a major controversy tearing apart the fandom.
Sadly, Kripke’s comments are not only dividing fans but also make it seem like he was completely insincere when describing how he agonized over the portrayal of Starlight’s assault and didn’t want to cause pain to anyone watching.
Perhaps worse is the idea that he was sincere before but has now become a bit like the show’s fans: completely desensitized to the nonstop parade of degrading sex and violence.
Either way, we’re starting to be more and more grateful that this Amazon show only has one more season left.
News
Meghan Markle warning as insider reveals ‘gloves are off’ with rumours of next bombshell
The Sussexes were snubbed from an invite to Balmoral Castle, which may have been the last straw for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The couple may have hit their last straw (Image: Getty) Meghan Markle has been open with struggles of mental…
Prince William and Harry’s feud continues leaving King Charles with a tough decision to make
It appears that Prince William and Harry are no closer to reconciling their bitter feud, despite their father, King Charles, holding onto hope. A well-known royal author has revealed that King Charles is “extremely sad” over the ongoing rift between his sons. As he continues cancer treatment, King Charles is more…
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal titles at risk as King convenes Balmoral summit
If Harry were to lose his Prince title that would mean Archie and Lilibet could also lose theirs, but they would be able to use the Dumbarton titles while their parents will be known simply as the Sussexes. Prince Harry and Meghan…
Ultra rare footage of King Charles’ Christening from 1948 showing four generations of the royal family is found at thrift shop for less than £7
A man has revealed how he discovered ultra rare footage of King Charles‘ Christening in a thrift shop – for less than £7. Ronald Baxter Jr, 59, from Charleston, South Carolina, has been collecting since he was 10 years old and…
Kate Middleton ‘made phone call’ to Meghan at King’s request to ‘clear the air’ after Royal racism claims
Kate Middleton contacted Meghan Markle to address racism allegations after Omid Scobie’s book, claims insider. Kate Middleton reportedly contacted Meghan Markle following the explosive allegations of racism levelled against the royal family including her. The Duchess of Sussex had claimed that…
Prince William Just Sported a New Look That Was Previously Discouraged — and Sparked Tension with Prince Harry
The Prince of Wales, who appeared in a new video with Princess Kate, hasn’t been seen with facial hair since 2008 Prince William is experimenting with a new look this summer, one that has been at the center of a hairy…
End of content
No more pages to load