In the wake of the race riots that have been tearing apart several major cities across the country in the last two weeks, several major TV shows and movies that have been accused of racism are being taken off the air, as Fox News reports.
First, it has been announced that the long-running television series “Cops” is being cancelled after a 32-season run, even though the 33rd season was scheduled to premiere next Monday.
The decision was announced by a spokesperson for the Paramount Network, who essentially tried to memory-hole the iconic series by declaring that “‘Cops’ is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return.” The series, which first premiered in 1989, had garnered widespread acclaim for its gritty realism as it followed on-duty police officers answering a variety of calls, often dealing with unruly or violent criminals.
Similarly, A&E announced the cancellation of a similar police-based show, “Live PD.” A spokesperson explicitly said that the decision was “out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives.”
On HBO’s streaming service HBO Max, the historic film “Gone With the Wind” was also removed from its library. A spokesperson attempted to justify the decision by claiming that the film, which takes place during the Civil War, “depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society.”
The iconic film went on to become the highest-grossing film ever made upon its release in 1939, holding the record for 26 years. When adjusted for inflation, it is still the highest-grossing film of all time, and is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. It received eight Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, who became the first African-American to ever win an Academy Award.