October 24, 2013
Universal Studios Shuts Down Controversial 'Gay Superman' Show
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Officials from Universal Studios have shut down the "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure" show just a few days after reports surfaced claiming the show was homophobic for depicting Superman as an extremely flamboyant stereotype, GLAAD reports.
"After thoughtful consideration, Universal Studios Hollywood has made the decision to discontinue production of the Halloween Horror Nights' 'Bill & Ted' show for the remainder of its limited run," a statement reads on the website for "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure."
According to a number of news reports, the character of Superman was sprinkled with "fairy dust" and transformed into a flamboyant gay stereotype, allegedly shouting "fabulous!" and flirting with other male characters.
"NBCUniversal has taken quick and strong action regarding this matter and also started a productive dialogue around future 'Bill & Ted' programming to ensure that all park visitors can have an enjoyable experience," GLAAD national spokesperson Wilson Cruz said in a statement. "This decision falls in line with NBCUniversal's history of including groundbreaking and positive depictions of LGBT people across its brands."
The British newspaper the Guardian reports the show screens annually at the Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles and centers around Bill Preston and Ted Logan from the classic 80s comedy "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." The characters, however, are set in the Land of Oz and encounter a number of pop culture characters. In order to return home, they must kill four witches.
According to the publication, Vice was one of the first to report on the show's anti-gay content.
"Superman joins Bill and Ted on their witch-killing quest," wrote Vice blogger Jamie Lee Curtis Taete. "Bill and Ted are pretty psyched about that because, y'know, he's Superman and he's really useful to have on your side in a battle against evil witches. But then, uh oh, a witch accidentally sprinkles Superman with fairy dust, turning him gay.
"After becoming gay, Superman's voice and posture changes," Taete continued. "His lips purse, his toes point inward, and his wrists become limp. His new voice sounds like a homophobic uncle doing a drunken impression of Richard Simmons, complete with lisps and frequent use of the word 'Faaaaaaabulous!'"
But things get worse - Superman starts to flirt with an actor playing George Takei, the out actor best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu on "Star Trek." The two men apparently hit it off and walk off stage to have sex. The actor playing Takei then says to the audience, "Time to boldly go where no man has gone before."
"GLAAD has a long standing relationship with NBCUniversal," GLAAD wrote on its website, later adding, "GLAAD announced it was working with NBCUniversal and the company indicated that it was addressing the content of the show."
Take a look at a clip of the show below: