THE BOYS Showrunner On Defending Erin Moriarty And Not Wanting "To Make Edgelord Material For Incels"

THE BOYS Showrunner On Defending Erin Moriarty And Not Wanting "To Make Edgelord Material For Incels"

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke has doubled down on defending Erin Moriarty from trolls and addresses the Prime Video series' deeper political themes and what he thinks about Homelander's supporters...

By JoshWilding - Jun 18, 2024 02:06 PM EST
Filed Under: The Boys
Source: Variety

The Boys has frequently touched on some pretty heavy themes, but it's become increasingly political - with undeniable real-world parallels - in recent seasons. 

That's alienated some viewers and season 4 doesn't hold back on poking fun at certain segments of society (on the right and, occasionally, the left as well). Talking to Variety, showrunner Eric Kripke acknowledged that head-on, admitting that, "One big theme is this election."

"It’s kind of where the season’s storyline was heading based on Season 3," he added. "We have this hidden homicidal superhero a heartbeat from the White House. As you do. When we first pitched the show, it was before Trump was elected."

"And the idea that a celebrity would actively want to turn themselves into a fascist autocrat was kind of a crazy idea. I mean, it still is. But it turned out to have happened?" Kripke continued. "We sort of lucked into a show whose metaphor is really about the moment we’re living in, which is the cross-section of celebrity and authoritarianism."

Elsewhere in the conversation, The Boys' showrunner admitted that they've leaned into the show's political aspects, leaving it to the audience to "decide whether they want to watch or not." 

When the trade brought up the fact that the series also examines toxic masculinity, it was put to Kripke that there are "bad fans" who may be rooting for the show's villains. 

"I have to believe that the 'bad fans' are a very small minority," he responded. "Because I don’t know how you root for Homelander. When the guy is slurping up breast milk, and being the weakest character in the show over and over and over again and being like - he’s not even particularly macho. He’s weird. He’s weird and thin-skinned, and I don’t know how you look at that guy and you’re like, 'That’s my guy.'"

"Part of it just comes from the practical considerations of, hey, I want a really big tent, and I don’t want to do some edgelord thing," Kripke said of focusing on strong women in The Boys"I don’t want to make edgelord material for incels, or whatever. I want something for everybody. And so I was like, we really need to muscle up the female characters."

Finally, Kripke had some parting words for those who have attacked Erin Moriarty's appearance with claims of plastic surgery. That's led to trolling and an often uncomfortable-to-read critique of the Starlight actress's physical features (with the suggestion being that she's "ruined" her face).

Here's the writer and producer's parting words on his previous defence of Moriarty:

"I just was pissed that they were coming after one of my actors. And yeah, actually the response was strangely positive. I think there was just a lot of people that watched that stuff from afar and is just like, “That’s bullshit. I get that that person is in the public eye, and you’re allowed to say, I like that performance. I don’t like that performance. I like that show. I don’t like that show. That actor works for me. They don’t work for me."

"Obviously, we all do. But when it starts to become these personal attacks on who they are, and when [frick]ing Megyn Kelly wants to talk about it, it’s really not fair because they’re not in a position that they can fight back. So yeah, all the trolls really can eat a bag of d*cks and f**k off to the sun. I reiterate that comment."

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FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 6/18/2024, 2:36 PM
They ain’t going to like this one… 👀
pitbull76
pitbull76 - 6/18/2024, 2:38 PM
@FireandBlood - Oh for sure!!!
Vigor
Vigor - 6/18/2024, 2:44 PM
@FireandBlood - I was surprised by how blunt he was in this interview. Then again it is an election year

I wish more people would stop wearing gloves about whats going on in America. So it's nice to see this more and more. Debate moderators need to also stop being pussies
Evansly
Evansly - 6/18/2024, 2:46 PM
@Vigor - Kyle Clark is Colorado has been getting a lot of attention for not white gloving the debates for our candidates. Highly recommend checking out his moderating
dmac3232
dmac3232 - 6/18/2024, 2:59 PM
@Vigor - He's always like that from what I've read. It's great.

I work with a complete dipshit who once told me, and this is a direct quote, "The thing I'm most passionate about is being anti-woke." (Of aaaaaaaaaaaaall the things life has to offer, this is the one that floats your boat, lol.)

And he freaking loves this show, or at least he did until I pointed out it mocks everything he professes to stand for. No more water cooler chats after that, which has been amazing.
mountainman
mountainman - 6/18/2024, 3:01 PM
@Vigor - There are a lot of people who are honest about what’s going on in America. And anyone with an IQ above 80 knows that it isn’t “Trump/Republicans bad”. I have zero patience to deal with people who think that is the greatest threat we face. The terrible economy driven by excess government spending and the inflation it has caused (both parties caused this) is exponentially more impactful than if Trump or Biden is elected in November.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 3:14 PM
@mountainman - the actual economy vs perceived economy is very different, same thing with crime and other stats.

But what we're seeing globally is the increase of Right Wing politics have come from social issues and very little to do with the economy. Especially since the Right Wing messages that are resonating most are anti-globalization (which is really anti-capitalist). In Europe it's easier to see the differences since they have many more parties and the differences in Right Wing parties is even growing. You're even seeing it in the US with MAGA's and Conservatives - especially on the financial side. Here's some Eropean financial analysis of what's happening.

?si=Np2GU85OlV4evMg3

?si=uNKoqPBYT48RFUSq

The old adage "it's the economy stupid" isn't really at play these days as much as one would think.
Vigor
Vigor - 6/18/2024, 3:16 PM
@Evansly - I did catch that !
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 3:17 PM
@mountainman - this is all just for conversation sake.
Evansly
Evansly - 6/18/2024, 3:20 PM
@Vigor - He's proudly unaffiliated as well which I respect and relate to
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/18/2024, 3:29 PM
@FireandBlood - I've loved the show....up to this season. Been the worst three EPS of the show honestly. Hughie and Starlight are....well what are they doing? Hughie sits in a hospital every episode and talks about James Patterson lol. Butcher and Ryan still Butcher and Ryan. Back to Frenchie and Kimiko pushing each other away this time Frenchie and Kimiko is drinking herself into a stupor. The series has no idea where it's going and that's on the showrunner/writers. r/television isn't a Nazi sub and they've completely turned on the series lol. So I think most recognize it's kinda on its last legs here. Hopefully the Ryan Homelander stuff picks up because it's really the only compelling aspect of the show now. The rest is shock porn. A gimmick essentially.
mountainman
mountainman - 6/18/2024, 3:37 PM
@Itwasme - The “far right” concerns are overblown and that is a catch all term used against anyone who doesn’t toe the line with “acceptable opinons”.

And when I say economy, I’m primarily referring to inflation. That is government caused. By excess spending. From both parties. And the reason it’s so bad right now is that idiots decided that shutting the economy down in 2020 and simultaneously telling the federal reserve the print more new dollars than in any year ever was a good idea. And now we live with it.

I am neither Republican nor Democrat. But one thing I promise is one of my biggest issues is not supporting any politician or party than wants to spend like drunken sailors. Because that just hurts the common person.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 3:46 PM
@mountainman - it's been pretty well established this is supply based inflation due to supply chain issues and protectionist policies like tariffs and trade restrictions- anti-globalization. Both Biden and Trump have enacted policies like that.

But being supply based things like interest rate changes don't have the same impact as demand based inflation. We saw a Spike post pandemic, but that has gone down and is back within historically normal parameters. There's nothing Biden did to curb it, it was just a temporary blip.
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 3:59 PM
@Itwasme - Even the supply side is artificially inflated. There is so much corporate greed happening right now. We're still living in the post-covid greedflation economy. And until governments step in and start doing something to curb the constant drive for ever higher corporate profits (increase corporate taxes, fine companies who show a profit yet pay their labor so little they require social services to survive, limit executive compensation packages (including bonuses, stock options, an other non-monetary payments etc.) to a % of your average employee payroll, etc., etc., etc.) It's a major issue when rich people have enough money to literally start their own space programs, yet they have a plurality of employees that make so little pay they require food stamps. I'm not for big government, but this is absolutely the reason governments exist, to protect the public and right now the public is being taken advantage of.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/18/2024, 4:02 PM
@mountainman - Right, but . . . if both parties are equally bad for the economy (which I know is among the top concerns for libertarians) why not look the other differences between the candidates? I'm no fan of either, but I do think that one is INCREMENTALLY less evil than the other, and since we don't have ranked choice/instant runoff voting, we really only have two choices (though I'll admit none of the above is increasingly tempting.)
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 4:02 PM
@OleBobbyTiger - that's been a big narrative lately, but it's not entirely believed to be true. Yes there are plenty of cases, but nowhere near the volume required to move the needle.

http://www.reuters.com/markets/us/corporate-greed-not-blame-price-pressures-fed-study-shows-2024-05-13/

And I'm certainly not saying companies aren't greedy. Of course they are. But it's just not that big of an impact on a grand scale.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 6/18/2024, 4:05 PM
@McMurdo - I haven’t watched the show since S2. I just find it hilarious the group that swore by the show are only just realising now that the show was mocking them the entire time. I wonder how much longer it’ll take for them to realise South Park’s been doing the same thing… 👀
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/18/2024, 4:08 PM
@mountainman - "I’m primarily referring to inflation. That is government caused. By excess spending."

As others have said, not entirely. Walmart and Target are cutting prices on groceries, and Amazon just announced that they're going to cut prices on some grocery items up to 30%. If they can cut prices by nearly a third and still turn a profit, what does that tell you about why the cost of groceries have been going up since 2020?
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 4:53 PM
@Itwasme - There are dozens of other reports contradicting that.

e.g. https://thehill.com/business/4561631-corporate-hit-record-high-as-economy-boomed-in-fourth-quarter-of-2023/

And one only need look at their grocery bill to see the lasting impact. IF what you shared was true, then consumer prices should be shrinking now, but they are not. They remain inflated.

Also worth noting the same Fed also said corporate profits would level off / shrink in 2022... and well that didn't happen as they continue to hit all time record highs.

https://www.investing.com/analysis/corporate-profit-growth-will-slow-says-the-us-fed-200630397

Greedflation is alive and thriving.
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 4:59 PM
@clintthahamster - Amazon is a major contributor to rising costs. They were already one of the most profitable companies in the history of the planet when they started raising their prices and changing their policies to discourage competition.



https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/amazon-fulfillment-fees-up-30-in-two-years
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 5:06 PM
@OleBobbyTiger - that Fed report came out much more recently and was the most extensive research on the topic, which is why the narrative has died down a lot since it came out.

And inflation is a measure of everything. You can't point to consumer staples without looking at consumer discretionary and the other sectors.
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 5:27 PM
@Itwasme - That fed report is just that... a report. It's not law and it doesn't represent consumer spending or even look at the economy as a whole. It even contradicts other fed reports that state the opposite.

The fed isn't infaillable, why are you acting like it's gospel? I shared an example of them getting it wrong just two years ago. I guess you can believe what you want, but they got it wrong then and they have it wrong now is what I'm saying. And if all you can do is defend it by saying "it's from the fed" I think you have a really weak leg to stand on.
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 5:29 PM
@Itwasme - Look at it from the consumer's perspective... not the feds.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/corporate-soaring-profits-are-from
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/18/2024, 5:39 PM
@OleBobbyTiger @itwasme - Injecting shitloads of taxpayers' money into the economy can lead to inflation. So can corporate profiteering. But when they both happen . . .
User Comment Image

In all seriousness, corporate greed likely wasn't the sole driver of inflation in the last couple of years, but there's no denying that it played a role.
BaddestOptics
BaddestOptics - 6/18/2024, 5:45 PM
@mountainman - "I'm a Democrat nor a Republican, I just spew exclusively right wing talking points". Okay, Tim Pool.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 5:52 PM
@OleBobbyTiger - the Fed report is the most extensive research done on the topic. It's not infallible, but it's more likely to be accurate compared to anything before it. The US Fed is also likely the most credible authority on the subject of inflation, so I don't know where you think that's a weak leg to stand on. It's a multi-billion dollar organization who's sole focus is understanding inflation and unlike other sources they don't have an incentive to push any sort of narrative. In fact their incentive is above all to be right.

Corporate profits are up, which is normal in this phase of the economy, and even then they aren't up in the way you think. Corporate Profits actually look down slightly for Q1 2024.

https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/corporate-profits

Also to say they are up and to say they are up because of XYZ are 2 very different things. There was a record surge in 2022 coming out of the pandemic, but have come down significantly. This correlates with the resolving of global trade more than anything.

Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 6:02 PM
@OleBobbyTiger - if you want to look at the consumers perspective that would probably be the Consumer Price Index right? That's not really veered away from the inflation rate lately. You can go nuts on it here.

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/
mountainman
mountainman - 6/18/2024, 6:05 PM
@clintthahamster - High Prices and Inflation are not necessarily the same thing. A business could raise their prices due to inflation, but keep them high even when their back end causes of those prices raise have cooled.

But to deny that the inflation that we have seen over the past few years wasn’t primarily caused by the Federal Reserve printing more new dollars in 2020 than any year in history is economically ignorant.

It’s as if the loonie Elizabeth warren school thinks there is a crazy cabal of business owners from every sector imaginable that simultaneously decided to raise prices at the same time. As if that is more plausible than more dollars in circulation makes every dollar less valuable. The neat thing about individual businesses is that I am not required to shop with any of them. But you know what I don’t have a choice over? How much money the government steals from me.
jratz
jratz - 6/18/2024, 6:07 PM
@BaddestOptics - lmao. Proving the point. Any dissent is "right wing". Clowns such as yourself are what ruin comic movies and entertainment.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 6/18/2024, 6:17 PM
@clintthahamster - true, but if this is supply based the o KY thing the government can do is decrease trade restrictions and increase infrastructure spend. Even their large cash injection (often in the case of loans) wasn't as big a factor as that often boosts demands.

If anything Biden did a number of things people typically expect the government to do during inflation because they don't really know the difference between demand based and supply based. There's far less the government can do when it's supply based inflation.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/18/2024, 6:29 PM
@Itwasme @mountainman - Again, no doubt that the COVID recovery checks contributed to inflation. Also, no doubt that corporations used that as an excuse to jack up consumer prices for record profits (not just gross revenues, but profits.) It's rarely one thing. But when people are complaining about the high cost of groceries, and the stores are like "Cool, we'll just make them cheaper, it's fine" there's absolutely some skullduggery going on there.
mountainman
mountainman - 6/18/2024, 6:57 PM
@clintthahamster - We have a recent example from Argentina on government spending and inflation. They had some of the highest inflation on earth because of their former high spending socialist government. Milei slashed government spending and the inflation plummeted.

And regarding the tax thing, geez man do you know how little of our taxes go towards infrastructure?
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 7:02 PM
@Itwasme - I like how your cherry picking your fed papers. When there are countless other examples of the Fed being wrong just within the last few years, I even shared one with you. And that’s not the only time they’ve been wrong. It happens a lot. They’re not in fail quit acting like just because this is the most recent paper. It’s accurate incorrect when there’s tons of other evidence to prove otherwise. And corporate profits are up and they are at record highs. Yeah they’re down this quarter because last quarter was the highest they’ve ever been in the history of corporate profits. But they’re still higher than they were a year ago and a year before that and the year before that. So being down doesn’t really mean anything in the context that you think it does they’re not down they’re still higher than they’ve ever been so to sit here and say corporate, greed, and corporate profits have nothing to do with inflation is absolutely absurd.
OleBobbyTiger
OleBobbyTiger - 6/18/2024, 7:16 PM
@Itwasme - CPI is known to be full of flaws and biases that make it an inaccurate measure of both inflation and the economy
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/18/2024, 8:08 PM
@mountainman - I do, yes. I was seeking agreement, because I like taxes being spent on pretty much everything except weapons of war.
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