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Here's what 'The Exorcist' showrunner said to criticism of a gay kiss.

'I’m glad you didn’t like it, I’m glad it ruined the show for you.'

Here's what 'The Exorcist' showrunner said to criticism of a gay kiss.

Some fans of Fox's "The Exorcist" are offended — and it's got nothing to do with the show's massive amounts of gore and violence.

Instead, it's a romantic storyline — specifically, a kiss — that has some viewers in a bit of a huff. The problem? The two people kissing are both men!

Showrunner Jeremy Slater responded to some critics of the gay kiss, and let's just say he didn't hold back.

"I saw a couple of homophobes on Twitter and my response is, 'Good, fuck you. I’m glad you didn’t like it, I’m glad it ruined the show for you. You shouldn’t have good things in your life,'" he said in an interview with SciFi Bulletin.

"If a homophobe can’t watch the show any more because one of the characters is gay, then I’m glad something good has come out of it. This is 2017 and we still have people throwing temper tantrums on line because they don’t want to see gay characters. I think it’s the last gasp of a certain breed of dinosaur that’s on the way out, and let them kick and scream as they go."

(L-R) Actors Ben Daniels and Geena Davis, creator/executive producer Jeremy Slater appear at the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Tour. Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.

The fact that there's still any sort of backlash — Slater does say that the response was "99% positive" — shows how lacking LGBTQ representation remains in mainstream media.

Things are getting better when it comes to showing depictions of LGBTQ characters in primetime TV, but according to LGBTQ media watchdog group, GLAAD, they're still underrepresented. In the group's "Where We Are on TV" report for 2017, LGBTQ characters make up just 6.4% of all regular characters.

A number of studies have shown that positive media depictions provide LGBTQ viewers with a source of pride and inspiration. Additionally, sensitive and authentic portrayals can help viewers come to terms with their sexuality or gender identity. Alternatively, non-LGBTQ people often point to positive portrayals of LGBTQ folks as a sort of watershed moment for their own increase in acceptance — "Will & Grace" has been long heralded as an example of that.

"I think the moment meant a lot to a lot of viewers, particularly viewers who aren’t necessarily used to seeing gay representation on TV with older characters that’s treated with the sensitivity that Ben and Christopher [Cousins] both brought to that performance," Slater added.

Sure, Slater and his team could have played it safe and cut the kiss out so as not to potentially offend any fans while waiting on news of a possible third season renewal, but he didn't.

On Twitter, "Exorcist" writer Carlos Foglia (Full disclosure: Carlos is a former Upworthy employee) put it like this: "We'd love more ratings, seriously, but we wayyyy prefer not being shitty people." Let's see if that pays off.

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Let's Do More Together

Husband-wife pastor team built a network of support across Houston

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
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Glenda moved to Houston from Ohio just before the pandemic hit. She didn't know that COVID-19-related delays would make it difficult to get her Texas driver's license and apply for unemployment benefits. She quickly found herself in an impossible situation — stranded in a strange place without money for food, gas, or a job to provide what she needed.

Alone, hungry, and scared, Glenda dialed 2-1-1 for help. The person on the other end of the line directed her to the Houston-based nonprofit Bread of Life, founded by St. John's United Methodist pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.

For nearly 30 years, Bread of Life has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention, eliminating food insecurity, providing permanent housing to formerly homeless individuals and disaster relief.

Glenda sat in her car for 20 minutes outside of the building, trying to muster up the courage to get out and ask for help. She'd never been in this situation before, and she was terrified.

When she finally got out, she encountered Eva Thibaudeau, who happened to be walking down the street at the exact same time. Thibaudeau is the CEO of Temenos CDC, a nonprofit multi-unit housing development also founded by the Rasmuses, with a mission to serve Midtown Houston's homeless population.

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I remember being baffled so many people were so convinced of Clinton's evil schemes that they genuinely saw the documented serial liar and cheat that she was running against as the lesser of two evils. I mean, sure, if you believe that a career politician had spent years being paid off by powerful people and was trafficking children to suck their blood in her free time, just about anything looks like a better alternative.

But none of that was true.

It's been four years and Hillary Clinton has been found guilty of exactly none of the criminal activity she was being accused of. Trump spent every campaign rally leading chants of "Lock her up!" under the guise that she was going to go to jail after the election. He's been president for nearly four years now, and where is Clinton? Not in jail—she's comfy at home, occasionally trolling Trump on Twitter and doing podcasts.

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P&G Good Everyday
P&G Good Everyday
Let's Do More Together

Husband-wife pastor team built a network of support across Houston

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
True

Glenda moved to Houston from Ohio just before the pandemic hit. She didn't know that COVID-19-related delays would make it difficult to get her Texas driver's license and apply for unemployment benefits. She quickly found herself in an impossible situation — stranded in a strange place without money for food, gas, or a job to provide what she needed.

Alone, hungry, and scared, Glenda dialed 2-1-1 for help. The person on the other end of the line directed her to the Houston-based nonprofit Bread of Life, founded by St. John's United Methodist pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.

For nearly 30 years, Bread of Life has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention, eliminating food insecurity, providing permanent housing to formerly homeless individuals and disaster relief.

Glenda sat in her car for 20 minutes outside of the building, trying to muster up the courage to get out and ask for help. She'd never been in this situation before, and she was terrified.

When she finally got out, she encountered Eva Thibaudeau, who happened to be walking down the street at the exact same time. Thibaudeau is the CEO of Temenos CDC, a nonprofit multi-unit housing development also founded by the Rasmuses, with a mission to serve Midtown Houston's homeless population.

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Paul Scanlon/Facebook

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So when you mix jokes with racism, the result is that racism becomes something light and fun, as opposed to the horrendous bane that it really is.

The harm done with racist humor isn't just the emotional hurt they can cause. When a group of white people shares jokes at the expense of a marginalized or oppressed racial group, the power of white supremacy is actually reinforced—not only because of the "punching down" nature of such humor, but because of the group dynamics that work in favor of maintaining the status quo.

British author and motivational speaker Paul Scanlon shared a story about interrupting a racist joke at a table of white people at an event in the U.S, and the lessons he drew from it illustrate this idea beautifully. Watch:

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Vote with your dollar: 8 products that help combat climate change

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Package Free Shop has created products to help fight climate change one cotton swab at a time! Founded by Lauren Singer, otherwise known as, "the girl with the jar" (she initially went viral for fitting 8 years of all of the waste she's created in one mason jar). Package Free is an ecosystem of brands on a mission to make the world less trashy.

Here are eight of our favorite everyday swaps:

1. Friendsheep Dryer Balls - Replace traditional dryer sheets with these dryer balls that are made without chemicals and conserve energy. Not only do these also reduce dry time by 20% but they're so cute and come in an assortment of patterns!

Package Free Shop

2. Last Swab - Replacement for single use plastic cotton swabs. Nearly 25.5 billion single use swabs are produced and discarded every year in the U.S., but not this one. It lasts up to 1,000 uses as it's able to be cleaned with soap and water. It also comes in a biodegradable, corn based case so you can use it on the go!

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