Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Pedro Pascal Bluntly Responds To Racist Fan Complaints About Diverse 'The Last Of Us' Cast

Pedro Pascal
HBO/IMDb

Toxic fans of the video game series took to social media to complain about certain characters being cast with diverse actors for the HBO series.

*WARNING: potential spoilers for The Last Of Us

It's becoming a common refrain in media in the past few years: a new adaptation of another media invokes a majority positive opinion for adding (or keeping) the diversity of characters, and a vocal online minority of mostly White, male fans critique the new adaptation for that same diversity.


This was seen in some fans' reactions to the release of HBO's The Last of Us, an adaptation of the games by the same name.

In short, between part one and two of the game version, the game creator added in a lot more realistic diversity to the game characters and the adaptation continued on with that tradition in the new series.

Cue the online racist backlash from fans who are angry about, among other things: Chilean actor Pedro Pascal playing the main character who is White in the game, the casting of Joel's in-game daughter Sarah as a bi-racial actress, and the promised possibility of another character Ellie preserving her character storyline as a lesbian.

When asked about the backlash in an interview, Pascal was nonchalant.

"You can't make everybody happy."

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann outlined his reasons for switching to a more diverse chast of characters and how he pleased he is with the HBO show.

"I saw this story as kind of a love letter to the United States, especially the landscapes. America has its problems, but its superpower is that it's a melting pot of every kind of person from every walk of life. It was important that the show capture that."

There was excitement for the adaptation, with some long-time fans of the game working on opening their minds.



Many fans were quite aware of the potential backlash from racist fans online, and were not having it.



And, well, if you know anything about the game, the focus on Joel's daughter Sarah is a very weird argument.

Others are just excited to be able to share a video game they like with audiences who watch TV.

The Last of Us premiered Sunday, Jan. 15 on HBO and HBO Max.

More from Trending

Donald Trump
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Design For New Commemorative Coin Featuring Trump Just Dropped—And People Can't Believe It's Real

On March 19, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), comprising people appointed by MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, unanimously approved a final design concept proposed for a 24-karat gold United States semiquincentennial commemorative coin.

Instead of featuring the Declaration of Independence or some other images central to the foundation of the nation in 1776 or more universally recognized symbols from the last 250 years, the CFA chose a sketch based on a photo of Trump leaning over the Resolute desk in the Oval Office for the coin's obverse or "heads" side.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; ICE agents at Atlanta airport
Steve Jennings/Getty Images; Megan Varner/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Said What We're All Thinking About Trump's Decision To Deploy ICE To Airports

After President Donald Trump moved to deploy ICE agents to U.S. airports amid a partial government shutdown that has caused exceptionally long delays at TSA lines nationwide, California Governor Gavin Newsom pointed out exactly why the move is so troubling for citizens and non-citizens alike.

ICE agents are still getting paid during the shutdown, unlike TSA agents, who are currently working unpaid and struggling amid the affordability crisis. News outlets have confirmed ICE agents have been deployed in airports that serve Democratic strongholds, particularly John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports (New York), O'Hare International Airport (Chicago), and others.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Ebrahim Zolfaghari; Donald Trump
RpsAgainstTrump/X;

Iranian Military Spokesman Trolls Trump Hard In English With Classic Trump Catchphrase

As the war with Iran enters its fourth week, Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari has gone viral for trolling President Donald Trump in a video with one of Trump's most well-known catchphrases.

The Apprentice was of course the show that made Trump a reality star for quite a few years, where he became known for his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Keep ReadingShow less
Reese Witherspoon
JC Olivera/Variety/Getty Images

Fans Can't Believe How Old Reese Witherspoon Is After She Just Celebrated A Milestone Birthday

Reese Witherspoon just celebrated a milestone birthday, but it wasn't her 30th or even her 40th.

Legally Blonde's Reese Witherspoon just celebrated her 50th birthday, and just like Elle Woods, she's proven yet again that it's "not hard" for her to look fabulous.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chappell Roan (left) and soccer star Jorginho Frello (right) are at the center of a reported security incident involving his 11-year-old stepdaughter in Brazil.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images; Ruano Carneiro/Getty Images

Chappell Roan Speaks Out After Soccer Star Says Her Security Guard Aggressively Confronted His Young Daughter

Chappell Roan has responded to an alleged altercation between the singer’s security guard and the daughter of soccer star Jorginho Frello.

On Saturday, Frello wrote on Instagram that he, his wife Catherine Harding, and his 11-year-old stepdaughter were staying at a São Paulo hotel ahead of Roan’s headlining performance at Lollapalooza Brazil when the singer, who was also apparently staying there, walked past their table at breakfast.

Keep ReadingShow less