Nick Offerman Bizarrely Accuses 'The Last Of Us' Critics Of Being Homophobic
Nick Offerman apparently thinks critics of his episode of "The Last of Us" are simply homophobic.
Offerman won the award for best supporting performance in a new scripted series at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards over the weekend for his single episode of the HBO hit.
The former "Parks and Rec" star played Bill - a prepper surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. Eventually, Bill comes across a man named Frank (played by the great Murray Bartlett), and the third episode featured their relationship as the key focus.
The episode was widely-applauded as simply being solid TV, but some people weren't happy at all.
Nick Offerman starred in a popular episode of "The Last of Us." (Credit: HBO)
"Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent. Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that. It’s not a gay story it’s a love story, you asshole,'" Offerman said during his award speech.
You can watch his full comments below, and let me know your reactions at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Nick Offerman misses the mark with his claim.
Nick Offerman, a guy who generally seems pretty on-point, is way off the mark with this claim. Were there some people who might not have liked the episode because it featured a gay couple? Sure. It's impossible to rule it out, but that's not what caused the overwhelming majority of the backlash. There was one main driving force:
Gamers.
The video game the show is based on never had any explicit gay love storyline like what was featured in episode three. It was hinted at but never developed and put on display like it was in the show.
The episode, which was solid, strayed from the source material. Just like anything else, hardcore fans get upset when source material is ignored or changed.
What went from subtle hints in the video game became a full-blown storyline in the show. It had nothing to do with Bill and Frank being gay. It had to do with it not appearing in the game in the same fashion. That's what drove a lot of the negative response.
Again, were there some people who didn't like it simply because it showed gay characters? I'm sure there were. It's statistically impossible to say there weren't people that didn't fall into that category. However, gamers led the charge - not random fans. Offerman should know that. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.