Paramount Network postponed the premiere of the Heathers reboot, a TV show based on the 1988 movie, citing sensitivity to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“I think that it was good that they postponed it,” junior Claire Cwalina said. “It’s an appropriate response to the tragedy.”
Heathers is not the first show to receive a delay because of a mass shooting. In October, Netflix withdrew a preview of The Punisher from New York Comic-con after the shooting in Las Vegas.
“The media plays a large part in these mass shootings, so I think it’s good [that it] checks itself when one occurs and remains sensitive to public opinion,” senior Jayan Zachariah said.
The show received reviews prior to the postponement that panned the show for its focus on identity politics. The reviews also discuss how the show loses its satire behind tone deaf humor.
“I saw some previews for the show and it looked awful,” senior Jack Feenick said. “It seems they replaced great songs with campy humor [and] I don’t think a show that promises mediocre results at best should debut in the midst of a tragic shooting.”
Heathers fan and senior Erin Villaronga said the show could ruin the legacy of the original and more factors than the shooting could have contributed to the postponement.
“I know the creators were trying to come up with some postmodern twist […] but our society really isn’t in a place where it’s okay to have a white girl as a victim where a lesbian woman, a black woman and a non-binary person are the bullies,” Villaronga said. “[The show] could hurt the legacy of Heathers, but also the self-image of a lot of teens.”
If aired, Heathers would act as Paramount Network’s second original series. The show has not yet received a new premiere date.
