HBO Max has raised eyebrows by adding a disclaimer to the iconic Mel Brooks comedy, “Blazing Saddles.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a rough three-minute introduction was added to the film, although it is not clear how long ago it was added. The outlet said introductory Turner Classic Movies host and University of Chicago film and media studies professor Jacqueline Stewart explained why racist and grandiose language is used in the film.
“As the storyline implies, the issue of race is front and center in ‘Blazing Saddles, and racist language and attitudes permeate the film,'” Stewart said. “But those attitudes are discussed by characters portrayed here as explicitly small-minded, ignorant bigots. The real, and much more enlightened perspective, is provided by the main characters, played by Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.”
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A HBO spokesman Max told THR, “The intro was added to make sure the film was placed in the right social context.”
The news was met with ridicule and condemnation on social media.
“The HBO Max assumes ‘Blazing Saddles’ is part of a broader attempt to kill comedy,” commented Ben Shapiro. “The right social context is that people used to laugh at angry jokes.”
“In case you were wondering how stupid the last generation of thoughtless idiots has become about race relations: Blazing Saddles now requires a three-minute introduction to trigger warning,” tweeted Daily Caller editor-in-chief Geoffrey Ingersoll.
“They now tell us how and what to think about the films we watch,” wrote conservative commentator Stephen Miller.
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HBO Max previously gave “Gone with the Wind” a similar treatment, recruiting Stewart again to provide an introduction to the Oscar-winning classic Civil War era. The streaming platform came under heavy scrutiny after briefly removing the film from its catalog before it was read with “proper social context.”
