Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ben Shapiro Schooled After Whining About 'No Zombies' In Heartbreaking 'The Last Of Us' Episode

Ben Shapiro; Bill & Frank from "The Last of Us'
Keith Griner/Getty Images, HBO

The far-right podcaster and failed screenwriter was swiftly mocked after complaining on Facebook about a fan-favorite episode of the hit HBO show featuring a gay romance.

Conservative political commentator and noted homophobe Ben Shapiro did not approve of the acclaimed third episode of HBO's The Last of Us because it lacked any presence of zombies and instead focused on a heartbreaking storyline featuring a gay couple.

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic action series developed by Cherynobyl showrunner Craig Mazin based on the video game of the same name.


It takes place in a world that has been ravaged by a pandemic caused by a fungus called cordyceps that infects humans and turns them into mutant zombies.

Up until the third episode, the focus was on an important mission to save humanity carried out by the central protagonist Joel–played by Pedro Pascal, who has since said he completely forgot he was cast in the role.

But in the episode titled "Long, Long Time," the show introduced Nick Offerman's Bill and Murray Bartlett's Frank.

The two men meet, fall in love, start a life together in their isolated haven and the episode wraps up beautifully with a poignant ending.

The LGBTQ-themed episode, which does figure into the central plot, won critical acclaim and even broke HBO's viewership records.

Many even hailed it as one of the best episodes in recent TV memory.

However, the homophobic contingent scoffed at the gay plotline and subsequently review-bombed the episode on IMDB, resulting in an 8.5/10 rating from over 15,000 one-star reviews–although it barely made a dent in the show's overall high rating.

Shapiro added to the hostility with a lengthy Facebook post and griped about the episode's lack of zombies or a real "threat" to the gay characters.

Warning: spoilers.


Ben Shapiro / Facebook

Shapiro wrote in part:

"It [the episode] is about two gay dudes who meet and have a relationship in which one grows strawberries for the other, and then they die by not being killed by zombies."
"One gets cancer and decides to essentially euthanise himself."
"And gay Ron Swanson decides that he is also going to commit suicide at the same time because of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ or ‘Romeo and Romeo’ in this particular case.“

"It’s all really well produced and it’s beautifully shot,” he offered but continued with his tirade and completely missed the point about the show.

“However, here’s the problem with Brokeback Zombie Farm: It’s a zombie show."
"There are no zombies in this entire episode. There are no zombies in a zombie show."
"This is worth pointing out. It literally has nothing to do with the plot of the show.”


People mocked him for the irony in his comments.




Indy 100 pointed out Shapiro's shortcomings as a one-time aspiring screenwriter for not understanding the "very basic trope of scriptwriting" that makes shows like The Last of Us excel at storytelling.

Fans of the show chastised the right-wing pundit for not understanding that The Last of Us was more about the survivors, their relationships, and the endurance of doing whatever it takes in the name of love against the backdrop of a world ravaged by monster mutants as a result of parasitic cordyceps.

So, yeah, it's not about zombies, which Twitter was happy to point out to Shapiro.









Shapiro–who like many right-wingers, believes homosexuality is a sin and strongly opposes same-sex couples raising children–has gone on a homophobic rant against Hollywood numerous times before, specifically targeting Disney animated films for their alleged "gay agenda."

He repeatedly bemoaned Disney's efforts towards inclusion in their films with pro-LGBTQ+ representation that is a reflection of the real world.

Last year, he forbade people to go to theaters to see Disney's animated film Lightyear due to a hyped blink-and-you'll-miss-it same-sex smooch that had nothing to do with the overall plot.

He also strongly advised against parents bringing their kids to see Disney's Walt Disney Animation Studios' 61st animated feature Strange World, because of a scene normalizing teenage gay flirtation.

More from News/lgbtq

Miss Harris in season 5 of "Stranger Things"
Netflix

'Stranger Things' Creator Shares Sweet Connection To Actor Who Plays Teacher In Final Season

The fifth and final season of Netflix's blockbuster Stranger Things dropped its first four episodes (Volume One) over Thanksgiving weekend, just in time for people to digest from their Turkey dinners.

The hugely popular sci-fi show launched its final season with record viewership. Over the course of Stranger Things' five seasons, several notable actors have made appearances alongside the main cast, including Sean Astin, Matthew Modine, and Paul Reiser.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Allen in 'The Santa Clauses'
Disney

Conservative Tries To Claim Disney+ Show Is Somehow Satanic Due To Joke—And Gets Instantly Fact-Checked

It's the holidays again, which of course means the yearly tradition of Christians having a meltdown about supposedly being persecuted by the existence of non-Jesusy Christmas stuff is back with a vengeance.

But the latest flap online is really a doozy in its audacity both because it's incredibly dumb and also a lie, obviously posted as a purposeful attempt to get attention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge; nativity scene outside a church
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; John Nordell/Getty Images

Massachusetts Catholic Church Angers Conservatives With Its Brutal ICE-Themed Nativity Scene

The Christian Bible teaches that the Holy Family—Joseph, Mary, and Jesus—were residents of the Herodian ruled Nazareth, Galilee. Having traveled back to Joseph's ancestral home—Roman ruled Bethlehem, Judea—for the census, Mary and Joseph, in modern American parlance, would have been homeless immigrants/tourists having an "anchor baby" at the time of Jesus' birth.

While Joseph considered Galilee his immediate family's home, the trio would eventually flee to Egypt as refugees to escape from King Herod.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Martin Luther King Jr.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Jack Sheahan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Forcing National Parks To Drop Free Entry On MLK Day And Juneteenth For Infuriating Reason

President Donald Trump was criticized after the National Park Service announced it will be dropping Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth for next year's calendar of free-entry days and adding Trump's birthday, which happens to fall on Flag Day, on June 14.

Last month, the Department of the Interior unveiled changes to what it now calls its “resident-only patriotic fee-free days,” expanding the calendar to include new dates like the Fourth of July weekend and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, while dropping others that had honored the department itself, including the Bureau of Land Management’s anniversary.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Juanita Broaddrick's tweet overlayed against a picture of the J. Crew sign
@atensnut/X; Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

MAGA Is Melting Down Over A Pink J. Crew Sweater For Men—And Our Eyes Can't Roll Hard Enough

MAGA fans are melting down over a $168 men's sweater from J. Crew with a fair-isle collar, claiming, in yet another example of the idiocy of the culture wars, that only liberals would actually wear it.

We know what you're thinking... Really?!

Keep ReadingShow less