(TargetLiberty.org) – On the past Wednesday, a fresh controversy has engulfed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when the production team behind the popular television series “Peaky Blinders” raised allegations against him. The bone of contention revolves around a contentious video used by DeSantis in his political campaign, the rights for which, the “Peaky Blinders” team maintains, were never officially sought or granted.
The video in question was posted last month as part of the DeSantis’ campaign. The video contains multiple clips, including a segment from “Peaky Blinders.” It primarily serves as an attack on former President Donald Trump for his more liberal views, particularly those concerning the LGBTQ+ community. The campaign video makes a concerted effort to position DeSantis as having a more conservative stance on these issues, in a stark contrast to Trump’s more progressive viewpoints.
An important component of the video includes clips from several films and shows, most notably, “American Psycho” starring Christian Bale. In the video, Bale’s character Patrick Bateman is briefly seen. Additionally, another clip used in the video is from the television show “Peaky Blinders”, featuring a scene with Thomas Shelby, the protagonist of the series, masterfully portrayed by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.
The production team behind “Peaky Blinders” swiftly released an official statement in response to the unauthorized usage of their content in the political campaign video. They confirmed that the clip featuring Thomas Shelby was used without obtaining the necessary permissions or licenses. Moreover, the production team clearly distanced themselves from the message communicated in the campaign video, stating unequivocally that they did not endorse the video’s content or underlying message.
The controversial video initially surfaced on the social media platform of Proud Elephant. It was then subsequently reshared by the DeSantis War Room account, thereby amplifying its reach.
The DeSantis campaign, however, has not just faced backlash from the “Peaky Blinders” production team, but also from within its own conservative circles. Log Cabin Republicans, a coalition of LGBTQ+ Republicans, publicly criticized the DeSantis campaign for posting the video. The coalition, while acknowledging the importance of safeguarding women’s sports and children’s rights, highlighted that DeSantis’s rhetoric was veering dangerously into homophobic territory. They voiced their concerns over the potential negative impact of such messaging in the political sphere, indicating a disquiet within the party over the direction of the campaign.
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