Stranger Things is clearly one of Netflix’s most popular shows, and this ode to 1980s pop culture has amassed a sizable fan base over the years. This sci-fi horror adventure is stronger than ever as it enters its fourth season, but that does not mean the series has been free of controversy the entire time!
It is impossible to be one of the most successful web shows on the internet without causing some controversy. There will always be someone who has a problem with something related to the show, and Stranger Things has had its fair share of issues.
Because Netflix’s flagship project deals with horror and revolves on children, you can guess that a few feathers were ruffled whenever something violent or remotely inappropriate occurred.
In this video, we have scoured the internet for some of the most raging Stranger Things controversies in order to bring you some of the unsettling information that the show’s producers do not want you to know!
The Infamous Montauk Project
One of the main inspirations behind Stranger Things is a supposedly real-life government project called the Montauk Project, which is shrouded in controversies. Conspiracy theorists can come up with the most bizarre and terrifying ideas and the Montauk Project is one that will send a shiver down your spine. It is alleged that the US government was conducting a few reality-altering experiments, and they needed a few kids to be participants as subjects.
The Montauk Project rumors have been there since the 90s, and it started off with the account of two individuals, Al Bielek and Preston Nichols, who claimed to remember repressed memories of their involvement in the project. The latter even revealed that he was abducted by the government personnel against his will, and Preston Nichols went on to write a series of books on the whole thing. Now, their testimony is certainly not reliable or authentic, but it did have an impact on fuelling the rumors.
People believe that the goal of the Montauk Project was simply to conduct military experiments based on the extraordinary. It is said that from psychic warfare to time travel, mind control, and teleportation, all possibilities were explored, and it was a secret that was never out in the public. However, there have been inconsistencies in the statements of the so-called individuals involved with the project. They have often self-contradicted themselves, and there is no real reason to believe these rumors. We are just thankful that it inspired something as entertaining as Stranger Things!
Millie Bobby Brown and the vomit artist
When over a thousand children were being auditioned for the roles in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown had a really helpful advantage. Stephen King, the master of horror, was mightily impressed by her work in the BBC show Intruders, and he publicly tweeted praising her work. It is believed that this acknowledgment got her a step ahead in the audition process, but she certainly owned the role with her powerful performance. However, like any other young star, she has courted her own share of trouble. Glamour comes with side effects, and the young lady learned this the hard way several times.
One of the most disturbing moments for her was when she was confused with a vomit artist! Yes, such a thing exists, and it was a shock for Millie Bobby Brown’s representatives when they got to know that their star client wanted to perform certain unthinkable acts.
The confusion was legitimate because there was a performer who went by the same name. She professionally drinks random food coloring and vomits rainbows on stage, and Lady Gaga was apparently impressed by her whacky abilities and even allowed her to puke on her! Thankfully, the confusion was cleared, but not before the young actress got some hate for the bizarre allegations of being a vomit artist.
Millie Bobby Brown’s Continued Trysts with controversies!
Celebrity harassment on social media is nothing new, and several actors and other major stars have been subject to harsh words and memes. Millie Bobby Brown was already dealing with a lot on her plate, and to add to her miseries some terrible memes started to come up that branded her as a homophobic person.
There came a series of memes that accused her of the same, and this assassination of reputation was a bit much for the young lady to handle. More and more false accusations started to come up, and people even claimed that Brown tried to run them over with her car. This was coupled with the worst of hateful comments, and #TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown became a thing.
While 2016 was a break-out year for the actress in many ways it was also one of the most testing times for her. On one hand, she was getting nominated for several awards and her performance was being praised, and on the other hand, controversies kept piling up.
There was an accusation by someone that Brown had ripped off her hijab, and although it was proven to be fake, things soon got out of control. The homophobic memes targeting her started to go out of hand, and eventually, she deleted her Twitter account succumbing to the pressure. The bullying was unfair, even if they were meant to be satirical and it showed once again why the glamour industry is no piece of cake for young stars!
Noah Schnapp’s Racist Slurs caused an outrage
As it turns out, Millie Bobby Brown was not the only one who was troubled by controversies when it came to the young cast members of Stranger Things. Noah Schnapp also ran into some trouble with what seemed like a harmless video at first. He was basically singing along to Chris Brown and Lil Dicky’s Freaky Friday song, and the song features the n-word in some parts. People were outraged by what seemed like Noah Schnapp using the racial slur while singing along, and it soon became a heated controversy.
Immediately after the video was posted, thousands of Twitter users erupted in protests. The actor had to come out to clarify that he never really used the word and replaced it with the word neighbor in the video. “I would truly never say the n-word and I’m not the type of person” – Noah Schnapp was quoted as saying. He also added that it was a collective decision by all his friends to replace the n-word with a neighbor, and had it been anything controversial the video wouldn’t have been posted in the first place.
However, it did little to calm the situation, and eventually, he had to apologize for the whole thing. He expressed his regret that people found it offensive and apologized for hurting the sentiments of the fans. This incident happened almost two years ago, and we are certain that the young actor learned a lot from this mini-misadventure! You ought to tread very carefully when the limelight is on you at all times!
The saga of the unscripted kiss ruffled a few feathers
The Duffer Brothers, the creators of the show, have never been too far away from controversies, and there was more for them to handle when it was revealed that the on-screen kiss between the characters Max and Lucas was almost unscripted. Sadie Sink who played Max was quite stressed out by the idea and the season 2 finale was loaded with talk surrounding this controversial moment.
She revealed in a behind-the-scenes interview with the creators and the cast that she was pretty nervous about the whole thing, especially because she had to perform this in front of a room full of people. Ross Duffer, however, seemed rather nonchalant and said that when the 15-year-old seemed freaked out, he decided to make it a part of the episode.
He even added that it was fun to push the comfort zone of the kids, and even though the scene was never a part of the script they decided to go ahead and film it. People found it baffling that the director did nothing to comfort the young actors and instead, the idea was to simply prey on their hesitation and nervousness. It may have ended up being an adorable moment, but the behind-the-scene story does make us look at it very differently!
The Duffer Brothers were accused of verbally abusing women on the sets
This was indeed a very serious allegation and the duo behind one of the greatest Netflix hits was hit by these claims by a former crew member. Peyton Brown was the one with the complaints, and it was revealed that the Duffer Brothers weren’t the most pleasant people on the sets. They would allegedly threaten many of the crew members and verbally abuse several women on the sets.
As you can imagine, the serious charges created quite a stir and the Duffer Brothers had to respond. They released a statement apologizing for hurting someone or making someone uncomfortable on the sets, and they admitted that the high-stress environment often caused a flare-up in the tempers. Netflix stated that they looked into the matter as well, and they found no wrongdoing on the part of the brothers. Eventually, the controversy died down, but it was probably one of the most serious accusations coming from the cast and crew of Stranger Things!
Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo and his troubles with the show Prank Encounters
Gaten Matarazzo became a familiar face after starring in Stranger Things, and his popularity prompted Netflix to star him in another show called Prank Encounters. However, the actor wasn’t spared from the troubled waters after the prank show received some flak for its content. The main idea of the show was to play some hilarious pranks on job seekers without them having the slightest clue.
The contestants are told that they are starting a new job, and they would be surrounded by paid actors and deal with tons of pranks. This seemed rather cruel and the concept of ridiculing and troubling someone who is aspiring to get a new job seemed extremely unfair.
It was almost like employment was being mocked, and some of the pranks were truly scary. After people protested the brutality of the show, Netflix and Matarazzo came out to clarify that the ones facing the pranks were well-compensated and they all had a good time. Whether you take it as harmless fun or as something rather sensitive is really up to you, but the issue surely created a major furor back in the day!
Season 4 comes with a last-minute warning by Netflix because of the school shooting
The recent Season 4 release on Netflix had to be handled carefully and a last-minute content warning had to be added. This was decided in the aftermath of the tragic school shooting in Texas which left 21 people dead. The first episode was set to premiere just a few days after the mass shooting incident, and the season opens with some horrible scenes of violence that wouldn’t go down so well on this backdrop.
It was understood that the viewers would find the violent scenes quite distressing and hence, it was decided that for viewers in the US a warning would appear. Even the episode description was edited by Netflix and they added the Warning: Contains graphic violence involving children sign.
Trouble with the character of Billy Hargrove
William (Billy Hargrove) was one of the major antagonists featured in Season 2 and Season 3, and this character faced a lot of flak for certain aspects of the portrayal. The role was played by Dacre Montgomery, and the actor did a fine job picking up on some unique characteristics. However, people were displeased because of their behavioral tendencies of Billy. He is shown to be openly abusive towards his little sister Max, and this is the same for just about everyone.
Basically, he is a rather unpleasant character with abusive traits and this wasn’t accepted gleefully by some of the more sensitive fans of the show. His death sequence features one of the goriest and most gruesome deaths of the show and being skewered by the Mind Flayer or the Shadow Monster is certainly not the way people wanted to see a young man go! Not to ruin it for you with spoilers, but Billy Hargrove does reappear in Season 4 for a very short reunion with his sister Max.
A Few Final Words
Putting all controversies and debates aside, it has to be said that Stranger Things never really compromised in terms of content. Season after season, they kept up with the intensity and the mystery only got bigger and better! From a purely entertainment-driven point of view, we would totally recommend you to go ahead and check out the four seasons on Netflix.
You can also look into our video that deals with the most shocking moments of Season 4! Meanwhile, let us know in the comments below about the controversies that bothered you the most, and do leave your orders for the next TV show or movie series that you want us to explore!