Not everything Netflix creates turns to gold.
Some of their most popular shows — The Crown , The Ranch , House of Cards , and so on — have been deemed controversial for many reasons.
This includes subject matter and even personal issues tainting the content.
Here are some of these controversial shows that demanded attention.
Did any of your favorites make the list?
TW: This article contains depictions or discussions of sensitive topics and may be triggering to some readers.
*The Goop Lab*
Everything Gwyneth Paltrow touches tends to become controversial . That was the case with the star’s Netflix show, The Goop Lab , which is based on her lifestyle brand.
The six-part series, hosted by Gwyneth and her chief content officer Elise Loehnen, explores the unusual wellness trends out there.
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But even before the show premiered on Netflix, it already had its critics — including those who were threatening to cancel their Netflix subscriptions.
This stemmed from doctors and health experts claiming that the show is promoting wellness trends that are not backed by science.
*13 Reasons Why*
Everyone from therapists to parents to teenagers themselves took issue with the show, which was centered on suicide.
Before killing herself, high school student Hannah Baker recorded a series of tapes that explained why she took her own life, in addition to outing the people who led to this decision.
The show was at the center of controversy for a while.
It was reported that scientists found a 13.3 percent increase in teen deaths from suicide following the show’s release.
Months after it was released, the show removed the explicit scene that graphically depicted Hannah’s suicide.
*The Ranch*
The Ashton Kutcher-led comedy was one of Netflix’s most popular sitcoms until the show was embroiled in scandal due to actor Danny Masterson.
In 2020, he was charged with raping three women in the early 2000s. Long before this, the actor was fired from his role on the show.
*House of Cards*
The house of cards that was Kevin Spacey’s life came tumbling down in late 2018.
He was fired from his role as Frank Underwood on the hit Netflix show in the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations .
One of these allegations was by Anthony Rapp.
He accused Spacey of assaulting him when he was a teenager.
He was also accused of sexually assaulting two 14-year-old boys in the 1980s . While Spacey has denied these allegations, the damage to his career was done.
Robin Wright ended up taking over as the lead in House of Cards’ last season.
*Dear White People*
The Netflix show, which centers on racial issues, faced criticism before people even got a chance to watch it.
That’s because the show’s title caused some to believe that it was being racist towards white people . As a result, some Twitter users called for a boycott of Netflix.
*Big Mouth*
Big Mouth might want to keep its mouth shut, as it’s gotten lots of flack since the start for its vulgar subject matter. This includes puberty and teen sex.
The Nick Kroll comedy drew criticism when it cast Jenny Slate, a white actress, into the role of a Black character .
*The Crown*
Fans were up in arms when they discovered that Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth, was paid less than her male counterpart during the show’s first two seasons.
In a panel discussion in 2018, producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries explained why Matt Smith, who plays Prince Philip, was paid more.
“The producers acknowledged that [Smith] did make more due to his Doctor Who fame, but that they would rectify that for the future,” *Variety* reported.
They then pledged that “going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.”
At the time, it was estimated that she only earned $40,000 per episode.
