The ads found in the subways of New York for Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle" were finally removed after an intervention from the local government but despite this, the company believes that they have not crossed any lines.
With the show exploring an alternate history of the Axis forces taking over America after World War II, Amazon took a risqué method of promoting the show by printing out flags that depict USA under the Nazi rule and placed them on the subway seats of New York. The flags show a modified American flag, with a Nazi emblem replacing the stars and stripes.
While such event is far from coming true, it seemed to have ruffled the feather and sensitivities of many, particularly the local government of New York.
According to The Federalist, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has referred to the ads as highly irresponsible and offensive and has since then campaigned for their immediate removal.
However, ABC News reports that Amazon has received approval from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to post the ads so they don't see where the problem is coming from. Unfortunately, the ads were still ultimately removed, this time, from the orders of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who coincidentally has jurisdiction over MTA.
Despite this, Amazon contends that they do not regret rolling out the controversial flag in public to promote their show. In a statement released via Deadline, representatives from the company said that the aim of the show is to trigger a healthy discourse among its viewers by creating content that makes them become critical and analytical thinkers.
"Amazon Studios creates high-quality, provocative programming that spurs conversation. 'The Man in the High Castle', based on an acclaimed novel, explores the impact to our freedoms if we had lost World War II. Like Transparent and the movie Chi-Raq, stories that society cares about often touch on important, thought-provoking topics. We will continue to bring this kind of storytelling to our customers," Amazon said.
From the looks of it though, this is just a small blunder for the show as it continues to be a hit among viewers and critics alike. Catch more of "The Man in the High Castle" which is currently available for streaming in Amazon.
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