The Parents Television and Media Council is concerned about a new animated series for mature audiences — and it’s directing its criticism at Disney.
“With its toxic new cable program ‘Little Demon,’ the Walt Disney Company has chosen to offend millions of families — especially families who are guided by their faith,” Tim Winter, PTC president, said in a news release.
What is ‘Little Demon’ about?
“Little Demon” premiered Aug. 25 on the cable channel FXX, part of FX networks. It’s rated TV-MA for strong language and violence.
The FXX summary about the show reads: “13 years after being impregnated by Satan, a reluctant mother, Laura, and her Antichrist daughter, Chrissy, attempt to live an ordinary life in Delaware, but are constantly thwarted by monstrous forces, including Satan, who yearns for custody of his daughter’s soul.”
The show features multiple uses of the F-word and other profanities, as well as animated gore and nudity. According to PTC, there are 173 instances of explicit language in the first three episodes, along with “Christian bashing,” “vile sexual innuendo,” “vulgar slang” and drug use.
Aubrey Plaza, Lucy DeVito and Danny DeVito make up the voice cast.
Why is PTC criticizing Disney?
Disney, which acquired 21st Century Fox in March 2019, owns FX networks.
“Despite its hollow suggestions to the contrary, Disney knows full-well that ‘Little Demon’ is designed to appeal to children, especially young teens and preteens,” Winter said.
The organization is asking advertisers to “reconsider their sponsorship.”
PTC, which describes itself as a “non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment,” criticized Disney earlier this year when R-rated movies were added to the company’s streaming platform, Disney+.
“Disney has crafted a new corporate path that eschews the very same family audience upon which its once-preeminent family brand was built,” Winter said. “The ‘new’ Disney broke its promise about keeping R-rated content off its streaming platform, and executives on internal corporate videos have boasted of incorporating sexual themes into programs created for children. ‘Little Demon’ is but the latest example of what Disney chooses to stand for.”