Taika Waititi addresses the reactions to the same-sex kiss on his show Our Flag Means Death. Our Flag Means Death is a historical action-adventure series set in 1717, where a wealthy landowner named Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) decides, following a midlife crisis, to become a pirate, and things do not go quite as he planned. Waititi executive produces the show and directs one episode, as well as acts as a farcical rendition of the infamous Blackbeard. The series was created by nascent TV talent David Jenkins, who also created the alien-infused comedy People of Earth.
Our Flag Means Death season 2 has been renewed after critical success and widespread popularity. Amidst the various acclaim, perhaps the most widely-noted aspect of Our Flag Means Death was its portrayal of the pirates’ queer identities. The creators said that the show would be a romance all along, leading many to hope for a romantic climax between the two leads, Stede and Blackbeard. In season 1, episode 9 “Act of Grace,” Stede and Blackbeard finally shared a loving kiss on the beach. Following the episode, there became an online fascination regarding the Stede and Blackbeard kiss and romance, and that became the most talked-about aspect of Our Flag Means Death.
Waititi provides his own opinion of the Our Flag Means Death kiss scene, in a recent interview with The New York Times. Waititi understands why a cultural obsession with the kiss was developed, but wishes that same-sex kisses like the one in Our Flag Means Death were not as uncommon and wants those moments to be “normalized.” Waititi makes the comparison to straight couples on screen, who are not discussed when romantically involved. Check out the full quote from Waititi below:
“It needs to be normalized. No one talks about Tom Cruise hooking up with Jennifer Connelly in ‘Top Gun,’ But in ‘Our Flag Means Death,’ it’s a massive talking point that two dudes kiss on the beach. I’m cool with talking about it because I’m really proud of the moment. But my dream is to be like the world of the pirates, where no one bats an eye.”
Waititi’s urge for representation and normalization of LGBTQ romance on screen is clearly from a genuine place. While the director’s other work does not focus specifically on LGBTQ issues, his latest film Thor: Love and Thunder is said to feature a queer romance for Valkyrie, one of the MCU’s few LGBTQ characters. While Marvel and Disney certainly had to green light this Valkyrie plot line, Waititi wrote the screenplay for Love and Thunder, and thus had something to do with the commitment to representation in the Thor film.
Hopefully, the world Waititi imagines will come to fruition more and more in the coming years. Our Flag Means Death is one show that can and likely will continue to explore queer romances on screen as it enters season 2. With staunch advocates for representation such as Waititi leading projects like Thor: Love and Thunder and Our Flag Means Death, the film and TV landscape can veer closer to more widespread representation so that two male pirates kissing on a beach is not seen as so unusual for future generations.
Source: The New York Times