The Pentagon has criticised Netflix for producing what it called “woke garbage” after the release of the hit gay military drama Boots, a show about a closeted teenager who enlists in the US Marine Corps in the 1990s.
In a statement reported by Entertainment Weekly, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said: “Under president Trump and secretary [Pete] Hegseth, the US military is getting back to restoring the warrior ethos. … We will not compromise our standards to satisfy an ideological agenda, unlike Netflix whose leadership consistently produces and feeds woke garbage to their audience and children.”
Boots, based on Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, is currently the sixth most-watched show globally on the platform. Miles Heizer, the gay actor who plays the lead, noted the show’s relevance: “It’s very interesting that Boots shines a light on what’s actually happening now, even though the show is set in 1990. It’s upsetting.”
The backlash follows similar right-wing criticism of Netflix’s diverse content, including Elon Musk’s recent call for users to cancel subscriptions over a transgender character in Dead End: Paranormal Park. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the navy to remove the name of gay activist Harvey Milk from a ship, citing a need to “re-establish the warrior culture”.
The Pentagon is also facing controversy after insisting that reporters sign new policies that critics say limit media quality and trustworthiness, prompting several leading news organisations to hand in their press badges.
