HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death helped deal a mortal blow to queerbaiting on television. Since the pirate workplace romcom exploded in popularity, the cast and creatives have been outspoken in their support of fandom, with many sharing, liking, and interacting with fan creations like fanart, memes, and meta-analysis. That’s been wonderful to see, and a fair bit different than the treatment many fandoms have experienced when it comes to shipping and fanworks in the past. Then Our Flag Means Death star Taika Waititi—who also serves as an executive producer and directed the pilot—took his praise a step further by highlighting the more NSFW side of fanart that has emerged.
Waititi was speaking this week as part of Variety’s Virtual TV Fest, and he had plenty to say about Our Flag Means Death. The innocuously-named “HBO Max Actors and Producers Roundtable” panel was about creating breakthrough characters and also featured the likes of Zendaya and Oscar Isaac. But the quote heard ’round the world goes as follows:
“I love to go on social media and see all of the fanart, and see all of the, ah, incredible soft gay porn that’s been created around our characters and stuff,” Waititi said, adding cheekily, “I just really get off on it.” On Our Flag Means Death, Waititi’s character Blackbeard/Ed Teach falls in love with his pirate co-captain Stede Bonnet (played by Rhys Darby), and the two share a kiss and a whole mess of feelings by season’s end. The canonical ship, dubbed “Blackbonnet” or “Gentlebeard,” has seen a massive explosion of fan-generated art and fiction, with attention also paid to the other queer relationships on the show. Yup! We got more than one!
Waititi thrives on generating fun chaos, but the sentiment here is genuine. After years of actors and creatives pointedly ignoring ships, or flinching and prevaricating their way out of fandom questions at conventions, it’s unbelievably refreshing for Waititi to volunteer this information out of the blue. Especially concerning the sexier elements of fanworks, which can face gatekeeping from their own communities. Waititi making this statement meant a lot to many fans.
i’ve never seen a cast just so comfortable and accepting of fandom culture!!! taika talking about NSFW fanart as a compliment and a privilege rather than something taboo and embarrassing just makes me happy, man
— lib . 🦇🏴☠️ (@spider_lib) June 8, 2022
still processing how taika addressed fanart on that panel appreciatively (if mildly jokingly). as a fandom elder it’s a pleasant shock to see a creative team engage with fan passion positively. i spent many years watching actors cringe at/mock fans celebrating their work with art
— jenna (@stevierosebudds) June 9, 2022
anyways i think i have a cold and im still feeling warm over hearing taika talk about the soft gay porn from ofmd fandom in the most goddamn genuine sweet way possible. not a single hehe oo gay porn loll at all. just sweet… i could cry..
— mentally devastated (@MANforSAAAALE) June 9, 2022
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that Waititi would feel comfortable about expressing such sentiments.
You know what just occurred to me? Because Taika is/was an artist, it absolutely tracks that he would have a very open approach to fanart. Especially after that “I painted nudes with my own blood” comment.
— CC (@gingerlyvibing) June 8, 2022
But Waititi is hardly the only OFMD creative dipping his toe in the fandom pool. While other cast and creatives behind Our Flag Means Death haven’t directly spoken to the more NSFW elements, several of them don’t shy away from sharing and liking that sort of art, and the fandom has been celebrated in almost every interview since the show sailed to the top of the in-demand charts.
Waititi further discussed that “basically everyone” on Our Flag Means Death is “on the gay spectrum,” and that he thinks it’s important how the show just accepts this fact and it’s not a big point of contention or outside attention. His obvious delight in the series and the fan reaction emerges again and again during the Variety talks and other interviews, in which he also says that he’d rather be on set with the pirates than superheroes.
taika waititi is radiating charlie kelly energy in the latest interviews pic.twitter.com/sLWbBsKBUm
— jaime 🌺 (@bornonthabeach) June 8, 2022
THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY TAIKA WAITITI AND OSCAR ISAAC TOGETHER pic.twitter.com/AIePyGjPw4
— salima (@jojorbbit) June 8, 2022
Cast and creatives publicly embracing fanworks and fan excitement has not been the norm. While this has changed in recent years due to the connectivity of social media—alongside a certain mainstreaming and greater awareness of fandom—some of us still bear scars from past experiences. There were times when fans and fandoms were openly rejected, or, say, openly mocked on the show itself for their enthusiasm.
Relevant again thank you for validating our gay little fanart taika https://t.co/09hdM5JbJI
— Chelsea ✍️🏴☠️ (@ChelseaWrenArt) June 9, 2022
Of course, there shouldn’t be pressure or expectations put on creatives that they must acknowledge or interact with the spicier side of fandom. Maybe don’t bring your NSFW art print to a con for an actor to sign unless they indicate otherwise. And there are many fans who prefer to stay in the safe for work side of fandom—more power to them. But in a time when authorities are trying to censor books, art, and the mere mention of sexuality and gender identity in schools and other venues, it’s never felt so important to celebrate and uplift joyful representations of sexuality, especially queer sexuality.
By the way, if you’re interested in perusing some of that sexy Our Flag Means Death fanart yourself, you can start with the hashtag #OFMDNSFW. Heed the warnings if you are indeed at work right now.
(image: HBO Max)
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