HBO drama The White Lotus is in hot water after a prestigious university recently released a statement following a bold costume choice by the show’s wardrobe department
The White Lotus is in big trouble with a very famous university.
Season three star Jason Isaacs plays Timothy Ratcliffe, a struggling father, who is seen wearing a grey t-shirt with the word Duke across his chest in capital letters.
The garment, which is implied as merchandise from the prestigious school, has caused outrage as Isaac’s character sported it during a scene where he imagines a murder-suicide happening to him and his wife.
In a statement, Duke University’s VP for communications Frank Tramble said: “The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission but in our view, uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far.”
He continued: “Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. As imagery from the show is being shared widely across social media, we are using our brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”
Tramble also made a point to note that the university “appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling,” but any characters wearing “apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks” can “create confusion” among viewers.
Frank said that the move can also “mistakenly suggest an endorsement or affiliation” between Duke University and The White Lotus, “where none exists”.
This isn’t the first controversy the long-awaited third season has faced. The HBO drama has also come under fire for a disturbing kiss shared between two brothers, Lochlan and Saxon, who are also Timothy’s sons. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Patrick plays Saxon and the Terminator star has addressed the criticism.
Arnie broke his silence over on X/Twitter and quoted a picture shared by his son, which showed Patrick and Lochlan actor Sam Nivola posing together. He simply posted a GIF of himself from the 1994 film Junior, which showed the Hollywood legend slowly looking over his shoulder.
Schwarzenegger’s expression turned to horror as he looked behind him, which perfectly encapsulated how White Lotus viewers felt watching the inappropriate scene.
Patrick’s co-star Charlotte Le Bon spoke to Vulture about his time filming the scene and confessed that everyone thought he was going to be sick.
She said: “Well obviously they’re not brothers by blood, so that made [the kiss] easier. I think for Patrick it was really difficult.”
“For Sam, he was kind of like, ‘It’s whatever, let’s just do it well one time and it will be over.’ You know? Because if you don’t do it well the first time, then you have to do it over and over again.”
“But Patrick’s reaction in the episode is his genuine reaction. We all thought he was going to throw up and Sam was like: ‘It’s fine, it’s just a kiss, calm down!'”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
