China will “always get a pass” from Hollywood studios, according to the hosts of Fox News’ Outnumbered. The criticism came during a Wednesday segment discussing edits made to the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, removing references to a gay relationship. The edits were made for the film’s release in China.

“Money talks. China has a lot more influence apparently than Florida,” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy said, referencing the numerous Hollywood figures who have protested Florida’s new parental rights law. The law, which was dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by critics before it was passed, prohibits classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender for grades kindergarten through third grade.

Disney has shown the most vocal opposition to the law, but the recent cuts by Warner Bros. to Fantastic Beasts demonstrate the industry as a whole has “no standard,” the hosts claimed.

Other opposition has included the WGA West urging studios to stay clear of Florida, and numerous celebrities pushing the “Don’t Say Gay” narrative.

“It’s not a double standard. It’s not standard at all,” Laurence Jones said, adding that China so often gets a pass from Hollywood studios because “they are not a political opponent,” unlike a red state such as Florida.

Co-host and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany referenced reported human rights violations by China to strengthen the argument, including an Axios report on Ovalbek Turdakun, a Christian Chinese national who said he spent time in a Chinese detention camp where he was tortured.

“But Hollywood’s okay with this,” McEnany said.

Her fellow co-host Emily Compagno referenced the statement from Warner Bros. on the edits as an “embarrassing explanation.”

“I just wonder how that feels to a member of the LGBT community to have … the relationship called minor, called nuanced, called sensitive to an in-market variable,” she said, adding that China will “always get a pass” thanks to much-needed box office dollars there. Fantastic Beasts is far from the first film to be re-edited for distribution in China.

In their explanation for the cuts, Warner Bros. called the edit “nuanced” and said the “spirit of the film remains intact.” The “nuanced” cut only amounts to six seconds, but they remove any reference to the character of Dumbledore being gay. It would have been the first time the franchise favorite admitted his sexuality.

“China has absolutely captured our corporations … this is an overall national strategy on the part of China to capture our elites and it is through our corporations,” Campos-Duffy said.

Warner Bros. has claimed in the past, like many Hollywood studios, to foster a “diverse and inclusive culture.” They also say they are resolved as a company to “confront difficult societal issues.”

Those comments are part of a statement the company released in 2020 responding to outrage over Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling expressing views on transgender identity many activists have found issue with.

“Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world,” the company said at the time. “We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content.”

The post China ‘Will Always Get a Pass’: Outnumbered Blasts Hollywood’s Fantastic Beasts Cuts in Light of Florida Opposition first appeared on Mediaite.

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