Showtime takes the risk, explaining the writers have created the story way before the tragedy struck on March 11.
- Apr 7, 2011
AceShowbiz - Call it a coincidence, "United States of Tara" team has written a story about Japan earthquake last fall, way before the real tragedy struck northeast Japan last month. The episode, although sensitive to the matter, will still air as scheduled on Monday, April 11 on Showtime.
In "The Full F**k You Finger", Brie Larson's Kate decides to move to Japan and teach English to gain some independence. But before she boards her plane, she learns that there's been a massive earthquake in Osaka, where she was headed, that has left hundreds dead. Instead of being sympathetic about the tragedy, Kate's upset that the quake has ruined her plans and quickly begins a hunt for another Japan city, preferably one that "doesn't have an A-bomb", instead.
In order to avoid controversy, Showtime said in a statement to LA Times, "The current season was written and filmed last fall, long before the tragic events that have occurred in Japan. All of us at Showtime stand with the world in expressing our deepest sympathy for the tremendous loss and ongoing challenges facing the people of Japan." The cable would display a web address for Red Cross where viewers would learn how to donate and help the Asian country.
Many attempts have been made to hinder insensitivity towards the earthquake's victims. Following the disaster, Warner Bros. Pictures pulled Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" from the theaters in Japan. The film contains real footage of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
