I don't think acknowledging that rape exists is the same as a "rape fantasy".

More the latter but with a bit of a twist, they wanted to make sure that the enemies they defeated were seen as huge threats so that their victory over them was more impressive. If it's just the Roman legions crushing tribes with fairly primitive battle tactics it's not as impressive.

All right, I figured out the solution;

Has anyone out there thought that the show will probably be more offensive to these white supremacists with this notion of some romanticized South or segegationist period than anyone else?

Burton has his own problems getting sued by the stupid Reading Rainbow people.

It's still a fringe that romanticizes the south, especially by sheer population.

It had controversy right before it came out, then it went away when people realized it was good (well, passable.)

The issue with Treme is I believe there was a murder mystery of some sort involved in it (I might be wrong), but it was advertised as Bunk from the Wire playing jazz for 56 minutes every week.

What if in the opening episode of this a group of freedom fighters kills 100 white slavers, can it get a pass?

This literally makes no sense. You hate the idea of this content but will watch and enjoy it? What?

You have to take the tone of this article, and many other articles on the AV Club, with a grain of salt. I have the feeling Barsanti is at least partially disingenuous with his intimation this is a 100% bad idea for a show, he's simply channeling the controversy about it in his writing to be snarky.

The point of science fiction is often to make a comment on our current culture. This show would actually be more relevant now.

If you seriously think that the show is going to be POSITIVE about the idea of a futuristic Confederacy, I think you're wrong.

This show is going to have lots of POC leading roles, guarantee it.

Maybe they were the people that when they watched Battlestar Galactica got offended at it assuming it was Bush apologia instead of a relevant science fiction allegory for our post-9/11 paranoia.

Such are the bizarre times we live in, Mr. Threepwood!

I like how people think that when the subject of the show is suddenly more culturally relevant than previously that that means HBO would suddenly cancel the whole thing.

I can't believe this corporation won't cancel a show that could potentially make them millions of dollars because it's about to actually become highly relevant as an allegory. Hmmm…

I saw it on a movie channel one time, and it was PRETTY DECENT I GUESS so there!

As bad as the product placement was in Man of Steel, you should all celebrate Clark incidentally destroying a 7/11, but nooooo!