- Fans of Netflix's sci-fi series "The OA" are organizing protests outside of the company's Los Angeles office.
- Insider visited the protest on Wednesday to hear directly from the fans hoping the streaming service reverses its choice to cancel the show after two seasons (and a mind-melting cliffhanger).
- One woman, Emperial Young, is now on her fourth day of a hunger strike.
- "I'm hoping that showing how this show is so important that somebody is willing to starve themselves for it would make it a reason that people want to subscribe," Young said. "And alternately, if they don't renew it a reason that people want to cancel their Netflix."
- Keep reading to hear from other fans of "The OA" and see photos from the organized protest.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories
Emperial Young, a 35-year-old writer and fan of Netflix's recently canceled series "The OA," hasn't eaten food since Monday.
"Entertainment is food for the human soul and Netflix's algorithm isn't measuring that right now," Young told Insider during an organized protest event outside of Netflix's Hollywood office. "And by not taking physical food, I'm saying that this show is more important food to me than actual food."
Young (who quips "I'll never be old!" after telling me her last name) was the first fan who decided to take the #SaveTheOA movement straight to Netflix's doorstep. Starting on August 16, Young has visited the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Sunset Boulevard almost every day to try and get Netflix's attention in the hopes of reversing the company's decision to cancel "The OA" after two seasons.
"Because I feel like we need both," Young said, continuing with the metaphor of food. "We need shows that are sincere and inclusive, especially in times like this when everything seems like it's falling apart."
Young was pushed to picket Netflix's offices after a series of television-related disappointments. First, as a lifelong "Star Trek" fan whose dream was to one day write for the show, the new CBS reboot "Star Trek: Discovery" was a huge let down.
"[There was] just really crappy writing and it was doing the most predictable things," Young said. "And telling a story that they wanted to look inclusive by checking a lot of boxes, but it didn't really feel inclusive. That was just so disappointing to me."
Then another favorite show, the Canadian sci-fi series "Dark Matter" on Space Channel, was canceled.
Now Netflix was taking "The OA" away.
"This is just one step too far," Young said. "I can't lose 'The OA,' too. I've had it. This is the hill I'll die on."
Young wrote a "manifesto" on Twitter which further explains her decision to go on a hunger strike, and the importance of certain television shows when it comes to helping people cope with day-to-day life.
Tens of thousands of people die in the United States every year because they cannot get help. They cannot afford services to treat mental health issues and medical conditions. Untreated conditions make it harder to obtain employment, making it even more impossible to get help.
— E. T. Young (@emverse) August 19, 2019
"I'm hoping that showing how this show is so important that somebody is willing to starve themselves for it would make it a reason that people want to subscribe," Young said. "And alternately, if they don't renew it, a reason that people want to cancel their Netflix accounts."
Young canceled her own Netflix subscription the same day "The OA" cancellation was announced.
"Bring 'The OA' back and I will resubscribe," she said.
The hunger strike is also an indefinite plan. In the meantime, Young has now found a whole community of fellow "OA" fans and organizers who, using the show's Reddit community and Twitter hashtags, grew the protest group to around 15 people.
Emperial was joined by like-minded fans who believe 'The OA' is worth fighting for
Young was thrilled when people began joining her on the street corner.
"That was amazing. I just started this because I'm one person who's fed up," Young said. "I'm at the end of my rope, basically. I don't have anything else. Give me the damn TV show. I was prepared to just stand on this corner alone for as long as it took, but then people started coming to join me."
One of "The OA" stars, Brandon Perea, passed by Young's solo protest last week. He stopped to take some pictures and videos of Young to share on his social media accounts.
Ran into this GEM of human while driving down Sunset! The support for #SaveTheOA is REAL! THANK YOU! 🙏♥️🙌
— Brandon Perea (@BrandonPerea) August 16, 2019
P.S. it is 81 degrees out side right now... She is a true super hero pic.twitter.com/6H5t1prBWb
"I wouldn't protest for just any show," Rachael Root, a 37-year-old fan who helped organize Wednesday's protest told Insider. "It's always sad when you love television show and it gets canceled. I still feel the pain of 'Carnivale and 'Dead Like Me.' But there is something very unique and special about 'The OA' that I feel is worth fighting for and obviously thousands of people worldwide agree and are protesting."
Root attempted to synthesize "The OA" in a way that wouldn't spoil any of the show's many surprising turns, but explains its uniqueness in the landscape of too-much-television.
Her synopsis was written as part of a press release campaign started among fans trying to get the word out about the #SaveTheOA campaign.
"What is consciousness? Where do we venture to after death?" she asked. "Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij were bold and innovative enough to answer these questions by taking audiences on a pure, uncynical journey across time and space [...] building its own mythos as no sci-fi show has ever done before."
For many, "The OA" was an important addition to Netflix's catalogue of original shows thanks to its inclusion of diverse narratives.
"It's just really important to see a show that represents people who don't get represented otherwise," Young said. "And Netflix gave a platform to these show creators to tell this story that is inclusive, that includes minorities, people of color, people of different sexual orientations, trans representation. For them to give that platform was fantastic, but for them to take it away before the story is finished? I can't accept that."
Read more: 'The OA' went to incredible lengths to find its transgender teen star Ian Alexander for a key role
"Most television is just meaningless entertainment," Young said. "And don't get me wrong, I love television. I'm down for meaningless entertainment sometimes, but every once in a while a rare show comes around that's doing more, and 'The OA' is such a show. That's why I think it's so important. This show of all the shows is the one we have to keep."
Root sees the show as more than just TV. It's a piece of artwork.
"'The OA' is an art installation piece," Root said. "We will never, ever, ever, ever, ever see anything of it's like ever again in the history of television. There was nothing like it before it and there won't be anything like it [again]. I think Netflix has really shot themselves in the foot."
The peaceful protest outside Netflix's office shows the communal and passionate side of 'The OA' fandom
When Insider arrived to the protest site on Wednesday afternoon, Root was there helping stack up homemade signs. Several feet away, two fans were taking turns running a livestream video on YouTube for the folks unable to be in Hollywood but who wanted to help #SaveTheOA.
Two massive flower arrangements (one in the shape of a circle and one upside-down heart) spelled out "OA" on the street corner facing the afternoon stream of traffic.
Other fans used sidewalk chalk to draw pictures of angels and write out the full URL landing page where people can start streaming "The OA."
Spirits were high among the protestors, boosted further by the encouraging honks, waves, and cheers they received from passing drivers (which happened more frequently than I had expected, about every 10 minutes on the busy stretch of Hollywood traffic).
A group of five people performed "The Movements" — a set of choreographed motions which, in the plot of "The OA," can help heal wounds or transport you to a new dimension.
It happened! Five people doing the movements! #DoTheMovements #TheOAisReal @Netflix, have we jumped into a universe where the OA isn't cancelled? #RenewTheOA pic.twitter.com/DZue55KPIT
— E. T. Young (@emverse) August 22, 2019
"I'm floored by the fact that me standing on a street corner has generated all of this," Young said. "From just one person going, 'I've had enough. I'm making a sign. I'm standing on a street corner. Why the heck not? What do I have to lose?'"
Read more: Everything you need to know about the mind-bending 'OA Part 2' season finale
The protest was partially organized using a Facebook event, which asked folks to show up between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock on Wednesday. With temperatures in the mid-80s, the group made sure to share a case of bottled water and snacks like strawberry-flavored Kit Kats.
At one point, Young called over to make sure I was wearing sunscreen, noticing my reddening shoulders in the direct sunlight. She offered me a stick of SPF 70 — a gift she had received the day before from a supporter.
"Someone online asked if they could buy me a meal," she said. "But you know, [because of the hunger strike] I asked for sunscreen instead."
Throughout the afternoon, over a dozen different people inside the Netflix headquarters looked out through their office's glass windows. Some were snapping pictures of the protest below them, others made heart signs with their hands and waved.
Whenever the protest group realized they had the attention of people inside the building, they turned their signs upwards.
By five 'o clock, the protest group realized Netflix employees would be leaving work from a parking garage down the block. They moved several of the larger banner signs to a fence where cars would be passing.
The center poster had photos of HBO showrunners including David Benioff and D.B. Weiss ("Game of Thrones") and David Milch ("Deadwood").
In full, the text on the poster read:
"David Benioff and D.B. Weiss got 8 seasons of Game of Thrones
David Chase got 6 seasons of The Sopranos
David Simon got 5 seasons of The Wire
David Milch got 3 seasons of Deadwood
Brit and Zal got 2 seasons of The OA
TV MATTERS! It shapes the narrative of our lives, gives us language to talk about them and shows us what can truly be possible.
The OA is a masterpiece and a metaphor for our current crumbling dimension.
Don't we need more stories by someone not named David?"
Some protestors wore costumes, like angel wings or white masks. Props like a stuffed octopus (representing Old Night, the ancient octopus character who appears on season two of "The OA") were staged on trash cans and the street corners.
As for the theory that Netflix didn't really cancel the show, but instead the announcement was part of an augmented-reality narrative for the third season of "The OA," the protestors seemed to agree that it would be an incredible marketing move — but was unlikely thanks to Netflix's statements.
"I feel like our movement has gone so far that I think someone would have come out and said, 'Oh my God, please stop spending money on this,'" Root said. "Like, 'We're just kidding!' And we'd realize this was a really horrible joke gone wrong."
Representatives for Netflix didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the ongoing protests and #SaveTheOA movement.
As I stood across the street, snapping more pictures of the ongoing picketing, a passerby leaned over to ask what exactly was happening. After hearing that the group was protesting Netflix and trying to get the streaming service to un-cancel a show, the man looked surprised.
"Oh, I thought someone had died and they were named OA," he said, gesturing to the funeral-esque flower arrangement.
"Well, in a way, 'The OA' did die," I replied. "So you weren't far off."
Tired and sweating from the Los Angeles heat after two hours, I said my goodbyes to the remaining protestors, giving a silent wave to the man still holding up his phone for the livestream. He was reading off names from people in the chat room who wanted to be included in the protest — a woman next to him was crouched on the sidewalk, writing each name down in chalk.
Young had decided to take a break. Instead of standing in the sunlight, she was sitting on the intersection corner and drinking from her water canteen, the only liquid she's currently consuming. Her hunger strike would continue into its fourth day by Thursday morning.
Read more:
- Why superfans are convinced Netflix's cancellation of 'The OA' is a fakeout that plays into the mind-melting season 2 cliff-hanger
- 'The OA' star Emory Cohen reveals how he snuck in the show's iconic 'movements' for one key scene
- 'The OA' star Ian Alexander helps explain Buck's confounding final scene: 'It's very meta'
- Everything you need to know about the mind-bending 'OA Part 2' season finale
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