American Horror Story: 10 Most Controversial Moments
8. Cult’s Shooting Was Too True
The Guardian reported in February this year that the USA had seen 1,624 mass shootings in the previous 1,870 days. So while it might have been controversial to air one so graphically in 2017’s Season 7 Cult, no one could argue it wasn’t true to life.
One of the biggest problems with the episode was that it aired right after the Las Vegas shooting, which along with Parkland, Sandy Hook and Pulse, was one of the most deadly and notorious mass shootings of the decade. Although they happen much more often in the USA than anywhere else, mass shootings still cut the public deep. Especially when they take as many lives as the Las Vegas horror.
Showrunner Ryan Murphy usually never blinks in the face of graphic violence. Several entries here and dozens more besides attest to that. However, he felt the original cut would be too upsetting for victims, and so chopped a considerable 45 seconds out of the aired version.
That cut removes three deaths, including one reaching out for Ivy’s hand. It’s an understandable decision, but both the decision to air the scene at all and to heavily edit it drew criticism from different sections of the fanbase.