Outlander author Diana Gabaldon responds to Starz COO comments

Over the past few days, there has been a significant pushback from some Outlander fans to comments made by the network COO Jeffrey Hirsch over the way in which he perceives the show. As we wrote about recently, Hirsch suggested in The Hollywood Reporter that a part of the series’ appeal was the “eye candy” aspect of Jamie Fraser, and the idea that Sam Heughan had his shirt off on the show.

As any true Outlander fan knows the series is so much more than this — it is a well-written, deeply nuanced story about two characters in Jamie and Claire who love each other and would do anything to protect both their community and those they love. Jamie himself is a survivor of immense torture and abuse and someone who lived for decades without the love of his life. He may have romantic edges, but he is not just a idealized figure for readers or viewers to gawk at.

Following Hirsch’s comments, series author Diana Gabaldon echoes some of our sentiment. In an extended post on Twitter, she took the COO to task for his perception of the story, and reminded him of some of the feedback she has received over the years.

At the moment, I’ve got 30+ million books in print, in 42 countries; I get a lot of mail. I can’t say I see a lot of people talking about Jamie with his shirt off, unless it’s mentioning the shock and poignancy of his scars.

I do see a lot of people (male, female, straight, gay, you name it) who love the books and love the show—and what they like about the show is how much it reflects what’s in the books. (Might be worth noting that when a woman is watching OUTLANDER, her husband or boyfriend is usually watching it with her…)

What they mostly say they like is the intelligence of the story and the complexity and strength of the relationship between Jamie and Claire. They also love the visual beauty of the show and the emotional depth of the acting.

If you’re looking for a place to lean in, though, I think maybe “intelligence” might be a good place to start.

While Hirsch’s statements may not be reflective of every employee at Starz or Outlander producer, they were still troubling in that the show’s promotion often does dictate the way it is interpreted by both viewers and awards-show voters. If it’s thought of as nothing more than a superficial spectacle of lust and abs, it won’t get anywhere. The beauty of the story and the relationships are what everyone should be looking at first.

Our advice to Starz when it comes to the marketing and presentation of Outlander is this: Listen to Diana. We understand that shows and books are often promoted differently, but she clearly knows this audience better than anyone.

What do you think about Diana Gabaldon’s new Outlander comments?

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Photo: Starz