Amazon’s ‘Man in the High Castle’ has controversial New York subway ads removed

Amazon Studios may have one of their biggest hits to date in “Man in the High Castle,” but the new series is not coming without controversy … especially when it comes to its advertising campaign. As a reflection of the show’s plot, which revolves around America as it would be in the event that the Axis Powers won World War II, the company had decorated a New York City subway with signage that is used in the show. This includes Nazi imagery, and the show’s version of the American flag.

As you would expect, some people were not too pleased about this … and we’re not entirely sure how this was allowed in the first place, especially in a city that is so diverse and socially-conscious. There were varying reports on who was the one to make the decision to pull the advertisement, but it turns out it went all the way to the Governor’s office. Speaking per Entertainment Weekly, MTA spokesperson Adam Lisberg confirmed that this was a decision that came directly from Andrew Cuomo:

“The governor asked the head of the MTA this afternoon to make sure they were pulled.”

Meanwhile, Amazon also released a statement of their own, choosing to comment more than anything else on the quality of the show:

“Amazon Studios creates high-quality, provocative programming that spurs conversation. The Man in the High Castle, based on an acclaimed novel, explores the impact to our freedoms if we had lost World War II. Like Transparent and the movie Chi-Raq, stories that society cares about often touch on important, thought-provoking topics. We will continue to bring this kind of storytelling to our customers.”

Maybe they will just focusing on bringing the storytelling to television from now on rather than expensive ad campaigns.

What’s your take on the controversy, and the decision to pull the ads? Share with a comment, and head over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Amazon.)