On Wednesday (December 1st), a new documentary titled Astroworld: Concert from Hell surfaced on Hulu without much fanfare. For obvious reasons, its appearance on the streamer quickly led to social media backlash, much of which came from people who believed the special was produced by Hulu.
“Hulu making a documentary about Astroworld is in poor taste all around,” one person wrote on Twitter. “People are still burying their loved ones. The legal cases haven’t even started. Great documentaries are done when all the facts are laid out. Not enough time has passed to fully discuss this.”
In a statement issued to Variety, a Hulu spokesperson clarified the documentary about Travis Scott’s festival was actually produced by ABC’s Houston affiliate. “This was an investigative local news special from ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston that originally aired on November 20th. This was not a Hulu documentary and has since been removed to avoid confusion.”
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While Concert from Hell is no longer available on the streamer, it still can be viewed on ABC13’s site here. Before the documentary was pulled from Hulu, its description read: “Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival was supposed to be the concert of a lifetime. But it turned into a tragic nightmare. A minute-by-minute look at what happened in the crowd, the young victims who were killed, and what happens next.”
Ten people died in a crowd surge at the November 5th festival. Scott has offered refunds to all attendees, and promised to cover funeral expenses for the victims. However, the family of the youngest victim, nine-year-old Ezra Blount, soundly rejected the latter offer.
The tragic event has led to hundreds of lawsuits, including a massive suit seeking $750 million in damages from Travis Scott, Drake, promoter Live Nation, and Apple Music, which live-streamed the festival.
Public Enemy’s Chuck D recently argued Scott is being unfairly blamed for Live Nation’s failures. In an open letter, he wrote, “I’m not buying the Young Black Man did it. He’s being blamed for a crime while the old white men running the corps that Travis and his fans trusted with their lives stay quiet in the shadows.”
However, Scott’s recent actions have not helped public perception: He has a long history of encouraging reckless behavior; after the concert, he went to Dave and Buster’s; and in his first public appearance following the lawsuits, he golfed with Michael Jordan and Mark Wahlberg.
Hulu making a documentary about Astroworld is in poor taste all around.
People are still burying their loved ones. The legal cases haven’t even started.
Great documentaries are done when all the facts are laid out. Not enough time has passed to fully discuss this.
Advertisement— Petty Slimane (@LilAioli) December 2, 2021
Filming a series about #ASTROWORLD in the midst of tragedy is wildly insensitive. Families are still mourning, festival-goers are still traumatized, and some victims haven’t even been laid to rest yet. ABC and HULU saw their trauma as a cash grab. Cold world.🤦🏾♂️
— Da Kid Gowie (@DaKidGowie) December 2, 2021
Astroworld victims haven’t been put in the ground yet, and the media already has a special on Hulu. 🤢 We are in hell
— Nielcen Saint-Jean (@PrinceAkeem_845) December 2, 2021
