'The Office's John Krasinski is Now Facing Backlash for Being a 'Sellout' After ViacomCBS Buys 'Some Good News'
John Krasinski made headlines these past few months with his YouTube series, Some Good News, where he highlighted positive news stories from around the world to lift people's spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic. The show was filmed in Krasinski's home and has featured a lineup of special guests, including Oprah, Brad Pitt, Billie Eilish, and NASA astronauts. The Office alum even hosted a virtual prom and a virtual commencement celebration for students who were unable to attend in real life.
The series has no doubt been one of the best things to come out of quarantine, but Krasinski recently drew criticism after it was announced last week that Some Good News was sold to ViacomCBS.
"Wow who can believe when we started this thing together we all just wanted good news to be more fully represented in our everyday lives. And now? You quite literally ARE the good news!," Krasinski wrote on Twitter. "Thanks to you, SGN lives on, joining the ranks of this historic news network! See you all soon!" The ViacomCBS deal reportedly includes weekly episodes of the series as well as short-form content to appear on the company's many platforms, however the Jim Halpert actor will no longer be hosting the show.
Loved loved loved SGN. It's become a family bond like no other. Absolute brilliance, emotion, connection. How any of that lives on with corporate deathtrap CBS remains very hard to imagine. And it's gonna be gated? Commercials? And John won't be the host? That's Some Bad News.
— jUSTIN (jb) bOLOGNINO (@jbolognino) May 22, 2020
Even though SGN will be moving to a more permanent home, fans didn't exactly warm to the news, and they were quick to voice their displeasure online. "So he made 8 YouTube videos composed largely of unpaid contributions from fans, sold the brand to a major conglomerate, and isn't even going to make it anymore?," tweeted one fan. "Just cashed out? Does this rub anyone else the wrong way, kinda?"
Another wrote, "You are profiting off Some Good News!?! I bought you hook, line and sinker... believed you were just trying to bring goodness to light. Going from YouTube (free) to a pay service...so disappointed...sellout!!!" Krasinski started the show to bring people together, but it looks like his decision to sell SGN to a major network has left people feeling played.
"This will lose the heart of SGN and become just another corporate money making watered down version of what it once was," another tweeted. While Krasinski hasn't yet responded to these comments, hopefully fans of the show will keep an open mind until the series returns.