Right-Wing Media Site Claims 83.49% of Viewers Dumped ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ at Same Time — Because of ‘Woke’ Scene

One of the most well-known conservative media watchdogs has published an article which makes the claim that viewers of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tuned out en masse because of a scene in which a police officer harasses the Falcon because he’s Black.

Newsbusters, run by the conservative Media Research Center, claims in its headline that “Turned-Off Viewers Turn Off ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ After BLM Propaganda”:

The latest Marvel release called The Falcon and the Winter Soldier warranted a record breaking audience for its highly anticipated premiere episode, according to Disney+. The streaming service did not provide any numerics to corroborate this claim however the new show was proclaimed to be the most watched title for its opening weekend overall, even beating out The Mandalorian.

The success of the initial episode did not endure, however, as viewership tanked suddenly at a very specific moment within the second episode. According to a new rumor put out by YouTuber “Overlord DVD,” not only did a massive number stop watching the episode at the same point across the board, there was a large scale movement of viewers who unsubscribed from the streaming service shortly thereafter. What caused this mass exodus? It was the off-putting inclusion of BLM propaganda in a scene involving the two main characters and the police, which Newsbusters’ On TV Blog wrote about here.

Yes, their presented-as-fact headline is based on what they themselves characterize as a “new rumor,” which they go on to transcribe in detail, and which states that 83.49 percent of viewers tuned out at the same exact point in the episode. Not 82% or 84%, but 83.49 percent. That’s just science.

When you lay it all out in blockquote form, it still sounds pretty absurd, but not as absurd as the actual source material, which probably explains why they didn’t just embed the video.

The scene in question features the cops rolling up on Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes (portrayed by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan), the two main characters, as they argue about the super soldier program. Newsbusters transcribed the scene:

Officer: Hey.

Sam: What’s up, man?

Officer: Is there a problem here?

Sam: No, we’re just talking.

Bucky: We’re fine.

Officer: Can I see your ID?

Sam: I don’t have ID. Why?

Bucky: Man, seriously?

Officer: Okay, sir, just calm down.

Sam: I am calm. What do you want? We’re just talking.

Bucky: Give him your ID so we can leave.

Sam: No. We’re just talking.

Officer: Is he bothering you?

Bucky: No, he’s not bothering me. Do you know who this is?

Officer 2: Hey, these guys are Avengers.

Officer: Oh, God, I am so sorry, Mr. Wilson. I didn’t recognize you without the goggles. I’m really, really sorry about this.

They also ripped the video if you want to see it, at least until Disney lawyers get wind of it.

As the source robot dude notes, there is no actual indication that this “new rumor” is true — because it almost certainly isn’t — but the Media Research Center and Newsbusters most certainly wish for it to be.

Watch the trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier above via Marvel.

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