Stranger Things has been a favorite for many Netflix watchers since its release in 2016. Season 4 alone has been the third title to break the 5 billion weekly viewing minute mark, apart from Tiger King (2020) (what an era…) and Ozark (2017). Needless to say, Stranger Things was a household favorite for many viewers, with emphasis on the was. Now, it’s safe to say that a lot of people are starting to think otherwise after Noah Schnapp, previously beloved Stranger Things star, stirred the pot with his recent stance and actions amidst the Israel-Gaza conflict.
#NoahisCancelled
Schnapp, who portrays Will Byers in the show, is Jewish American and openly gay. His stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict emphasizes peace for both Palestinians and Israelis, urging an end to divisive rhetoric in favor of unity against terrorism. However, his alleged social media engagement seemed to align with content that mocked those sympathetic to Hamas.
In reality, Noah's never been one to shy away from voicing his support for Israel. Just recently, he made a bold move, drawing a firm line in the sand: 'You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism.' That statement, in itself, was enough to make fans angry. But then, things escalated. A video surfaced, showing Noah surrounded by friends gleefully displaying stickers that read 'Zionism is sexy.' And with that, the storm hit.
It's also claimed that Schnapp had appreciated a video Tishby shared featuring "pro-Hamas college students." Tishby's caption reflected on using humor in Jewish culture to cope with trauma and shared the video from the Israeli satire TV show "What a Wonderful Country." The post was screen-grabbed by @PopCrave on X (formerly Twitter), but it seems Schnapp's like has since been removed.
The fallout was palpable. Many saw Noah's actions as inadvertently endorsing Israel's actions in Gaza, particularly the severe impact of the conflict: war crimes, mass displacement, collapsing hospitals—the grim reality of the situation hit hard. The reaction on social media was swift and divided.
This left a bad taste in many fans' mouths, expressing their distaste and frustration. The sentiment ranged from disappointment in Schnapp's alleged action to calls for his character's removal from the show and that he would die off. Critics didn't hold back their punches. Some branded his actions as 'disgusting,' 'sick,' and 'twisted.' Amid the outcry, some fans defended Schnapp, arguing that the video in question targeted supporters of Hamas rather than Muslims or LGBTQ individuals. Others showed unwavering support for the actor, applauding his courage and self-acceptance as a gay and Jewish man.
One user stated, “the levels of evil this is. having all those resources to learn about the occupation, thousands of people literally pointing him to that direction, and this is what he answers with. f*ck noah schnapp i hope his career dies.”
Another user responded, “Stranger Things was one my favorite shows too, but lets all boycott season 5.”
“he can promote zionism without getting fired but others can’t call for a ceasefire or stand with palestine without losing their jobs/getting dropped by brands (ex. bella hadid+dior) i hope y’all remember what he is, and boycott stranger things/any work from him in the future,” a third user said.
The public was particularly outraged about this incident following former ‘Scream’ star Melissa Barrera’s removal from the Scream 7 movie due to language that “Flagrantly Crosses the Line Into Hate Speech.” she was posting on her Instagram about the conflict, resharing a post that accuses Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and one from Jewish Currents magazine about distorting “the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry.”
A fourth user shared their anger over the situation, stating, “noah schnapp gets to say "Zionism is sexy" and "Hamas is isis" but speaking about the ethnic cleansing currently happening in palestine, gets melissa fired when noah faces ZERO consequences. this is f*cking disgusting.”
One user defending Schnapp said, “Noah Schnapp constantly receiving death threats & death threats on his family! Calling ppl to SA him, to r4p3 him. The comments on here are absurd. You guys wonder why he is turning more to the far right and now he has the far right defending him while you all want him to b*rn & die!”
It’s even gotten to the point where Californian Congressman Brad Sherman defended this behavior, saying, “Noah Schnapp is excellent. His comments are mostly laudable, though I would use the term "wonderful" rather than "sexy." He will not be canceled. I’m shocked @Newsweek would publish a piece based on the premise that support for Zionism is support for genocide. Actually, #Hamas advocates the killing of all Jews from the River to the Sea. #Hamas "moderates" favor ethnic cleansing of all Jews in that area, followed by the killing of all who remain. Hamas is ISIS - or worse.”
Bye Bye, Stranger Things!
How does this affect Stranger Things? Well, when the star of your hit show is getting into an incident where they’re distributing “zionism is sexy” stickers amid a severe crisis occurring in Gaza, it’s not a good look for the show itself…
As Kris Jenner’s motto would say, “All press is good press,” but this time, I don’t think that will save Stranger Things. Fans are angry with Noah Schnapp, and nobody wants to support the show anymore, with talks of boycotting or pirating season 5 occurring.
One user said, “BOYCOTT STRANGER THINGS AND STOP INTERACTING WITH THE STRANGERWRITERS ACCOUNT. FIVE PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THAT SHOW ARE OPENLY ZIONISTS”
Another user stated, “Can't stress this enough but we need to boycott Scream, Stranger Things, and every other production involving these Zionists who put out genocidal statements and had people fired from their jobs.”
Someone added, “Boycott stranger things, rate the lowest stars on any review platforms. Make it a disaster.”
“i need everyone to understand that noah schnapp will never get fired from stranger things because the people behind the show are also zionists !!! we need to boycott stranger things,” a fourth user added.
Brett Gelman, a Jewish American actor and comedian known for playing Murray Bauman, has also faced backlash for displaying his support for Israel at an Israeli rally. So far, the rest of the Stranger Things cast has been silent and still follows Schnapp, so it’s unclear where they stand in this situation. Either way, Stranger Things has not been getting off to a great start on production because of the writers' and actors' strike.
They are set to begin production soon, and by the looks of it, Schnapp's character might have a huge role to play in this upcoming season. It seems people will have a place to direct their darts and tomatoes (if anyone tunes in).
