A Brave British Channel Aired ‘The Emoji Movie’ Instead Of Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral

It’s gone largely unreported, but Queen Elizabeth II died earlier this month at 96 years old. The media — especially the British tabloids — really dropped the ball on this one. On Monday, in the first state funeral since Winston Churchill kicked the bucket in 1965, the late monarch was laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. You wouldn’t know it if you were watching British network Channel 5 this morning, however.

Entertainment Weekly reports that “Channel 5 is the only major broadcaster in the country not airing something related to the queen (Channel 4 aired a documentary about the coronation while others aired the funeral), instead offering options for children,” including Stuart Little, Sing, and The Emoji Movie.” The 2017 movie is one of the most soul-crushing animated movies of the 2010s, if not all time (and that’s even before its star was accused of sexual assault), with a sparkling six percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won Worst Picture at the Razzies, one of the few times that the Razzies got it right.

The day of the funeral is a national holiday/day of mourning in the United Kingdom, so it makes sense one TV station would want to give a viewing option to children home from school. But it’s particularly amusing that they would choose The Emoji Movie of all things.

At least the counter-programing will make for a good story at the pub.

“How did you say goodbye to the queen, god bless her soul?”
“I was watching the movie where Patrick Stewart voices a turd.”

(Via EW)