Oxygen Insider Exclusive!

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!

Is This New York Times' Trump-Putin Video Homophobic? Some People Think So

"Trump and Putin: A Love Story," a homoerotic take on Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin by Oscar nominee Bill Plympton, left a bad taste in the mouths of many Twitter critics.

By Samira Sadeque Jul 16, 2018, 5:41 PM ET

An animated video produced by The New York Times Opinion has caught flak for mocking the relationship between President Donald Trump and Russian Presient Vladimir Putin for portraying them as gay.

The video was shared on the NYT Opinion Twitter page on Monday morning, and had more than 43,000 views by the afternoon.

The video is part of a short, three-part series called "Trump Bites" by Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton who is "known for his outrageous sense of humor," according to NYT Opinion.

The video was released just as President Trump was scheduled to have an exclusive meeting with Putin in Finland on Monday.

The video, titled "Trump and Putin: A Love Story," attempted to show Donald Trump’s "not-so-secret admiration for Vladimir Putin" through a "teenager’s bedroom, where the fantasies of this forbidden romance come to life," according to the NYT tweet. It showed President Trump and Putin holding hands and kissing, while riding a unicorn amid rainbows, and even portrays President Trump squeezing Putin's animated breasts.

Many felt that portraying a romantic relationship between two men as a source of mockery bordered on homophobia. “In reality, the video does little more than reduce being gay to a punchline,” Vox wrote on Monday.

The cartoon, initially published on Sunday afternoon on the NYT Opinion Twitter handle, did not receive much response from their 662,000 followers. Subsequent tweets of the cartoon received backlash from many users, including from LGBT activists:

So let me get this 100 percent perfectly clear. Its ok to portray homosexuality as wrong and something shameful, if you are doing so to insult and denigrate President Trump. This article is a hate crime, so much for your tolerance and inclusivity.
— Dr Grey (@DrGrey91721741) July 16, 2018

@nytimes this isnât just intensely stupid itâs homophobic as all hell. What on Earth makes you think that equating the love that millions of people across the planet feel for one another to the unconscionably criminal relationship between these two is OK?!? Truly, please explain.
— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) July 16, 2018

It is possible to criticize the disturbing closeness between Trump and Putin without resorting to homophobic smears, @nytimes @nytopinion. (Side note: I'm pretty sure the only people who think this insult is funny are their supporters.) https://t.co/GyVxPhrd7i
— Brooks Sherman (@byobrooks) July 16, 2018

This is homophobic, retrograde and unhelpful. But hey, youâre @nytopinion soâ¦ carry on as you were, I guess. https://t.co/vq2fVkOTbz
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) July 16, 2018

This is homophobic. It is implying that being gay is an insult for both of these men. It implies that being gay would emasculate them. It implies that calling them gay together would anger them and incite reaction. This is beneath us. https://t.co/Zk95DgQOpN
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 16, 2018

Some tried to defend the cartoon on the grounds that it merely showed Trump and Putin’s relationship and was not an actual attack on homosexuality:

They're calling out the relationship itself, not the gay relationship. It would work the same if they were a straight couple, like say with Angela Merkel and Obama.
— Bobby Mozumder (@mozumder) July 16, 2018

Hm, a lot of hand-wringing here. Some confusion about ridicule and the depiction of homosexuality. To me, this (not so funny) vid does indeed ridicule the idea of Trump and Putin (as specific, political people) being in love, but not that of two men being in love. But YMMV
— Michael Erle (@Grouchox) July 16, 2018

Oxygen.com has reached out to creator Bill Plympton for comment.

[Photo: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a joint press conference in Helsinki, Finland on July 16. By Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images]