Idris Elba says racist movies and TV shows shouldn't be pulled, but instead come with a warning

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Idris Elba has an idea for handling movies and TV shows with racist content.

The actor recently spoke to the Radio Times magazine and said that instead of pulling racist content from streamers and on-demand services, they should instead come with a warning.

“I’m very much a believer in freedom of speech. But the thing about freedom of speech is that it’s not suitable for everybody," the 47-year-old actor said. "That’s why we have a rating system: We tell you that this particular content is rated U, PG, 15, 18, X...I don’t know anything about X, by the way."

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Idris Elba has suggested a warning be attached to media with racist content. (REUTERS/Henry Nicholls)

Elba also said that racism and sexism should be treated similarly and that viewers should be informed that a particular movie or television show may contain problematic jokes or themes.

“To mock the truth, you have to know the truth," he explained. "But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it -- wait a second, I think viewers should know that people made shows like this.”

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The "Cats" star commended professionals that have spotted and pulled racist content, but said that "moving forward, people should know that freedom of speech is accepted, but the audience should know what they’re getting into."

Idris Elba  (Reuters)

"I don’t believe in censorship,” said Elba. “I believe that we should be allowed to say what we want to say. Because, after all, we’re story-makers."

Elba's comments come as many streaming services have decided to pull movies and even entire television series over the use of blackface and similar content in light of the recent racial tensions that have arisen following the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody, sparking ongoing national and worldwide protests.

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"30 Rock" is among the shows that have removed episodes featuring blackface while "Little Britain" has been pulled in its entirety. "Gone With the Wind" was temporarily removed from HBO Max before returning with additional content meant to provide context for the movie.