PIERS MORGAN’S GUESTS GO OFF: Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ Gets Torn Apart for Pushing Woke Propaganda in Explosive Showdown!

In a fiery clash that’s set the internet ablaze, Piers Morgan’s latest TV panel turned into a full-on demolition derby as his guests unleashed a torrent of criticism on Netflix’s new series Adolescence, branding it a “woke propaganda machine” masquerading as entertainment. The showdown, aired on April 1, 2025, on Morgan’s Piers Morgan Uncensored (now broadcast on Fox Nation), saw conservative commentators and cultural critics rip into the teen drama for what they call an agenda-driven script stuffed with progressive talking points. With Morgan egging them on, the segment has gone viral, racking up millions of views and reigniting the debate over streaming giants and their influence on impressionable minds. Is Adolescence a bold coming-of-age tale, or a Trojan horse for ideology? The battle lines are drawn, and Morgan’s guests aren’t holding back.

The episode kicked off with Morgan, ever the provocateur, introducing Adolescence—a Netflix original that premiered March 15, 2025—as “the latest exhibit in Hollywood’s woke circus.” The series, centered on a diverse group of high schoolers navigating identity, climate change, and social justice, has earned praise from critics (an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes) but sparked a backlash from viewers wary of its heavy-handed themes. Morgan’s guests—conservative pundit Candace Owens, British author Douglas Murray, and former Disney star turned critic Gina Carano—wasted no time shredding it. “This isn’t a show—it’s a lecture hall with better lighting,” Owens snapped, setting the tone for a 30-minute thrashing that’s now the talk of X and beyond.

The Critique: What’s Got Them Riled Up?

Adolescence, created by newcomer showrunner Priya Patel, follows five teens in a fictional Portland suburb: a non-binary climate activist, a Black student tackling systemic racism, a Latina girl pushing for immigration reform, a queer athlete, and a white boy grappling with “toxic masculinity.” Critics laud its “raw authenticity,” but Morgan’s panel saw red flags everywhere. Owens zeroed in on a scene where the non-binary character, Kai, lectures classmates about carbon footprints during a prom planning session. “Kids don’t talk like this—it’s adults using puppets to preach,” she fumed. Murray piled on, calling the dialogue “scripted by a sociology professor on a grant” and pointing to a subplot about defunding the school’s security as “anti-police drivel.”

Carano, who’s made a second career out of slamming Hollywood’s leftward tilt, took aim at the show’s diversity. “Every character’s a checkbox—race, gender, orientation. Where’s the story?” she asked, contrasting it with her Mandalorian days when “characters had depth, not agendas.” Morgan, grinning like a Cheshire cat, played clips of the show— including one where the Latina teen, Sofia, stages a walkout over ICE raids—prompting groans from the panel. “This is Netflix telling kids what to think, not how to feel,” he said, tossing fuel on the fire. By the end, the guests had dubbed it “propaganda with a streaming subscription,” and the audience was roaring.

The Backlash: A Viral Moment

The segment hit X like a thunderclap, with #CancelAdolescence trending by midnight PDT on April 1. Clips of Owens’ “puppet” line and Murray’s “sociology professor” jab racked up 4 million views combined, while posts like “Piers Morgan’s guests just EXPOSED Netflix’s woke trash!” fueled the frenzy. Conservative influencers amplified the outrage—Ben Shapiro tweeted, “Netflix’s Adolescence is what happens when you let activists write TV”—while viewers chimed in with gripes: “Turned it off after 10 minutes—pure indoctrination.” A YouTube upload titled “Piers Morgan Guests SHRED Netflix Propaganda” hit 2 million views in 24 hours, cementing the takedown as a cultural moment.

Netflix’s response was muted but defiant. A spokesperson told Variety, “Adolescence reflects the real issues teens face today—we stand by its vision.” Showrunner Patel, in a March 30 Vulture interview, defended the series as “a mirror, not a megaphone,” arguing that its themes—climate anxiety, racial justice—resonate with Gen Z. Fans rallied on X with #SaveAdolescence, posting, “Piers and his cronies hate it because it’s real—let kids see themselves!” But the numbers tell a different story: Netflix’s internal metrics, leaked to Deadline, show a 40% drop-off rate after Episode 1, suggesting viewers aren’t sticking around for the lesson.

Netflix’s Woke Streak: A Pattern Emerges?

Morgan’s guests framed Adolescence as the latest in Netflix’s “woke” spiral. Owens cited 2023’s Queen Charlotte, with its race-swapped Bridgerton cast, as “historical fan fiction,” while Murray pointed to 2024’s The Three-Body Problem adaptation, which gender-flipped key roles, as “pandering gone wild.” Carano brought up Cuties (2020), the controversial French film Netflix defended despite backlash over its portrayal of young girls. “They’ve been shoving this stuff down our throats for years,” she said. “Adolescence is just the tipping point.”

Data backs the trend. A 2024 UCLA Diversity Report found Netflix leads streaming platforms in inclusive casting—65% of its 2023 originals featured non-white or LGBTQ+ leads, up from 40% in 2018. Critics like Morgan’s panel argue this shift sacrifices storytelling for optics, and Adolescence’s tepid reception—1.2 million U.S. households watched its premiere weekend, per Nielsen, versus Squid Game Season 2’s 15 million—lends credence to their case. Disney’s Snow White flop (March 2025) and Amazon’s Rings of Power backlash (2022) suggest a wider “woke fatigue” among audiences, a point Morgan hammered home: “People want escape, not education.”

The Counterpoint: Art or Agenda?

Defenders of Adolescence push back hard. The New York Times’s James Poniewozik called it “a messy, vital portrait of youth,” arguing that its critics—Morgan included—misread intent for indoctrination. On X, fans praised its nuance: “The climate kid isn’t a hero—they show her flaws too. Piers’ guests just want simple cartoons.” Patel, in her Vulture piece, cited a 2024 Pew survey showing 70% of teens worry about climate change and 55% feel racial inequality is “a big problem”—issues the show tackles head-on. “This is their world, not propaganda,” she insisted.

Yet even some liberals concede the execution’s clunky. Slate’s Sam Adams wrote, “Adolescence has noble aims but trips over its soapbox—less art, more PSA.” The drop-off rate echoes this: viewers may applaud the intent but balk at the preachiness. Morgan’s guests seized on that disconnect, with Murray quipping, “If I want a sermon, I’ll go to church—not Netflix.”

The Bigger Picture: Streaming’s Identity Crisis

This dust-up reflects a broader reckoning for streaming giants. Netflix, with 270 million subscribers, has leaned into “edgy” content to stay ahead of Disney+ and Max, but missteps like Adolescence risk alienating its base. A 2024 Deloitte survey found 60% of U.S. viewers prefer “entertainment over messaging,” a stat Morgan’s panel wielded like a club. Disney’s $200 million Snow White loss and Paramount’s Star Trek delays show the stakes: push too far, and the audience walks. “Netflix thinks it’s too big to fail,” Owens warned. “They’re wrong.”

Morgan, meanwhile, revels in the chaos. His show, a ratings juggernaut since moving to Fox Nation, thrives on these culture-war brawls—last week’s Disney rant drew 3 million listeners, and Adolescence could top it. “I’m just the messenger,” he tweeted post-show, a sly nod to his role as provocateur-in-chief.

What’s Next?

As of 9:33 PM PDT on April 1, 2025, Adolescence hangs in limbo. Netflix hasn’t greenlit Season 2, and chatter on X suggests it may join The OA and Mindhunter in the cancellation graveyard. Morgan’s guests, victorious for now, are already eyeing their next target—rumor has it HBO’s Euphoria Season 3 is in their crosshairs. For Netflix, the lesson may be stark: woke can work, but it better entertain—or face the shredder. In this streaming war, Morgan’s megaphone is loud, and the audience is listening.