So, the official Good Omens store has Pride merch. I feel weird about it.
On the one hand, some of it is lovely. It looks thoughtful and aware of GO's queer audience and our enthusiasm. They're also donating all profits to queer charities. That's nice.
Flyer featuring images of Good Omens Pride merchandise, including pins and a mug. The text reads:
"Thanks you for shopping at Good Omens HQ.
Pride Month is here. A time when LGBTQ+ communities come together and people all around the world look to the future and pledge to make tomorrow better and brighter. In celebration of this, a small collection of limited edition Pride products will be on sale during June only. 100% of the profits will be donated to deserving organizations doing good work in the LGBTQ+ community!
Celebrate love, identity, compassion, and community with us."
But this is all now tied to a show that killed its queer-coded protagonists, that never let them so much as hug even as human shadows of themselves. A show that gave us no answers about Maggie and Nina except that they lost the businesses they loved. A show that killed a queer man between seasons and left his spouse thinking he'd committed suicide. A show that took a fan-favorite nonbinary character and had them die while cheerfully insisting that they had always been an idiot.
Does the store have the right to sell pride merch after that finale?
The store is run by Terry Pratchett's estate and has no financial or business affiliation with Neil Gaiman. Can I take it enough on faith that they didn't endorse how the queer characters were treated in the end?
A pin of Crowley with wings in trans pride colors next to a pin of Aziraphale with wings in full rainbow pride colors.
I did buy these pins, despite my qualms. They're the most overt acknowledgement we've ever gotten of Crowley and Aziraphale connecting with human queer identities. I found that, for all my heartbreak, I couldn't say no to that.
The package also came with a note.
A piece of paper made to look old-fashioned. The heading reads "A.Z. Fell and Co. Antiquarian and Unusual Books" and at the bottom it says "Purveyor of books to the gentry."
The text of the letter reads: "What an interesting month. Some kind soul has taken it upon themselves to cover the bookshop in brightly coloured bunting. We have been bunted. Still, it seems so cheerful and hopeful, I'm going to leave it up.
What’s more, Jim has been similarly decorated. His new rainbow jumper is both eye-popping and rather too warm for June, but he seems very happy with it, and that’s what matters.
I’ll admit to feeling slightly ill-at-ease about the amount of glitter that seems to have been trodden into the shop and come perilously near to the books—my feather duster hasn’t had a moment’s rest.
Anyway, whoever you are, have a wonderful month, and thank you for being you. I might just pop out and see what all the fuss is about—I find it hard to believe no one in such a brightly-coloured crowd knows how to Gavotte…
Love bravely my friends, life is for living, and sushi...and everything that makes being human so very very special.
What does it mean that a package that sold me a pin of Aziraphale with rainbow wings also includes a note that says he has no idea what those colors mean? What Pride is? "Aziraphale" thanks me for being me and tells me to love bravely, but can't say the word gay (let alone any of the other words).
Is this the intersection of good intentions and fear of corporate punishment? Or just an empty attempt to maintain ally points?
With a show that concluded with the death of every single character and an attempt to say that our real, nonmagical world was the real happy ending, why include this note that takes place in some whimsical non-time during season two? Maybe Rob Wilkins and the rest of the Terry Pratchett estate are sending little cues that we should ignore the finale. Maybe it isn't that deep and they just thought it would be cute.
My package also included a free bookmark.
A bookmark with rainbow-colored writing that says “Love is Love” with the silhouettes of Crowley and Aziraphale standing next to each other, not touching.
And I think this is the best symbol of how Good Omens failed its fans. Saying "Love is Love" with romantic leads who aren't even touching.
I'm sure some level of good intentions went into this merchandise and its packaging. Under different circumstances I would be thrilled about all of it. But here, today, I just feel so tired.
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