Simon Pegg and Nick Frost explain their homophobic joke from Shaun of the Dead in coronavirus video
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg revived their Shaun of the Dead roles as they discuss their new coronavirus plan (YouTube/SFM Playz)
You know times are bad when Shaun of the Dead starts looking like reality, but the good news is that one of the movie’s most iconic scenes has been given a revamp for 2020.
Actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost hilariously revived their roles from the 2004 zombie apocalypse film, which is a parody of horror movie Dawn of the Dead.
Harking back to the movie’s most famous gag, ‘The Plan’, Frost asks Pegg over the phone to ask what the plan is to deal with the outbreak – with a few helpful coronavirus-specific updates.
And at the moment in the original film where Frost scoffs “Alright, gay!” the line as been pointedly changed to “Alright, grey!”
Rather than just glossing over it, Pegg breaks out of character to explain that the original Shaun of the Dead line wasn’t intended to be homophobic, but was actually a (very subtle) criticism of homophobia.
“Ah right, I see what you’re doing,” Pegg replies. “I know it’s 2020 but the original joke wasn’t intended as homophobic, it was more of a comment on the absurdity of straight male appropriation of homophobic signifiers in order to denote their aversion to emotional candidness.”
Glad that’s cleared up then.
Pegg then continues with the updated COVID-19 plan, telling his friend that instead of “taking care of Phillip”, the hated stepfather-cum-zombie, they must “follow the NHS guidelines to the letter”.
And he warns Frost not to go to the pub as they initially intended, seeing as it didn’t go so well for them the last time.
“Don’t go to the Winchester,” Pegg says. “The pub is out. Especially if it’s closed… If you can, stay at home, have a cup of tea and wait for this to all to blow over.
“Above all, don’t be a twat about things. We’re all in this together. Don’t be selfish, look after each other, give someone a call if you think they might be lonely. How are you doing?”
“I’m running out of toilet paper,” Frost replies. “Have you got any?”
You can watch the full video below.
