'Carol' censored on airlines to exclude all lesbian intimacy

Gal pals!
 By 
Tricia Gilbride
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You know, Carol, that movie about a couple of gal pals taking a road trip together who suddenly get very upset because they're both on their periods or something girly like that?

Well, that's what you think Todd Hayne's film about a lesbian couple in the 1950s who suffer grave consequences to be together is about if you saw it on a Delta flight. The airline shows a version of the movie that is censored to the point that Rooney Mara and Cate Blachett's characters don't even kiss.

Comedian Cameron Esposito was furious about the censorship. Esposito points out that heterosexual relationships don't receive the same treatment, meaning that it's not simply a matter of removing graphic scenes, but a case of queer erasure.


You May Also Like

May viewers who had only seen the film on flights had no idea the characters in the movie ever have a physical relationship.

Delta in a statement to After Ellen explained that the edited version of the film available in-flight was provided directly by the studio, The Weinstein Company,.

There were two versions of this film that the studio makes available–one that is edited and one that is not edited. The edited version removes two explicit scenes that do not meet our guidelines. The edited version also removes all kissing. The other version is fully non-edited and includes the kissing, but it also includes the explicit scenes.  Unfortunately, Delta doesn’t have the rights to edit the movie, or to make the decision to keep some of that content (e.g. kissing).

Because of the explicit scenes included in the non-edited version, we chose the edited version. This is consistent with what is available to all airlines.

Mashable has reached out to The Weinstein Company for a comment.

Carol screenwriter Phyllis Nagy informed fans they can view the uncensored versions on American and United flights.

Esposito, meanwhile, is waiting on a satisfactory answer to why such tame acts of LGBTQ intimacy are being edited out of movies.

Don't be a Harge, Delta; we're not ugly people.

Via Giphy

Topics LGBTQ

Mashable Image
Tricia Gilbride

Tricia Gilbride was a Reporter for Mashable Watercooler. Tricia focused on the intersection of celebrity culture and the Internet. Previously, she worked as a fashion writer and a social media manager. She also edits Women-Artists.org, a blog and annual print publication, and looks exactly like her cat.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
'Heated Rivalry's Hudson Williams teases Season 2, explains 'c*ck sock' to Fallon
Hudson Williams and Jimmy Fallon on all fours facing each other on 'The Tonight Show.'


Everything we know about 'Pluribus' Season 2
Rhea Seehorn in "Pluribus."

'A Safe Distance' review: Don't overlook this sexy, sapphic thriller
Two people walk in the woods in "A Safe Distance."

How to watch 'Love Island: All Stars' online for free
Love Island promotional shot

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma


NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!