Netflix defends its hand and wins ‘Thing’ case after complainant cries gross indecency

Netflix has emerged victorious in a complaint against its “Wednesday Season 2” promotion, after the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) ruled that its billboard campaign featuring the Addams Family’s disembodied hand, Thing, was not indecent or harmful to children.

The complaint, filed by a consumer who said the image terrified his young son, argued that the display of a severed hand in public was “grossly indecent” and demonstrated “a disregard for the fact that children see outdoor media”. The complainant insisted that “horror is horrific” and should not be forced onto unsuspecting viewers in public spaces.

But the ARB disagreed. In a ruling late last month, the ARB directorate dismissed the complaint, finding that the billboard did not violate the Code of Advertising Practice section that protects children from content that might harm them mentally, morally, physically or emotionally.

The advert in question shows the brooding teen heroine Wednesday Addams with her companion Thing perched on her shoulder. The stitched-up hand leaps off to pull down a screen reading, “This way to your final destination,” before cutting to a promo for Wednesday season 2 and its release dates on Netflix.

In response to the complaint, Netflix said the campaign contained no violence, blood or gore and that ‘Thing’ was a long-established character familiar to audiences worldwide. The company argued that fear was subjective and that one child’s fright did not make the imagery universally harmful.

“The campaign doesn’t contain visuals that could result in harming children morally, physically or emotionally,” Netflix stated, adding that what each person perceives as scary “is subjective”.

The ARB agreed, noting that while a small child might see the stitched hand and imagine injury or violence, the depiction was not graphic or disturbing. Thing is, in the Addams Family universe, a quirky, loyal helper ― closer to a family pet than a horror prop.

“It is noted that Thing is not an evil or frightening character… he simply helps around the house and supports the other members of the family,” the directorate found. “While the hand appears to be injured, it is also clearly animated, and therefore not ‘dead’.”

The ruling emphasised that fear is subjective, but that regulation must be based on the likely impact on the public, not isolated reactions. The directorate said while it was sympathetic to the fear experienced by the complainant’s child, it believed the advertisement was not sufficiently gory or frightening to cause mental or emotional harm to the general population of small children.

The ARB concluded there was no breach of the advertising code and dismissed the case, allowing Netflix to continue its campaign.

The ruling follows weeks of chatter sparked by Wednesday’s season 2 billboards, which have appeared in major cities across South Africa. The adverts caught the eye of motorists ― and in some cases, their nerves.

Cape Town-based creative and pop culture writer Jarrod Saunders reported on the controversy in Fortress of Solitude, noting that the eerie design of the billboards was meant to grab attention rather than shock.

“The campaign’s clever playfulness - ‘This way to your final destination’ ― mirrors Wednesday’s signature dark humour,” Saunders said.

The billboards, placed along Johannesburg’s N1 and other high-traffic routes, feature Thing perched on Wednesday’s shoulder or crawling towards viewers ― a marketing move some fans have called “creatively macabre” and others “a bit much” for family audiences.

Despite the lone complaint, the ARB’s decision underscores the fine line between playful spookiness and inappropriate horror in public advertising. In this case, Netflix’s gothic imagery was found to fall safely on the side of mischief rather than menace.

Legal analysts at Themis Law Chambers noted that the ARB’s ruling “confirms that creative expression in advertising can accommodate dark or unconventional humour — provided it avoids explicit gore or violence”.

With the complaint dismissed, Netflix’s campaign remains live — and Thing continues to wave his stitched-up fingers at South African audiences from screens and billboards alike.

For fans of Wednesday, the outcome is clear: the show’s haunting charm, much like its star’s deadpan stare, remains intact — and perfectly suitable for public view.