Plans to screen Zoolander 2 at a private college in California fell through after college students complained the movie was too offensive in its portrayal of individuals who identify with the LGBT community.
Students at Claremont McKenna said the film, written by Justin Theroux and Ben Stiller, mocked "marginalized identities" so they instead opted to screen Deadpool during a school event instead, The College Fix reported Monday.
"After screening Zoolander 2, we observed that the film did not portray the LGBTQ community in a positive light and made a series of inappropriate jokes at the expense of individuals of marginalized identities," the college’s programming board told The College Fix.
"The College Programming Board strives to put on events which support an inclusive community on campus. We did not believe that screening Zoolander 2 reflected our values, nor did it help us promote the campus climate we hope to create."
Zoolander 2, rated PG-13, was released in February and received poor reviews from critics, including a 4.5 rating out of 10 points from Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie also received backlash from activists in the LGBT community who pushed for a boycott of the film, calling it the "modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority."
The refusal to screen the film April 15 during the college’s "Screen on the Green" program was student-led and detached from school administrators, The College Fix reported.
The programming defending playing Deadpool, rated R, arguing the film "does not target marginalized identities the way Zoolander did."
"Our choice to cancel the film was a calculated choice that we felt would support and respect our community on campus," the programming board said in a statement.
Many took to Twitter to ridicule the decision, arguing that Deadpool is more vulgar and violent than the comedy film.