'Stranger Things' creators talk show's influence in Peabody Awards speech

"Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer talked about the underlying message in their show and how it influences audiences in their Peabody Awards acceptance speech.

The Peabody Awards ceremony scheduled for June 18 in Los Angeles has unfortunately been cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of the event, recipients recorded their acceptance speeches in the comfort of their homes. This way, the show was able to go on despite the pandemic and the protests over the death of George Floyd and police brutality.

In their recorded speech, The Duffer Brothers highlighted their show's influence on the younger generation. They also talked about the underlying message on friendship and how it can make people strong and powerful. They shared how people's differences can lead to great things.

"With 'Stranger Things' we have a big audience, nostalgic nerds, more or less like us. We also have a large audience of young kids, kids that are growing up in sometimes scary and uncertain times," Matt said in a video posted on the Peabody Awards website.

"We always wanted our message to them to be very simple: that the power of friendship can overcome incredible obstacles and that being weird and to think different isn't a flaw, it's a superpower. That each of us has the power to grow and change and that by working together, despite our differences and not because of them, we can overcome incredible odds," he added.

"This is an incredible honour and the company we find ourselves in is inspiring, to say the least," Ross chimed in.

"Stranger Things" and the rest of the Peabody Awards recipients were chosen unanimously by a board of 19 jurors for their "compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media during 2019." The Netflix sci-fi series was among the 30 titles chosen from nearly 1,300 entries submitted from television, radio/podcasts, and across web genres including children's and public service programming, entertainment, documentary, and news.

"This year's winners are a vibrant collective of inspiring, innovative, and powerful stories. True to the spirit and legacy of Peabody, our winners are also distinguished by the presence and resilience of many emerging and diverse voices," Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody, said.

Aside from "Stranger Things," three other Netflix shows won in this year's Peabody Awards. These include the true-crime drama shows "When They See Us" and "Unbelievable" and the 2019 documentary "The Edge of Democracy."