“It's the Extras That Have to Be Thrown In at Hallmark Nowadays”

The Hallmark Channel’s decision to incorporate LGBTQ+ storylines and characters into its original content caused an uproar among some conservatives and evangelicals. This controversy highlighted several competing discourses about what the Hallmark Channel is and especially who its imagined audience is. This chapter analyzes how conservative advocacy groups like One Million Moms characterized their objections to Hallmark’s queer content and how Hallmark’s executives’ response reflected an evolving understanding of who the Hallmark audience is. A qualitative discourse analysis of Facebook and YouTube comments reveals how a subset of conservative viewers has imagined the Hallmark audience and brand as well as what motivates their resentment. A combination of media industry studies and cultural studies situates the backlash to the changes at Hallmark as a part of a much broader discussion about political polarization.