Entourage creator Doug Ellin accidentally lashed out at a satire article about the show. Entourage itself is a satirical look at the lifestyle of actors in Hollywood, as Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) searches for ways to continue to break out into stardom. The show ran for eight seasons and earned several Emmys and Golden Globe victories along the way.

After nearly a decade off the air, Entourage continues to draw more attention than ever after Ellin lashed out at a satirical article by Timothy McSweeney. Check out the tweets below, via The Hollywood Reporter:

The writer of the article, Max Garcia Davison, quickly brought to Ellin’s attention that the article was satire. The Entourage creator subsequently announced that he was not drinking, as many readers speculated, but that he had been enjoying an edible at the time and wasn’t reading the piece correctly.

Why Entourage Still Holds Up Today

While Ellin might have taken a satirical piece too seriously, the overarching message of the initial article does hold true. Entourage has many offensive elements that would likely make the show difficult to market in today’s media landscape. Disney+, after all, has been more than willing to display old content with advisory warnings relating to sensitive content and other networks have been following its lead. Controversial topics are no longer as readily explorable in modern Hollywood.

HBO, however, has not been afraid to shy away from dark elements of the world. Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon has shown incredibly offensive topics that the network has been happy to keep on air, so long as it feels right for the show. As Entourage attempts to tell the somewhat-true story of Mark Wahlberg’s rise in Hollywood, nearly every element of the show depicts realistic aspects of life in Hollywood in the 2000s. While it does occasionally overstate elements in the name of comedy, it still keeps itself somewhat realistic.

Much like Robert Downey Jr.’s Tropic Thunder blackface isn’t controversial, Entourage holds up because it is more than willing to poke fun at itself. The show is essentially little more than Hollywood taking a look at its own flaws, acknowledging them, and sharing them with the world. Ari Gold’s most abusive antics are acknowledged for what they are, and that’s why the show works. It’s also why Ellin has proven so willing to go to the defense of Entourage.

Source: THR, Doug Ellin / Twitter, Timothy McSweeney / Twitter, Max Garcia Davison / Twitter