TV and Movies Focus Excessively on Politics

[BCP1928]

Yes I have noticed this and I have become pretty good at telling. I get a couple of minutes into the show and as soon as the Woke starts I have to switch it off as I know its going to be horrible.

The weird thing is that big corps like Disney have purposely made their shows politically correct in recent years which has coincide with a massive decline in their popularity. Woke is not entertaining and the proof in the pudding is how customers turn off and Woke corps go broke.

I remember watching some analyst talking about how media is so powerful in influencing people. Back in the 80's when the academic ideologues were infiltrating society and gaining positions of influence that is when they began their social engineering experiment to push the progressive agenda.

The tactic was to find a well loved character, I think Dorothy from the Golden girls was one example. They then write in a controversial issue like Dorothy had an abortion when younger to make it seem that abortion is not so bad as even good people do it. It normalises abortion.

This has been the same tactic as ideologues have gains positions in media and admin. Push the idea into peoples loungerooms and eventually it changes social norms as it becomes more acceptable.

This is part of a bigger movement that has been happening also created by Leftist ideologues. The idea that the political is the personal. This brought the personal into politics and so now it was not just restricted to political issues and government. This was the birth of identity politics.

As a result we see politics in stuff like school bathrooms, sports, ads like Gillette and Bud. Most worrying is organisations and especially corporations who yield much power are becoming political and endoring sides when they should stay out of politics because their employees come from both sides. There have been many cases of people being treated unfairly due to expressing their beliefs and political views even losing their jobs.

Yeah thats something the Left miss and rarely mention. Class has no race or gender. As we see theres a growing number of poor class consisting of all races which is now making up the majority. Working class hardly getting by with inflation. Can't own a home which is a basic right.

While at the same time theres a growing class of elites which contains both blacks and whites, men and women. It seems the Lefts complaints that it was the whites who were oppressing has gone out the window when it comes to class.

Women wanted equality with men so no their are joining the elite men more and more. While at the same time not giving a dam for the many women that are poor. It wasn't about making society equal. Its about women and blacks getting a piece of the actions that whites and males enjoyed at the top.

I heard Michelle Obama speaking about how they represented the common person and could relate to their struggles. Going on about living in poverty. How the Right don't care. This was pretty rich (no pun intended) from the Obamas who have million dollar mansions.

TV production companies produce shows that they think people will want to watch because they want to get high ratings so they can make money selling advertisements. That's it. They're doing it to make money. If pushing the "progressive agenda" makes money then that's what they will push. If it stops making them money then they will stop pushing it. That's the whole story.

 

[stevevw]

TV production companies produce shows that they think people will want to watch because they want to get high ratings so they can make money selling advertisements. That's it. They're doing it to make money. If pushing the "progressive agenda" makes money then that's what they will push. If it stops making them money then they will stop pushing it. That's the whole story.

But pushing the progressive agenda is not working. Quite the opposite. Disney for example has lost a billion dollars due to Woke ideology infiltrating their movies. Even Disneys own execs admit they went to far with Woke and turned their own customers away.

Disney: a billion-dollar casualty of woke
The reason for Disney’s decline? It has gone woke, to an almost comical degree. Last year, the company admitted to investors that there was a growing ‘misalignment’ between Disney’s output and ‘public and consumer tastes and preferences for entertainment’. Audiences are growing sick of the woke slop that Disney has been serving them. They are tired with scripts that are weighed down by clunky political messaging. They are fed up with storylines being mangled to fit ‘progressive’ narratives. They are irked by Disney’s desire to lecture them instead of entertain them.

Disney: a billion-dollar casualty of woke

The entertainment giant is paying a heavy price for trying to shove identity politics down our throats.

www.spiked-online.com

Budlight were the same. They completely misread their customer base because they were blinded by ideology. More concerned about being politically correct than the actual product they were selling and the customers who supported them. In doing so they turned them off by the millions and thus lost billions.

There is pressure from government agencies to push DEI and Trans ideology as is evidenced by the massive increase in Human services and HR administering the indoctrination and re-education of our institutions and private corps. Thats why you now here CEO's coming out and supporting Woke now. When they use to keep out of such politics.

Disney for example is even having a dispute with governor Ron DeSantis over something entirely unrelated to Disney’s business interests – namely, the place of transgender ideology in schools.

They should stick to what they do best, entertain and stop taking sides in political issues that has nothing to do with entertainment.

But there is pressure from Rights based organisations representing the State which force companies to include Woke idfeology in their business. Without that accreditation companies suffer with bad ratings and lose contracts and reputation. So the issue needs to be stopped at policy. Some have moved to ban DEI ideology as its unconstitutional. .

 

[Hans Blaster]

Star Trek Season 2 Episode 21
"Patterns of Force"

The Deputy Führer is an authority on the genetics of racial purity. How would you classify this one?

Hm. Very difficult. Note the sinister eyes. And the malformed ears. Definitely an inferior race.

Note the low forehead, denoting stupidity; the dull look of a trapped animal. You may take him now for interrogation. But I want the body saved for the Cultural Museum. He'll make an interesting display.

View attachment 356492

Season 3 Episode 15
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"

• Bele: It is obvious to the most simpleminded that Lokai is of an inferior breed.
• Mr. Spock: The obvious visual evidence, Commissioner, is that he is of the same breed as yourself.
• Bele: Are you blind, Commander Spock? Well, look at me. Look at me!
• Captain James T. Kirk: You are black on one side and white on the other.
• Bele: I am black on the right side!
• Captain James T. Kirk: I fail to see the significant difference.
• Bele: Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side.

I cannot people think politics in television (and Star Trek of all things) is *new*. I recently saw the classic Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder" (and for timing purposes, it aired the Friday after the 1960 election). That episode is deeply political.

(Don't reelect John Gill.)

 

[BCP1928]

But pushing the progressive agenda is not working. Quite the opposite. Disney for example has lost a billion dollars due to Woke ideology infiltrating their movies. Even Disneys own execs admit they went to far with Woke and turned their own customers away.

Disney: a billion-dollar casualty of woke
The reason for Disney’s decline? It has gone woke, to an almost comical degree. Last year, the company admitted to investors that there was a growing ‘misalignment’ between Disney’s output and ‘public and consumer tastes and preferences for entertainment’. Audiences are growing sick of the woke slop that Disney has been serving them. They are tired with scripts that are weighed down by clunky political messaging. They are fed up with storylines being mangled to fit ‘progressive’ narratives. They are irked by Disney’s desire to lecture them instead of entertain them.

Disney: a billion-dollar casualty of woke

The entertainment giant is paying a heavy price for trying to shove identity politics down our throats.

www.spiked-online.com

Budlight were the same. They completely misread their customer base because they were blinded by ideology. More concerned about being politically correct than the actual product they were selling and the customers who supported them. In doing so they turned them off by the millions and thus lost billions.

They made a mistake about what will sell and lost money. Consequently, they will change their product and/or their advertising. They're not afraid of the Woke Monster, they're only afraid of losing money.

 

[Gene2memE]

TV and movies have always had politics in them, whether as a focus or incidental.

It's just that you're not recognising the in-and-outs of the social politics of previous eras, and thus don't think those things are "political". And, because you don't approve of "woke" (a catchall that is essentially meaningless at this point) the particular political focus of modern shows is noticeable and jarring/offputting to you.

The Brady Bunch was political (divorced parents remarrying, adults sleeping in the same bed).
The original Star Trek was political (female Africa-American bridge officer, interracial kiss, post-scarcity society)
I Love Lucy was political (interracial marriage)
M*A*S*H was political (explicitly anti-war/anti-military during Vietnam, anti-authoritarian, anti racist, anti conservative, pro cross-dressing)
The Simpsons was political (constant lampooning of the US nuclear family and social/cultural systems)
Friends was political (a bunch of homophobia, misogyny and transphobia, as well as a lesbian kiss)
The Golden Girls was political (sex-positive, anti-homophobia, anti-racism)
Murphy Brown was political (single mother raising a child, explicitly anti-Republican characters)


Politics pervades shows like South Park, Family Ties, Fraiser, Rosanne, All in the Family, Ellen. They were just as in your face about their politics as today's shows and movies are - it's just that society has progressed forward and what was controversial or "woke" then is viewed as acceptable or normal now.

20 or 30 years from now, today's "woke" shows with subjects of "gender and race" are going to be viewed as quaint and old-fashioned and people are going to be surprised they were considered political.

 

[AlexB23]

Yes I have noticed this and I have become pretty good at telling. I get a couple of minutes into the show and as soon as the Woke starts I have to switch it off as I know its going to be horrible.

The weird thing is that big corps like Disney have purposely made their shows politically correct in recent years which has coincide with a massive decline in their popularity. Woke is not entertaining and the proof in the pudding is how customers turn off and Woke corps go broke.

I remember watching some analyst talking about how media is so powerful in influencing people. Back in the 80's when the academic ideologues were infiltrating society and gaining positions of influence that is when they began their social engineering experiment to push the progressive agenda.

The tactic was to find a well loved character, I think Dorothy from the Golden girls was one example. They then write in a controversial issue like Dorothy had an abortion when younger to make it seem that abortion is not so bad as even good people do it. It normalises abortion.

This has been the same tactic as ideologues have gains positions in media and admin. Push the idea into peoples loungerooms and eventually it changes social norms as it becomes more acceptable.

This is part of a bigger movement that has been happening also created by Leftist ideologues. The idea that the political is the personal. This brought the personal into politics and so now it was not just restricted to political issues and government. This was the birth of identity politics.

As a result we see politics in stuff like school bathrooms, sports, ads like Gillette and Bud. Most worrying is organisations and especially corporations who yield much power are becoming political and endoring sides when they should stay out of politics because their employees come from both sides. There have been many cases of people being treated unfairly due to expressing their beliefs and political views even losing their jobs.

Yeah thats something the Left miss and rarely mention. Class has no race or gender. As we see theres a growing number of poor class consisting of all races which is now making up the majority. Working class hardly getting by with inflation. Can't own a home which is a basic right.

While at the same time theres a growing class of elites which contains both blacks and whites, men and women. It seems the Lefts complaints that it was the whites who were oppressing has gone out the window when it comes to class.

Women wanted equality with men so no their are joining the elite men more and more. While at the same time not giving a dam for the many women that are poor. It wasn't about making society equal. Its about women and blacks getting a piece of the actions that whites and males enjoyed at the top.

I heard Michelle Obama speaking about how they represented the common person and could relate to their struggles. Going on about living in poverty. How the Right don't care. This was pretty rich (no pun intended) from the Obamas who have million dollar mansions.

Whew, cool essay bro.

TLDR: Elites are ruining entertainment.

 

[RDKirk]

I don't really mind the politics in media, but the political stuff I often see in new TV shows and films are pretty shallow and one sided.

Hoping AI film takes off soon. Imagine a world where a single person can craft a movie, TV show using AI. The amount of perspectives that can be put into big works of art will be socially game changing.

No, they won't. There are already pure AI videos on YouTube, and they are singularly dull and uninspired.

The problem is that few individuals are actually so creative that they can even competently function in as many different specialties as it takes to create an excellent movie or TV show. I've seen too many excellent directors who suck more than they realize at storytelling, for instance. And the score and sound design are whole multiple arts in themselves...it's no wonder that there are at least three distinct Oscars for score and sound design.

 

[RDKirk]

As others have said, politics has always been part of movies and television.

There is a difference, however, between displaying politics, even a one-sided view, and what we often get today. Even propaganda can be entertaining.

One of the most cross-generational entertaining movies of all time, Casablanca, is pure pro-war political propaganda. Another: To Kill a Mockingbird. Both I highly recommend watching. Casablanca is certainly worth watching multiple times...it takes at least twice to catch all of its cleverness.

The biggest problem with "woke" presentations isn't the politics...it's that they're objectively bad art. The writing is usually amateur level. And then they're ham-fisted in their approach to a political point of view. The producers usually tip their hand by stating up front that they intend to offend their own most loyal fans. Their work is simply self-indulgent. Actually, "woke" productions share most of the same failings as most Christian productions, and are bad for the same reasons.

But here is an example of what they could do: Star Wars Andor, which is one of the best television productions this century and certainly the best thing to come out of Disney television. It's absolutely political, to the extent that a nacent rebellion against a fascist empire is obviously political. But the story is rock solid. The dialog sparkles (there are passages that I rewind just to hear them over and over again). The characters are riveting and memorable. The cinematography is breathtaking. Some people say that it's slow...and it may seem that way if you take it episode by episode. It's actually told in 3-episode arcs, and it best watched that way, as though it's several two-hour movies. It usually has two build-up episodes and then a spectacular arc-conclusion episode.

 

[RDKirk]

TV

20 or 30 years from now, today's "woke" shows with subjects of "gender and race" are going to be viewed as quaint and old-fashioned and people are going to be surprised they were considered political.

I don't think so, because as I said earlier, these "woke" shows are not merely political but objectively bad storytelling. Long after their politics has lost its edge, their bad storytelling will be even more apparent.

 

[essentialsaltes]

The biggest problem with "woke" presentations isn't the politics...it's that they're objectively bad art. The writing is usually amateur level. And then they're ham-fisted in their approach to a political point of view.

Many consider this presentation ham-fisted:

 

[stevevw]

Whew, cool essay bro.

TLDR: Elites are ruining entertainment.

Don't worry its coming back. Independents are popping up more and more producing some great stuff. Most is crowd funded so its actually the consumer paying directly to the producers for their content.

The Chosen series and Sounds of Silence were made this way. Its similar to how independent podcasts like Rogan, Brand and others are gaining big followings and able to exist outside the media machine that controls information.

There should be more of it and it will come. People are beginning to turn off the PC and recognise when its fake and more people are wanting the real deal.

 

[stevevw]

They made a mistake about what will sell and lost money. Consequently, they will change their product and/or their advertising. They're not afraid of the Woke Monster, they're only afraid of losing money.

I agree. At the end of the day it comes down to profits especially for their share holders. They have to be accountable. So they will do whatever it takes to set the ship back on course and learn.

But I am not sure it was a mistake. Yes a mistake in that it was the wrong tactic as it proved. But to get it so wrong points not to a mistake as in wrong information but a total blindness to their customers because they became ideological about their business rather than just business which has no emotion or belief but cold hard facts.

The information for their customers was there to be found because big corps spend millions on marketing. Others got it right. Rather they were influenced by ideology and it biased who they thought their audience should be. I say should be because it was more about being Woke than what was actually happening in reality for the vast majority of their customer base.

 

[RDKirk]

Many consider this presentation ham-fisted:
View attachment 356553

I rather thought it was pretty on-the-nose myself the first time it aired. But let's recall...social messaging wasn't the primary reason for the existence of Star Trek. One side can point to episodes like this, and there are other episodes that can be accused of blatant misogyny.

Also, TOS was a commercial failure at the time.

 

[AlexB23]

Don't worry its coming back. Independents are popping up more and more producing some great stuff. Most is crowd funded so its actually the consumer paying directly to the producers for their content.

The Chosen series and Sounds of Silence were made this way. Its similar to how independent podcasts like Rogan, Brand and others are gaining big followings and able to exist outside the media machine that controls information.

There should be more of it and it will come. People are beginning to turn off the PC and recognise when its fake and more people are wanting the real deal.

Yep, I just watched an indie film yesterday from 1998 that was re-released by Criterion by the name of Daylongso. There are also newer indie films that do a good job at plot, such as Farewell Amor from 2020. Now, I am not a huge fan of large podcasts, as I prefer sci-fi or story-line based podcasts. Indie films are good stuff, which is why I am grateful to have a coworker who is into the Criterion collection. He is a little more liberal while I tend to be more moderate, but he is a good guy.

Plot of Daylongso: Alarmed at the number of young black men around her dying, brash Oakland art student Pica begins taking photographs to preserve their existence. She forms a new friendship and is drawn into the search for a serial killer.

 

[AlexB23]

Many consider this presentation ham-fisted:
View attachment 356553

Could we say this is technically half-black face in Star Trek?

Here is a secret from a fellow Trekkie, if one wants better Star Trek with better plots and higher quality film techniques (and less cheesy aliens), the Next Generation from 1987 is the one to watch.

 

[AlexB23]

TV and movies have always had politics in them, whether as a focus or incidental.

It's just that you're not recognising the in-and-outs of the social politics of previous eras, and thus don't think those things are "political". And, because you don't approve of "woke" (a catchall that is essentially meaningless at this point) the particular political focus of modern shows is noticeable and jarring/offputting to you.

The Brady Bunch was political (divorced parents remarrying, adults sleeping in the same bed).
The original Star Trek was political (female Africa-American bridge officer, interracial kiss, post-scarcity society)
I Love Lucy was political (interracial marriage)
M*A*S*H was political (explicitly anti-war/anti-military during Vietnam, anti-authoritarian, anti racist, anti conservative, pro cross-dressing)
The Simpsons was political (constant lampooning of the US nuclear family and social/cultural systems)
Friends was political (a bunch of homophobia, misogyny and transphobia, as well as a lesbian kiss)
The Golden Girls was political (sex-positive, anti-homophobia, anti-racism)
Murphy Brown was political (single mother raising a child, explicitly anti-Republican characters)


Politics pervades shows like South Park, Family Ties, Fraiser, Rosanne, All in the Family, Ellen. They were just as in your face about their politics as today's shows and movies are - it's just that society has progressed forward and what was controversial or "woke" then is viewed as acceptable or normal now.

20 or 30 years from now, today's "woke" shows with subjects of "gender and race" are going to be viewed as quaint and old-fashioned and people are going to be surprised they were considered political.

I actually like the concept of a post scarcity society, as well as interracial marriage, as we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

If I were to make a sci-fi plot set in the 2060s on an alien planet named Xanadu, the Xa'na race had to develop a technology in the 2040s similar to the Star Trek replicator dubbed the Molecular Additive Manufacturing Unit (MAMU) for a 5-year round trip interstellar journey at 80% the speed of light. Because the tech was invented for space travel, the tech was also allowed for civilians to use as well, meaning by the mid-2040s except for certain factions, most of Xanadu would have access to this post-scarcity technology. The only thing that was scarce in the 2060s was electricity, as one MAMU uses 150-1500 kWh of electricity per day. I will have to iron out some plot holes in this before writing this sci-fi, as if the planet has 200 million MAMUs, the grid would shut down. But more importantly, my plot will have to discuss the space travel aspect more than life on the ground.

 

[stevevw]

Yep, I just watched an indie film yesterday from 1998 that was re-released by Criterion by the name of Daylongso. There are also newer indie films that do a good job at plot, such as Farewell Amor from 2020. Now, I am not a huge fan of large podcasts, as I prefer sci-fi or story-line based podcasts. Indie films are good stuff, which is why I am grateful to have a coworker who is into the Criterion collection. He is a little more liberal while I tend to be more moderate, but he is a good guy.

Plot of Daylongso: Alarmed at the number of young black men around her dying, brash Oakland art student Pica begins taking photographs to preserve their existence. She forms a new friendship and is drawn into the search for a serial killer.

Yeah theres some good stuff out there if you look. Not quite enough but then I don't watch much stuff anyway. Prefer to read and if I do watch anything its docos or true life stories.

 

[AlexB23]

Yeah theres some good stuff out there if you look. Not quite enough but then I don't watch much stuff anyway. Prefer to read and if I do watch anything its docos or true life stories.

Good idea. It is sometimes good to turn off the TV and get back into books. I need to do that more often, which is why when I am offline in November, I will read a book about how the cell works.

 

[RDKirk]

Could we say this is technically half-black face in Star Trek?

Here is a secret from a fellow Trekkie, if one wants better Star Trek with better plots and higher quality film techniques (and less cheesy aliens), the Next Generation from 1987 is the one to watch.

Third season on. Maybe fourth season on.

 

[AlexB23]

Third season on. Maybe fourth season on.

Agreed. Though, I watched the show at age 13-14, and enjoyed all the seasons.