This video is sponsored by InVideo AI.
I have a confession to make. I…enjoy suffering. I mean why else would I have
willingly watched Madame Webb, Wish, The Marvels, Secret Invasion, Echo, Indiana Jones
the Dial of destiny, and, most recently, Netflix’s live action version of Avatar the Last Airbender?
While they all inflicted tremendous suffering on my soul, it also left me wondering some things
like where did I park my car? I’ve been stuck here at AMC since I watched Madame Webb a couple
w
eeks ago. But more importantly, why the hell is everything so goddamned mediocre?
No, Dune, not you. You’re absolutely perfect, sweetheart.
For one thing, there seems to be very little creative force left in Hollywood. Most projects
are either sequels or reboots, with very flimsy reasons why the reboot is necessary. Take Avatar
the Last Airbender for example. The original show is perfection! Despite being intended for
children, the show has unexpected depth, and despite the limits in budget a
nd its medium, it is
just as visually satisfying as it is emotionally. So let’s be honest - this story did not need a
retelling. Regardless, Netflix forged on getting the original creators, Michael and Bryan on board,
and then quickly frustrated them into quitting. Their departure is indicative of one of the
biggest issues with the entertainment industry. The executives' unwillingness to trust creators.
In a statement, after his departure, here’s what Bryan has to say -
“When Netflix brought
me on board to run this series alongside Mike two years
ago, they made a very public promise to support our vision. Unfortunately, there
was no follow-through on that promise. Though I got to work with some great
individuals, both on Netflix's side and our own small development team, the general
handling of the project created what I felt was a negative and unsupportive environment."
So why exactly is this happening? Why were Bryan and Mike able to create the masterpiece
that is the origin
al show at Nickelodeon, but not given the space to do the same at Netflix
despite their incredible track record? Why was Netflix willing to put $120 million dollars on the
line but not trust the creators behind the magic? The problem is the money itself. With such
massive budgets at stake, for an industry that is definitely in decline, means executives
have to ensure success, turning every project into an opportunity to rule by committee.
This type of governance is poisonous to the creative
types who crave trust and space
in order to let their vision come to life. The result of this committee based approach
is the exit of the talent and the output is a perfectly mediocre show like Netflix’s Avatar the
Last Airbender where no emotional moment has the space to land, none of the important character
development is done effectively, allowing the connection to the audience to build over time.
Instead it’s all rushed, condensed, every question answered immediately, and everything
co
nstantly being told, instead of shown. I gotta admit, he has a way with people.
do you get it? He knows how to connect, to get through
to people, like he did last night. do you get it?
That’s his real power connection, building bridges.
do you get it?? That’s how he’s going to be the AVATAR.
DO YOU GET IT? There goes the savior of the world.
OKAY WE GET IT! Having effectively bullied away people with even
a modicum of talent, the executives put in place inexperienced people who are easier to c
ontrol. In
turn, the people willing to take these positions are often types that don’t mind rehashing
old stories instead of creating something unique and new. At the same time, they neither
respect the original work they are recycling nor do they recognize what made it excellent in
the first place. This is the type of disrespect for the original work that has led to the box
office disasters like Indiana Jones, Dial of Destiny and the Marvels, and streaming disasters
like Echo and Secret I
nvasion to name a few. In fact, Disney now directs their newest DEI based
hires to actively IGNORE the original comic books that the projects are based off of. I would
respect this if the directive went further, and encouraged their new hires to go into uncharted
lands and create new stories - but that’s not what is happening. They insist on still using the
recognizable IPs of these characters, standing on the hard work of the original creators, but go
onto mangle the characters, often turn
ing the men into pathetic background after-thoughts.
To take the hard work of another artist and tear it to shreds while its legacy pays for
your afternoon Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato is just a massive
slap in the face of artistic integrity. A veteran screenwriter anonymously wrote an open
letter to the film and tv business, hosted on the wonderful Film Threat website where he said -
“What I took away …is that these young turks think working in FILM & TV is just a fu
n thing
that anyone can do, and they can use this opportunity to put their stamp on the world. “
Our recent cultural overemphasis on diversity has somehow convinced people that
good work doesn’t require hard work, and that’s the mind virus that has taken over
the newest hires in the entertainment business. They think that the only reason people achieved
anything - success, fame, wealth, was simply the result of privilege or a seat at the table.
They have no understanding of the sweat nor th
e talent necessary. They don’t understand the
concept of art. They think diversity is enough, because of the countless times they’ve heard
Rachel Zegler say “representation matters.” This brings us to Wish… but before we talk about
that terrible movie, a quick aside. I love reading all of your comments on this channel because you
guys often share incredible insights with me, and many of you have written to me about
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hat, but
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Thank you to InVideo for sponsoring this video, and now back to tal
king about Wish, the
movie intended to be a celebration of the last 100 years of Disney animation, but
instead felt like an unpleasant reminder of how far the company has fallen.
The movie is an original story, and I use the terms original and
story lightly because many people have wondered if it was stitched together by AI.
The movie’s goal, above all, was representation. All the diverse characters are reliably good and
right about everything, the main character, Asha, has no character flaw
, nor does she need to
learn anything to achieve her full potential, and the villain is a white cis male for
good measure. It checks all the boxes of a dutifully pandering story, and yet it failed.
Wish lacked a story, it lacked proper characters, and most importantly it lacked heart, and
as a result it lost Disney $200 million. So why didn’t the representation strategy win out?
Amongst the Diversity Equity and Inclusivity crowd, there is this belief that representation
is necessary because
each individual has a unique perspective, a unique story, and we need to create
space to let people from varying backgrounds bring their truths to the table.
So Maya from Echo being a woman, as well as Native American, and deaf, and an
amputee means we should all shut the hell up, because she’s going to bless us with a perspective
so unique that it will be earth shattering. This is just such a false idea. It’s meant to
stoke the egos of people who have no talent, no ability, no skill they’ve
worked on,
so instead they’re applauded for whatever victim narratives they can spin up based
on checked boxes they happen to be part of. Moreover, what is the point of putting diverse
women into central roles if they lack the humanity that would make it possible for people to
connect with them. Asha has no discernible flaws, she has nothing holding her back, and she has no
inclination to be romantically attached to anyone, because according to our current feminist
overlords, women should
n’t be focused on love. Or more succinctly put men = ew.
Maya from Echo is the same, she has no flaws, but along with that she has no personality,
no passions, and no expressions to speak of. Instead, Maya’s and Asha’s existence as main
characters should be enough to the diverse women that connect with them simply based on their
surface level traits. This is called pandering! Pandering is a surprisingly effective strategy
on social media, where people clamor to commend you on recognizing you
r privilege, or
your willingness to step aside for the sake of marginalized groups. Bravo! You’re the
wokest of the woke folk that ever woked! It’s a great strategy to up your fake online reputation.
Going to the movies, or watching a show, however, is a different experience altogether. It’s a
very personal disarming affair. We go to the movies to feel, and I know I’m sounding like
Nicole Kidman in an AMC commercial, but it’s true. Good stories speak to us, they speak to our
humanity, they
capture emotions so true, that we are revealed in it. It’s not something that can be
tweeted, or captured in a selfie, it’s ineffable. Good stories aren’t obsessed with how
we’re all different. Instead they focus on our universal experiences - like
the fear before your first battle, “Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends.”
The devastation of finding your sister when you thought she was safe at home,
the heartbreak of losing your father because you made a mistake,
or seeing how you’ve missed
out on your children’s entire lives in the span of a couple hours.
These are the moments that stay with us, because we don’t want to be pandered to or
reprimanded, we want to be taken for an adventure, fantasize as our favorite hero, we want
to feel, we want a connection dammit. And a connection has nothing to do with the
color of someone’s skin, and everything to do with the skill and talent of the writers, the
directors, the actors, the animators, all the artists that come together to cre
ate magic.
And that’s what’s missing from these modern movies and tv shows.
Thanks for watching, and if you happen to know when my car is parked,
please let me know so I can finally go home.
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