All round
Hollywood is regretting Woke culture
The downfall of influential producer Harvey Weinstein initiated more than just Hollywood’s #MeToo movement.
The industry adopted a progressive transformation, addressing the far-Left’s calls for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Weinstein’s fall and the 2020 death of George Floyd during an encounter with Minneapolis police led the industry to adopt highly diverse casting, censorship, and rampant identity politics.
Now, the New York Times reports that Hollywood harbors substantial misgivings about these changes.
The groundbreaking article found few willing to go on the record due to the prevailing fear of publicly opposing the “woke” mindset.
Trending:
- “Harry and Meghan’s Tense Moment: A Marriage Under Scrutiny”
- Meghan Markle Steals the Spotlight Again: A Royal Engagement Gone Awry
- Tension Unveiled: Frances Marquez’s Discontent with Meghan Markle in Colombia
- Elton John’s Scathing Remarks Leave Meghan Markle in Tears at Music Awards
- Shocking Claims: Doctor Blames Meghan Markle for Prince Harry’s Health Crisis
The journalists spoke with over 24 anonymous insiders, including “top studio executives, agents, activists, marketers, and producers,” to understand the changes since 2017.
Surprisingly, they discovered that a return to the previous state might be on the horizon.
The left-leaning Times frames this shift as a regression. The real takeaway? Being “woke” doesn’t pay the bills or maintain operations.
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery have already demonstrated this, canceling “woke” content and tightening their budgets during the Biden recession.
Netflix scrapped a project led by Meghan Markle and anti-racist author Ibram X. Kendi. Warner Bros. Discovery abandoned the highly progressive “Batgirl,” swallowing the project’s $90-plus million price tag.
The New York Times investigation uncovers more behind-the-scenes developments.
One film executive confesses to hiring solely women and people of color in recent years, admitting that some were not qualified for their roles.
Others express concern that Hollywood’s “woke” transformation has been financially detrimental.
They cite poor ticket sales for movies such as the first major studio gay rom-com “Bros,” the Filipino representation comedy “Easter Sunday,” and the critically acclaimed Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel,” which garnered low viewership according to Nielsen’s data.
The list of “woke” failures is extensive, including:
“Charlie’s Angels” “Booksmart” “Terminator: Dark Fate” “Party of Five” (reboot) “Eternals” “Birds of Prey” “Lightyear” “Ghostbusters” (2016)
Insiders also mention that the implosion of Time’s Up, an organization backed by Hollywood’s biggest stars to combat sexual abuse, didn’t help matters.
The organization overlooked serious allegations against then-Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden, advised Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on handling numerous sexual misconduct allegations and ignored other Democrats accused of sexual abuse, like Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.
Reality is sinking in, and “Aladdin” producer Dan Lin predicts that “woke” appearances will be discarded.
“A recession is coming, budgets are tightening, and I’m really concerned that diversity will be the first thing to go.”
The article also notes that #MeToo targets such as Johnny Depp, John Lassiter of Pixar fame, and James Franco are securing new roles after a period of exile.
The situation worsens for Hollywood’s progressive ecosystem.
“There is a risk that ‘go woke, go broke’ jokes could solidify into conventional Hollywood wisdom.”
America embraces diversity, as evidenced by the popularity of the racially diverse “Fast & Furious” franchise.
However, forced diversity, in-film lectures, and prioritizing moralizing over storytelling are rejected by contemporary audiences. Hollywood has had to learn this lesson the hard way.