The New York Times Is Upset That Leftist Propaganda Doesn't Sell Movies \ stacker news ~news

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The New York Times Is Upset That Leftist Propaganda Doesn't Sell Movies www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/business/media/hollywood-movies-red-state-audiences.html

799 sats \ 34 comments \ @siggy47 30 Jul news

After a period of openly using movies to display progressive values, studios seem to be heeding a message from many ticket buyers: Just entertain us

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356 sats \ 5 replies \ @grayruby 30 Jul

Hopefully commercials are next. I don't know about in the US but the commercials in Canada are ridiculous. Playbook is simple as much diversity as possible, all families need to be either minorities or at least mixed in commercials and men need to be portrayed as complete useless idiots and women as the head of the household who makes all the decisions.

50 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined 30 Jul

Our commercials are very similar. It's odd to go so out of your way to make your commercials unrelatable, even ever so slightly. The vast majority of marriages are not interracial, so why would you cast that way?

White women do have a slight out-group bias, when it comes to race, and they buy most of the stuff, so I get why you'd have lots of black or Asian families in commercials (as long as they're acting like white people).

42 sats \ 1 reply \ @grayruby 30 Jul

Are they pandering to their prospective buyer group (white women)? Or are they pandering to some DEI quota? Or are they pandering to what ever body judges and gives out awards for ads, so they can say they are award winners?

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 30 Jul

I don't know. In the long run, they have to pander to white women, but who knows exactly what they're doing now.

I've heard people argue that it's an issue of how indoctrinated with woke nonsense all their employees are and there's no easy remedy for how out of touch those people are.

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

The Simpsons formula except that it works for the Simpsons because it's funny

Also cartoon/animated vs human

I love watching Simpsons outtakes and bloopers

34 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 30 Jul

Check this one out. They were trying to be so feminist they actually became racist.

81 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 30 Jul

Another TLDR take.

People hate hypocrites in all religions.

Almost all people are hypocrites including progressive values preachers in media. When you preach tolerance and love but express the opposite you repel people. This is why so many are repelled by Christians. On a good day I'm not a hypocrite but I don't always have good days.

130 sats \ 6 replies \ @SimpleStacker 30 Jul

The main reason they're losing viewers is because there's an extremely high correlation between progressive messaging and bad storytelling. Progressive writers approach storytelling from the wrong direction. Instead of allowing the plot to flow from the world and the characters' motivations, they decide on the plot which is meant to portray some social narrative, then create characters to fulfill pre-designed roles within said narrative. The characters therefore feel one dimensional, lacking in nuance and relatibility.

Let's face it, the biggest reason people stop going to see woke movies is because woke movies suck and woke writers suck.

76 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

Michael Moore 'documentaries'

Seinfeld had a rule: no lessons, no morals

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 30 Jul

Good contrast there.

Jesus told a lot of stories... I think He was on to something there.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

No hugging and no learning

I botched the quote slightly

21 sats \ 2 replies \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul

Very true. The movies suck

75 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 30 Jul

Even the article, talking about how Twisters would be a perfect setting for climate change messaging, is an example of this mindset.

No, just because the movie is about tornados doesn't make it the perfect setting for climate change messaging. Because why would the townsfolk facing down the tornado be worried about or care about that stuff? They're worried about their lives in the moment, not some theoretical chain of causality that led to the day's events that they have no control over.

See, the progressive logic is like "oh, this movie is about A, which is related to B, so let's message about B!" But they never think about the actual characters in the story and what their actual concerns would be.

It's honestly pretty absurd if you ask me, and I can only hypothesize that it comes from university English departments that are more concerned about teaching current political fads than timeless truths about human nature.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

or university film departments and schools

75 sats \ 2 replies \ @wingalt 30 Jul

Just turn off TV during distasteful ceremonies and don't support propaganda movies, we have the power and they will give what the people want or disappear

38 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul

Apparently that's what Hollywood is doing. They have waved the white flag.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

Do not patronise businesses which support enemy causes; by doing so you support them yourself.

75 sats \ 5 replies \ @kepford 30 Jul

No one likes to be preached at when they want to be entertained.

Gifted artists can influence and entertain. What I've seen in the last ten years is blatant preaching of a message most people just simply do not care that much about at best.

Preaching at the audience is annoying for most because those that are on your side but not fervent are just bored or annoyed. Those that disagree are angered. You are left with preaching to the choir. Usually a small crowd of already "won" individuals.

There's a great example from the attempts by American Evangelical Christians to make popular movies. "Left Behind" and "God's Not Dead" were popular among Christians but not beyond that. I never watched "God's Not Dead" but the trailer was enough. Movies like these are Christian versions of what we have been seeing out of Hollywood.

The recent series "The Chosen" is an example of focusing on the story and making good art/entertainment. "The Chosen" is a series about the disciples that followed Jesus. Unlike most works before, it does not follow chapter and verse (which were added to your Bible's as metadata btw) but instead adapts the gospels into a narrative story. In the past films about Jesus have been more about preaching and being accurate to chapter and verse. The Chosen isn't from my viewing and knowledge of the faith anti-Bible. But it does present personal stories (fan fiction) around the gospel accounts.

Its good TV to watch. I believe this is why it is so popular. Even beyond the Christian audience. It is well done and not seeking to convert or preach. The art and craft are the focus. Therefore the deep meaning comes through. Good art like that of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wasn't trying to preach at you.

I'm happy to see the film making industry heal a bit. Its still messed up but preaching isn't profitable. It has its place but it isn't at the movies. The market is fixing this :)

55 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

Breaking Bad inspired me to study the art of cooking meth until our lab exploded

Safety first!

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 30 Jul

Funny! Better living through chemistry!

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul

Great reply. Talented writers and film makers find ways to subtly influence their audience with intelligent persuasion. I think the Times should be happy. The moronic scripts that get churned out, that bludgeon people over the head with opinions, are insulting. They do more harm than good to a cause.

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 30 Jul

My sons are now old enough to understand this stuff. I've had some good conversations with them. One that comes to mind is female representation. When movies or TV shows that have female or "under-represented" characters flop you hear a dumb take. We just have so much hate and racism/sexism that this art is being attacked.

Most of what I see are critics pointing out bad writing and story telling. Its not the isms. I think the crap we have seen in recent years actually does more of a disservice to these groups because it gives ammo to the truly hateful people. When films are bad no one cares that the lead was a white dude. Most films suck. When the film is obviously trying to preach and is also bad it just creates a narrative for hateful people to latch on to. It does a disservice to the cause the filmmakers claim to care about. Films that are well done can have characters that aren't white males. The vast majority of people just wanna see a good movie. They do not care about race/sex. Those that do care about race/sex should be ignored by the film maker. Focus on making a great film. Don't focus on "the message".

It seems obvious to me. Over the past 15 years I have watched the culture wars develop and IMO many advocating or equality are actually making things worse by focusing on immature idiots. They have empowered many insecure idiots by proving their own hearts are filled with spite and hate.

It is similar to what the left has done with Trump. He is so full of flaws but they can't help but lie and exaggerate about him. They can't help but be hateful instead of taking the higher ground. They make him sympathetic. The expose their own black hearts. It turns people like me off and those that like Trump are pushed harder in his direction as they see the other choice isn't any better.

Honestly, at this point I shouldn't be surprised by these things but I have to admit I am. Moral corruption is at the root of this whole thing. Its why I want nothing to do with either side of politics or these culture wars.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 30 Jul

I will add that the creators of "The Chosen" are continually being ridiculed by Christians for a number of reasons.

It is interesting to see how many "religious" things are paralleled by secular "godless" groups. Its almost like its really just a human flaw.

Even when you reject god you end up making up your own religion and worshiping that belief system.

75 sats \ 0 replies \ @TomK 30 Jul

I think that before Hollywood leaves you alone with this nonsense, you must first reach the level of the Europeans and the Olympic Games and their opening ceremony. Only when the leftist filth is so disgusting that it gives you herpes when you watch it, will anything change.

65 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 31 Jul

I believe that entertainment should be the aim of movies instead of spreading propoganda! For this reason only, I started watching comedies or action comedies and left watching history, controversy, war, reality movies.

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 30 Jul

Everything is so woke and ad related. It just makes us want to turn away from watching things.

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @guts 30 Jul

Larry Fink from Blackrock said it best about DEI and ESG: "forced behaviors".

Like it or not, profitable or not. You are forced to watch it

54 sats \ 2 replies \ @SilkyNinja 30 Jul

Shakespeare, since his death, has in the throes of western civilization re-moralizing itself occasionally been raked through the coals for his “pagan” plays.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre is about a pagan prince cursed because he married a princess who had an incestuous relationship with her father. Pericles, his queen, and their daughter, the princess, are cursed.

The daughter is sold as a whore and keeps her virginity through stunning every John with sacred words. She eventually earns a job as a sacred dancer and singer in Diana’s name and keeps her purity. The family is miraculously reunited and the king forgives his father in law.

51 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul

Wow! That's some story line. Not quite Barbie

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @SilkyNinja 30 Jul

He’s the master for a reason.

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @sangekrypto 30 Jul

And finally Hollywood bowed to its audience.

“We want you to attend our movies. We need you to attend our movies.”

have they run out of narrative? so that some of the narratives that are composed look bad?

54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul

https://m.stacker.news/42567

Ars Gratia Artis

Art for the sake of art or Art for art's sake

54 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 30 Jul

Same goes for sports. Remember the whole take a knee thing. I was very sympathetic to Kaepernick at first and in principle. But then the whole thing went off the rails as is typical of these topics in the US.

Every cultural discussion gets sucked into the Republican / Democrat propaganda machine.

Sports are full of propaganda in the US but because its like water to us we don't see it.

Every sporting event starts with the national anthem. Why?
Military jets fly over very often
Military are often in uniform and on the field holding the flag
Some sports actually outfit their players in camo for certain games
The flag is prominently displayed.

I remember when I started exploring libertarian ideas and started noticing these things for what they are. Propaganda for the state. But because from the age of 5 we are conditioned to think this is normal we just don't see it.

When we are shown photos of communist countries or the fascists in WW2 we are told to think these people are brainwashed. But are we any better? Not really when you stop and think about it.

What Kaepernich was doing was against deeper programming and it just didn't work. It came off as preaching and the goal of sports is to make money. You can get away with some propaganda but it can't be to overt or it risks backfiring.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @02ad8239c2 30 Jul

in the UK women's football teams are all still doing the knee thing, and the captain wears a rainbow armband - the saddest part is people in the crowd cheering as they do it.