Woke, angry, and failing
The agenda is more important than quality or success
Have you noticed that a lot of film and TV entertainment these days is not so entertaining anymore? Then you’ve surely also noticed that the stuff you don’t like is strong on making woke points, with the notion of telling a good story left far in the background. And, if that weren’t bad enough, much of the media is running cover for these failed projects.
The Woman King purports to tell the story of brave and bold female African warriors who are fighting evil White slave-traders. Only, it neglects such details as the very regime portrayed was actually heavily involved in the slave trade itself. This little oversight prompted the creation of a social media movement by some outraged Blacks who suggested that people avoid the film altogether.
The reaction from the stars and producers was predictable. They attacked the fans, and implied that you were racist if you did not rush right out and see the movie. While the film has grossed over $60 million, it is hardly a success, since it has a production budget of around $50 million and a marketing budget of $40 million.
One rule of thumb is that a movie has to gross about 2.5-3 times its production budget to break even. Presumably, this factor figures in the marketing budget. Possibly, The Woman King will eventually achieve such numbers, but that seems doubtful. At any rate, the shills in the media who crowed when the film grossed $50 million, saying at that point that it had covered all of its costs, were simply shameless liars.
Bros, an R-rated gay rom-com is a failure by any reckoning. With a production budget of $22 million and a box office under $10 million, it did not attract much of an audience, gay or straight. Here again, the star, Billy Eichner, attacked the fans for not appreciating the flick. Many online reviews from self-identified gays called it an embarrassment to the gay community.
Our pièce de résistance is Amazon’s TV series Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. With a budget reported to be close to $1 billion, the details of which are a bit hazy, it is nonetheless the most expensive TV production of all time. Naturally, the show runners (J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay) boast exactly zero other credits between the two of them. Supposedly, they got the gig based on a recommendation from JJ Abrams, whose own record of success is mixed.
A reported $250 million was paid to the Tolkien estate for the rights to material from the appendices of The Return of the King. As such “Hobbits” could not even be mentioned, and “Harfoots” are portrayed in the series.
Notwithstanding early positive reviews from the access critics, fan reaction has been extremely negative. The show runners decided to abandon most of the lore to convey intersectional feminism at every turn. Virtually all White male characters are either weak, corrupt, or both. The lead character of Galadriel is portrayed as some sort of superhero, replete with laughingly poor fight choreography and dialog. Isildur, who arguably should be the lead, is given short shrift. But then, he’s a White male.
Dozens of fan websites have panned the show. For a taste, go to Nerdrotic.
Meanwhile, major online review sites, including Amazon’s, have suppressed negative reviews, while promoting questionable two-sentence five star reviews. And, of course, various elite film/TV media have been shilling for the series non-stop.
Tell me if you’ve heard this before: The series’ stars and crew are attacking the fans for being racist and fascist.
Thus, the most expensive TV series of all time is an epic failure. Consider how hard one would have to work to achieve this. You start with a beloved property and a rabid built-in fan base. You even have the popular Peter Jackson films to serve as a guide.
But, no. Amazon knows better, and the fans are wrong. Welcome to entertainment 2022.