Studio Failures in Woke Content: When High Expectations Meet Low Audience Engagement

As the entertainment industry shifts towards more socially conscious themes, a crucial question emerges: do studios genuinely believe that their audience will flock to movies, series, and games centered around socially progressive themes, or are they simply making a calculated business decision?

The Business of Social Responsibility

Companies often make the right noises and perform token gestures towards whatever is currently trending as “popular opinion”. Their primary driving force, however, remains profitability. The shift towards more socially responsible content is less about genuine belief and more about market demand and consumer perception.

Investors, script-writers, directors, and actors often operate in an environment where the elephant in the room – that many of these themes may be superficial or baseless – is overlooked. While the 'arts' have traditionally played a crucial role in tackling awkward or taboo issues, the current liberal movement has veered off into a 'wierd and idiotic wormhole', as one critic puts it. This does not necessarily diminish the potential for socially significant works, but it certainly fosters a talent pool that is hesitant to challenge the status quo.

The Elephant in the Room

When it comes to producing content, artists and creators often choose to go along with the current trend for fear of missing out on career opportunities. This has led to a situation where products may please only a small segment of the audience. It is possible that nobody involved genuinely expects an audience to seek out and pay for these productions, yet they still get made.

These productions have a limited shelf-life. While talent may continue to avoid critical calls against the current environment, they will eventually start voting with their feet and their pockets. Once it reaches a critical mass, these so-called 'turkey-productions' will be ridiculed, and this will serve as a warning to creators and studios who prioritize popularity over quality and reason.

Case Study: The Barbie Movie Controversy

The Barbie movie, one of the biggest box office hits of the year, serves as a prime example. Despite polling and voting data showing that 70-80% of the population supports woke, DEI, and LGBTQ content, there is still a 20-30% segment that is vocal about their dissatisfaction. For the studio, the calculus is simple: in a movie theater with 100 people, if 80 enjoy the film, the studio will certainly not cater to the 20 who do not.

The question then arises: what about the Barbie movie made you so intensely interested in who portrays the characters? It seems slightly bizarre that a critic would have such a specific interest in socially conservative audiences. In a world where LGBTQ people and characters are ubiquitous, would it really be that shocking to find a character marginalized by their sexuality or gender expression?

Conclusion: The Power of Reason and Sanity

If studios genuinely believe that ordinary people want to be entertained by moral depravity, then they are sorely out of touch with normal human behavior. It seems they prioritize profits over ethical storytelling and audience satisfaction. The entertainment industry should strive to strike a balance between profitability and social responsibility, ensuring that their content resonates with the broadest possible audience.

Artists and creators must stand up for reason and sanity, challenging the current trends and producing content that truly reflects the values and beliefs of society. Only then can we ensure that the content we create not only entertains but also enriches our collective experience.