I don't have 1.7 million Youtube followers who watch me go "Look at the competant woman in this film. What a bunch of horse ****!" But I come along and go..."bit of a ****" and suddenly I'm hate filled? Amazing how the guy with more online clout is the victim and little old me on a forum is this evil blue haired anarchist destroying our society. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Another perspective, and maybe to balance things out a little, is that certain "influencers" or "pundits" who have started to gain lots of traction and edging into brand name recognition are appealing to a new demographic that no longer trusts corporate media. I would not assess it as "alternative media", but maybe more in the vein of "independent media"
Lots of "influencers" have already essentially been bought by major corporations through intermediaries. Also major platforms are basically in lockstep, based on financial self interest, to certain viewpoints and agendas. The days of Siskel and Ebert where many reviewers were saying what they actually thought about movies without a ton of external pressure is probably over now. The industry saw the huge red flags when a reviewer for the film Philadelphia had to retract their initial review, apologize in public, then submit an entire new positive review. That was long ago, and pre Big Social Media engagement, but the fissures there were troubling.
There exists, right now, about five major players right now, at least on the surface level, that have basically swallowed up most of what the general public will tend to get with the "mainstream media" My observation and experience, and this doesn't need to apply to anyone else's belief structure here, is that anyone who has the attention of the masses, if there is a true lack of pure authenticity, i.e. if they are just gaming the "algorithms" to monetize their pathway, eventually that comes out. It's just too hard and too complicated to hold up that mask forever.
So I see two core things there
1) Whether or not anyone agrees with Critical Drinker or any other pundit or influencer, I don't think it's a bad thing that some "independents" are able to get their voice out there. Public discourse needs more than just canned tightly wound corporate media engagement. If you don't agree with the specific takes of sunglasses clad Will Jordan, then maybe you can see the benefit of his existence operating as an open defense of some important free speech principles.
2) Many of these current big tentpole type films are failing, in part IMHO, because the people who are making them are betraying some fundamental storytelling principles. I'm not talking the plot or the core themes, but some fairly mundane structural concerns. As the video above points out -
“Write characters to tell a story not prove a point” That's my viewpoint, no one needs to agree with it.
So I thought Barbie was OK. I saw it several weeks back but just stayed out of this thread as I got some private pushback over a few things I said about Dial Of Destiny and weighed out the total carnage possible. I fell asleep during Oppenheimer, so since I missed some parts of it by being unconscious, that I stayed out of that thread too. I don't agree with 100 percent of what Critical Drinker had to say about Barbie, but I believe he has a few points that are worth further consideration.
Two things can be true at the same time. On one hand, there are people who hate everything and some people want to monetize nihilism with anything "popular" But on the other, there is close to no value in sweeping generalizations to wipe away all criticisms period. Just because we generally don't like someone, it doesn't mean they are always wrong. And when they might be wrong, it doesn't discount the reality that they might actually have a few critical points made that are worth introspection.
I respect your viewpoints and your opinion. You do you. I appreciate fundamental free speech on it's own merits. But I'll also say you are sweeping with a broad brush in the same way that you believe that someone like Will Jordan or other pundits are using for their own platforms. If you want more nuance, you have to give it first. No one is challenging your right to your own value system.
I wish you well in this hobby. I wish all people here in this community well in this hobby.
