Why is No One Going to the Movies?
From Hollywood Woketopia
As some of you know, I have a sidebar Substack called Hollywood Woketopia. Movie stuff is as interesting on this Substack, I have found, but if you’re interested, here is my latest.
“Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see.” - Jerry Seinfeld
Most people outside the bubble of the Left already know why movies are bombing. Not only has Hollywood alienated them in almost every way imaginable, from the “woke” content to their hatred of Trump, but the stories just aren’t that good anymore. TikTok and YouTube are far more entertaining because they rely on algorithms to give users what they want and the free market. What goes viral is what’s popular—end of story.
20 years ago today Gladiator opened to the public and I began my website writing about the Oscar race. That was the last time, up until Oppenheimer, that a Best Picture winner got anywhere near the top of the box office. It wasn’t number 1 but it was close enough at number 3. Oppenheimer was number 5.
The reason for this is complicated. But the story goes something like this. Right around 2003, with the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchise movies, Big Hollywood cracked the code on how to make lots and lots of money not just here but internationally.
For the next twenty years, there would be two Hollywoods. One that pushed out franchise movies—Marvel, Star Wars, animated films—mostly aimed at one reliable demographic: 13-year-old boys. Movies catered to that base, and they were rewarded handsomely for it—all over the world. Why? Because human beings, for whatever reason, respond to a central male protagonist. Women like men, and men like men.
The numbers were staggering for Hollywood up until 2020, when it the box office collapsed.
They modeled the movies after fast food: fewer choices, familiar brands, and expectations met. But in the Obama era, many who cover movies (like me), started to look at things differently, from the point of view of being “good people” rather than entertaining audiences. That meant things had to be equal - why was every movie about “one special boy,” and why was everything so white?
More here (not behind a paywall):
Very pithy comment and so true
“They can’t give the people what they want because they don’t know the people anymore.”!
Amr Australia
I read the whole thing as a free subscriber to woketopia and was frothing to comment. The ONLY reason I have watched movies for the better part of 70 years is story. The writers in Hollywood don't know how to write stories anymore and it seems unlikely they will ever write stories again being employees of a propaganda mill. Perhaps they will die off and some new operations will replace them. I hope so!