Viewers feared the worst from the recent Oscars, and with good reason.
The last few Academy Awards have proven to be extremely boring and full of far-left politics. Even left-leaning viewers would be hard to sell for such a 3+ hour show.
The downward trend in ratings spoke volumes about the show’s wake-up transformation.
Except that Team Oscar delivered a mostly dated show this time around, one of several promising signs across culture this week.
Host Jimmy Kimmel avoided partisan snooping in his monologue, instead focusing on the films and the actors who brought them to life. Most of the speeches brimmed with gratitude, not talking points, reminiscent of an earlier Hollywood era.
Apparently someone behind the scenes got the message that activist awards ceremonies drive away more viewers than they attract. And it’s about time.
The show will never get the Boffo ratings of yesteryear, but this year’s show saw a modest 12 percent increase in ratings over 2022.
Superman to the rescue
Meanwhile, we just learned that the upcoming Superman movie will similarly restore something that made the iconic character important. Superman fought for “truth, justice, and the American way” for decades until 2006’s “Superman Returns” smashed the classic phrase.
Suddenly, according to Perry White, it became Frank Langella’s “truth, justice and all that stuff.” DC Comics followed suit two years ago, scrapping the motto for a more generic and less patriotic “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.”
Now, the upcoming Superman movie reboot suggests the classic phrase is about to make a comeback.
James Gunn, who directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, is responsible for DCEU (DC Extended Universe). He’ll be bringing a younger Superman to screens nationwide, though we have few details on casting news or a release date. The press release announcing the project offered an interesting update to the saga.
“Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of Truth, Justice and the American Way [emphasis added]guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.”
Not only does this return a beloved expression to the superhero, the tone of the preview suggests he’s moving away from the darker, more cynical Man of Steel we saw with star Henry Cavill’s Superman to the Boy Scout, that of Christopher Reeve is portrayed in four feature films.
Willow won’t be back
Shockingly, the other piece of encouraging news comes from Team Disney. The studio’s Disney+ streaming service just pulled the plug after just one season of Willow. The show, an update of the 1988 Ron Howard adventure, could have built on the film’s cult status.
Instead, the saga leaned heavily on identity politics, introducing a big gay love story and a transgender actor to the show’s mythical realm. According to show producer Jonathan Kasdan, the emphasis on diversity was no accident.
“If you look at the original Willow, through no fault of anyone’s, it’s very diverse. And as we step into 2022, the world has changed in the way we take in entertainment and the faces we reflect in entertainment have expanded tremendously, and we hope the show continues with the growth of the world can grow. Just like the movie was frankly.”
Jonathan Kasdan
The show’s ratings proved disastrous, and hopes for a second season are gone.
Diversity on paper should be welcomed. But Hollywood often focuses on representation, overlooking strong storytelling and other important factors that draw crowds. And we’ve seen too many projects lately that aggressively pushed diversity while fans who adored the traits in question went stiff, like Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power.
Three notable pop culture moments. Three signs the industry might finally embrace a phrase that’s been heard on social media for the past few years.
get woken up Go bankrupt.
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