How often have you heard this phrase about a remake or reboot?
“We’re changing up the story and characters so that it’s more fitting for modern audiences.”
It’s happening in almost every facet of entertainment. EA is remaking Dead Space for “modern audiences.” Hocus Pocus 2 was “adapted for modern audiences.” Splinter Cell? Modern audience update. Snow white? Remade for modern audiences.
Many of your favorite television shows, movies, comics, and more have all had this “update” applied.
The “modern audience” phrase is supposed to seem like a way to make a movie make more sense in today’s culture. That would be a horrible premise all on its own. Star Trek and Star Wars were timeless stories and while a graphical update here and there wouldn’t hurt, these respective universes didn’t need to look so much like our own cultures.
But what the “modern audience” phrase really is, is an excuse to push hard-left politics into any IP, franchise, or character. The real idea they’re pushing is that more people than not believe that every movie should have a diverse swath of racial representation, LGBT inclusion, and feminist storylines. They want people in America to think that most people want to see their favorite character’s race swapped, sex swapped, and engage in homosexual activity.
You don’t want your favorite character to change so radically? Well, not only are you the odd man out, but you’re also an “ist,” a “phobe,” and you probably suffer from deep-seated self-hatred due to internalized misogyny.
This is, of course, a lie, and not a very good one.
The “get woke, go broke” principle is almost immutable. The number of companies that embraced some form of social justice principle has quickly found themselves losing money at an accelerated rate with few exceptions. Gillette told men their very nature was toxic and subsequently lost billions. Dick’s Sporting Goods virtue signaled over AR-15s and quickly saw the value of the company drop like a rock.
The same can be said for social justice infusions into beloved franchises. The Star Wars brand no longer has an excited and energized fanbase and is watching as its releases see dwindling audiences. Cowboy Beebop was bastardized by Netflix’s infamous “reimaginings” and the show was canceled only weeks after it was released. Meanwhile, the most egregious reimagining of the modern era was “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” by Amazon, and its reception was both disastrous and costly.
The idea that “modern audiences” are a factor that needs to be taken into consideration is a demonstrable lie. To be sure, there are people out there who would love nothing more than to see a sex and race-swapped James Bond defeat the bad guys through the power of homosexual intercourse, but the issue is that this loud group of people demanding this movie be made is actually very small.
Even then, only a fraction of that group is going to go see the movie.
The “modern audience” doesn’t actually exist. There are audiences for various things to be sure, but the audience that would enjoy social justice propaganda would likely be more entertained by a cheap demonstration or Avant-garde performance at a local theater. Paying audiences who want to be taken away have no interest in being preached at, even symbolically, while they watch space wizards wave laser swords around.
But those studios with bad-faith creators know this. The point isn’t necessarily to entertain, it’s to normalize. Put enough homosexual representation into mainstream entertainment and eventually people will just get used to seeing it there, especially the kids. Climate change, racial politics, and more can become the common idea once it’s introduced over and over again through the stories we consume.
It’s the old principle that a lie told enough times becomes the truth, just with millions of dollars and years of production put behind it.
It’s fortunate for us that modern producers and actors are so bad at pushing these messages by making them too on the nose. Their hubris makes them impatient, and every new movie, television show, or comic becomes more and more obvious and their message gets rejected out of hand along with their modernized reimagining.
Regardless, at this point, once you hear that your favorite thing is being remade for “modern audience,” take that as the studio telling you that it’s worth skipping.
