Last week Film Threat broke the story that the new head of Amazon/MGM has a set of guidelines for screenwriters. You can watch the discussion here, but the gist of it is that their new rulebook demands not just that storytellers shape their narratives to present bland, unnatural woke-topias, but that they even be written in a ways that are inoffensive. Apparently, “the girl next door,” isn’t easy shorthand for something everyone in western society understands.
It’s hate speech.
Even a hint of a stereotype is too much. Better to always write the opposite. The problem is, stereotypes tend to exist because there’s an element of truth to them. We understand them without thought. Good stories move quickly and can’t spend too much time explaining things, so while sometimes trotting out a trope is lazy, when used well they’re economical. Also, they reflect the world we know. Amazon/MGM wants more homosexual couples shown as parents, and even cites statistics to say, “See, this is normal!”
Is it? Is it really?
As if writing a screenplay isn’t difficult enough (believe me, it’s the most technically difficult form of storytelling there is), now those who want to work in Hollywood have to write on eggshells. No artist wants criticism. We know it’s a necessary part of the process, when it’s constructive, but we want our art to receive as few red lines as possible from our desired audience right off the bat. I can’t imagine trying to write while second guessing every description. How can I avoid offending people who find something new to be offended by every waking moment?
Hollywood has also found a way to make money from this process.
Sensitivity readers, the wokest of the woke, will check your story. For a price. Film Threat has discussed this as well. The people offering this service have limited working and real-life experience. But they love enforcing their made up rules. I’m not even sure how much it’s money they want (though, I’m sure that’s nice) as much as power. It’s easier, more fun, and a better exercise of power to tear something down than to create.
Just ask Godzilla.
We can assume that if it’s happening at Amazon/MGM (MGM owns James Bond, remember, so good luck with that!) it’s happening all throughout the industry. So we can expect more bland movies that confound all common sense coming down the pipe. Gone are the days when movies tried to be artistic achievements designed to delight and entertain. Everything comes with a message now, either explicitly or implicitly.
So now what?
Ignore them.
The problem is clear and talking about it, complaining about it, won’t change a thing. Better to immersive ourselves in good stories and meditate on those. Yesterday I watched Ever After for the first time in forever. What I appreciated most is that is that it doesn’t try to be anything other than it is. There were no DEIA guidelines to make it “safe,” no attempt to subvert expectations, no desire to launch a franchise. It doesn’t crib from other versions of the Cinderella story, either.
It simply is what it is, and what it is is delightful.
Only by studying the genuine article can we hope to replicate it in our way. Let Hollywood write itself into corners and starve. We are free to pursue things that are true. They don’t own the marketplace anymore, and it’s time we broke free from the idea that they do. As consumers. As creators.
