@WhyDoTroonsHaveTheSameVoices yeah clean OS install and maybe fresh thermal paste or at least cleanup of the cooling system can help a fair bit. It usually does.
I'm a black woman and a star wars fan and this shit these people are doing? It ain't it. It's insulting that they're trying to make star wars "inclusive" while calling everyone who critisizes their junk "white male bigots". Last time i checked I'm not white nor do i have masculine anatomy! I just want a good star wars show! Now i gotta rely on old sw properties like the old games to get my fix... They got me replaying swtor! The game i quit 4 YEARS AGO! Look what you've done to me Disney!!!
And worse, they're wasting so much time, energy and money on this garbage that could actually be used on better material that would actually progress their proclaimed goals. Eg, whatever happened to KK's "Children of Blood and Bone" project?
Im not black but a person of color who was beaten up and insulted as a child (live in a n#zi heavy state) and I agree; critiquing you, dear Stenberg, isn’t racism. She’s a product of nepotism and claims to be oppressed; it’s really not it. She’s more privileged than any of us here… regardless of race. She needs to be disillusioned asap
As a Xhosa (black) South African, I remember summer days where I would cosplay Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Obi Wan, Darth Maul etc. They didn't look like me, but their values and internal development is something I can still relate to, till this day! Their narratives are what drew us ALL in, not the color of their skin. I feel like Disney's attempts at DEI come across as tokenization of people who look like me; it's cheap and (dare I say) racist. If they truly cared about DEI, they would spend time investing in original authentic IP made by black and brown/LGBTQIA+ peoples, and promoting these narratives MINUS the preaching rhetoric. But hey, I'm just a nobody on the internet. Please have a blessed day Ma'am 🙏🏽
I was wondering how some across the world with a darker skin tone felt. Here these people are what we called "sellouts" ( because they were paid and bought into something that is offered to them by someone that looks completely different), a token, because you are a means to get into the "doorway" or pockets of a different looking group. She says oppression is the cause for the backlash, but where are the "black men" that aren't put front and center by homosexual, feminist women? That's clearly discrimination of a particular subsect of humanity based on which way they look and or their sexuality.
@@ESmorgue This is why the situation with Anandla Steinberg frustrates me so much! I have no issue with representation if DONE WELL. I don't want to watch overpowered characters who suffer no consequences/no drawbacks for their actions and/or strength... these characters have no arcs, but we're supposed to cheer for them because they're minorities??? People like Amandla, Headlund, Kennedy had the perfect platform to curate timeless stories that respected and added onto the lore... instead they self-insert to the detriment of George Lucas' work. You're right, they're absolute sellouts
Curious question: How do people from Africa feel about Disney seemingly treating all "Black People" the same, even though Africans and black Americans are distinct cultures?
@@schoolroadentertainment7631 I honestly wish people of color from around the world would stop letting these folks who write bad stories or make other stories that exist worse by bad rehashing of the lore, stop being meat shields for them. Amanda wasn't the reason for dislike of the series. Yet, she put out this embarrassing "diss" video towards fans. This could seriously hurt job prospects.
Hi fellow African, I'm from Zimbabwe but I grew up in Johannesburg. I agree with you, I don't really watch and enjoy something because the person is a certain race, I just want a good narrative and well constructed characters. One of my favorite movies growing up was Spiderman 2002 (because etv played it non stop on Sundays😅) and because it was an inspiring and a really well crafted movie. I didn't care that spidey wasn't a black dude. Even with movies like SpiderVerse, I don't enjoy them for reason to do with race at all.
"in a time in which people cannot afford a home " It's also kind of weird that "not being able to afford a home" is the new standard for when you feel you should be getting more money. It's not that far off from "not being able to eat prime steak every day". I mean, there are endless people who cannot afford to own their own place, renting a house is a very common thing globally. You're not poor because you can't afford to buy a house.
@@_KnuXles from where my pomitical leanings are turning? Half serious half joking. As for what does it have to do with anything, extreme wealth and power inequality like the one displayed here tends to make people, like me, more sympathetic to violent redistribution, or just to the concept of burning it all down
At the root of this trend is the false idea that I can’t relate to someone unless they match every one of my outer characteristics (white, male, straight, western-educated). It is so destructive and shallow to think that way, and it permeates so much of the media these days. There are many other ways that we humans are “diverse”-our experiences, personalities, are infinitely more diverse than we can imagine. I think it just makes me angry that these people pretend they’re deep when they’re actually incredibly shallow, their minds occupied by an ideology, that answers any question with the same answer.
Bingo! As a black girl growing up who LOVED LOTR, I never felt I was being “left out” by it being a “white” story (a very reductionist view). I could relate to the very human themes and overarching struggle of good vs evil. And not to mention there WAS always representation around in other tv shows and movies. Yes, somethings could be presented better and tweaked, but this idea that the characters have to look exactly like me is so…dumb…
Well said. They don't understand at all. It's not the color of the characters' skin that fosters relatability, but their personalities, experiences, and struggles.
Fully agree on all points. A person’s identity is WHO they are. What they believe, value, and do. But the shallow media pretends your identity is WHAT you are, focusing on marketable demographics data
There is a trend across the board for corporations to blame their customer's and audience for their own failures. It is rampant, especially in more creative industries like video games, ttrpg games, tv and movies. I feel like a bunch of upper management people in these companies have all been attending the same, poorly thought out, workshop.
That workshop is called "University". These people are so self centered and coddled they can't write FOR an audience and they can't take feedback. Not sure how many billions they need to burn before Disney fires them.
Making popular and profitable entertainment may not be their primary concern. If they coordinate their efforts with the press, big finance, academia and politicians, their box office performance may be irrelevant in the end. The end game may be a world where you can not unsubscribe, where you can't *not* pay them, and you may not be able to vote your way out of it. In other words: They want power, and so do their friends.
There was a time when companies had the motto/slogan The customer is always right. In order for Disney to start making good entertainment again, they must listen to their customers and try to give them what they want.
I agree with PinkRanger1105. I myself am an old gay guy, and strangely enough I don’t feel the need to see myself in a show. I realize that there are more people in this world who are not me than there are people who are me. I do however want to see a good story with deeply interesting characters; characters that make me want to know more about them. Star Wars stopped being that. I saw The Force Awakens, and as soon as it ended I thought Disney just doesn’t get it, and stopped bothering with Star Wars altogether. It's a shame, since I saw A New Hope back in 1977 for the first time in a drive-in theater and fell in love with it. As time goes on and as more Disney garbage gets thrown onto the pile, the more I become sure I made the right decision to walk away with my memories unpolluted. I stopped bothering with Indiana Jones too after the 4th movie. Basically everything Disney touches lately has turned to ... stuff... They should be able to do better if they weren’t so convinced that great art comes from numbers on a spreadsheet (although from what is being reported, their accounting has been **highly** creative over the years). Spreadsheet spawned movies are a Hollywood problem in general but Disney Excels at it 😉. They need to fire or retrain their writing staff too. It seems so narcissistic, with such limited viewpoints and no ability to create anything that isn’t a derivative. On the upper management side, they need to grow a spine and learn how to take risks on new stories again, but all they do is live action remakes of previous successful Disney animations, or try to turn everything into a cinematic universe (Hello Lion King and Snow White). We live on a planet with thousands of cultures across all the continents, all the present and past civilizations over thousands of years of human history and all they can do is tell the same stories over and over in slightly different ways. Its pathetic.
I'm a very straight and very white guy. But a lot of my favorite art was made by very gay and/or very not straight white male people. Some of my favorite characters have been gay. Some of the music I enjoy is EXTREMELY and exhuberantly gay. (Like The Drowners by Suede.) I don't need to be represented. I just need art that doesn't feel like it's deliberately excluding me.
When I watch these new Star Wars productions (like the Acolyte) as a gay male I do not feel represented but rather I feel like Disney is merely pandering to some contemporary cliche and doing so with blunt inelegance. The fact is no matter what is imposed on society by politics or pop culture absolute across the board inclusion is never going to happen. Being represented would mean that the genuine struggles that all individuals (be they gay, or straight, black or white or any color or any gender) experience as they go through life would be represented honestly and sincerely. Don’t make some fantasy witch coven with ONLY women who clearly appear to be lesbian or not straight but rather show them attempting to live their life within the confines of a diverse culture. This fantasy exercise is not representative of any actual experience anyone has in life. We all face conflict, we all struggle, show that. Don’t just plaster this nonsense onto a screenplay and then act like you’ve just delivered someone a personalized birthday cake. If the goal is to educate the masses then the struggles must be represented. I see this sort of pandering more and more and more and it just doesn’t feel like it comes from a place of genuine empathy but rather some perverted perception of what is believed to be desired. PS: so glad to see you posting another video so soon. Please keep them coming!
I really agree with your points here, it doesn’t feel like they want to illicit genuine empathy so much as they want to make a big show and display of themselves as a progressive beacon everyone should flock to. It’s a whole lot of virtue signaling to try and gain favor and popularity but it comes from a place that feels weird and inauthentic. These aren’t authentic representations of characters with believable struggles, they are farcical contrivances, cartoons, plot devices or bad stereotypes that just play lip service and nothing more which feels worse than just having nothing at all.
Especially when Disney showed some completely reversed behaviour when they for instance made the short lesbian scene in The Rise of Skywalker that was cut in China. If they gave a ounce of a fck when it comes to inclusion and all that they'd try to make good movies, but it feels just like an add-on. The Acolyte doesn't gain anything. The coven could have been straight and nothing changes. I feel like they are just using representation and inclusivity as merchandise or to draw more eyes to their products, but they couldn't care less. Not to mention everyone who shows even slight dislike to the show can be called sexist or racist.
@@oscargruber8582 That's what is so gross to me. They've tried to turn this kind of thing into numbers, you have to have precisely enough of it, but not too much of it, and whatever's there has to be specially made to be cut in China. It's like they are using real life struggles of people as a prop
" as a gay male I do not feel represented " And you shouldn't. Star Wars is not about the struggles of the gay man, it's about flying through space killing stormtroopers with light sabres. The problem is not that there are no proper gay themes in star wars. The problem was that it was a straight sausage party with some boobs thrown in for visuals, and today a lot of people complain that that may have been acceptable back then, but not today and they should add other genders. As a straight white male with autism I don't feel represented either, but please don't let them ever make a Star Wars with an autistic Jedi in it, for F-sake! If I want to feel represented I'll go watch a movie about an autistic person and then shout at the screen that my experience is completely different. Isn't it odd how we all just want to be an equal part of humanity, and still all want to be in a special group that gets special treatment?
Oh my god, I got a shout out!! Holy freaking moly, I’m geeking out! 😂 Lol thank you so much for that! Edit: I’d also like to add that I agree with so much of the commentary on this video. Although, sometimes, I think empathy gets muddled with sympathy, which can oftentimes feel condescending. I honestly don’t know how Hollywood can incorporate representation properly anymore because every time I see it these days, regardless of how it’s presented, induces endless eye-rolls (at least from me).
Yeah, understanding another person's feelings.. doesn't automatically make you LIKE them... it might make you DESPISE them for being weak-willed or corrupt. Which is the case with Mae and Osha. Mae is weak willed and easily pushed around. Osha is corrupt to the core and desecrates any set of values she attempts to emulate.
Interesting that you reference Lolita. I read this for the first time last year, and was utterly blown away. Partly because the writing is stunning (no big surprise there), but also because it struck me how, in our contemporary moment, what writer could could possibly get away with telling a story through the perspective of a pedophile without striking an obdurate moral posture in the process? Nabokov is extraordinarily sly in asserting Humbert's (self-enforced) naivete. While it is clear, to some degree, that what Humbert is doing is wrong, this plays out more in subtle reactions from the other characters -- Lolita, in particular -- that he has abused, rather than any kind of reflexivity or self-realization on Humbert's own part. This is the true courage of the story -- putting the reader in these loathsome, deplorable shoes, and then refusing to outright, or explicitly, condemn his actions. In other words, you trust the reader come to their own conclusions. This ties into your concept of empathy-based storytelling. Rather than lecture your reader about what the "right" moral or ethical conclusions *should* be -- which is what so much modern-day storytellers seem to be doing, the Acolyte writers foremost among them (though they are far, far from alone) -- you present (flawed, conflicted) characters and situations with moral and ethical dimensions, but allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. To my mind, it's about the writer throwing up their hands and going, "this is an astonishingly complex situation. I don't know what the 'right' answer is. Do you?" This is, to my mind, how life plays out for the most part. Most of us are trying to do our best, but constantly making mistakes, making good/bad decisions, growing, learning, evolving, backtracking, course-correcting... Life is a glorious, difficult mess, and empathy requires extending the same grace and understanding to others that we would hope for them to extend to us as we all muddle our way through. On a narrative level, this means NOT ascribing a "correct" ideology/identity/moral/ethic/outcome to your characters and story, but rather trusting your audience to engage with the story and characters empathetically.
@@_kmCarter For Lolita, "trust the reader" may be pushing it. The "what could possibly go wrong" question will assert itself. To which a good response is more a matter of attitude than sharp wit, I think.
I’ve been trying to talk to so many people about the quality of films in recent years, but most of them are just casual viewers. Is incredibly refreshing to see you speaking about this so eloquently, I felt like I was going crazy watching these shows and reading the comments online. I feel seen, thank you. Keep it up!
As a white male, I find the "Barbie speech" to actually make a good point, imo, and even if it's on the nose, they somehow managed to put it inside the universe of the story being told. The problem I see is that it focus too much on a group (women) when everything the character says can easily be applied to anyone, regardless of group. Everyone is under pressure bc everyone's expecting something from (and counting on) each other, specially when they come from vulnerable backgrounds. So it sounds like the speech is ignoring those people and it's what triggers them - in other words, it sounds like a "your problems/struggles don't matter because my problems/struggles are worse than yours", when in reality all of them matter and all of them are valid. So, how can a person talk about equity and equality when they're invalidating (and maybe even antagonizing) other people due to their sex or color of their skin? People that very likely never done any harm to them. But then again, once one antagonizes that group, what do you expect the major reaction of that group will be? I doesn't take a genius to figure it out: we already saw what happens when a group antagonizes other group many times throughout history. In fact, we are seeing that result happening right now in Ukraine and Gaza. Hate can only lead to hate. And there's actually one think worse than hate: justified hate. Because whenever one person thinks their hate is justified and they're actually the "good guys fighting the bad ones", that's when the doors to really terrible things are open.
@@smurfie8412 you're on a channel of a person who is a writer and talks about writing and you're not willing to read an "essay"? Gtfo, honestly. The likes there seem to prove you wrong, btw. Your opinion is your opinion. Don't assume that's everyone else's.
@@talscorner3696 That's essentially it. In fact, I'm not "white" as in the US or Europe, as I'm from latin america. In fact, half of my family is literally of Blacks and Natives and I came from a poor background. I only happen to heir the skin color of one side of the family. So my whole life I saw what it's like on both sides of the racism bs.
I’ve dealt with police brutality personally. Also my Uncle Vincenzo Dorazio won his lawsuit against the Portland Police Department in the state of Maine. To me thats a wild generalization Amandla said that the goal is to make just white people cry. As if that doesn’t happen to every race. I believe she said, that because the narrative is controlled by the media it doesn’t get the attention it deserves or it tries to show how bad the person is to the public to try and gain sympathy for the officers involved. That narrative wouldn’t just be seen by white people it would be seen by everyone. I do wish her the best I believe her heart is in the right place it’s just pointed in the wrong direction for now. I would encourage anyone to pick a cause worth fighting for like she has. Live learn make mistakes make many mistakes and in the end you’ll be better because of it.
After her video, I sincerely doubt it. She poses as a big victim, even though she is a rich girl thanks to her white daddy. Of course, she blames the media and others because she herself thinks she is guilty of nothing.
hi!! hola :) i literally just subbed because of the acolyte video. it was really good. Apart form the star wars theme, which will eventually pass, and am all for it, since it will give you the chance to show us other things... anyways, so beyond star wars stuff, I think your blunt attitude about the cringe is very thought-provoking ans it's useful to hear it as it is.
Thank you for the subscribe! I'll probably drop some reviews for upcoming movies like Deadpool 3 and Beetlejuice 2. Movies and writing, that's me! If you dig it, glad to have you around.
Man kmCarter, your last video brought me here and I really love your style 😆. Just the calm "mum attidude" this sector needs (and I mean that 100% positive - like the experienced, wise person in the round educating others with that "you´ll grow out of that infantility as well" tone).
You’re an incredible communicator and your logical, level headed voice is very much needed on the hive of scum and villainy that is the internet. - straight white male signing out
As a woman currently in college for writing…this type of thinking cements my career choice. Thank you for being so passionate about what you create and the ideas you uphold, it’s intensely inspiring from one creative to another.
I quite don't understand why Hollywood doesn't get it yet. Perhaps it's the new writers there, new directors, perhaps the new people in charge. I look at films today and it's easy to forget them. When I go back to them, I don't care to even finish because the story isn't interesting enough. I can go back to films like Interview With The Vampire, Conan The Barbarian, Aliens, Willow, original Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, Brave Heart, and the Godfather, even the much older films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Cleopatra, Gone with the wind. I can rewatch all of these films and enjoy them. They still keep me interested. It's the writing. The writers in Hollywood lack that skill.
@@MustardSkaven Thanks. You may opt out of a franchise that sets out to humiliate its audience. But maybe they get paid, anyway. Who would be paying? Possibly the managers of _your_ pension fund. Humiliation may be the purpose.
@@hermanrobak1285 I doubt the managers of my pension fund have anything to do with Hollywood. They're too busy racking up national debt to keep the EU after us.
I have to say, your POV is actually really refreshing. I am a huge fan of Critical Drinker and watch almost all of his videos, BUT I also recognise that he is sometimes just a grumpy prick who is being just a biiiit nitpicky… I’ve enjoyed some of the movies that he has absolutely shit on, and in several instances he caused me not to watch a specific thing only to find out it wasn’t that bad! Take Solo for example, not a great movie, goodness no, but far from the shit heaving dumpster fire CD made it out to be. So, your equally pissed off but more fine tuned and less broad strokes points against Disney’s Star Wars (it’s not Star Wars, it’s Disney’s Star Wars!) are actually really refreshing and you’ve got you a subscriber 👌
I used to watch CD in the past. I've found that he has sold out for the algorithm. He knows his audience wants to see him whine and complain, he knows they want to see him say "DI-Veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssee" (In that way) and so he's compromised his own work ethic to get more views and money. His negative videos generally contain complaining about diversity, even when it doesn't make sense. I found his Wandavision video very revealing. He spends half the video complaining about the "DI-Veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssee" cast even though he actually mentions at the start that he thought the first six episodes were very good. (In other words, he clearly wasn't bothered by the cast that much, and he just added it to the throw extra wood on the pile) Worse yet, I've found over the years, he's more and more started to embody the ridiculous persona his channel is based on. He also is an absolute suckup for trash made by the Daily Wire. For all of these reasons, I've realized just how shallow and hollow his content is now and distanced myself from him. I still think some of his earlier videos are very good, but he's not worth watching anymore. Please, find some better reviewers. I'm a big fan of Full Fat Videos, they are great
Yeah… I watch CD when I want a laugh. Every now and then, he makes a good point, but it gets really diluted in the rest of the act. He’s extremely satirical - like if Anton Ego made an Honest Trailers channel, I think it’d resemble what Critical Drinker does.
@@GGBlasterYeah, I’m usually fine hearing what he has to say when he’s not in one of his YT videos. He doesn’t have any vocal fry and he’s making genuine points. But his channel is just not great
Stumbled across your last video , new fan but really digging the vibes! Came for Star Wars, stayed for the your charisma lol. Genuinely though, I think there is something romantic and highly aspirational about a modern day Scheherazade telling better stories to inspire the world. I’m a big fan of mythology and folklore, because it says so much about the people who tell the stories. There’s too much to unpack for a RUclips comment, but really happy I stumbled across your channel right when you’re starting this journey! Best of luck! 🙏🏽
Hello again! You are now popping up in my feed. I'm glad for that because you are doing the best job I've seen so far on critiquing this mess that is The Acolyte. I've seen a lot of stuff that is just being abusive and mean but you are offering nuanced and thoughtful commentary. Well done you! I'll continue to look out for your uploads and look forward to getting acquainted with your work.
The best writing advice I've had when creating a character is to ignore everything external(skin color, gender etc.). All that matters is that person's motivation and internal conflict. Everything else can be added later.
I wrote some Star wars fan fiction years ago about two old ladies that worked in the cafeteria on the death star. It was inspired by an Eddie Izzard skit.
Oh my, I didn't even look at your old videos. You literally went from hundreds of views to thousands. It feels like 2018 again with The Last Jedi. Many channels that discussed the divisive film saw an explosive growth. Can't wait to see how yours grows from here.
Thank you for starting this channel - it is great to "meet you" and have your voice as part of the Star Wars community. Looking forward to checking out your original work too! I agree that censorship is not the answer. I have noticed increasing division of friend groups along ideological lines - compared to the 20th Century I was honored to experience first hand. Unfortunately vilifying others who do not agree on complex issues is a toxic force spreading through humanity as we test out rapid and remote communication on a mass scale. So it is great to hear your thoughts on how we can move forward with discernment - I believe teaching this in the home is a critical first step.
Believable Storytelling is the key to empathy. Nothing I can say to make this point clearer. Amazing video! When writing a story, you don't try to pander to everyone, you try to tell the story of the world, themes, and the characters in a way the viewer can come to CARE (or "empathize") about these elements, makes them think about people (not demographics, individuals) and places that they remember in their past, giving the audience an opportunity to put themselves in the characters' (or people analogous to them) shoes and struggles.
You're a great writer! I was pushed by your words and my own curiosity to check out your website and it is GOOD. Thanks for that, and thanks for writing! You've just made my day better and I'm grateful. Keep doing what you're doing, it's amazing.
I think Fury Road and Furiosa did an excellent job of that, but even those films have been attacked as "woke". Furiosa especially, and it didn't deserve the hate AT ALL.
Thank you! Thank you for being a voice of reason. The Acolyte response you did made me an instant subscriber. This video solidifies that choice. What a breath of fresh air! Looking forward to hearing more from you
Love your content. I'm glad I came across your channel. Thanks!
3 месяца назад+2
Thank you miss Carter. I've been thinking a lot about how to write strong and inclusive characters without being patronizing. There are a lot of dos and dont's, but the main ones that come to mind are: 1. Don't verbalize your struggle as an under-represented class. Verbalizing your struggle is a sign of weakness rather than strength. (Barbie's monologue, Acolyte's "They don't accept us" speech). Instead, portray your character finding clever ways to navigate that struggle to come out on top. Atlanta and Get Out are great examples of that. 2. Don't put weak characters around your strong character. That has the opposite effect on your main character. (Acolyte's Yord, for instance). Your character needs the ability to learn and surpass side characters that are simply better than them.
Something I read a while back: "People don't know people, people only know stories about people." I don't believe that's always true, but for writers it _must not_ be true. Writers must actually know people, at least the types of people they write about. Their stories should not be hearsay or second-hand to engender true empathy in their readers.
@@_kmCarterat the very least the emotional core should be based on real experience... even if portions are borrowed or are post-processed tropes, some genuine core of some key element needs to be real... or else it's no better than an AI creation Supposedl this show has such a core (Headlands sister) but if so it hasn't yet played any meaningful role so far, making that core irrelevant. I'm not a professional writer, but IMHO, every episode needs a hook of reality in its character interactions, something that matters that the fantasy can hang on.
@@_kmCarter You can certainly do research and learn. But are today's writers genuinely doing that? I once had a female producer tell me that she knows 50 year old white guys that can write a teenage black girl better than any of the scripts she's getting from black women in college. Akeelah and the Bee comes to mind. Writers that have had another career or series of jobs before writing are likely to bring a lot more to the table than someone that's only been in school.
A thought. About the problem in modern "hollywood". You talk about a good writer is creating with empathy, insight and experience. I think I agree. So then maybe it is just a thing about "to many cooks in the kitchen". The stories now have to go thrue many stages of "corrections", where alot of new "empathies, Insights and Experiences" are introduced. But they are not experience enough to do it together, they are instead "competing" for the attention. Sensitivity readers, Agenda driven co-writers, sessions of collab with minorities and inclusion meetings (to make sure everyone is included and seen), producers influences, insecurities and bad ideas, incorporations of what ever is popular right now. And also all exclusions and censorship of things that "someone" deems problematic, and all micro-alterations from another point of view. And everyone tries to make their mark on the story, and remind all of everything. To check the "boxes". So the original writer, will loose track of wat was the original "empathy" (the story is possible still there, with a glance, but not the soul). And instead have a mishmash of emotions in the story, making nothing realy feel authentic, real or cohesive. A good writer can work around "some" changes or prioritized other inclusions. But when you do alot of small changes all over the place to please everyone, then its almost impossible to patch together. Cheers.
Wouldn't you rather hear about things that are actually good? Why are people so obsessed with wallowing in what's bad. There are loads of other good shows, video games etc. that maybe you haven't heard of. This kind of material is depressing and easy. The entire Star Wars franchise (before Disney) has more misses than hits. The prequels sucked (for example).
@@delirious4565Because "the bad" is taking over. Ignoring bad things, don't make them go away. I love cinema. Haven't been to the cinema in around 10 years. Most movies are THAT bad.
@@LalaDepala_00 it "feels" like the bad is taking over because it's easy and cathartic to emphasise the negatives content creators flood RUclips with their whining. Collectively crapping on something makes people feel part of something. There are loads of great and entertaining films, TV shows, video games etc. out there you just have to look for it and try new things. Vote with your feet and let the next generation of kids enjoy today's equivalent to the prequel trilogy, or those atrocious 80s movies we all have fond memories of. Grow up basically. For less than the price of a cinema ticket you could get a month subscription of CrunchyRolll and give Frieren: Beyond Journeys End a go. Watch the 28 episodes of the first series and then unsubscribe. Itll be time better spend than whining about a franchise that died (cinematically) 40 years ago
@@delirious4565 You tell me to grow up, while you are the one who writes an entire essay. My life is good. I just find the majority of AMERICAN movies and tv shows extremely bad and politicized. Don't care about Star Wars or other franchises. Thankfully I can enjoy many good Dutch and German movies and tv shows. And Korean cinema is far beyond Hollywood's capabilities. You make a LOT of assumptions about me, just because you disagree with me. This tells me that you are the one who needs to grow up.
Your wit, intelligence and humor are so refreshing and your analysis is spot on, as ever. I said it before, but I'm SO glad that shit Acolyte show led me to your channel! Love ya lady!
I really enjoyed your view on the Acolyte in your last video so i posted it on a Facebook page, and soany people responded positively to your points. We had a great wholesome conversation and from what it sounded like may have given you a few new subscribers 🙂. You gave a great video and keep working hard! 👍
This is a good video! I appreciate that you didn't totally trash Amandala and her video. I do think it's a catchy song. she seems to always have such a chip on her shoulder that it is difficult for me to relate to her. But the way you explained it was interesting and it was nice to have some kindness in this conversation that's going around the internet right now. Thank you.
Empathy is always in storytelling. I really understood that after I put out my second book, when I found some of my readers resonating with all the moments I poured my emotions into. If I cried for having to kill a character I liked, they did too…storytellers project, and our audience take it in. Hate writing doesn’t work because it’s one of the most hollow and internally consuming places to be, and most people don’t want to go there. But you’re on the nose: write with all your heart, it makes all the difference.😊
I think it's really wonderful that people are speaking out about this and having such an engaging and intriguing dialogue regarding what The Acolyte is doing to the world of Star Wars. I've also heard some people say that because of it they are losing hope in the franchise and that they are not excited about future projects. I just want to call out that Andor still exists and Season 2 of Andor is apparently in the works. So please don't lose hope! Andor was a triumph, in my opinion, for bringing a rich emotional experience and blending it with truly gripping moral quandaries during a time of horrific political unrest. And it signals, to me, that there are people out there that truly care about their craft.
Found you because of the algorithm! Love the fact you spoke about the quality of the writing rather than just "the message". Not watched this one yet, I'm typing as you do your intro... You're amazing, not us! To be honest, I think the fact that your views seem a bit more genuine - the fact that you're not another white man complaining about the same things seems to drive the point home harder, not least the fact that you are an intelligent and capable writer yourself.
Thank you for speaking on this! I found you in my feed from your last video. I'm not a writer, but I grew up loving good stories. Lately, the stories in Hollywood have not been good. And THAT is why the movie industry is "dying". We are not willing to spend $50 - $100 (for a family of four, with snacks) to see a movie with a mediocre story.
You’re so cool :) I’m liking your videos. I even posted my first video today because of people like you inspiring me… not on this account, but yeah. Thank you! :)
I have to admit I disagree with you on some things. But mostly I find you witty, thoughtful, and extremely generous to those you critique. It’s so easy to tell someone the thing they created is terrible and insulting to writing. It takes a great deal more grace to offer sincere encouragement for them to improve because you want to lift up all writers, not just ones that you agree with. Despite our differences, I think that is the best common ground we can find. To encourage each other to be better thinkers and better writers regardless of whether or not we agree with each others’ ideas. I think empathy based storytelling is an interesting idea. Though, in my opinion, it’s not always empathy that draws people to characters in a story. Especially the morally grey or evil characters. Empathy means you understand and feel what they feel with them. I think a lot of times, the audience can understand what the characters are feeling while not feeling what the character feels. I mean, I can understand Anakin’s fears and anger but I definitely don’t empathize with what it leads him to do. So in those situations, it’s more about sympathy, rather than empathy. Both empathy and sympathy are great in the writers’ tool box. I just think writing from sympathy, rather than empathy, helps for those stories that go down dark paths to give the audience some distance from the character in order to keep things in perspective. Because that’s where I think empathy can go wrong. Sometimes, people will empathize too much with the morally grey or evil character, and that leads to them rationalizing and even defending the wrongdoing of that character. People throw the word “toxic” around too much these days, but in my opinion, it can be very toxic indeed when people take a character that they know is evil and try to make the argument they did nothing wrong simply because they empathize too much with the character. Honestly, that also reflects a lot of the issues in modern society these days. Selective and overly indulgent empathy for those that deserve more criticism. The extreme in the other direction, where people have complete apathy for others, is just as bad. Which is why I appreciate people like you. Who are just kind of in the middle trying to get the squabblers to settle down and listen to each other. Thanks for your videos. I hope to be a writer too one day and they give me hope for making it possible.
Thanks for this input-it helps to expand my understanding. I think turning villains into heroes is one of the worst ideas Hollywood has decided to experiment with in recent years. I would like a return to some good old fashioned Good vs Evil stories.
@@_kmCarter I very much agree with you on that front. It would be so nice if we could just have some genuinely good main characters, with flaws of course, vs some genuinely evil irredeemable characters, who are obviously not completely one dimensional.
@@_kmCarter I personally like the changing sides thing, but not like Hollywood (or many writers) is doing it. You can redeem a character, yes, but you can't forget they did wrongdoings and, as such, they should be held accountable for that. It's not just "oh, I'm good now, I guess" and then everything is magically sorted and forgiven. But just because you can, it doesn't mean you _should_ redeem them. Vegeta is one of the most loved characters ever, and part is due to his relationship to Goku (he's the character most similar to the protagonist, when it comes down to fighting skills, but, at the same time, he's the one that contrasts the most with Goku). But the other part is because he's a jerk. Yes, Vegeta eliminated entire civilizations. Yes, Vegeta has little regard to his teammates. Yes, Vegeta is an AH overall. But that's the thing: he was _never_ a good guy. He was supposed to be bad from the start, and he stays bad until the end of the Boo saga. He's selfish, self-centered, and most of all, he's proud. That's his main trait. Every other aspect of him revolves around it. He wants to surpass Goku, because he feels humiliated for a lower-class warrior being stronger than him. He feels humiliated he lost to that warrior's kid. He feels humiliated an earthling cut his tail (I know I'd be too if I lost my trump card to Yajirobe). He was never on Goku's team to help them. He's there to guarantee no one else will beat Goku besides him. He only cares about him. But yes, Vegeta indeed develops some humanity throught the Z series, specially towards his family, but he's still bad. He treats his family like trash, he keeps abusing Trunks to be stronger than Gohan and Goten. He never even reflects about his wrongdoings, because he doesn't care. That's how little of a conscience he has. And that's great. Until the GT saga, at least. From them on, Vegeta is just a grumpy "good guy now, I guess" and everyone has forgiven him and everything has been magically sorted out. But then again, from then on, it's just fanservice and nostalgia, so... ok, I guess? Now the opposite of redeeming arcs are also interesting. The prequels are very criticized for Anakin being a whinner, but to me they're awesome in portraying the flaws of the Jedi Order and Anakin as a hero, specially in the Clone Wars series. He is good, he does good, but he's not the perfect, chivalrous hero. He is flawed. He is a strong warrior, both in physical skill and in the Force, but he is impulsive, reckless, aggressive and proud. And, thanks to Palpatine's manipulations, he starts to become overconfident and entitled. He never listens because he thinks his ways are better. He thinks he's the very best Jedi out there, but he fails to see his flaws. So, when the council gives us one of the most memeous scenes of pop culture ever in the form of "we do not grant you the rank of master", he flops. He thinks it's unfair, because he's talented. He's better than them. It's not whinning. It's Palpatine's years of manipulations taking effect. So he starts to see the Jedi Council as a hindrance to his talents and progress. A little more machinations later along with a well-timed misunderstanding and "from my point of view, the Jedi are evil". Boom. The hero's fall from grace is complete. And I love it. It's interesting to explore that. Explore that we, as human beings, can be flawed to the point of becoming someone's villain, even though we believe we are the ones right.
Love your recent Acolyte video. You are well thought out in your approach. I say you should team up with RMB - Robert Meyer Burnett. You two would be great with your insights.
I feel you are really pretty and intelligent. Loved your criticism and how well-balanced it is, focussing on essential aspects not getting distracted. Also I love the highschool teacher vibes you send out, when you talk about the comments ^^ However, and I say this without the intention to be nasty or anything. You should lose some weight, not for aesthetics but for health. The best way to do that would be a strenght program like e.g. Starting Strenght by Mark Rippetoe. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your kind comment. Also (without the intention to be rude or defensive) I have been on a diet since I was 8 years old. My health is something I have struggled with all my life, and after almost 40 years, I haven’t given up yet! 😃 I’ve lost 50 pounds so far. I’m working a plan, and I’m trying my best to stay positive. Thanks again for your encouragement.
@@_kmCarter That last part is great to hear (the struggling part not so much and I am sorry to hear that)! Lots of strength and endurance to you (in both your critical and fitness related endeavors)! Still, try, if you haven't already, to give barbell exercise a chance! I think it is often overlooked, especially by intellectuals, yet it makes not only weight loss a lot easier, but also remedies a lot of the complications that can come with it (loss of muscle mass etc.). Plus it benefits one of the most important health markers, i.e. strength.
My favourite introduction to a gay biracial relationship was in early Star Trek Discovery. You didn’t previously know these characters were a couple - they were just brushing their teeth and chatting about what was happening in that episode - doing everyday couple things. They were a great couple, who just happened to not only be guys but different ethnicities. From what I have seen since, the show unfortunately went downhill from there as threw everything in there, but that moment was lovely and has stayed with me as prime example of show don’t tell piece of writing. A great character or relationship is great because it is well written andd feels genuine. Race etc should only be a thing if that is important to telling their story. Disney and many others, seem to feel they need to scream everything at you, then hit you with a bat repeated to make sure you noticed they were being inclusive.
First off I love your level headed insight. I love what you said about context and couldn't agree more. The Trevor Noah interview was from 5 years ago commenting on a entirely different project than the current Acolyte debacle we are witnessing now. However there can also be more than one context to take into account. Amandla at the time of that interview is 19-20 years old and likely still in her post adolescents idealistic phase. Its understandable, many of us go through this self righteous phase where we think we have it all figured out even though we have a limited perspective and experience of the world and don't notice the bubble of influence around us that shape our ideas. She comes from a privileged home, her father is white and the president of Linkedin. To coin a popular phrase, she easily could be considered a "nepo baby". So I personally cant help feeling a bit offended by a 20 year old who I find is blessed with opportunity and advantage, while sitting on a late night talk show perch, suggesting it would be good for me to cry based on the prior sins committed by others I had nothing to do with. I don't have a problem with the message but the messenger isn't qualified to make such suggestions. Couple that with her current music video and we have a pattern of someone who I feel has been duped by her employer to believing she is some kind of victim. Its a shame because if think she is a stunning young woman with talent, but its difficult not to be annoyed by her when you feel she is wrong about who she is and who she is preaching to.
This is something I've been saying all along: when a story is good, when something is well done, I don't care if there's a Mexican or not in there, it doesn't make it or break it for me. When did representation became a necessity to understand a story? You just end up with a checklist instead of a story.
I love your way of making this so called content, ita serious yet entertaining l, goad you were here and sayed it i tear on your last phrase "i just want to brong sanity to the world" such a dope quote, also i agree we need more cool stories that teaches us to be better Your new huble fan
Just watched your first video, so glad I found your channel. I don't write but I like to read. I think the writing in Hollywood today is ridiculous and one of my favorite things to do is to listen to people like you who have insight into why some of the writing is the way it is. The Dune films were great but besides that I don't really like major movies, if I watch a film it's usually something older, something foreign, or something that isn't a product of the Hollywood system, indie films I guess. But yeah, very excited for your channel! I would love to start writing. My little brother has written two books and he loves writing. I would also be interested to hear a little about paganism, I know virtually nothing about it
Make more videos, you are smart, intelligent and have a great presentation style. The algorithm brought me here but I'm staying for you. Plus you've nailed what most people think of the acolyte and its inclusion in the star wars universe.
I love your videos bc they are honest and well thought out and def convey a sense of empathy as you said while still criticizing the material fairly. I agree with that commentor that the writers of the show should be listening (and I REALLY hope they do) to you and the other SW fan sites that are screaming for some good content. I’m really curious to know if you watch/read Bridgerton also bc they’re doing the same sort of thing (and also badly) esp with the latest installment.
It’s frustrating that they keep blaming us (the fans) for these terrible stories and horrible performances. I’m a black man and I don’t need representation in Star Wars or anything else I just was a good story and good performances. Star Wars was simply about Good vs Evil and they screwed it up.
There’s a difference between teaching diversity, equity and inclusion from an objective lens… And then completely throwing yourself off the cliff with this insanity we’re seeing with Star Wars.
3:504:09 exactly right. For myself I don’t really like Star Wars anymore for that reason. But I absolutely adore the fan fiction writers on RUclips and the community of sci fi and fantasy fans online. Where at least the spirit of good storytelling can be preserved by those who understand the core of why we are so inspired by these archetypical stories
I commented on a previous video making some reference to how you said you’re not a ‘super Star Wars freak’ like a lot of us… but after watching your videos, I can’t say that I agree. You know your sh*t for sure.
@@TheAaronRodgersTao …I try my best to research. I watched a fair amount of other RUclipsrs who are deeply entrenched in the lore, and discovered I know very little.
I just put up my own video on the series. I thought it might be helpful to use some of your points in the future on this. The key factor was in that first comment you shared - when writers take on this franchise, the FIRST thing they need to do is ask what Lucas would want. Leslie Headland called George Lucas her "North Star" - but that isn't good enough. Lucas needs to be the FOUNDATION, not the distant guidance.
Ah! It's super duper refreshing to hear someone come at this from a pure writing stand point. There's a lot of political takes I don't care for. Thank you.
I'm gay and never needed respesentation either. I mean, gay stories are great when they're good, but stories aren't good just because they're gay (or female or not white, etc.) I was always able to connect with the personalities and traits and intentions of the characters I loved...whether or not they were gay didn't enhance or minimize that.
Hi , I’m not a writer but I love films , good films You are absolutely right , empathy. You need to empathise with the main character or characters , if you don’t then you don’t care what happens to them And if you don’t connect with the audience then the film or tv series bombs Best wishes and good luck with the writing
I stumbled upon your video about the Acolyte even thought I’m not even a huge Star Wars fan. However, what kept me watching was your wit and way of phrasing everything so eloquently. And being gay I really do feel that there’s a conservative wave washing over the world right now- The last thing we need is more misrepresentation and poorly written shows shows operating under an lgbt banner reflecting so poorly on the community. I thank you for speaking out
Re Reylos, I always viewed as similar to the whole Hermione/Draco (or Voldemort) ship. Not my cup of tea, but can understand the appeal of the Enemies To Lovers dynamic, its a classic for a reason
Instafollow--I liked your video. Fellow writer here. To me writing is about three things: creating empathy, developing your own empathy (nothing is so unreadable as a story that hates its own characters or looks down on its readers), and making people consider and feel new things outside the bounds of your story--helping them develop new and more complex frameworks of understanding the world.
Thank you for pointing that out about the Trevor Noah show. It was unfair to take her words and twist them like they did. And I can't stand The Acolyte
A great way to build empathy for a character is to give them flaws and weaknesses. I would even say a great place to start is with a list. Write down a favorable trait (bravery) and then write an unfavorable trait (vanity). Maybe someone is vain because they see themselves as braver than they really are, and now you have a character element that could be part of the plot. And since we all see a little bit of bravery and a little bit of vanity in ourselves, we can empathize with the character.
Greetings! Your first video was great, thisone is too! One thing tho: JadusMoltriel wanted the first video to be super popular, but I am affraid in this day and age, you would be all called sexist mysoginists for critiquing the Disney and KK .... What a sad state of things. That being said, its amazing to see so many level headed people from all kinds of boubles, worlds! cool to meet you all.
I'm happy to hear your take. I've been really frustrated with people pretending that this music video was about her calling Star Wars fans racist. It's been really silly.
Good writers have the ability to put themselves into anyone's shoes and write sincerely from that perspective. If you hate a group of people you can never write from their perspective. It'll just be a caricature. Activists have a very hard time honestly representing alternative viewpoints.
What you're doing with these videos is EXACTLY what modern storytelling needs. Proper criticism, character, that is able to "see" above all the cringe virtue signalling of today's Hollywood. Thank you, you're awesome!
I have loved and agreed with 95% of things you have said in regards to your criticism of Disney's "Acolyte". Admittedly I am just a lowly, amateur writer. However it lights a fire in me to see that the demand for story and showing (instead of messaging and telling) is being echoed louder and more frequently. Because as artists you and I can disagree about everything, but we share a common goal, a common passion, and a common craft which we hope connects people to each other in ways that they never could have in real life. I could only ever want you and any writer to exude talent and drip with penmanship on every page. If I may I would like to make two points --- one that I want to build off of what you said in this particular video, and other as a very slight disagreement. Perhaps part of the explanation of what is plaguing writers and artists in this current period of art history is the fallacious conflation of empathy and validation. I don’t have to agree with a character to feel empathy for them. I don’t have to go through the same experiences to have empathy for them. And perhaps, most importantly, I don't have to LIKE the character in order to have empathy for them. Anakin/Vader is such an example. I disagree for his radical beliefs in totalitarianism, and his actions to bring them about. Nor have I ever been in perpetual servitude. Yet I can empathize with that character to no end. Not being liked is not the same as wanting people to be bad or wanting then to feel unmeasurable amounts of pain. I wonder if this conflation is due to the influence of social media and new social norms where "liking" something is to be for something/someone, and "thumbs down" is to rebuke something/someone. This can explain why Mary Sue's MUST be liked, and why when those characters who for whatever reason don't like them are consistently the antagonists. As for my criticism, I don't think the actress who created the music video was looking for a dialogue. Maybe I am just being unfair in my assumption, but I don't think so. A music video talking about how the series is to promote social dialogue is not asking to have an honest discussion about the show, how StarWars is being handled, and how artists and representation should be done through media. If their art is terrible, and they refuse to take criticism --- avoiding to go on interviews with critics, screen writers, and any other audience that wants them to succeed, I don't see that as dialogue. How I interpret the music video as is a message that says, "I have the talking stick, not you," and proceeding to hog the attention around the fire pit while everyone is forced to listen.
Great videos, hope there will be many more. Regarding empathy, I think a writer should create characters that challenge their hero's values, and then fully inhabit those (usually antagonistic) characters when they write them. You learn a lot that way. As for Star Wars, I was never a huge fan, and thought that apart from Eps 4 and 5, the writing was never brilliant. Until Andor. Now I hunger for series and films that have the classic Star Wars elements (which Andor largely lacked) and are as well-written as Andor is. It pains me greatly that this looks unlikely to happen.
Hey! Quick question, would you be interested in starting a series reading a manga. If yes, I think beserk would be such a great series for you to make. The level of gore based on undertones of human feelings is really good!
…and sorry about the glitches in my vids, folks…my computer is old and creaky (just like me).
@WhyDoTroonsHaveTheSameVoices yeah clean OS install and maybe fresh thermal paste or at least cleanup of the cooling system can help a fair bit. It usually does.
Not old, Vinatage.
Old? You look hot
That just adds to the authenticity! :3
@@MrGreenAKAguci00 …I think a new computer would help. 🤣 Maybe that can be my first monetization goal.
I'm a black woman and a star wars fan and this shit these people are doing? It ain't it. It's insulting that they're trying to make star wars "inclusive" while calling everyone who critisizes their junk "white male bigots". Last time i checked I'm not white nor do i have masculine anatomy! I just want a good star wars show! Now i gotta rely on old sw properties like the old games to get my fix... They got me replaying swtor! The game i quit 4 YEARS AGO! Look what you've done to me Disney!!!
And worse, they're wasting so much time, energy and money on this garbage that could actually be used on better material that would actually progress their proclaimed goals. Eg, whatever happened to KK's "Children of Blood and Bone" project?
Well I’m sure they will listen to your feedback not. They hate u
Then you ain't black! 🤬
- joe biden
Swtor... So many fond memories xD
Im not black but a person of color who was beaten up and insulted as a child (live in a n#zi heavy state) and I agree; critiquing you, dear Stenberg, isn’t racism. She’s a product of nepotism and claims to be oppressed; it’s really not it. She’s more privileged than any of us here… regardless of race. She needs to be disillusioned asap
As a Xhosa (black) South African, I remember summer days where I would cosplay Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Obi Wan, Darth Maul etc. They didn't look like me, but their values and internal development is something I can still relate to, till this day!
Their narratives are what drew us ALL in, not the color of their skin.
I feel like Disney's attempts at DEI come across as tokenization of people who look like me; it's cheap and (dare I say) racist. If they truly cared about DEI, they would spend time investing in original authentic IP made by black and brown/LGBTQIA+ peoples, and promoting these narratives MINUS the preaching rhetoric.
But hey, I'm just a nobody on the internet.
Please have a blessed day Ma'am 🙏🏽
I was wondering how some across the world with a darker skin tone felt. Here these people are what we called "sellouts" ( because they were paid and bought into something that is offered to them by someone that looks completely different), a token, because you are a means to get into the "doorway" or pockets of a different looking group. She says oppression is the cause for the backlash, but where are the "black men" that aren't put front and center by homosexual, feminist women? That's clearly discrimination of a particular subsect of humanity based on which way they look and or their sexuality.
@@ESmorgue This is why the situation with Anandla Steinberg frustrates me so much! I have no issue with representation if DONE WELL. I don't want to watch overpowered characters who suffer no consequences/no drawbacks for their actions and/or strength... these characters have no arcs, but we're supposed to cheer for them because they're minorities???
People like Amandla, Headlund, Kennedy had the perfect platform to curate timeless stories that respected and added onto the lore... instead they self-insert to the detriment of George Lucas' work.
You're right, they're absolute sellouts
Curious question: How do people from Africa feel about Disney seemingly treating all "Black People" the same, even though Africans and black Americans are distinct cultures?
@@schoolroadentertainment7631 I honestly wish people of color from around the world would stop letting these folks who write bad stories or make other stories that exist worse by bad rehashing of the lore, stop being meat shields for them.
Amanda wasn't the reason for dislike of the series. Yet, she put out this embarrassing "diss" video towards fans. This could seriously hurt job prospects.
Hi fellow African, I'm from Zimbabwe but I grew up in Johannesburg. I agree with you, I don't really watch and enjoy something because the person is a certain race, I just want a good narrative and well constructed characters.
One of my favorite movies growing up was Spiderman 2002 (because etv played it non stop on Sundays😅) and because it was an inspiring and a really well crafted movie. I didn't care that spidey wasn't a black dude.
Even with movies like SpiderVerse, I don't enjoy them for reason to do with race at all.
The dancing oppressed trust fund girl in a time in which people cannot afford a home really is winning me over for communism..
Yeah, poor Danish girl. I didn't even know that the world at large hates the Danish TBH... must be hard.
"in a time in which people cannot afford a home "
It's also kind of weird that "not being able to afford a home" is the new standard for when you feel you should be getting more money.
It's not that far off from "not being able to eat prime steak every day". I mean, there are endless people who cannot afford to own their own place, renting a house is a very common thing globally. You're not poor because you can't afford to buy a house.
Where on earth did you pull communism from? What does any of this have to do with communism?
@@vinny142not being able to afford a home includes not being able to pay the bloody rent. Housing is insane, buying or renting, these days.
@@_KnuXles from where my pomitical leanings are turning? Half serious half joking. As for what does it have to do with anything, extreme wealth and power inequality like the one displayed here tends to make people, like me, more sympathetic to violent redistribution, or just to the concept of burning it all down
At the root of this trend is the false idea that I can’t relate to someone unless they match every one of my outer characteristics (white, male, straight, western-educated). It is so destructive and shallow to think that way, and it permeates so much of the media these days. There are many other ways that we humans are “diverse”-our experiences, personalities, are infinitely more diverse than we can imagine. I think it just makes me angry that these people pretend they’re deep when they’re actually incredibly shallow, their minds occupied by an ideology, that answers any question with the same answer.
Bingo! As a black girl growing up who LOVED LOTR, I never felt I was being “left out” by it being a “white” story (a very reductionist view). I could relate to the very human themes and overarching struggle of good vs evil. And not to mention there WAS always representation around in other tv shows and movies. Yes, somethings could be presented better and tweaked, but this idea that the characters have to look exactly like me is so…dumb…
@Blakmagic88 It feels like such a recent thing.Because I don't remember it being a problem when I was growing up
@@draykohunter6805 exactly!
Well said. They don't understand at all. It's not the color of the characters' skin that fosters relatability, but their personalities, experiences, and struggles.
Fully agree on all points. A person’s identity is WHO they are. What they believe, value, and do. But the shallow media pretends your identity is WHAT you are, focusing on marketable demographics data
Since we are talking about empathy, if you need to see a mirror of yourself in every movie you watch you lack it.
There is a trend across the board for corporations to blame their customer's and audience for their own failures. It is rampant, especially in more creative industries like video games, ttrpg games, tv and movies. I feel like a bunch of upper management people in these companies have all been attending the same, poorly thought out, workshop.
That workshop is called "University". These people are so self centered and coddled they can't write FOR an audience and they can't take feedback. Not sure how many billions they need to burn before Disney fires them.
Making popular and profitable entertainment may not be their primary concern. If they coordinate their efforts with the press, big finance, academia and politicians, their box office performance may be irrelevant in the end.
The end game may be a world where you can not unsubscribe, where you can't *not* pay them, and you may not be able to vote your way out of it. In other words: They want power, and so do their friends.
There was a time when companies had the motto/slogan The customer is always right.
In order for Disney to start making good entertainment again, they must listen to their customers and try to give them what they want.
How did that go for Bud light? LMFAO, that bitch got fired!
@@abstuli1490 The viewers may not be their primary customers.
I agree with PinkRanger1105. I myself am an old gay guy, and strangely enough I don’t feel the need to see myself in a show. I realize that there are more people in this world who are not me than there are people who are me. I do however want to see a good story with deeply interesting characters; characters that make me want to know more about them. Star Wars stopped being that. I saw The Force Awakens, and as soon as it ended I thought Disney just doesn’t get it, and stopped bothering with Star Wars altogether. It's a shame, since I saw A New Hope back in 1977 for the first time in a drive-in theater and fell in love with it. As time goes on and as more Disney garbage gets thrown onto the pile, the more I become sure I made the right decision to walk away with my memories unpolluted. I stopped bothering with Indiana Jones too after the 4th movie.
Basically everything Disney touches lately has turned to ... stuff... They should be able to do better if they weren’t so convinced that great art comes from numbers on a spreadsheet (although from what is being reported, their accounting has been **highly** creative over the years). Spreadsheet spawned movies are a Hollywood problem in general but Disney Excels at it 😉.
They need to fire or retrain their writing staff too. It seems so narcissistic, with such limited viewpoints and no ability to create anything that isn’t a derivative. On the upper management side, they need to grow a spine and learn how to take risks on new stories again, but all they do is live action remakes of previous successful Disney animations, or try to turn everything into a cinematic universe (Hello Lion King and Snow White). We live on a planet with thousands of cultures across all the continents, all the present and past civilizations over thousands of years of human history and all they can do is tell the same stories over and over in slightly different ways. Its pathetic.
I'm a very straight and very white guy. But a lot of my favorite art was made by very gay and/or very not straight white male people. Some of my favorite characters have been gay. Some of the music I enjoy is EXTREMELY and exhuberantly gay. (Like The Drowners by Suede.)
I don't need to be represented. I just need art that doesn't feel like it's deliberately excluding me.
When I watch these new Star Wars productions (like the Acolyte) as a gay male I do not feel represented but rather I feel like Disney is merely pandering to some contemporary cliche and doing so with blunt inelegance. The fact is no matter what is imposed on society by politics or pop culture absolute across the board inclusion is never going to happen. Being represented would mean that the genuine struggles that all individuals (be they gay, or straight, black or white or any color or any gender) experience as they go through life would be represented honestly and sincerely. Don’t make some fantasy witch coven with ONLY women who clearly appear to be lesbian or not straight but rather show them attempting to live their life within the confines of a diverse culture. This fantasy exercise is not representative of any actual experience anyone has in life. We all face conflict, we all struggle, show that. Don’t just plaster this nonsense onto a screenplay and then act like you’ve just delivered someone a personalized birthday cake.
If the goal is to educate the masses then the struggles must be represented. I see this sort of pandering more and more and more and it just doesn’t feel like it comes from a place of genuine empathy but rather some perverted perception of what is believed to be desired.
PS: so glad to see you posting another video so soon. Please keep them coming!
I really agree with your points here, it doesn’t feel like they want to illicit genuine empathy so much as they want to make a big show and display of themselves as a progressive beacon everyone should flock to. It’s a whole lot of virtue signaling to try and gain favor and popularity but it comes from a place that feels weird and inauthentic. These aren’t authentic representations of characters with believable struggles, they are farcical contrivances, cartoons, plot devices or bad stereotypes that just play lip service and nothing more which feels worse than just having nothing at all.
Especially when Disney showed some completely reversed behaviour when they for instance made the short lesbian scene in The Rise of Skywalker that was cut in China. If they gave a ounce of a fck when it comes to inclusion and all that they'd try to make good movies, but it feels just like an add-on. The Acolyte doesn't gain anything. The coven could have been straight and nothing changes. I feel like they are just using representation and inclusivity as merchandise or to draw more eyes to their products, but they couldn't care less. Not to mention everyone who shows even slight dislike to the show can be called sexist or racist.
"Inelegance" is such an elegant way to describe it.
@@oscargruber8582 That's what is so gross to me. They've tried to turn this kind of thing into numbers, you have to have precisely enough of it, but not too much of it, and whatever's there has to be specially made to be cut in China. It's like they are using real life struggles of people as a prop
" as a gay male I do not feel represented "
And you shouldn't.
Star Wars is not about the struggles of the gay man, it's about flying through space killing stormtroopers with light sabres.
The problem is not that there are no proper gay themes in star wars. The problem was that it was a straight sausage party with some boobs thrown in for visuals, and today a lot of people complain that that may have been acceptable back then, but not today and they should add other genders.
As a straight white male with autism I don't feel represented either, but please don't let them ever make a Star Wars with an autistic Jedi in it, for F-sake!
If I want to feel represented I'll go watch a movie about an autistic person and then shout at the screen that my experience is completely different.
Isn't it odd how we all just want to be an equal part of humanity, and still all want to be in a special group that gets special treatment?
Oh my god, I got a shout out!! Holy freaking moly, I’m geeking out! 😂 Lol thank you so much for that!
Edit: I’d also like to add that I agree with so much of the commentary on this video. Although, sometimes, I think empathy gets muddled with sympathy, which can oftentimes feel condescending. I honestly don’t know how Hollywood can incorporate representation properly anymore because every time I see it these days, regardless of how it’s presented, induces endless eye-rolls (at least from me).
Yeah, understanding another person's feelings.. doesn't automatically make you LIKE them... it might make you DESPISE them for being weak-willed or corrupt.
Which is the case with Mae and Osha. Mae is weak willed and easily pushed around. Osha is corrupt to the core and desecrates any set of values she attempts to emulate.
Interesting that you reference Lolita. I read this for the first time last year, and was utterly blown away. Partly because the writing is stunning (no big surprise there), but also because it struck me how, in our contemporary moment, what writer could could possibly get away with telling a story through the perspective of a pedophile without striking an obdurate moral posture in the process? Nabokov is extraordinarily sly in asserting Humbert's (self-enforced) naivete. While it is clear, to some degree, that what Humbert is doing is wrong, this plays out more in subtle reactions from the other characters -- Lolita, in particular -- that he has abused, rather than any kind of reflexivity or self-realization on Humbert's own part. This is the true courage of the story -- putting the reader in these loathsome, deplorable shoes, and then refusing to outright, or explicitly, condemn his actions.
In other words, you trust the reader come to their own conclusions.
This ties into your concept of empathy-based storytelling. Rather than lecture your reader about what the "right" moral or ethical conclusions *should* be -- which is what so much modern-day storytellers seem to be doing, the Acolyte writers foremost among them (though they are far, far from alone) -- you present (flawed, conflicted) characters and situations with moral and ethical dimensions, but allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. To my mind, it's about the writer throwing up their hands and going, "this is an astonishingly complex situation. I don't know what the 'right' answer is. Do you?" This is, to my mind, how life plays out for the most part. Most of us are trying to do our best, but constantly making mistakes, making good/bad decisions, growing, learning, evolving, backtracking, course-correcting... Life is a glorious, difficult mess, and empathy requires extending the same grace and understanding to others that we would hope for them to extend to us as we all muddle our way through.
On a narrative level, this means NOT ascribing a "correct" ideology/identity/moral/ethic/outcome to your characters and story, but rather trusting your audience to engage with the story and characters empathetically.
And...there it is. I literally could NOT have stated that better: TRUST THE READER. Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to share this.
That is a great comment.
@@_kmCarter For Lolita, "trust the reader" may be pushing it. The "what could possibly go wrong" question will assert itself. To which a good response is more a matter of attitude than sharp wit, I think.
I’ve been trying to talk to so many people about the quality of films in recent years, but most of them are just casual viewers. Is incredibly refreshing to see you speaking about this so eloquently, I felt like I was going crazy watching these shows and reading the comments online. I feel seen, thank you.
Keep it up!
As a white male, I find the "Barbie speech" to actually make a good point, imo, and even if it's on the nose, they somehow managed to put it inside the universe of the story being told. The problem I see is that it focus too much on a group (women) when everything the character says can easily be applied to anyone, regardless of group. Everyone is under pressure bc everyone's expecting something from (and counting on) each other, specially when they come from vulnerable backgrounds. So it sounds like the speech is ignoring those people and it's what triggers them - in other words, it sounds like a "your problems/struggles don't matter because my problems/struggles are worse than yours", when in reality all of them matter and all of them are valid.
So, how can a person talk about equity and equality when they're invalidating (and maybe even antagonizing) other people due to their sex or color of their skin? People that very likely never done any harm to them. But then again, once one antagonizes that group, what do you expect the major reaction of that group will be? I doesn't take a genius to figure it out: we already saw what happens when a group antagonizes other group many times throughout history. In fact, we are seeing that result happening right now in Ukraine and Gaza. Hate can only lead to hate. And there's actually one think worse than hate: justified hate. Because whenever one person thinks their hate is justified and they're actually the "good guys fighting the bad ones", that's when the doors to really terrible things are open.
Ain't nobody reading that essay 🤬
Rule #1 of political science: nobody ever sees themselves as the villain of their own story.
Also, not our fault we were born white xD
@@smurfie8412 you're on a channel of a person who is a writer and talks about writing and you're not willing to read an "essay"? Gtfo, honestly.
The likes there seem to prove you wrong, btw. Your opinion is your opinion. Don't assume that's everyone else's.
@@talscorner3696 That's essentially it. In fact, I'm not "white" as in the US or Europe, as I'm from latin america. In fact, half of my family is literally of Blacks and Natives and I came from a poor background. I only happen to heir the skin color of one side of the family. So my whole life I saw what it's like on both sides of the racism bs.
@@smurfie8412congrats, you're being exactly like the Acolyte's staff and adding absolutely nothing to the discussion with that comment.
I can't remember the last time I heard someone talk not from a place of anger or hurt. It was refreshing
I’ve dealt with police brutality personally. Also my Uncle Vincenzo Dorazio won his lawsuit against the Portland Police Department in the state of Maine. To me thats a wild generalization Amandla said that the goal is to make just white people cry. As if that doesn’t happen to every race. I believe she said, that because the narrative is controlled by the media it doesn’t get the attention it deserves or it tries to show how bad the person is to the public to try and gain sympathy for the officers involved. That narrative wouldn’t just be seen by white people it would be seen by everyone. I do wish her the best I believe her heart is in the right place it’s just pointed in the wrong direction for now. I would encourage anyone to pick a cause worth fighting for like she has. Live learn make mistakes make many mistakes and in the end you’ll be better because of it.
After her video, I sincerely doubt it. She poses as a big victim, even though she is a rich girl thanks to her white daddy. Of course, she blames the media and others because she herself thinks she is guilty of nothing.
Amandla would know a lot about media narrative spin... her mother is one of those journalists that she disparaged in her video.
I just watched your first Acolyte video, I loved it, as a Brazilian and a beginner writer, your channel is incredible, success to you.
Thanks! Let me know if I can cover a writing topic for you (and if you need workshopping, I'm glad to help). 😀
Aa someone who used to write when younger, I'd be happy to have some workshopping content :D @@_kmCarter
Woah this is a new channel. Congratulations. You’re very watchable!
What a delight your new insight video dropped! ❤
hi!! hola :)
i literally just subbed because of the acolyte video. it was really good.
Apart form the star wars theme, which will eventually pass, and am all for it, since it will give you the chance to show us other things... anyways, so beyond star wars stuff, I think your blunt attitude about the cringe is very thought-provoking ans it's useful to hear it as it is.
Thank you for the subscribe! I'll probably drop some reviews for upcoming movies like Deadpool 3 and Beetlejuice 2. Movies and writing, that's me! If you dig it, glad to have you around.
Man kmCarter, your last video brought me here and I really love your style 😆. Just the calm "mum attidude" this sector needs (and I mean that 100% positive - like the experienced, wise person in the round educating others with that "you´ll grow out of that infantility as well" tone).
You’re an incredible communicator and your logical, level headed voice is very much needed on the hive of scum and villainy that is the internet. - straight white male signing out
As a woman currently in college for writing…this type of thinking cements my career choice. Thank you for being so passionate about what you create and the ideas you uphold, it’s intensely inspiring from one creative to another.
I quite don't understand why Hollywood doesn't get it yet. Perhaps it's the new writers there, new directors, perhaps the new people in charge. I look at films today and it's easy to forget them. When I go back to them, I don't care to even finish because the story isn't interesting enough. I can go back to films like Interview With The Vampire, Conan The Barbarian, Aliens, Willow, original Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, Brave Heart, and the Godfather, even the much older films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Cleopatra, Gone with the wind. I can rewatch all of these films and enjoy them. They still keep me interested. It's the writing. The writers in Hollywood lack that skill.
You're assuming their goal is to actually entertain the viewer.
@@MustardSkaven Thanks. You may opt out of a franchise that sets out to humiliate its audience. But maybe they get paid, anyway. Who would be paying? Possibly the managers of _your_ pension fund. Humiliation may be the purpose.
@@hermanrobak1285 I doubt the managers of my pension fund have anything to do with Hollywood. They're too busy racking up national debt to keep the EU after us.
I think that's why I find myself watching more tubi than netflix these days
@00dev you know what?! I am, too. I actually love Tubi because it has great films and it's free if one doesn't mind the ads. 😄
Crazy! I watched your last Acolyte video and you had around 450 subs... and here you are closing in on 3k. Well done.
Any suggestions on what to post next? 😬 I have too many ideas!
@@_kmCarter Whats the first one that comes to mind?
MOM IS BACK LETS GOOOOOO!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I have to say, your POV is actually really refreshing. I am a huge fan of Critical Drinker and watch almost all of his videos, BUT I also recognise that he is sometimes just a grumpy prick who is being just a biiiit nitpicky… I’ve enjoyed some of the movies that he has absolutely shit on, and in several instances he caused me not to watch a specific thing only to find out it wasn’t that bad! Take Solo for example, not a great movie, goodness no, but far from the shit heaving dumpster fire CD made it out to be.
So, your equally pissed off but more fine tuned and less broad strokes points against Disney’s Star Wars (it’s not Star Wars, it’s Disney’s Star Wars!) are actually really refreshing and you’ve got you a subscriber 👌
I used to watch CD in the past. I've found that he has sold out for the algorithm. He knows his audience wants to see him whine and complain, he knows they want to see him say "DI-Veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssee" (In that way) and so he's compromised his own work ethic to get more views and money. His negative videos generally contain complaining about diversity, even when it doesn't make sense. I found his Wandavision video very revealing. He spends half the video complaining about the "DI-Veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssee" cast even though he actually mentions at the start that he thought the first six episodes were very good. (In other words, he clearly wasn't bothered by the cast that much, and he just added it to the throw extra wood on the pile) Worse yet, I've found over the years, he's more and more started to embody the ridiculous persona his channel is based on. He also is an absolute suckup for trash made by the Daily Wire. For all of these reasons, I've realized just how shallow and hollow his content is now and distanced myself from him. I still think some of his earlier videos are very good, but he's not worth watching anymore. Please, find some better reviewers. I'm a big fan of Full Fat Videos, they are great
Yeah… I watch CD when I want a laugh. Every now and then, he makes a good point, but it gets really diluted in the rest of the act. He’s extremely satirical - like if Anton Ego made an Honest Trailers channel, I think it’d resemble what Critical Drinker does.
@@GGBlasterYeah, I’m usually fine hearing what he has to say when he’s not in one of his YT videos. He doesn’t have any vocal fry and he’s making genuine points. But his channel is just not great
Stumbled across your last video , new fan but really digging the vibes! Came for Star Wars, stayed for the your charisma lol. Genuinely though, I think there is something romantic and highly aspirational about a modern day Scheherazade telling better stories to inspire the world. I’m a big fan of mythology and folklore, because it says so much about the people who tell the stories. There’s too much to unpack for a RUclips comment, but really happy I stumbled across your channel right when you’re starting this journey! Best of luck! 🙏🏽
Wall-e and UP just break my soul without saying a single word
Hello again! You are now popping up in my feed. I'm glad for that because you are doing the best job I've seen so far on critiquing this mess that is The Acolyte. I've seen a lot of stuff that is just being abusive and mean but you are offering nuanced and thoughtful commentary. Well done you! I'll continue to look out for your uploads and look forward to getting acquainted with your work.
The best writing advice I've had when creating a character is to ignore everything external(skin color, gender etc.). All that matters is that person's motivation and internal conflict. Everything else can be added later.
@@Wimlan yes. Sometimes I don’t describe the character, so that the reader can see who they want to see.
Making the world saner, one video at a time! Thank you, and don't stop now. Much love and 🙏 respect!
Looool your red glasses did instantly catch my attention!
Good branding
Agree! I didn't even realize there were no lenses 😂😂
I wrote some Star wars fan fiction years ago about two old ladies that worked in the cafeteria on the death star. It was inspired by an Eddie Izzard skit.
Oh my, I didn't even look at your old videos. You literally went from hundreds of views to thousands. It feels like 2018 again with The Last Jedi. Many channels that discussed the divisive film saw an explosive growth. Can't wait to see how yours grows from here.
My new favorite channel!
Thank you for starting this channel - it is great to "meet you" and have your voice as part of the Star Wars community. Looking forward to checking out your original work too! I agree that censorship is not the answer. I have noticed increasing division of friend groups along ideological lines - compared to the 20th Century I was honored to experience first hand. Unfortunately vilifying others who do not agree on complex issues is a toxic force spreading through humanity as we test out rapid and remote communication on a mass scale. So it is great to hear your thoughts on how we can move forward with discernment - I believe teaching this in the home is a critical first step.
Believable Storytelling is the key to empathy. Nothing I can say to make this point clearer. Amazing video! When writing a story, you don't try to pander to everyone, you try to tell the story of the world, themes, and the characters in a way the viewer can come to CARE (or "empathize") about these elements, makes them think about people (not demographics, individuals) and places that they remember in their past, giving the audience an opportunity to put themselves in the characters' (or people analogous to them) shoes and struggles.
You're a great writer! I was pushed by your words and my own curiosity to check out your website and it is GOOD. Thanks for that, and thanks for writing! You've just made my day better and I'm grateful. Keep doing what you're doing, it's amazing.
It’s all about the heroes journey regardless of gender, sexuality. Just write a good STORY. Do not preach.
I think Fury Road and Furiosa did an excellent job of that, but even those films have been attacked as "woke". Furiosa especially, and it didn't deserve the hate AT ALL.
Thank you! Thank you for being a voice of reason. The Acolyte response you did made me an instant subscriber. This video solidifies that choice. What a breath of fresh air! Looking forward to hearing more from you
Welcome! I would love to make videos about stuff you care about, so let me know!
Subscribed and liked. Seen a few videos recently and the times i disagree with you are RARE. Love it, keep up the great work ❤
So much sense and sensibility! Ahhhhhh! Soothing, refreshing and reassuring❤️
@@MrMightyZ Sense and Sensibility-now there’s a show I could watch on repeat! 😂
Love your content. I'm glad I came across your channel. Thanks!
Thank you miss Carter. I've been thinking a lot about how to write strong and inclusive characters without being patronizing. There are a lot of dos and dont's, but the main ones that come to mind are:
1. Don't verbalize your struggle as an under-represented class. Verbalizing your struggle is a sign of weakness rather than strength. (Barbie's monologue, Acolyte's "They don't accept us" speech). Instead, portray your character finding clever ways to navigate that struggle to come out on top. Atlanta and Get Out are great examples of that.
2. Don't put weak characters around your strong character. That has the opposite effect on your main character. (Acolyte's Yord, for instance). Your character needs the ability to learn and surpass side characters that are simply better than them.
X-Men 97 did inclusive characters correct. That is the shining of example of what you just wrote - it followed these two don'ts.
Thank you for these ideas!
Something I read a while back: "People don't know people, people only know stories about people." I don't believe that's always true, but for writers it _must not_ be true. Writers must actually know people, at least the types of people they write about. Their stories should not be hearsay or second-hand to engender true empathy in their readers.
Do you mean that a writer should only write material based on their personal, lived experience?
@@_kmCarterat the very least the emotional core should be based on real experience... even if portions are borrowed or are post-processed tropes, some genuine core of some key element needs to be real... or else it's no better than an AI creation
Supposedl this show has such a core (Headlands sister) but if so it hasn't yet played any meaningful role so far, making that core irrelevant.
I'm not a professional writer, but IMHO, every episode needs a hook of reality in its character interactions, something that matters that the fantasy can hang on.
@@_kmCarter You can certainly do research and learn. But are today's writers genuinely doing that? I once had a female producer tell me that she knows 50 year old white guys that can write a teenage black girl better than any of the scripts she's getting from black women in college. Akeelah and the Bee comes to mind. Writers that have had another career or series of jobs before writing are likely to bring a lot more to the table than someone that's only been in school.
A thought. About the problem in modern "hollywood".
You talk about a good writer is creating with empathy, insight and experience. I think I agree.
So then maybe it is just a thing about "to many cooks in the kitchen".
The stories now have to go thrue many stages of "corrections", where alot of new "empathies, Insights and Experiences" are introduced. But they are not experience enough to do it together, they are instead "competing" for the attention.
Sensitivity readers, Agenda driven co-writers, sessions of collab with minorities and inclusion meetings (to make sure everyone is included and seen), producers influences, insecurities and bad ideas, incorporations of what ever is popular right now. And also all exclusions and censorship of things that "someone" deems problematic, and all micro-alterations from another point of view. And everyone tries to make their mark on the story, and remind all of everything. To check the "boxes".
So the original writer, will loose track of wat was the original "empathy" (the story is possible still there, with a glance, but not the soul). And instead have a mishmash of emotions in the story, making nothing realy feel authentic, real or cohesive. A good writer can work around "some" changes or prioritized other inclusions. But when you do alot of small changes all over the place to please everyone, then its almost impossible to patch together.
Cheers.
Guys please, we need to share her as best as we can. So many more of us need to hear what she has to say.
Any person with a brain can see every point she is making is obvious. If it’s not u need to examine your self awareness in this world and u are dumb
Wouldn't you rather hear about things that are actually good? Why are people so obsessed with wallowing in what's bad. There are loads of other good shows, video games etc. that maybe you haven't heard of. This kind of material is depressing and easy. The entire Star Wars franchise (before Disney) has more misses than hits. The prequels sucked (for example).
@@delirious4565Because "the bad" is taking over. Ignoring bad things, don't make them go away.
I love cinema. Haven't been to the cinema in around 10 years. Most movies are THAT bad.
@@LalaDepala_00 it "feels" like the bad is taking over because it's easy and cathartic to emphasise the negatives content creators flood RUclips with their whining. Collectively crapping on something makes people feel part of something. There are loads of great and entertaining films, TV shows, video games etc. out there you just have to look for it and try new things. Vote with your feet and let the next generation of kids enjoy today's equivalent to the prequel trilogy, or those atrocious 80s movies we all have fond memories of. Grow up basically.
For less than the price of a cinema ticket you could get a month subscription of CrunchyRolll and give Frieren: Beyond Journeys End a go. Watch the 28 episodes of the first series and then unsubscribe. Itll be time better spend than whining about a franchise that died (cinematically) 40 years ago
@@delirious4565 You tell me to grow up, while you are the one who writes an entire essay.
My life is good. I just find the majority of AMERICAN movies and tv shows extremely bad and politicized. Don't care about Star Wars or other franchises.
Thankfully I can enjoy many good Dutch and German movies and tv shows. And Korean cinema is far beyond Hollywood's capabilities.
You make a LOT of assumptions about me, just because you disagree with me. This tells me that you are the one who needs to grow up.
Your wit, intelligence and humor are so refreshing and your analysis is spot on, as ever. I said it before, but I'm SO glad that shit Acolyte show led me to your channel! Love ya lady!
Love you, too! Let's go make better stuff! 😆
@@_kmCarter sorry I ever responded. I've never shared my writing with anyone and it was hard to ask. And I got ignored. Cool.
I really enjoyed your view on the Acolyte in your last video so i posted it on a Facebook page, and soany people responded positively to your points. We had a great wholesome conversation and from what it sounded like may have given you a few new subscribers 🙂. You gave a great video and keep working hard! 👍
Wow! Thanks for the share! As cheesy as it sounds, I’m all for wholesome conversations. So glad I could be part of healthy dialogue. 😌
This is a good video! I appreciate that you didn't totally trash Amandala and her video. I do think it's a catchy song. she seems to always have such a chip on her shoulder that it is difficult for me to relate to her. But the way you explained it was interesting and it was nice to have some kindness in this conversation that's going around the internet right now. Thank you.
Empathy is always in storytelling. I really understood that after I put out my second book, when I found some of my readers resonating with all the moments I poured my emotions into. If I cried for having to kill a character I liked, they did too…storytellers project, and our audience take it in.
Hate writing doesn’t work because it’s one of the most hollow and internally consuming places to be, and most people don’t want to go there.
But you’re on the nose: write with all your heart, it makes all the difference.😊
I think it's really wonderful that people are speaking out about this and having such an engaging and intriguing dialogue regarding what The Acolyte is doing to the world of Star Wars. I've also heard some people say that because of it they are losing hope in the franchise and that they are not excited about future projects. I just want to call out that Andor still exists and Season 2 of Andor is apparently in the works. So please don't lose hope! Andor was a triumph, in my opinion, for bringing a rich emotional experience and blending it with truly gripping moral quandaries during a time of horrific political unrest. And it signals, to me, that there are people out there that truly care about their craft.
Found you because of the algorithm! Love the fact you spoke about the quality of the writing rather than just "the message".
Not watched this one yet, I'm typing as you do your intro... You're amazing, not us!
To be honest, I think the fact that your views seem a bit more genuine - the fact that you're not another white man complaining about the same things seems to drive the point home harder, not least the fact that you are an intelligent and capable writer yourself.
Thank you for speaking on this! I found you in my feed from your last video. I'm not a writer, but I grew up loving good stories. Lately, the stories in Hollywood have not been good. And THAT is why the movie industry is "dying". We are not willing to spend $50 - $100 (for a family of four, with snacks) to see a movie with a mediocre story.
Hey girl! It’s your Christian neighbor again! Lol another banger! Keep doing your thing! I love your channel. Sharing with all my homies.
🙏🏼🙌🏼😆 Thanks friend!
Very glad I found you. Again a very good video. Loved your Philosophie shown in this
You’re so cool :) I’m liking your videos. I even posted my first video today because of people like you inspiring me… not on this account, but yeah. Thank you! :)
I have to admit I disagree with you on some things. But mostly I find you witty, thoughtful, and extremely generous to those you critique. It’s so easy to tell someone the thing they created is terrible and insulting to writing. It takes a great deal more grace to offer sincere encouragement for them to improve because you want to lift up all writers, not just ones that you agree with. Despite our differences, I think that is the best common ground we can find. To encourage each other to be better thinkers and better writers regardless of whether or not we agree with each others’ ideas.
I think empathy based storytelling is an interesting idea. Though, in my opinion, it’s not always empathy that draws people to characters in a story. Especially the morally grey or evil characters. Empathy means you understand and feel what they feel with them. I think a lot of times, the audience can understand what the characters are feeling while not feeling what the character feels. I mean, I can understand Anakin’s fears and anger but I definitely don’t empathize with what it leads him to do.
So in those situations, it’s more about sympathy, rather than empathy. Both empathy and sympathy are great in the writers’ tool box. I just think writing from sympathy, rather than empathy, helps for those stories that go down dark paths to give the audience some distance from the character in order to keep things in perspective. Because that’s where I think empathy can go wrong. Sometimes, people will empathize too much with the morally grey or evil character, and that leads to them rationalizing and even defending the wrongdoing of that character. People throw the word “toxic” around too much these days, but in my opinion, it can be very toxic indeed when people take a character that they know is evil and try to make the argument they did nothing wrong simply because they empathize too much with the character.
Honestly, that also reflects a lot of the issues in modern society these days. Selective and overly indulgent empathy for those that deserve more criticism. The extreme in the other direction, where people have complete apathy for others, is just as bad. Which is why I appreciate people like you. Who are just kind of in the middle trying to get the squabblers to settle down and listen to each other.
Thanks for your videos. I hope to be a writer too one day and they give me hope for making it possible.
Thanks for this input-it helps to expand my understanding. I think turning villains into heroes is one of the worst ideas Hollywood has decided to experiment with in recent years. I would like a return to some good old fashioned Good vs Evil stories.
@@_kmCarter I very much agree with you on that front. It would be so nice if we could just have some genuinely good main characters, with flaws of course, vs some genuinely evil irredeemable characters, who are obviously not completely one dimensional.
@@_kmCarter I personally like the changing sides thing, but not like Hollywood (or many writers) is doing it. You can redeem a character, yes, but you can't forget they did wrongdoings and, as such, they should be held accountable for that. It's not just "oh, I'm good now, I guess" and then everything is magically sorted and forgiven.
But just because you can, it doesn't mean you _should_ redeem them. Vegeta is one of the most loved characters ever, and part is due to his relationship to Goku (he's the character most similar to the protagonist, when it comes down to fighting skills, but, at the same time, he's the one that contrasts the most with Goku). But the other part is because he's a jerk. Yes, Vegeta eliminated entire civilizations. Yes, Vegeta has little regard to his teammates. Yes, Vegeta is an AH overall. But that's the thing: he was _never_ a good guy. He was supposed to be bad from the start, and he stays bad until the end of the Boo saga. He's selfish, self-centered, and most of all, he's proud. That's his main trait. Every other aspect of him revolves around it. He wants to surpass Goku, because he feels humiliated for a lower-class warrior being stronger than him. He feels humiliated he lost to that warrior's kid. He feels humiliated an earthling cut his tail (I know I'd be too if I lost my trump card to Yajirobe). He was never on Goku's team to help them. He's there to guarantee no one else will beat Goku besides him. He only cares about him.
But yes, Vegeta indeed develops some humanity throught the Z series, specially towards his family, but he's still bad. He treats his family like trash, he keeps abusing Trunks to be stronger than Gohan and Goten. He never even reflects about his wrongdoings, because he doesn't care. That's how little of a conscience he has. And that's great. Until the GT saga, at least. From them on, Vegeta is just a grumpy "good guy now, I guess" and everyone has forgiven him and everything has been magically sorted out. But then again, from then on, it's just fanservice and nostalgia, so... ok, I guess?
Now the opposite of redeeming arcs are also interesting. The prequels are very criticized for Anakin being a whinner, but to me they're awesome in portraying the flaws of the Jedi Order and Anakin as a hero, specially in the Clone Wars series. He is good, he does good, but he's not the perfect, chivalrous hero. He is flawed. He is a strong warrior, both in physical skill and in the Force, but he is impulsive, reckless, aggressive and proud. And, thanks to Palpatine's manipulations, he starts to become overconfident and entitled. He never listens because he thinks his ways are better. He thinks he's the very best Jedi out there, but he fails to see his flaws. So, when the council gives us one of the most memeous scenes of pop culture ever in the form of "we do not grant you the rank of master", he flops. He thinks it's unfair, because he's talented. He's better than them. It's not whinning. It's Palpatine's years of manipulations taking effect. So he starts to see the Jedi Council as a hindrance to his talents and progress. A little more machinations later along with a well-timed misunderstanding and "from my point of view, the Jedi are evil". Boom. The hero's fall from grace is complete. And I love it. It's interesting to explore that. Explore that we, as human beings, can be flawed to the point of becoming someone's villain, even though we believe we are the ones right.
Profound comments about Scheherazade! Very fine work.
Love your recent Acolyte video. You are well thought out in your approach. I say you should team up with RMB - Robert Meyer Burnett. You two would be great with your insights.
I feel you are really pretty and intelligent. Loved your criticism and how well-balanced it is, focussing on essential aspects not getting distracted. Also I love the highschool teacher vibes you send out, when you talk about the comments ^^ However, and I say this without the intention to be nasty or anything. You should lose some weight, not for aesthetics but for health. The best way to do that would be a strenght program like e.g. Starting Strenght by Mark Rippetoe.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your kind comment. Also (without the intention to be rude or defensive) I have been on a diet since I was 8 years old. My health is something I have struggled with all my life, and after almost 40 years, I haven’t given up yet! 😃 I’ve lost 50 pounds so far. I’m working a plan, and I’m trying my best to stay positive. Thanks again for your encouragement.
@@_kmCarter That last part is great to hear (the struggling part not so much and I am sorry to hear that)! Lots of strength and endurance to you (in both your critical and fitness related endeavors)! Still, try, if you haven't already, to give barbell exercise a chance! I think it is often overlooked, especially by intellectuals, yet it makes not only weight loss a lot easier, but also remedies a lot of the complications that can come with it (loss of muscle mass etc.). Plus it benefits one of the most important health markers, i.e. strength.
My favourite introduction to a gay biracial relationship was in early Star Trek Discovery. You didn’t previously know these characters were a couple - they were just brushing their teeth and chatting about what was happening in that episode - doing everyday couple things. They were a great couple, who just happened to not only be guys but different ethnicities. From what I have seen since, the show unfortunately went downhill from there as threw everything in there, but that moment was lovely and has stayed with me as prime example of show don’t tell piece of writing.
A great character or relationship is great because it is well written andd feels genuine. Race etc should only be a thing if that is important to telling their story. Disney and many others, seem to feel they need to scream everything at you, then hit you with a bat repeated to make sure you noticed they were being inclusive.
First off I love your level headed insight. I love what you said about context and couldn't agree more. The Trevor Noah interview was from 5 years ago commenting on a entirely different project than the current Acolyte debacle we are witnessing now. However there can also be more than one context to take into account. Amandla at the time of that interview is 19-20 years old and likely still in her post adolescents idealistic phase. Its understandable, many of us go through this self righteous phase where we think we have it all figured out even though we have a limited perspective and experience of the world and don't notice the bubble of influence around us that shape our ideas.
She comes from a privileged home, her father is white and the president of Linkedin. To coin a popular phrase, she easily could be considered a "nepo baby". So I personally cant help feeling a bit offended by a 20 year old who I find is blessed with opportunity and advantage, while sitting on a late night talk show perch, suggesting it would be good for me to cry based on the prior sins committed by others I had nothing to do with. I don't have a problem with the message but the messenger isn't qualified to make such suggestions. Couple that with her current music video and we have a pattern of someone who I feel has been duped by her employer to believing she is some kind of victim. Its a shame because if think she is a stunning young woman with talent, but its difficult not to be annoyed by her when you feel she is wrong about who she is and who she is preaching to.
You are a welcome orator in a sea an prattle… thank you and keep up the excellent work 😊
Loving the professionalism, the good vibes, the voice, everything. Can you make a comparison with Andor and how to write this kind of fiction well?
I have Andor on my list! And yes, more writing content on the way. Have you joined the Berserkers on my writing site?
This is something I've been saying all along: when a story is good, when something is well done, I don't care if there's a Mexican or not in there, it doesn't make it or break it for me. When did representation became a necessity to understand a story? You just end up with a checklist instead of a story.
Keep making videos and I'll keep watching and commenting on them
I love your way of making this so called content, ita serious yet entertaining l, goad you were here and sayed it i tear on your last phrase "i just want to brong sanity to the world" such a dope quote, also i agree we need more cool stories that teaches us to be better
Your new huble fan
Really like your channel, thanks a lot. 😊
Just watched your first video, so glad I found your channel. I don't write but I like to read. I think the writing in Hollywood today is ridiculous and one of my favorite things to do is to listen to people like you who have insight into why some of the writing is the way it is. The Dune films were great but besides that I don't really like major movies, if I watch a film it's usually something older, something foreign, or something that isn't a product of the Hollywood system, indie films I guess. But yeah, very excited for your channel! I would love to start writing. My little brother has written two books and he loves writing. I would also be interested to hear a little about paganism, I know virtually nothing about it
Make more videos, you are smart, intelligent and have a great presentation style. The algorithm brought me here but I'm staying for you.
Plus you've nailed what most people think of the acolyte and its inclusion in the star wars universe.
I love your videos bc they are honest and well thought out and def convey a sense of empathy as you said while still criticizing the material fairly. I agree with that commentor that the writers of the show should be listening (and I REALLY hope they do) to you and the other SW fan sites that are screaming for some good content. I’m really curious to know if you watch/read Bridgerton also bc they’re doing the same sort of thing (and also badly) esp with the latest installment.
It’s frustrating that they keep blaming us (the fans) for these terrible stories and horrible performances. I’m a black man and I don’t need representation in Star Wars or anything else I just was a good story and good performances. Star Wars was simply about Good vs Evil and they screwed it up.
DEI is the bane of all that was once good.
There’s a difference between teaching diversity, equity and inclusion from an objective lens… And then completely throwing yourself off the cliff with this insanity we’re seeing with Star Wars.
No, not really. DEI has very little to do with what is going on and I find people started conflating the two in order for ulterior political reasons
3:50 4:09 exactly right. For myself I don’t really like Star Wars anymore for that reason.
But I absolutely adore the fan fiction writers on RUclips and the community of sci fi and fantasy fans online. Where at least the spirit of good storytelling can be preserved by those who understand the core of why we are so inspired by these archetypical stories
I commented on a previous video making some reference to how you said you’re not a ‘super Star Wars freak’ like a lot of us… but after watching your videos, I can’t say that I agree. You know your sh*t for sure.
@@TheAaronRodgersTao …I try my best to research. I watched a fair amount of other RUclipsrs who are deeply entrenched in the lore, and discovered I know very little.
I just put up my own video on the series. I thought it might be helpful to use some of your points in the future on this. The key factor was in that first comment you shared - when writers take on this franchise, the FIRST thing they need to do is ask what Lucas would want.
Leslie Headland called George Lucas her "North Star" - but that isn't good enough. Lucas needs to be the FOUNDATION, not the distant guidance.
Ah! It's super duper refreshing to hear someone come at this from a pure writing stand point. There's a lot of political takes I don't care for. Thank you.
I'm gay and never needed respesentation either. I mean, gay stories are great when they're good, but stories aren't good just because they're gay (or female or not white, etc.) I was always able to connect with the personalities and traits and intentions of the characters I loved...whether or not they were gay didn't enhance or minimize that.
Really enjoying this thoughtful commentary!
What a BEAUTIFUL goal! “The gift of sanity.” Is that not what the world needs right now? 🙌❤️😌
This video is great. This also the tactful criticism the showrunners are plugging their ears to
Hi , I’m not a writer but I love films , good films
You are absolutely right , empathy.
You need to empathise with the main character or characters , if you don’t then you don’t care what happens to them
And if you don’t connect with the audience then the film or tv series bombs
Best wishes and good luck with the writing
2:14 oh noo i came all the way for those glasses though 😂
I stumbled upon your video about the Acolyte even thought I’m not even a huge Star Wars fan. However, what kept me watching was your wit and way of phrasing everything so eloquently. And being gay I really do feel that there’s a conservative wave washing over the world right now- The last thing we need is more misrepresentation and poorly written shows shows operating under an lgbt banner reflecting so poorly on the community. I thank you for speaking out
Re Reylos, I always viewed as similar to the whole Hermione/Draco (or Voldemort) ship. Not my cup of tea, but can understand the appeal of the Enemies To Lovers dynamic, its a classic for a reason
The night is young. Art has the keys to a new hotrod and Dad's away. "Where are the parties?" Art wonders.
Instafollow--I liked your video. Fellow writer here. To me writing is about three things: creating empathy, developing your own empathy (nothing is so unreadable as a story that hates its own characters or looks down on its readers), and making people consider and feel new things outside the bounds of your story--helping them develop new and more complex frameworks of understanding the world.
Appreciate your thoughtful criticism. I don’t want to hate star wars or those who work on it but I’m disappointed
Thank you for pointing that out about the Trevor Noah show. It was unfair to take her words and twist them like they did. And I can't stand The Acolyte
A great way to build empathy for a character is to give them flaws and weaknesses. I would even say a great place to start is with a list. Write down a favorable trait (bravery) and then write an unfavorable trait (vanity). Maybe someone is vain because they see themselves as braver than they really are, and now you have a character element that could be part of the plot. And since we all see a little bit of bravery and a little bit of vanity in ourselves, we can empathize with the character.
Greetings! Your first video was great, thisone is too! One thing tho: JadusMoltriel wanted the first video to be super popular, but I am affraid in this day and age, you would be all called sexist mysoginists for critiquing the Disney and KK .... What a sad state of things.
That being said, its amazing to see so many level headed people from all kinds of boubles, worlds! cool to meet you all.
I'm happy to hear your take. I've been really frustrated with people pretending that this music video was about her calling Star Wars fans racist. It's been really silly.
I think the empathetic writing is a good idea. Empascribe Writing with Empathy. :)
Good writers have the ability to put themselves into anyone's shoes and write sincerely from that perspective. If you hate a group of people you can never write from their perspective. It'll just be a caricature. Activists have a very hard time honestly representing alternative viewpoints.
What you're doing with these videos is EXACTLY what modern storytelling needs. Proper criticism, character, that is able to "see" above all the cringe virtue signalling of today's Hollywood. Thank you, you're awesome!
it's a shame they don't put as much effort into writing well as going on strike demanding more dollars for poor work.🖖
I have loved and agreed with 95% of things you have said in regards to your criticism of Disney's "Acolyte". Admittedly I am just a lowly, amateur writer. However it lights a fire in me to see that the demand for story and showing (instead of messaging and telling) is being echoed louder and more frequently. Because as artists you and I can disagree about everything, but we share a common goal, a common passion, and a common craft which we hope connects people to each other in ways that they never could have in real life. I could only ever want you and any writer to exude talent and drip with penmanship on every page.
If I may I would like to make two points --- one that I want to build off of what you said in this particular video, and other as a very slight disagreement. Perhaps part of the explanation of what is plaguing writers and artists in this current period of art history is the fallacious conflation of empathy and validation. I don’t have to agree with a character to feel empathy for them. I don’t have to go through the same experiences to have empathy for them. And perhaps, most importantly, I don't have to LIKE the character in order to have empathy for them. Anakin/Vader is such an example. I disagree for his radical beliefs in totalitarianism, and his actions to bring them about. Nor have I ever been in perpetual servitude. Yet I can empathize with that character to no end.
Not being liked is not the same as wanting people to be bad or wanting then to feel unmeasurable amounts of pain. I wonder if this conflation is due to the influence of social media and new social norms where "liking" something is to be for something/someone, and "thumbs down" is to rebuke something/someone. This can explain why Mary Sue's MUST be liked, and why when those characters who for whatever reason don't like them are consistently the antagonists.
As for my criticism, I don't think the actress who created the music video was looking for a dialogue. Maybe I am just being unfair in my assumption, but I don't think so. A music video talking about how the series is to promote social dialogue is not asking to have an honest discussion about the show, how StarWars is being handled, and how artists and representation should be done through media. If their art is terrible, and they refuse to take criticism --- avoiding to go on interviews with critics, screen writers, and any other audience that wants them to succeed, I don't see that as dialogue. How I interpret the music video as is a message that says, "I have the talking stick, not you," and proceeding to hog the attention around the fire pit while everyone is forced to listen.
Great videos, hope there will be many more.
Regarding empathy, I think a writer should create characters that challenge their hero's values, and then fully inhabit those (usually antagonistic) characters when they write them. You learn a lot that way.
As for Star Wars, I was never a huge fan, and thought that apart from Eps 4 and 5, the writing was never brilliant. Until Andor. Now I hunger for series and films that have the classic Star Wars elements (which Andor largely lacked) and are as well-written as Andor is. It pains me greatly that this looks unlikely to happen.
I had no clue you were wearing prop glasses. I do now though, lol 😅
Hey! Quick question, would you be interested in starting a series reading a manga. If yes, I think beserk would be such a great series for you to make. The level of gore based on undertones of human feelings is really good!
Manga is not really my thing. 🤓 YOU should start a series reading Manga!
@@_kmCarter I like consuming content, not making it 🤣. But yea, great vid and good luck with the channel!!