For decades, Hollywood has dismissed claims to infuse films with a left-wing agenda.
But viewers tired of seeing the shoehorny politics in the film, they have finally got data on their side to prove it.
An analysis of over 50,000 films has shown that the film has truly awakened more over time.
Industry expert Stephen has determined that since the 1970s, the number of films focusing on inclusion and expression has been on the rise, and that the most dramatic increase has continued since the early 2000s.
His analysis of 51,240 characteristics from 1940 to the present decided that there was an increase in people focusing on social justice subtext, heavy hand messaging, and cast representation.
“Follows, who publishes a newsletter on the online platform Substack, uses AI tools to compare common elements of the plot of over 20,000 films, discovering that LGBTQ+ stories gained visibility in the early 1970s, and has returned prominently in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and recently, has come back sharply again.”
It comes after the remake of Snow White became the focus of audience anger over what is considered the “attractive” of modern films.
The film sparked a major line against the casting of Latin American manipulation star Rachel Zegler. It was also reported that they lost at the box office.
Followo's data shows that the film has lost its sensitivity in political messages and makes politics more obvious to viewers.
He looked at a vast database of reviews, collected the overall themes of each film, and compared them to a list of “awakening” gifts.
These focused on themes of inclusion, subtexts of some sort of social justice, plots with clear agendas, heavy hand messages, and casting representations.
All of this has been found to have risen relentlessly over the last few decades. For example, only about 5% of films that mentioned social reform and rights in the mid-1970s were films alone. Today it's up over 10%.
Cast the backlash
Some films face repulsion with a clear focus on casting representations. All Women's Ghostbusters was remade in 2016 after fans reacted angrily to the gender swapping casting.
The casting decision was also controversial in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid in 2023, with black actress Halle Bailey being chosen to play Ariel. The lyrics to the song about the kiss were also adjusted to ensure that consent was paid attention.
Other films struggling at the box office have sought to include a larger representation of LGBT, including Lightyear, which includes a prequel to Toy Story featuring lesbian kisses.
Analysis has shown that direct storytelling on specific subjects such as feminism has increased over the years, with films like Roe v Wade and Suffragette being clear examples.
Audiences are feeling anxious about the political message to some extent.
On TV, BBC doctors are becoming increasingly less popular, with many viewers feeling that the “wake-up” storyline has undermined the series.
It includes suggestions that the non-binary villain, a pregnant male alien, fellow transgender daughter of a doctor, and Doctor Who were gay and attracted to Isaac Newton on one trip adventure.
The program currently starring Ncuti Gatwa has shrunk to around 2 million since 2021.
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