The Emptiest Theaters Are Filled with Good Intentions
There’s a new genre of film coming out of Hollywood, but you won’t find it listed on any streaming service. It’s the multi-million-dollar blockbuster that arrives with immense corporate hype, a diverse cast chosen from a checklist, and a progressive message that’s about as subtle as a sledgehammer. And then, it flops. Spectacularly.
From Disney’s animated film “Strange World” losing a reported $200 million to “The Marvels” posting the worst box office opening in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a clear pattern has emerged. Audiences are sending a message that studio executives, blinded by ideology, seem unable to hear: we want to be entertained, not lectured. The “get woke, go broke” phenomenon isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a market reality that reflects a growing fatigue with Hollywood's pivot from storytelling to social engineering.
DEI: The Creative Straitjacket
At the heart of this issue are the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that have swept through corporate America and have taken a particularly strong hold on the entertainment industry. On the surface, these goals sound noble. Who wouldn’t want a more inclusive industry? But in practice, DEI has become a rigid, top-down mandate that often prioritizes demographic box-ticking over talent, creativity, and artistic merit.
Stories are no longer crafted from a spark of inspiration; they are assembled according to a formula. Does the script feature a 'strong female character' who inexplicably overpowers every man she meets? Check. Does it sideline legacy heroes in favor of their younger, more diverse replacements? Check. Does it swap the race or gender of an established character for cheap representation points? Double-check. The result is predictable, sterile content that feels less like art and more like a corporate training seminar.
Race Swapping Isn’t Progress, It’s Lazy
One of the most visible symptoms of this creative decay is the trend of “race swapping”—taking traditionally white characters and recasting them with minority actors. From Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” to the controversy surrounding the upcoming “Snow White” remake, studios market these decisions as groundbreaking steps for representation. But are they?
As a Black man, I find this trend more insulting than inspiring. It implies that Black characters are not interesting enough to have their own original stories. Instead of investing in new narratives, new worlds, and new heroes that authentically reflect different cultures and experiences, Hollywood takes the lazy route. It co-opts existing, beloved properties and simply changes the skin color, hoping we’ll be grateful for the hand-me-downs.
True progress would be funding the next “Black Panther,” a film that succeeded because it built a compelling world and story from the ground up, not because it was a re-skinned “Iron Man.” True progress is supporting filmmakers like Tyler Perry who create their own cinematic universes that resonate with millions. Race swapping is a hollow gesture that serves the vanity of studio executives, not the audience.
The Real Diversity Hollywood Rejects
The greatest irony in Hollywood's diversity push is its complete and utter hostility to the most important diversity of all: diversity of thought. You can have a cast that looks like a United Nations assembly, but if every character spouts the same progressive talking points, and every writer and director comes from the same ideological echo chamber, you don’t have diversity. You have a monoculture.
A Black conservative like myself watches these films and sees no representation at all. I don’t see my values of faith, family, personal responsibility, or patriotism reflected on screen. Instead, I see characters whose blackness is used as a costume to legitimize a narrow political agenda that many Black Americans, myself included, reject. Figures like Dr. Ben Carson, Justice Clarence Thomas, or Senator Tim Scott represent a perspective held by millions, yet a character embodying their worldview would be virtually impossible to find in a major Hollywood production.
Hollywood celebrates someone for their skin color but will blacklist them for their political affiliation. This isn't inclusion; it's ideological enforcement with a diverse-looking cast.
A Return to Timeless Storytelling
The solution is not complicated, though it requires a humility that modern Hollywood seems to lack. It’s time to stop treating audiences as students in need of re-education and start treating them as customers who want a quality product. It’s time to return to the universal themes that have connected with audiences for generations: heroism, sacrifice, love, and the struggle between good and evil.
These are not concepts that belong to one race, gender, or political party. They are part of the human experience. Great stories unite us; identity politics divides us. The empty theater seats and disastrous box office returns are a referendum on Hollywood's current path. The message is clear: stop the lectures and just tell a good story.