Minorities in Comics and Other Media, etc

[Adam Allen]

I agree with alot of this. The only thing I slightly disagree with is the idea that Disney/MCU might be in trouble because "The Marvels" was a flop. Movies flop all the all time. Heck, Inhumans was supposed to be the next big franchise and it failed and none of the grifters said anything about it.

I also think the MCU is still okay, despite all the negative talk.

On the tv side, Secret Invasion was really disappointing by the end, but She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel were both fun shows, and Moon Knight before that was really surprisingly good, considering how disconnected the character his mythology is from the rest of Marvel/MCU, and his general relative obscurity. The Werewolf by Night and Guardians specials are also one-offs that are really well done. Season 2 of Loki is good, and Echo like Moon Knight promises to adapt a relatively unknown comics character into a live-action that non-comics readers can enjoy.

The Marvels' box office performance is disappointing, but it would be a whole lot worse if the movie itself were really bad. All the negativity aside though, it really isn't. It may not be The Best Movie Ever, but it's also not even the worst MCU movie, let alone the worst superhero movie.

MoM is slightly problematic for leaning into the trope of Power+Woman=CrazyDoom, but this unfortunately does follow the character's portrayal in comics, and ... well, the narrative problems for Wanda's character aside, really her inclusion and prominence in the project speaks to the popularity and success of her show and Elizabeth Olsen's portrayal of the character. I feel like that counters the anti-woke argument. I enjoyed Quantumania personally, and I think the mixed reaction to it is partly symptomatic of the generally anti-MCU/Disney vibe that has started to permeate a lot of the discourse.

But just like Loki season 2 is solid, I feel like people are in too big a hurry to forget GotG 3. The movie completely subverted the normal/predictable romance trope with Gamora and Peter, allowing both characters to grow and even develop new relationships and respect for one another. It included reflection and character growth for Mantis, a character that easily could have been sidelined or ignored. And adding to the subversion of romance as the only potential character arc for a female character, the evolution of Nebula and her relationship with her sister -- how this character went from complete antagonist in the first movie to fully redeemed hero by this last -- to my money is as much the emotional core of the trilogy as Rocket's story is the core of the 3rd movie.

I'm saying, I think GotG 3 is lowkey woke as f*ck, and the movie is both a goddamn masterpiece and successful. So, watching the whole arc of the MCU, and considering The Marvels is actually a good movie, I am not super concerned about the direction of the MCU.

I don't know what should be done about all the toxic dialogue, though.

[skyvolt2000]

Even the more progressive parts of the fanbase are now flinging mud at Disney, and want their White male Status quo back.

It also really seems there's a major lack of effort not only when it comes to story and writing, but in terms of marketing as well. They basically sent Strange Worlds out to die last year.

Bob Chapek did not care for animated movies. and was more concerned with making streaming material. So in reality a lot of Disney's issues started with him.

Strange World was already in the works when he got hired.

[skyvolt2000]

I've clicked on some of those Tubi movies and bailed after 20 mins. I'm like, did someone shoot this on their phone?

Yes depending on the movie in questions.

Yes there are movies filmed on phones along with cameras.

I can't remember the movie but a big movie had a behind the scenes and you saw folks filming with phones.

Now I have been pulled in now on a couple of occasions, there are a couple that have some closeups mixed in but it's so much of the same thing. Even finding that 20 minutes takes effort, it's like a scavenger hunt for mid. They must put out 2 a month also.

In some cases it's the same production company doing it. Especially if you are talking about films from overseas and especially in Africa, Bollywood and South Americas.

I really want to see what a contract looks like to produce one of these things.

Some of that is done by grants, crowdfunding (MST3K has done that) and some lesser studios doing deals with certain distributors. Notice how many you see from the same folks.

Funny to see how many Chris Stokes and Marques Houston have made on there about 23.


I did find one that started off good and became white girl empowerment. Girl Gone Bad. Alison Thornton ( Lydia Spring in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) plays a 16 year old girl who is in love with another girl. Who you see gets KILLED in the first 3 minutes of the movie.

A 16 year old girl puts HANDS on a cop the size of Jason, ties him up, yanks out his eye and tells him "go shoot a BLACK kid".

She kills the cop and another girl and gets away it.

Even Miles from Moesha has a movie that is a VERY watered down Loverboy (Patrick Dempsey movie) with SNOOP DOGG.

Romeo Miller has a few.

Even Jeremy Meeks has one.

there is no nudity

Watch the movies from France and Italy.

And there are adult movies that have been EDITED of that content.

[MindofShadow]

Bob Chapek did not care for animated movies. and was more concerned with making streaming material. So in reality a lot of Disney's issues started with him.

This is actually faulty history. A lot of the stuff Bob did in regards to MCU was just following Iger's stuff he set up ahead of time.

Chapek was Iger's fallg uy in regards to MCU. The parks i dont know about, but Iger set a lot of this stuff up, dipped out "kinda" during covid when shit hit the fan, then magically came back afterwards to "save the day" from his own ideas.

[Shockingjustice]

Man sometimes it feels like we are being setup to fail. We finally have a Main POC Women (Forspoken)in a video game and it fails. We get a POC DC lead movie and it underperformed (Blue Beetle). We get a POC Women directing a blockbuster movie and it flops (Marvels).

[Username taken]

This is actually faulty history. A lot of the stuff Bob did in regards to MCU was just following Iger's stuff he set up ahead of time.

Chapek was Iger's fallg uy in regards to MCU. The parks i dont know about, but Iger set a lot of this stuff up, dipped out "kinda" during covid when shit hit the fan, then magically came back afterwards to "save the day" from his own ideas.

Yep.

Chapek was just made out to be a fall guy. The doubling down on streaming was an Iger idea. A lot stuff Disney did within period is stuff Iger had set-up.

Where I agree with Skyvolt is the "dumping all animation on streaming" which caused real issues inside Disney and Pixar (I understand those guys were never in support of dumping all their stuff on streaming) falls on Chapek's head. Granted it was Iger that had already led the way, it was a situation that should have been handled with more tact. Chapek shouldn't have felt compelled to continue what looked like dumb ideas (I mean, they don't pay these guys millions to rubber stamp decisions).

The truth is Disney's animation will continue to struggle in theatres since a good chunk of parents already have Disney+. I'm a parent with Disney+ and see little reason to spend money to see something like Wish when it will soon be on the D+ I'm already paying for. DIsney went all in on the streaming and they have to live with what they've created. It is what it is.

[skyvolt2000]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/di...46985b5c&ei=21

Arliya Martin accepted her high school diploma with relief and gratitude.

It was her ticket to better-paying work, she felt, after getting kicked out of high school and toiling for eight years at factory jobs to support her children.

“This is a new path for me to get on with my life,” she said.

But Martin didn’t take any classes or pass any tests to receive her degree. She got it in July from a school where students can get a high school diploma for $465.

Unlike public schools, formal homeschooling programs or traditional private schools, nearly 9,000 private schools in Louisiana don’t need state approval to grant degrees. Nearly every one of those unapproved schools was created to serve a single homeschooling family, but some have buildings, classrooms, teachers and dozens of students.

The students in Louisiana's off-the-grid school system aren't missing. But there's no way to tell what kind of education they're getting, or whether they're getting one at all. Over 21,000 students are enrolled in the state's unapproved schools, nearly double the number from before the pandemic, according to data obtained through a public records request by the AP and The Advocate, a partner news outlet in Louisiana.

Yet a list of prices is taped to the front window of the school building: $250 for diploma services, a $50 application fee, $35 for a diploma cover and $130 to walk in a cap and gown at a ceremony.

The number of students in unapproved private schools like Springfield has nearly doubled, from around 11,600 in the 2017-18 school year to over 21,000 in 2022-23, according to state records.

You can buy a diploma and not set foot in a school.

[ed2962]

Man sometimes it feels like we are being setup to fail. We finally have a Main POC Women (Forspoken)in a video game and it fails. We get a POC DC lead movie and it underperformed (Blue Beetle). We get a POC Women directing a blockbuster movie and it flops (Marvels).

Across the Spiderverse and The Little Mermaid are among the top ten most successful movies of the year. And if we go month by month we can include more minority led or diverse casts that were hits ( Wakanda Forever, Equalizer 3, Fast X etc). Don't let the social media hacks and twitter girfters fool you...movies with diverse cast can and do make money.

[MindofShadow]

The truth is Disney's animation will continue to struggle in theatres since a good chunk of parents already have Disney+. I'm a parent with Disney+ and see little reason to spend money to see something like Wish when it will soon be on the D+ I'm already paying for. DIsney went all in on the streaming and they have to live with what they've created. It is what it is.

YUP

Movie theaters are so expensive. Especially as a family.

WHy wouldn't I just wait a few months and watch it at home for 9.99 or whatever?

I just buy disney + a month at a time, watch what I want, and cancel.

[Lord Morph]

Man sometimes it feels like we are being setup to fail. We finally have a Main POC Women (Forspoken)in a video game and it fails. We get a POC DC lead movie and it underperformed (Blue Beetle). We get a POC Women directing a blockbuster movie and it flops (Marvels).

No coincidence that all of these projects had bad marketing. They really could have pushed both Marvels and Blue Beetle into next year to avoid promo being affected from the strikes. They basically sent these films to their deaths without any care in the world.

[Lord Morph]

Across the Spiderverse and The Little Mermaid are among the top ten most successful movies of the year. And if we go month by month we can include more minority led or diverse casts that were hits ( Wakanda Forever, Equalizer 3, Fast X etc). Don't let the social media hacks and twitter girfters fool you...movies with diverse cast can and do make money.

Little Mermaid did so so at the B.O. Upper 500 mill which is a far cry from the billion that the other live action renaissance films (Lion King, Aladdin, BATB) made. Most international audiences weren't feeling it that much, so it didn't get that boost.

The Fast series is an interesting one, because I don't think it ever got any flak for having a diverse cast, maybe because it's been long established even before the culture wars. I think it's one blockbuster franchise chuds and non-chuds can view and go into apolitically.

[Surf]

Uhhh... hmmm. Nah... well...

[Username taken]

Uhhh... hmmm. Nah... well...

This is a comedy right? Also, David Oyelowo seems to be speaking with his Nigerian accent in the trailer.

[Surf]

This is a comedy right? Also, David Oyelowo seems to be speaking with his Nigerian accent in the trailer.

If it's Lakieth in the role, it's going more of a larger 'message' to it over a straight comedy. I've never gotten through all of Sorry to Bother You but it seems in the vein. Hope he's not playing Judas for a second time. Don't even want to know who is actually playing Jesus, maybe that's the reveal.

[Agent Z]

Jeffrey Wright to Receive Career Achievement Award at Palm Springs Film Fest (Exclusive)