Should tv shows, films and comics talk about politics and social issues?

[Mister Mets]

"No" is the obviously wrong answer here. There's been great work about politics and social issues in every medium. To deny that possibility in the future is absurd.

There is a time and place for it, though. Sesame Street would not be the right place to tackle the Texas abortion legislation.

One of the messy things in politics is that some people just can't accept that decent humans hold different views, and would take advantage of the writer's ability to put a foot on the scale, and make outcomes match their policy preferences in a way that doesn't match with real life. There is always a potential for backlash as the people who make art tend to have different views from the average voters, which has implications for arts funding and can provide an opportunity for populist demagogues to rally against popular culture. The space to tackle complicated questions is also quite finite, so that's definitely something people should keep in mind when tackling politics in a five minute song or a twenty page comic book.

This question gets into branding a bit. Some series develop followings, and it can be upsetting for viewers if a new voice differs from what they've seen before. It'd be weird if a standard cop drama were suddenly written by someone who believes ACAB and that police abolition is necessary. Likewise, it would be strange if Captain Planet were written by libertarians trying to show the tradeoffs to environmental legislation. Meanwhile, more experimental work can encourage activism and be much more radical.

The important thing would be that the writers and artists play fair, although that is very much in the eye of the beholder.

[Powerboy]

The pop culture we consume should be able to sometimes reflect the times that we are in. Yet, there can be some, if not alot of, pushback. In recent years, for example, a lot of people have been complaining about how political Supergirl (the show) has gotten. Similar complaints have been made about shows like The Rookie and New Amsterdam. So, should television shows, as well as movies and comics, touch upon currents issues in society?

I've noticed that some conservatives complain about everything. For instance, they complained that Star Trek Discovery was "woke" because it started with a female captain and a female first officer even though the show really had nothing to do with that. Also, that inclusiveness is an evil liberal trait. Also, I wonder if any of them ever watched Star Trek because that's always been the whole point.

Yes, Supergirl approached the issue of immigration like a sledgehammer. But there would be just as much complaining had it been subtle.

[mortari]

Everything is political, honestly, or could be made to be.

People will find a reason to complain, no matter what the writers try, and if they don't like it they can... stop me if this is complicated...

WATCH SOMETHING ELSE THAT DOESN'T CHALLENGE THEIR FRAGILE IDENTITY.

I was going to reply to this thread but someone already posted the best response. Also there's no option on the poll for, it doesn't matter because it's always been there and it always will.

[FFJamie94]

"No" is the obviously wrong answer here. There's been great work about politics and social issues in every medium. To deny that possibility in the future is absurd.

There is a time and place for it, though. Sesame Street would not be the right place to tackle the Texas abortion legislation.

One of the messy things in politics is that some people just can't accept that decent humans hold different views, and would take advantage of the writer's ability to put a foot on the scale, and make outcomes match their policy preferences in a way that doesn't match with real life. There is always a potential for backlash as the people who make art tend to have different views from the average voters, which has implications for arts funding and can provide an opportunity for populist demagogues to rally against popular culture. The space to tackle complicated questions is also quite finite, so that's definitely something people should keep in mind when tackling politics in a five minute song or a twenty page comic book.

This question gets into branding a bit. Some series develop followings, and it can be upsetting for viewers if a new voice differs from what they've seen before. It'd be weird if a standard cop drama were suddenly written by someone who believes ACAB and that police abolition is necessary. Likewise, it would be strange if Captain Planet were written by libertarians trying to show the tradeoffs to environmental legislation. Meanwhile, more experimental work can encourage activism and be much more radical.

The important thing would be that the writers and artists play fair, although that is very much in the eye of the beholder.

Experimental pieces of work can almost make a work entirely political without making it political. Season 3 of Twin Peaks is pretty much mostly Frost in that regard, as even if you didn't think it, that Season is probably Lynch's most political work yet.

I'm also reminded of The Holy Mountain (My favourite movie of all time just to let you folks know), which is pretty much a two hour message. It's very political and I saw a lot that is still relevant today. Then again, it does tell you that you've wasted your time watching it as me now typing here that it's a two hour message defeats the message of the movie.

[SpiderTBliss]

I have no interest in reading about real world politics in my comics. even if the political views espoused were 100% matching to mine, I still wouldnt want to hear about them.

[C_Miller]

I don't think I'd ever be interested in work that isn't about something deeper on some level. You use the word political, but there is a whole litany of social, environmental, medical and other issues that usually fall under the umbrella of political depending on who is talking about it. I do prefer it to be layered in though. I grew up watching Star Trek and I think they did a really good job of having their shows be about a real world issue while still being exciting to watch as an action adventure show.

Unfortunately, there's a real problem where a show has a woman in a position of power, the cast being made up of less than half straight, white males or a gay persosn simply existing and you have people lose their minds. Star Trek Discovery is a big one for me. I understand a lot of the genuine complaints about the show, but there are very clearly some people who are extremely mad that there is not a single straight white male in the cast.

[Xheight]

"No" is the obviously wrong answer here. There's been great work about politics and social issues in every medium. To deny that possibility in the future is absurd.

There is a time and place for it, though. Sesame Street would not be the right place to tackle the Texas abortion legislation.

One of the messy things in politics is that some people just can't accept that decent humans hold different views, and would take advantage of the writer's ability to put a foot on the scale, and make outcomes match their policy preferences in a way that doesn't match with real life. There is always a potential for backlash as the people who make art tend to have different views from the average voters, which has implications for arts funding and can provide an opportunity for populist demagogues to rally against popular culture. The space to tackle complicated questions is also quite finite, so that's definitely something people should keep in mind when tackling politics in a five minute song or a twenty page comic book.

This question gets into branding a bit. Some series develop followings, and it can be upsetting for viewers if a new voice differs from what they've seen before. It'd be weird if a standard cop drama were suddenly written by someone who believes ACAB and that police abolition is necessary. Likewise, it would be strange if Captain Planet were written by libertarians trying to show the tradeoffs to environmental legislation. Meanwhile, more experimental work can encourage activism and be much more radical.

The important thing would be that the writers and artists play fair, although that is very much in the eye of the beholder.

What you call branding is just short of market and product calculation which is a far cry from literary or moral concerns for inclusion and the issues of politics. A good many who cry foul on such branding choices however get labeled as reactionary or worse all the while serving just what market? I think in the case of comics and comics fans feeling like they are a loyal/captive audience such changes are particularly anti-democratic in what they ask of the audience. Meaning it is awful that people who are the majority of the audience that made something successful are being asking to either lump it or go away with the main bet being that they won't really go away.

As C_Miller notes action and spectacle go a long way to engage but also to hold grudging audiences no matter how much they are being played. The current Trek though has asked its fandom what is the central concept of of the show is through the story as much as through the casting and in that regard asks them for their go ahead when other shows or movies have not.

[GOLGO 13]

Nope.

I fall on the left but I ain't having no "woke-propaganda" in my entertainment. Problem is that today's writers are not about the story but about getting the "likes" on media. When they come at me with, "...well if you don't like it don't buy it..." yep, so be it! Nope, they're not rocking on my dime with Karen Manvers in space stories.

My money, time & attention span is super-short so my entertainment has to wow me or I move on. So far my horror, manga, Conan & indy books has gotten my $. The big 2 can go rot on the shelves.

Entertain me= my money.

[Kirby101]

I saw this awful "woke" movie they other day.
It's called To Kill A Mockingbird.

[Zero Hunter]

It depends on how it's done. If it's done well and not beating you over the head then sure. The problem is especially in comics is most writers can't do that. Comic writers are left leaning for the most part with a lot being on the extreme side of the left. Those are usually the ones I just can't get into because they are the ones that hit you right in the face with their extreme view of the issue which is a major turn off. When the main point of their story is just to get them talked about in the press instead of telling a good story it just comes off as so fake. That and when a character is changed to fit their narative instead of the one the character has had for decades usually just comes off as pandering too.

[Kirby101]

It depends on how it's done. If it's done well and not beating you over the head then sure. The problem is especially in comics is most writers can't do that. Comic writers are left leaning for the most part with a lot being on the extreme side of the left. Those are usually the ones I just can't get into because they are the ones that hit you right in the face with their extreme view of the issue which is a major turn off. When the main point of their story is just to get them talked about in the press instead of telling a good story it just comes off as so fake. That and when a character is changed to fit their narative instead of the one the character has had for decades usually just comes off as pandering too.

Could you give any examples of extreme left writers with their extreme left views and what book did this happen in?

[ed2962]

Could you give any examples of extreme left writers with their extreme left views and what book did this happen in?

Yes, please. Someone who is truly an extreme leftist is unlikely to want to write Batman or The Avengers for these multi-million dollar corporations in the first place.

We're in this odd time where anyone who expresses the most milquetoast liberal ideas of "tolerance" is called "far left". Millionaire capitalists who have made money selling dubious products to people get called "leftist" now because they voted for Clinton once or own a hip-hop record or don't think gays should be stoned.

[mathew101281]

Depends how you define politics. Is X-men politics because it’s talks about prejudice? Is Captain America political because wears the American flag and punches Nazis? Is Black Panther political because he was a black character created in an era when that was frowned upon? Define political and then define how “political” now is different from political back then.

[babyblob]

Depends how you define politics. Is X-men politics because it’s talks about prejudice? Is Captain America political because wears the American flag and punches Nazis? Is Black Panther political because he was a black character created in an era when that was frowned upon? Define political and then define how “political” now is different from political back then.

I mean that is the thing. There has always been an undercurrent of politics. From the mentioned Xmen and the metaphor, to Golden Age Superman going after war profiteers, gambling dens ect.., Captian America, human Torch, And Namor going after Germany and Japan (Though the stories with the Japanese were badly racist) like you mentioned Black Panther has not only a black superhero but the head of an advanced African Nation, Spiderman had joe Robertson as an Editor of a major Newspaper and that was one of Marvel's biggest titles even before Robertson there were black people in the comic. Kind of snuck into the back round, and not just as gang members or criminals, they were cops and students at Peter's college. There was the issue rights after gwens dad died and Bullet was running for DA and he was very racist and they touched on that in the arc.
Then there was the Superman issue where Lois used a machine to turn black for 24 hours. A well meaning but poorly handled attempt at handling Racism. The Spiderman drug issues then the Green lantern/Green Arrow Speedy drug issue, heck a lot of stories in the Green Arrow/Green Lantern stories were political.

So people who say politics in comics is a new thing have not been paying attention while not in your face and super woke comics have always had a hand in politics.

[babyblob]

Like I said in my first post people dont want to see Bruce giving speeches or cutting checks for social programs. that would be too political and boring for most. They want him in the batsuit beating bad guys. Even in the penthouse time after Dick left for college and he closed the Batcave he did have that foundation that helped people but most of the stories where people came to him for help ended up with him in the bat suit righting a wrong or something as opposed to him paying a single mothers rent.

So politics are fine if it is done slowly and a bit sneaky because for years that is how it has always been and these people bitching about woke comics have been very much fine with those stories. But the second Iceman comes out as gay or there is a Muslim Ms Marvel or Captain America dares question the American dream people lose their minds.