Scrutinizing the fake and defensive press when it covers Hollywood
Are you worried about film culture? The showbiz trade publication Variety is plenty worried because She Said, the slanted, moralizing New York Times #MeToo drama, flopped at the box office upon its debut last weekend. In an article titled “She Said Bombs: Why Aren’t Awards Season Movies Resonating With Audiences?,” writer Brent Lang highlighted the panic felt by Hollywood and the media when their political messages are ignored. The Wall Street Journal followed suit with John Jurgensen and Ellen Gamerman’s observing industry desperation in “Now at a Theater Near You: Cannibalism, Vomit and Severed Fingers,” an article about trends in “this season’s Oscar bait.” Anxiety has replaced drama. Worry has replaced criticism.
