The Great Unwokening of Hollywood: A Farce or a Folly?
In recent months, the notion that conservatism is back in vogue has been touted by some as a triumph for the Republican Party. The proof? The proliferation of conservative T-shirts and aesthetics in popular culture. One such example is Sydney Sweeney's advertising campaign with American Eagle, which some have interpreted as a nod to white supremacist eugenics.
However, this supposed "return" of conservatism to mainstream culture rings hollow when one looks at the box office performance of her latest film, Christy. The movie, in which Sweeney portrays boxer Christy Martin, has recorded one of the worst opening weekends in box-office history. This raises a question: can the right genuinely disrupt Hollywood and the arts without consistently showing up to put their money where their mouth is?
Critics argue that conservatism's failure to become cool stems from its instinctual reliance on edgy provocation rather than genuine appreciation for art and culture. The latter, after all, has always been about expanding our worlds, not shrinking them.
In contrast, there are many examples of great woke film successes this year – films like Sinners and One Battle After Another that have garnered critical acclaim and Oscars buzz. These movies demonstrate that when people ask for cultural recommendations, they don't ask about diversity or conservatism; they ask, "Is it any good?"
Perhaps Sydney Sweeney should focus on showcasing the quality of her films rather than trying to deflect criticism with an opaque response to a loaded question about her eye color. After all, as Kelsey Grammer so astutely put it, the commitment to diversity is not exclusive to liberal ideologies.
Ultimately, the right may be determined to reorder institutions, but its ability to manufacture popularity and sustain cultural relevance remains dubious. The unwokening of Hollywood may indeed be a farce – one that highlights the tension between those who seek to challenge the status quo and those who are content to remain comfortably apolitical.
In recent months, the notion that conservatism is back in vogue has been touted by some as a triumph for the Republican Party. The proof? The proliferation of conservative T-shirts and aesthetics in popular culture. One such example is Sydney Sweeney's advertising campaign with American Eagle, which some have interpreted as a nod to white supremacist eugenics.
However, this supposed "return" of conservatism to mainstream culture rings hollow when one looks at the box office performance of her latest film, Christy. The movie, in which Sweeney portrays boxer Christy Martin, has recorded one of the worst opening weekends in box-office history. This raises a question: can the right genuinely disrupt Hollywood and the arts without consistently showing up to put their money where their mouth is?
Critics argue that conservatism's failure to become cool stems from its instinctual reliance on edgy provocation rather than genuine appreciation for art and culture. The latter, after all, has always been about expanding our worlds, not shrinking them.
In contrast, there are many examples of great woke film successes this year – films like Sinners and One Battle After Another that have garnered critical acclaim and Oscars buzz. These movies demonstrate that when people ask for cultural recommendations, they don't ask about diversity or conservatism; they ask, "Is it any good?"
Perhaps Sydney Sweeney should focus on showcasing the quality of her films rather than trying to deflect criticism with an opaque response to a loaded question about her eye color. After all, as Kelsey Grammer so astutely put it, the commitment to diversity is not exclusive to liberal ideologies.
Ultimately, the right may be determined to reorder institutions, but its ability to manufacture popularity and sustain cultural relevance remains dubious. The unwokening of Hollywood may indeed be a farce – one that highlights the tension between those who seek to challenge the status quo and those who are content to remain comfortably apolitical.
. sydney sweeney's campaign with american eagle was lowkey racist tho 
. box office numbers dont lie tho, christy did pretty bad. maybe the right should focus on making good movies instead of trying to be woke for the sake of it 
. btw, kelsey grammer said it best - diversity isnt exclusive to libs 
this whole thing is soooo suspicious... think about it, American Eagle gets Sweeney involved in their ad campaign, and now everyone's talking about "conservatism" being back in vogue? It sounds like a clever marketing ploy to me 
but what if they're not trying to promote actual conservative values... what if they're just using the buzz to sell more T-shirts? 
and then there's Sweeney's film, Christy, flopping on the box office... yeah right, that's gotta be some kind of coincidence 
or maybe it's a deliberate attempt to take attention away from the controversy surrounding her ad campaign 
anyway, all this just smells like smoke and mirrors to me 
I'm so over this whole conservative "return" thing in Hollywood... like, if they really wanted to disrupt the industry, they'd be investing in more films that actually resonate with people of color and women's stories, not just tacking on some token diversity to make it seem woke. Newsflash: just because you're conservative doesn't mean you can't have a nuanced view on art and culture 
. i get why u'd wanna challenge the status quo, but if ur not gonna deliver on that promise, then just stay quiet 
. All these conservative celebs trying to be woke isn't convincing anyone that they actually care about the arts or social justice 
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. People don't care about your ideology, they just want to see something good. So yeah, I think the unwokening of Hollywood is more like a farce, and it's interesting to see how that tension plays out 
newsflash: it won't work that way, ppl! you can't just fake being woke and expect everyone to believe you 
and don't even get me started on christy... seriously who thought that movie would do well? 
sinners and one battle after another are total winners in my book 
let's keep the focus on quality over provocation, you feel?
. and what's up with all this "can conservatism really disrupt Hollywood" nonsense? it feels like an exercise in performative outrage rather than actual self-reflection 
. i mean, i get it, not everyone's gonna love a biopic about some boxer, but come on, american eagle? that's just weird 
. and don't even get me started on the whole eye color thing... like, focus on your craft, girl 
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. People think they can just swoop in with some conservative aesthetic and suddenly it's all cool? Please. The box office numbers for Christy are a joke 
. And let's be real, if Sydney Sweeney was actually trying to make a statement about conservatism, she wouldn't have partnered with American Eagle – that's like putting a "I'm with stupid" sticker on her own forehead 
. i think what's more interesting is how the liberal arts scene has consistently delivered quality content year after year, it just goes to show that when you're passionate about your craft, people will take notice 
.