One of the subplots of the Disney/Florida story was that Disney tends to push for editorial changes to reduce how much queer content there are in its shows and movies. It's an open secret that this is basically done at the behest of appealing to the Chinese markets.
I recently came across an article claiming the problem with The Pentaverate was that it had about as much substance and as many laughs as a film length production but they stretched it into a series for Netflix because nobody wants comedy films. In addition to all the economic factors that contribute to why comedy films aren't being made for theatrical releases, I would suggest another wrinkle, and that is the internet. One of my favorite feelings in the world is to laugh until I cry, and realistically it probably happens 3 or 4 times a year. When I think of the things that have made me do that, they're almost always experiences I've had in front of the computer. The last time it happened in the theater was probably the ill-fated gown emporium expedition in Bridesmaids. The last time it happened online was a few weeks ago in Christian Finnegan's substack when he nailed a bunch of quips about Steely Dan and the cumulative effect was too much for me. How you gonna spend $40M on a movie with less humor potential than the best Twitter threads? I miss the big monoculture experience of a comedy blockbuster, too. But like with the music business, the best to be had is no longer under the umbrella of the giant companies. It's hiding in plain sight, waiting for you to be lucky enough to trip over it.
I think you're exactly right that comedy doesn't translate. This often applies when the cultures are similar and barrier is only a literal language translation. Like, I went to an (English!) showing of "The Diary of Anne Frank" and never laughed once.
Good article, Jeff. Sure, the idea that the Religious Left or Wokesters or whatever are making comedy harder certainly is part of the story. But only part of it.
The other, arguably bigger part as far as movies are concerned is that Hollywood really covets that China money, and while American blockbusters play well over there, American comedy does not. So good on you for highlighting this.
Is comedy also decreasing on streaming? I mean, now that we have access to giant tvs at home and on demand entertainment, why go sit in a sticky, popcorn theater for an experience you can easily replicate the salient points of at home?
Another component to the limited slots is that China is trying to protect its own movie industry. I for one (and this is why nothing will change) wish that our movies here in the states would spend less effort on broadest global appeal, which in so many cases scrubs them of any interesting specificity. But the whole industry now is so geared to big spending/big profits the days of the big (non-action) comedy seem over. I'd love to see the ascent of a studio like A24 but for comedies.
One of the subplots of the Disney/Florida story was that Disney tends to push for editorial changes to reduce how much queer content there are in its shows and movies. It's an open secret that this is basically done at the behest of appealing to the Chinese markets.
I recently came across an article claiming the problem with The Pentaverate was that it had about as much substance and as many laughs as a film length production but they stretched it into a series for Netflix because nobody wants comedy films. In addition to all the economic factors that contribute to why comedy films aren't being made for theatrical releases, I would suggest another wrinkle, and that is the internet. One of my favorite feelings in the world is to laugh until I cry, and realistically it probably happens 3 or 4 times a year. When I think of the things that have made me do that, they're almost always experiences I've had in front of the computer. The last time it happened in the theater was probably the ill-fated gown emporium expedition in Bridesmaids. The last time it happened online was a few weeks ago in Christian Finnegan's substack when he nailed a bunch of quips about Steely Dan and the cumulative effect was too much for me. How you gonna spend $40M on a movie with less humor potential than the best Twitter threads? I miss the big monoculture experience of a comedy blockbuster, too. But like with the music business, the best to be had is no longer under the umbrella of the giant companies. It's hiding in plain sight, waiting for you to be lucky enough to trip over it.
The left's Cultural Ministry ( woke activists on Twitter) is just as bad. Probably worse.
Boner University is a vastly underrated movie series
I think you're exactly right that comedy doesn't translate. This often applies when the cultures are similar and barrier is only a literal language translation. Like, I went to an (English!) showing of "The Diary of Anne Frank" and never laughed once.
Good article, Jeff. Sure, the idea that the Religious Left or Wokesters or whatever are making comedy harder certainly is part of the story. But only part of it.
The other, arguably bigger part as far as movies are concerned is that Hollywood really covets that China money, and while American blockbusters play well over there, American comedy does not. So good on you for highlighting this.
Are we related? I'm beginning to think that we're related.
Cultural and artistic homogenization sucks in general-look at FM radio. It’s even worse in the service of authoritarian thugs…,.
So Big Trouble in Little China 2: Lo Pan’s Revenge-can it get the green light or not?
Is comedy also decreasing on streaming? I mean, now that we have access to giant tvs at home and on demand entertainment, why go sit in a sticky, popcorn theater for an experience you can easily replicate the salient points of at home?
Another component to the limited slots is that China is trying to protect its own movie industry. I for one (and this is why nothing will change) wish that our movies here in the states would spend less effort on broadest global appeal, which in so many cases scrubs them of any interesting specificity. But the whole industry now is so geared to big spending/big profits the days of the big (non-action) comedy seem over. I'd love to see the ascent of a studio like A24 but for comedies.