The Simpsons takes on Trump-Comey (complete with Nixon cameo) and it’s the *perfect* way to start your weekend. pic.twitter.com/uA0VdhkMXd
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 26, 2017
If you ever saw Gene Rodenberry speak, you probably heard him describe how the Paramount suits demanded, after watching the Star Trek pilot, that he drop either the female second-in-command or the alien science officer. “So I married the woman and kept Mr. Spock,” he would finish, gleefully, “… because in California, it was illegal to do it the other way around!”
Forty years later…
‘White genocide in space’: Racist fans seethe at diversity in new ‘Star Trek’ series https://t.co/vOrBThEP5i pic.twitter.com/NGZca6Zf5V
— Raw Story (@RawStory) May 24, 2017
If you're mad about diverse casting, you fundamentally do not understand Star Trek. https://t.co/7J52LBIj18
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) May 25, 2017
@imillhiser If you're mad about diversity in 2017 you have more probs than understanding sci fi
— Julie Bartlett (@JulieLynn150) May 25, 2017
Also, the new Wonder Woman movie is already drawing raves, so one Texas-based movie chain had a brilliant marketing idea. As described by a (male!) critic at Film School Rejects:
A few days ago, the Alamo Drafthouse did what the Alamo Drafthouse does best: announce a special event themed to one of its upcoming releases. In celebration of Wonder Woman, the first female-driven superhero movie in the current wave of Marvel and DC productions, Alamo announced that they would be holding a special women-only screening on Tuesday, June 6 at their downtown location in Austin. If you identify as a woman, you could spend a night at Alamo’s very own Themyscira and enjoy the film with an all-female audience and staff.
Almost immediately, the company was inundated with both positive and negative responses. The Drafthouse’s initial Facebook post became ground zero for both the worst and best responses to the event; some fans celebrated the fact that Drafthouse was using Wonder Woman as an opportunity to celebrate intersectional feminism, while others decried the event as just another example of liberal snowflakes and their need for safe spaces…
On paper, it’s hard for anyone to defend why they’re upset with the two special screenings of Wonder Woman. There are an additional 31 screenings (three-one) of Wonder Woman in Austin that same Tuesday; that doesn’t even include non-Drafthouse locations, an extra level of math I have no interest in doing. Hell, there’s even one additional late screening of the film at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz for those who really want to see the film in the heart of downtown Austin…
But I personally hope that those who click for the controversy will stay for the affirmation. For every person who has expressed outrage at the screenings, another has expressed excitement at the opportunity for a bunch of women to gather together and watch a kick-ass movie that celebrates women. I’ve seen people discussing sponsoring tickets for non-profit organizations focused on women and women’s health, making plans to drive down to Austin with a close sibling or parent, or simply cheering on those who will attend the screening even if it’s not targeted to them…
Alamo Drafthouse, of course, takes full advantage:
We heard your complaints have taken swift & decisive action. Another women-only #WonderWoman show on sale now! https://t.co/ILueTsJH6R pic.twitter.com/6HAuYi6fQG
— Alamo Drafthouse NYC (@AlamoNYC) May 26, 2017
And, finally, happy news about a no-longer-nearly-as-popular “culture”:
Breitbart is facing an "unusually steep" decline in traffic https://t.co/00OvQsh8aq
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) May 26, 2017
What else is on the agenda as we start the holiday weekend?
Saturday Morning #PopCulture Open ThreadPost + Comments (135)