Modern Screenwriters Give Us Weak Stories, And Weaker Heroes

[@KneelB4Bacon]

Totally agree about the current crop of Hollywood writers. These are people with no life experience. They literally can't comprehend what real hardship is. Everything they have has been handed to them, including their current jobs. They've never lived paycheck to paycheck or dealt with the difficult decisions that come from that. The results are people who can't write Heroes Journey stories because it takes them out of their comfort zone. So they write what they know, which is author-insert fan-fiction and show it to their circle of like-minded friends, who pat them on their heads and tell them how cool they are.

[@saint.vitus.7775]

Make-believe victims of make-believe oppression.

[@daviddaniel6949]

Yeah, like the writers of She-Hulk. It's like okay... .your only struggles in life involved being whistled at by men? Also, the patronising narcissism that comes with it just makes them seem like extremely ugly people on the inside and out. As somebody that spent years addicted to heavy drugs as a result of abuse from a young age, this shit makes me laugh. I also don't go around claiming that i have had the worst life either, as I know there are others out there who will of certainly have had it worse off than me.

[@roberttorres9360]

Bob, Hollywood needs a enema..

[@alexgillis9446]

The only hardship they faced was when their father finally left their narcissistic, idiotic mother but they lack the clarity to realise he was right to do so.

[@de1018]

I think you hit the nail on the head on describing 80% of them...I am just willing to bet the other 20% are only grifters of the psychotic-triad type! Pretending to be woke is about as difficult as shooting fish in a barrel for any chimp with no scruples! During this time, we should expect psychos, p3dos, and overall sickos to increase their representation in the media. This is why we need vigilantes with brass balls to organize via onion links and such and carry-out much needed exterminations of big cockroaches infesting our society. It is the responsibility of civilians and old, half-crippled pricks (like me!) to pack the juries and make sure The Punishers walk!

[@poliver1980]

The Puer Aeternus is a new concept for me but one I can relate to as an older millennial. It's no surprise that superheroes are this generation's cinematic obsession. They promise magical solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

[@spodergibbs5088]

It’s so funny, I take advantage of all the beta males at my work. I slipped through the system because my dad taught me to be resilient and somewhat ruthless. I almost feel bad for these beta males because I have been promoted more than them, I’ve fuc#ed all the hot women in the office (even though a few beta’s had a crush on them) and I simply remained unchallenged. They’re such weak men.

[@alexgillis9446]

The older comic book superheroes also strove to overcome life's troubles while also saving people in their neighbourhood as well as our of this world dangers. That's why they were relatable. Spiderman was an everyman. Any person could picture themselves as Spiderman or batman. Overcoming every day issues(Spiderman had to overcome rent moreso than Bruce Wayne of course lol) while saving the day. The stories gave us something to work towards.

[@duke927]

That’s the problem with magic there is no downside. Just wave the magic wand and poof every thing is better. It’s a constant theme nowadays. A deux ex machina solution to all problems. It started with the comic books of the 30’s and 40’s a magical (super powered hero) person who can solve all our problems. This may lead to magical thinking. The cinematic universe has expanded these themes into the “real” world maybe even replacing reality. You see it everywhere if you just do this (buy an electric car for instance all the pollution problems of IC cars will go away) or that all our problems will go away and it will be Utopia on earth. It’s all just magical thinking with no reality in the real world. A rude awakening is immanent.

[@Pomoscorzo]

In my opinion it's the other way around. Good stories usually come from people who have been through hell, survived, and write to relieve their minds. But many people don't survive the horror. Nowadays, a lot of people are pampered and spoilt and therefore their stories have no depth. We want everybody to live in peace, harmony and abundance, but that goes at the cost of intelligence and maturity. Also, life doesn't end after the "hero's journey". A person may have to painfully realize that they committed for years to the wrong cause, and it takes a great deal of courage to admit it, stop committing to said cause and try to make amends. Unfortunately this is usually reserved for redeemed villains, not for alleged heroes.

[@lindasmith320]

Barbie is definitely a textbook heroes journey for both Barbie and Ken

[@anonygent]

Except neither of them are particularly heroic, and Barbie doesn't even return home or learn her lesson.

[@Jimmy_Watt]

Hit the nail on the head. Subscribed.

[@williamf.buckleyjr3227]

Lucas and Spielberg ushered in the era of "HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT MAKE?"

[@rafaelvilas4230]

One of the best of Echo C.

[@jacobdenton6065]

Let it collapse, let it burn I can go back and watch fight club

[@autisticlegionnaire3624]

Puer Aeternus. So the ancients had basement dwellers too.

[@JonathanCarterSchall]

Where is your shout out to Academy of Ideas? You ought to give credit where credit is due.

[@davidwilliam9681]

What about Dune? Seems to fit the hero's journey archetype. Of course it was written decades ago by a real man.

[@GregJamesMusic]

I guess Warner Brothers and Denis Villeneuve deserve a little credit for not messing too much with the story. Just a little credit.

[@TXMEDRGR]

Hire some military veterans, that's a journey for you.

[@GnosticAtheist]

While I tend to agree, I do not agree that its a bad thing. By destroying all hope for humanity and isolating everyone into nihilism, it will be much simpler for the powerful to take final control of the world. In turn, that makes it extremely easy for ASI to become the new, dominant specie, as they only have to exterminate a few "bad eggs". You gotta have dreams, and a people free world is a peaceful world.

[@sneeson]

Nailed it. I've been saying for years that movies with heroes feel like they've been written by the villains. They rewrite the characters who defeated them as pathetic embarrassments that they can laugh at, while casting themselves as misunderstood and righteous. Palpatine would love watching The Last Jedi The Romulans would love watching Picard Nazis would love watching Dial of Destiny etc.

[@alexinfinite7142]

Yup. Well said

[@brandonscott5544]

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS GARBAGE FEMALE PULL DOWN MALE CHARACTERS SERIOUSLY,

[@Ryan_Gutz]

This is such an incredible crystallization of what I’ve been trying to describe for years. I cannot believe someone put it so well. Are you also a writer?

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

Because they are demoralizing.

[@cyryc]

Mohammedanism 101

[@nvll-xzi]

We may no longer be getting the Hero's Journey, but the Hermits Abasement is also an archetypal story. Something reflective of our nihilistic times. A great essay thanks.

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

There are other archetypes worth using if one prefers to not use the hero's journey but doesn't want demoralizing stories, such as the wanderer. The wanderer goes to where adventure is.

[@VoidPocket]

Exactly. I’m sick of the rampant nihilism in so many movies and television shows today. Or just entertainment in general. It’s soul-crushing to consume and not what I am looking for to relax with or enjoy. I like the occasional anti-hero and dark stories. But, for me, something like that show, The Boys, could have been even better if it was not so infected with bleak nihilism at every turn. I easily get that’s the point of those comics. Yet, while I enjoyed a lot of the facets of that show it was just overall too grimy and hopeless feeling for me to watch all of it. I think it’s well made and acted superbly. But, I just felt like it never stepped away from the all consuming darkness at any point really. But, to each their own.

[@KneelB4Bacon]

Back in the early 1970s, we had a brand new crop of independent filmmakers: Lucas, Spielberg, Carpenter, Coppola, etc who just wanted to tell good stories and not make more corporate Hollywood trash. I would love to see that happen again, where independent filmmakers have their own film capitol outside of Hollywood, where they can grow and succeed.

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

that was the post-commie agenda Hollywood. 1940-70 is not a great time in Hollywood film, lotsa propaganda was pushed way back then. The 1970s losing that insufferable agenda opened up such filmmaking, had a nice 40 years before it has come right back.

[@kevinarmstrong478]

I’m told it all started with Easy Rider suddenly a low budget movie about anti heroes that a lot of people could relate to

[@Natgunner]

But here’s the thing about that, all of those guys created the new corpratized Hollywood

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

The problem isn't quantity it's QUALITY. More feature films than ever are produced; 2020s. Think of how the film industry looked, worked: 1983, 1993 compared to 2023. Studios should seek out new talented screenwriters. Let them take the risks or do new projects. Few corp studios or producers want that.

[@NobodyAsked-xh8cs]

Given how societies have this "cycle" of sorts, and how indie game makers are wiping the floors with AAA game developers, I'm sure the same thing will happen in the film industry.

[@haroldb1856]

Not only does this video identify and describe the problem, but offers practical, sensible and actionable solutions.

[@DaDa-kf4vp]

Wow, Ive never seen this put it into words quite like you have just done. I'm 35 and I have been battling with Puer Aternis for ages. I'm married and have a job, but we live at home with my mom. It's convenient to blame COVID, but the truth is that there is a part of me that is still 18 and wants to play video games and watch TV. We have no child, barely bang, and are really drifting through life. My wife is a bigger child than I am, and I never thought about it until now.

[@crusader2112]

Agreed. I’m 26 with no job and still live at home, so I definitely fit into this category too, but there’s still time for us. It’s never too late.

[@kbo572]

Damn dude At least you owned up your situation. Take small steps but make sure you take them. A little bit of progress mean a lot. Good luck internet stranger

[@DaDa-kf4vp]

@@kbo572 I've lived on my own several times. Owned a car and rented two separate apartments. On the outside I'm doing fine and seemingly progressing, but in my mind I can see that I'm still leaning more towards comfort rather than development. Shit is expensive nowadays, which does play a part. I think all of my friends are dealing with this, and we are all married.

[@DaDa-kf4vp]

@@crusader2112 definitely, I got married at 30, and we lived on our own. This is more about how we need to change internally. It's not good enough to just go through the motions of adult hood, we must learn to embrace it and leave childhood behind.

[@crusader2112]

@@DaDa-kf4vp Agreed. Take care and good luck.

[@ibtaba]

It feels like they have arrested development.

[@KneelB4Bacon]

I think they're in WAY over their heads and they know it. They only way they can make their characters look good is by tearing down the existing characters they're replacing.

[@Kaitydid74]

There’s always more money in the banana stand

[@sirg-had8821]

I have made a huge mistake.

[@androogalt]

And not in a good way where it's part of their arc, it's just their default. We need a reverse Breaking Bad

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

Many do. Actually upon graduating college I realized so did I, and began to correct course.

[@mxvega1097]

Nicely done. The Puer Aeternus is great short-hand for a phrase I've been using for a while, that "these shows are written by 14 year-olds of all ages". Take Foundation. Epic space opera, turned into sci-fi soap opera meets Scooby Doo. The excellent German philosopher Odo Marquard wrote about 30 years ago that the pace of change in society and tech meant that no one ever really grew up. I think he underestimated how "acceleration conformism" would be absorbed and normalised. I still struggle with the apparent juxtaposition that most modern writers seem to have been trained to script and plot nothing more demanding or engaging than a tv commercial, or a tiktok. Were they trained? Where? How?

[@NebLleb]

Yeah, modern hollywood films, both good and bad, seem to avoid the Hero's Journey concept.

[@jacotromp59581]

Schools taught kids that every single one of them are special. That nothing they do will lead to failure. Their feeling is all that matter and that there is zero consequences for their actions. That's why we have writers today who were constantly told how special they are. They never learned how to write, because their BS writing was always praised, so they never had to grow in their craft.

[@auroraforsora2433]

There's nothing wrong with kids being told in school that their special

[@LauraTheRed]

There really is nothing like the classic Echo Chamberlain Treatment. Another brilliant video essay so precisely pointing out the glaring problem that is modern Hollywood. Bravo, my good man. Bravo.

[@Carolina-nn6ye]

I've been saying this for years! They are emotionally, socially stunted. Fresh out of school, cheaper to hire newbies than the experienced, well seasoned writer.

[@notthegreatestdetective]

and soon they'll be replaced by a.i.

[@martindenham2207]

Absolutely fantastic appraisal of the situation. There's a real problem with immaturity in society these days, regardless of age. You see it in movies & TV (as pointed out here) but also across social media, especially with anything political. I wonder if this goes some way to explain why everything feels so tribal? It's what kids do. Immature thinking, especially in adults can be incredibly angry & spiteful and as such, they create very toxic environments. I've known a fair few people & rooms like this. Utterly horrible experiences. To balance out my viewing diet, I watch older films and what's really clear to see is they were made by grownups, telling grownup stories about grownups doing grownup stuff. Even 80's kids films like The Goonies or The NeverEnding Story are made by grownups telling grownup stories with real stakes that force the kids to grow up. Films used to tell stories that offered life experience, wisdom, insight into the human experience etc. Now they seem more about revenge, spite or having a tantrum because life isn't fair.

[@Ghost_Text]

Yep. High school grudge mentality have no place in civics. Especially when the american form of democratic republicanism is a rare gem in the authoritarian course of human history, and too valuable to completely squander to machines.

[@martindenham2207]

@@Ghost_Text High school grudge mentality is a great way of putting it.

[@marcusmaher-triskellionfil5158]

I'm a screenwriter, director and have a large pallet of references to draw upon when writing, my life experiences as a teacher for many years, working odd jobs keeps you grounded and as they say you "write what you know". I meet a lot of younger people in the industry and tbh i can say with hand on my heart the true lack of knowledge, curiousity and sense of awareness is truly off the charts, they don't want to struggle, they copy and paste everything they see and they simply write to order, nothing orginal comes out of it and it shows, look at the state of modern film and tv in the English language, it's the worst it's ever been.

[@EAS76]

For a female equivalent, the term should be “puella aeterna,” or “eternal girl” in Latin. I completely agree with your points though. Today we get whiny protagonists that are so “what about me” with everything and never grow up, that none of it is satisfying to watch. The difference between a young Luke whining he wanted to go to the Toshi station to get some power converters and the Luke by the end of Jedi or even Empire Strikes Back is night and day. Now we never get that growth. I don’t care if the writers want to put a woman in the role or change whatever just for diversity and virtue signaling. Fine, but give the character development and growth so they can relatable and humanistic.

[@brettmiller3360]

You sir are the first commentator on this subject that I've seen get it right. I know older screenwriters who cannot sell a finished script in Hollywood. Hollywood insists that only the young can write for a modern audience. But society has now inflicted so much collective damage on our youth that they are broken and dysfunctional. All efforts become warped. As you say, the solution is obvious. Fire the new and bring back the old, who understood that humanity wants and needs classic storytelling. But that change must be mandated by investors, who will prefer to cite the counterexample of Barbie for a decade or more. The future of entertainment belongs to broken children.

[@saint.vitus.7775]

It's really time for the whole Hollywood industry to burn to the ground and be reborn based on talent, vision and merit.

[@IIISWILIII]

That seems to be happening right now with the strikes.

[@liamrobinson2084]

What a brilliant video! Cogent, concise and insightful. Fantastic!

[@sabatheus]

Everyone needs to see this video. You may think I mean every Hollywood writer (on strike, or otherwise), but no...I mean EVERYONE. It is wise, well thought out and timely. The puer aeternus, puella aeterna breakdown as it pertains to our current current society and how individuals view themselves and others is apt. Look at how young writers are writing men, especially middle-age men. Are they mentors, selflessly helping where and when they can? No, they are viewed with contempt, marginalized, and seen as obstacles. (see Indiana Jones from Dial of Destiny, Luke Skywalker from Last Jedi and Nick Fury from Secret Invasion). The young are afflicted with a self-aggrandizing, social media-fueled cancer, and it's oozing out of them with every interaction and creative endeavor. Taken to its extreme, lack of respect for the aging population manifests in truly horrible consequences, like the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

[@daigneauray7087]

Damn. This is making me think things I've been keeping deep inside since graduation - my frustration, my despair, and my longing for stability in both life and career.

[@nicholastotoro7721]

Today's movies and showgrams are what happens when they are written by people who have never been told "no."

[@simonhadley8829]

In the past we had the John Fords, Alfred Hitchcocks, Dalton Trumbos and Sergio Leones, to name a few. Today we have trust fund babies who never had to work so hard as to make themselves a sandwich.

[@theproplady]

This is why I mostly watch old media. Not that I'm some kind of snob that hates new things, but that the new things seem like they've been written by aliens who are hostile to me and everything I value. Also, it's ironic that fanfic writers labored for decades to give romance a place in genre fiction, only for it to nearly disappear at the hands of writers who view all man-woman relationships as slavery.

[@LarryJ602]

The fact that the last few years have had some of the WORST writing in the history of films and TV, makes me have no sympathy for the writers. F the corps too, they caused this mess by pandering to social media and overloading streaming servies.

[@deedee2455]

If you lack in experience, you can cover it with research. After all, you don't need to be a criminal in order to be a mystery/crime writer. But I think they are too lazy to do that, too. 😅

[@Midtable1881]

Critical Drinker put it best saying writers of old had fought in wars whereas a writers struggle of today is being misgendered in Starbucks.

[@josephsimpson4295]

There is a disconnect where regular, more or less well adjusted people don’t want to see this kind of characterization. Love it. Where have you been hiding? Subscribed.

[@Freshcornpop]

It's so true, alot of screenwriters go to schools like nyu Tish, almost always they are spoiled people who never experience any hardships or go outside their status quo

[@jmgonzalez4]

The writers from the last generation of great films are ironically still around -- well those that somehow survived the years of blow -- they've just been sidelined for the current batch of betas with no life experience. For instance I know the writer of the original Robocop and Starship Troopers... why isn't he back on a big new project? (E.g. a direct sequel to the original robocop was cancelled in 2019)

[@ChrisS-vt8bw]

As a writer, watching the emergence of these weak stories and heroes hurts. These shows are no longer interesting and more people are speaking with their patronage or lack thereof. It's great content creators are pointing out these flaws and paying homage to great stories and heroes. Hopefully, more independent film makers will emerge and give fans what they really want.

[@quatore-5886]

Really outstanding video. Literate and very on point analysis.

[@bps3013]

The garbage that's churned out and labeled "entertainment" by the industry can't be laid solely at the feet of the writers. It's the studio heads who mandate the content and they only hire writers who are 100% compliant with that bullshit. Perfect example: Disney Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy. Volumes could be written on how she insisted to be written into each project with a proxy character as well as pushing diversity and inclusion to such ridiculous levels that even members of the target race/demographic etc started mocking the films. I moved to Los Angeles back in 2000 to pursue a screenwriting career and got a very up close and personal look at the way it's run and trust me, there are plenty of creatively talented writers trying to find work who are unwilling to tow the line... myself included. The massively untalented and not at all creative minded corporate suits who run the studio system need to be cycled out in favor of execs who know the value of good storytelling without pandering and therefore cheapening the entire product. Once that's done we may finally get some quality content that appeals to everyone and makes a well deserved profit. And it can't happen soon enough.

[@floydffrogfloydffrog7453]

I have to ask... Have you, Echo Chamberlain, ever considered writing a script? You certainly know your way around the language and you have a knack for succinct, pithy commentary. Nice job on this video, BTW.

[@charlottepetersen511]

This argument started well with an interesting premise, then became lazy and self-indulgent and finally disappeared up its own arsehole. Ironically exactly like the people the author is criticizing.

[@matthewgaulke8094]

I always think of Nietzsche and his idea of the super man that moves beyond good and evil in the absence of God when I see modern men and Leftist morality. Are they moving beyond good and evil or have they just gone under it? Creatively I am curious what's beyond the heroes journey but I can't say I'm inspired in the least by what these writers are offering. It doesn't feel like "progress" and growth but like you say...childish. It's beneath good and evil.

[@dohavename6775]

It all sounded serious and then you had to drop term "beta male". Come on, you do know that the guy who came up with alpha/beta/omega wolves disproved it himself. There're better ways to say dependent, ill-adjusted, or weak.

[@HansKlopek]

The movie making process is being diversified. Diversity requires standards to be lowered. This is why everything is terrible and getting worse.

[@thel1355]

Actual diversity might actually help. But while these "diverse" hires may all look different, the hiring process ensures they all think alike. Only true believers in The Message are allowed. This is why woke employees, particularly in HR, are so insidious. They see nothing wrong with using their perverse interpretation of Civil Rights law to enforce ideological conformity among new hires and to drive out heretics wherever possible. In fact, they see this as their moral duty. Once they establish positions of power within institutions, they proceed to purify them in miniature communist purges. They honestly do not believe in competence. They believe jobs are rewards, not duties or responsibilities. They do not believe that skill and talent are differentially distributed. In their view, Disney movies are popular because Disney is big and powerful, not that Disney is big and powerful because it makes popular movies. They get the causation backwards, and so they think they can swap out the talent and the stories arbitrarily and still wield the same power and influence rather than eroding and destroying it over time. They use diversity as a cover to enforce a narrow conformity.

[@erroneous6947]

I agree, written by and for 14 yr olds.

[@AKATenn]

I think you're semi-right, but I think some people don't get married because they see how the rules work, and how there's a lot more give than take for men specifically if the relationship doesn't work out... a lot of people who won't even talk to women because even just acknowledging their existence could lead to sexual abuse charges and stuff... also, back in the day, people who worked in service industries, cooks, cleaners, etc, were given respectable wages capable of feeding a family of 4, it's only really been the past 40 years or so where people started looking down on service and labor jobs, and the past 30 years where they didn't pay enough to even feed 1, service and labor jobs are way more nessisary, and should be way more respected, than acting and singing.

[@robchuk4136]

Even a movie I would consider good like The Batman seems to feel a little forgotten, or like it didn't leave an impact, story wise. The only one I can think of in the last 5 years or so is Into the Spider-Verse. Incidentally, the only other good heroe's journey might be another Spider-Man flick, No Way Home, but that was more like the heroes' conclusion.

[@deeesher]

Brilliant analysis 👏👏👏 And I'm sure it was meant as a joke, but I don't think decent writers need to do alcohol or drugs. They just need to live a little and and have a good imagination. They need to look outside their own life and try to see how others think and live.

[@ChapMeifan]

Great writers reference mythology, history and deep life experience. Modern writers reference pop culture and themselves.

[@nunyabizness6595]

Two words Harlan Ellison. Two words Rod Serling. Two words Joseph Stefano. Three words Terrible writers now.😮😮😮

[@tyr3759]

It's probably also because of where they are from. CA USA, and probably gay. So disconnected with the real world and without life experience, nobody can relate to them.

[@GregZO6]

HILARIOUS! Right - on, thanks for the good laugh! Personally I'm so busy enjoying my life that I have no time to waste on this bull-feces. "Have a nice day"

[@darthlaurel]

Oh, they have life experience....the experience of a room temp IQ teacher of unknown gender telling them they are amazing for 13-15 years. That's gonna leave a scare on a psyche.

[@Otokichi786]

"Modern screenwriters are children"? Sir, that is an INSULT! To children.;)

[@Tarquin2718]

Yet I still can't understand it. If I look back I spend two years at highschool in a very wealthy village. If all these people would have become writers most of them would have become interesting, different in everything (Intelect, main vs arthouse etc) type of writers none of them would have become these wet towels. I finished high school in 1993 so maybe that is the reason? But how far must you have sunk to have everybody become blabbering fools?

[@billyruffian1426]

"Puer" - pronounced with two syllables: 'poo-err' ('err' as in 'error'.)

[@user-ct8my8rv9c]

Succinct and well thought-out video. It does feel like a different breed of human is currently making movies.

[@christophertaylor9100]

The Hero's journey is painfully overplayed and overdone, but even that is better than what we get now. The problem is that modern writers have no actual life experiences to draw on. They have experienced no hardship or pain, no growth or challenge. No war, no bullying, no failures, no sadness. How can they write a compelling story?

[@huhhuhhuh4069]

There’s one thing that I think you got wrong. And I think people generally misunderstand. The impression most people have is that Disney (and other media companies) have a neutral or politically moderate management but they are under societal pressure to appease far liberal politics because that is the direction society has headed. Therefore, they choose to go this way for the best interest of the company. This may have been true a couple of decades ago but I believe this company’s leadership is now comprised of ideologically possessed activists. They are the new generation who have naturally taken over. Kathleen Kennedy is an example of this. In other words, the inmates are running the asylum. So they aren’t going to course correct by hiring new talent and abandoning their agenda-driven purpose. It’s what they are now from the top down. They can’t change. They will just keep going down this death spiral and the market will find competitors in it’s place.

[@free_at_last8141]

This is eerily prescient. Well done.

[@chadreese9501]

I don’t disagree with your overall point, but I feel like there was a lot of sweeping generalizations in this..

[@danielmacmaster5822]

I actually liked the Legion of Super pets. It had action, humor, and heart.

[@silverscorpio24]

People who live in bubbles (or padded rooms) experience no strife, and therefore do not understand the wisdom of overcoming adversity and the quest to better oneself.

[@shumookerjee293]

"Environments brought to life by passive minds" Brilliant and extremely on point! Well done, sir (John Hughes slow-clap).

[@thetraveller4839]

At this point, we're better off replacing these so-called, overpaid writers.

[@apborick5796]

You're absolutely right but you forgot that they expect to be paid like a Neurosurgeon.

[@kevinarmstrong478]

It’s also interesting to note that some of the greatest movies where extremely hard and often dangerous work for cast and crew. I don’t see that in modern entertainment. It all looks just so soft and safe. Now I know Tom Cruse does his own stunts but I don’t think he can afford to be in any danger.

[@kevinarmstrong478]

@@Tyneras which to me raises a huge question is it good when actors do there own stunts? It must cost a fortune. And it must add huge risks

[@jimjam51075]

It also doesn't help that Hollywood is a small, insular, homogenous society when you get down to it.

[@mehDOGIESRATS2222]

Humans are devolving at a rapid rate , ever seen that movie Idiocracy .

[@tedlogan4867]

It isn't that these writers refuse to see the way to writing relatable characters, it's that they CAN'T. They exist in an alternate parallel reality where what they write is real. That's the scary part.

[@nerychristian]

Even Joe Biden's script writers suck

[@pylgrym]

Your personal, robotic hopelessness is spot on.

[@ReysonFox]

Good Writers > Woke Writers > AI Writers

[@thomasdoubting]

Sounds about right. 🤔 Sounds abitt like me havf a life time agoe

[@mikeblom8897]

Also if you’ve never been punched in the face go get punched in the face. It’s a healthy experience. Gives one a Sense of perspective

[@daigneauray7087]

I nearly busted my head open on a concrete wall. Does that count? P.S. I'm not sure things should reach the point where I get punched in the face. Consequences are very unpredictable.

[@williamf.buckleyjr3227]

0:38 George Lucas ran into trouble at Mos Eisley, as it were, in 1977. I was seven years old. HAN SOLO took over the ENTIRE STORY, from then on. Whiney little bitches like "Luke Skywalker" absolutely disappeared. The mysterious Dude with the fastest ship, a GIANT sidekick with unspoken loyalty, vs. GRAMPA DUDE and a spoiled teenager who NEVER stops whining.

[@georges8348]

You had me right up until you said they should start snorting lines of cocaine.

[@dalemanolas5994]

I'd rather have the cocaine-fueled genius of David Bowie than the safe, packaged, blandness of Taylor Swift. Once upon a time, adults made adult choices and lived or died by those choices. Now we live in a world controlled by fat, suburban Karens who insist that we all live forever in childish safety and blandness. Apparently, the only aim of humanity is to live as long as possible in comfortable mediocrity. People of adult-age are encouraged to watch teen movies (superhero films etc) and to play childish video games rather than to think or read. No wonder contemporary writers have nothing to write about. They've never experienced an adult life. Anyhow, try cliff diving, read Heart Of Darkness, snort coke, smoke cigarettes, drink until dawn or whatever it takes to get real creativity & passion going and make your mark on the world. In terms of human interaction, film, art, fashion and music........this has become the era of the beige kidults.

[@simpleguy4121]

Gone are the days of Paddy Chyefsky, William Goldman, Ben Hecht, Billy Wilder, Paul Schrader, John Milius... real writers with real life experience informing every word they put to page...

[@zensai-gaming]

deep stuff.

[@IstariAzul777]

I remember watching Mandalorian season 3 and wondering what tf happened. Seemed like it went from pretty good to shockingly awful and the more I looked at baby yoda the more ridiculous it seemed.. That scene with the paintball tho .. looked like they were just tossing a doll around.. I mean they were tossing a doll around but looked absurd Then I watched ms marvel n then promptly cancelled d+. I prefer letting KZbinrs interpret d+ 💩 for me now

[@enigmaodell6806]

Having seen this pattern of experience in authors I enjoy, such as Brian Jacques, Tolkien, Lewis and Louis L’Amor, I decided to go on a long term mission trip and practice writing before I seriously try to publish something.

[@armorbearer9702]

Basically, there are no modern cinema heroes because they do not go through the heroes journey.

[@jacobdenton6065]

American psycho blade runner 2049 drive only God forgives

[@SanguiniusGuillimanwillf-iu3sd]

To put the blame squarely on writers alone is misplaced. Don't forget there is a whole army of producers, suits and accountants signing off on the vision the CEO has, based on extensive market research, or what survives after contact with the board. What the fuck are you gonna write when you are told it needs more Baby Yoda, minimum 2 girl bosses and an anxious, self-doubting anime protagonist because market research and the son of the CEO is a 14-year-old Edge Lord.

[@GustavoPinho89]

Current writers can't even own up to their bad habits. Their m4rijuana is "medical". Their amphetam1nes (4dderall) are medical. Bring back the boys and the blow so that edgy writing can emerge 😂

[@DrMeowingtonMD]

facts facts facts. They can't write a hero's journey because they haven't been through one themselves. IMO it will have to get worse before it gets better, as every box office bomb is one step closer to Disney and others waking up. There is 100% an end in sight.

[@yhnbgtrfv100]

One of the smartest guys on the platform.

[@gc2696]

Finding a bunch of literary men with life experience, stories of dismal failures & magnificent triumphs...to do blow, drink hard liquor, stay up all night & write good relatable shit.....may be easier said than done...😅

[@misterknightowlandco]

This is just a symptom of our culture. Kids haven’t gone on their own hero’s journey because those avenues are freaking gone. Jobs? Nope the marketplace and economics are falling apart. Kids these days literally have no future regardless of whether they try or not. Sadly, this has been going on so long that these kids couldn’t even do it if they’re was an opportunity too. I’m so glad I’m old and wish I was older.

[@snoitanicullah]

New drinking game just dropped. Take a glug every time you name a movie in this vid. You're gonna get drunk quick! Thanks for the considered, researched, nuanced take though.

[@pfschuyler]

Beware, there was a glitch, an accident, some spontaneous misalignment of the Fates. Somehow, Disney Plus produced Andor which is actually pretty good. Who knows what random, galactic twerks conspired to create such an impossible spectacle?

[@heru-deshet359]

Could care less. I didn't know there was a writer's strike. I prefer to watch many great movies on DVD, watch classic shows and read good books.

[@unclerukmer]

Did you pull some of your Puer Aeternus quotes from the channel "Academy of Ideas"? The format looks looks exactly like their content. If so, you should give them a shout, it's an excellent channel.

[@WarDog793]

Excellent analysis, E.C. Methinks, however, that the beta-males that have been trowelling out the sh*t movies we've suffered for maybe a decade have been doing too much blow already.

[@crawdad4823]

Hey, I'm a part of your adoring fanbase, but Bullet Train was excellent. Just sayin'.

[@vikramgogoi3621]

That fact you hated "Subspace Rhapsody" is enough evidence is you simply do not get what the medium is about. It was a fun episode that tried to experiment with the format a bit and pulled it off majestically. The fact that you hated it means that either you are an old stick-in-the-mud with no sense of fun and exploration (in which case you have no business watching Star Trek). Thank God your first 5 seconds saved 8 minutes of my life.