Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Amazon audiences still prefer 'straight, white, male leads,' find LGBTQ stories 'off-putting': Report
The Blaze ^ | April 6, 2023 | Cortney Weil

Posted on 04/09/2023 9:30:05 AM PDT by Twotone

Amazon audiences still prefer traditional story lines featuring "straight, white, male leads" and often steer clear of woke programming, a new report says.

According to Bounding Into Comics, the shows that audiences have consistently panned are those with "queer" story lines. Perhaps the most notable example is "A League of Their Own," a series reboot of the beloved movie of the same name released in 1992. While the original follows Dottie Hinson and her sister, Kit Keller — played by Geena Davis and Lori Petty, respectively — as they try to make their way in a women's professional baseball league, the reboot stars a black woman who must constantly overcome racial obstacles to play.

There is also a strong lesbian subplot to "A League of Their Own," as some members of the Rockford Peaches — still wearing their iconic pink and red skirted baseball uniforms by day — engage in same-sex relationships off the field. Rosie O'Donnell, who acts as a playful and humorous sidekick to Madonna in the movie, guest-stars on the new show as a cross-dressing owner of an underground gay bar.

This sexualized mangling of a cherished film about feminine athleticism has been a big swing and a miss with viewers. In fact, the Hollywood Reporter called it one of the most "expensive disappointments" of Jen Salke's time as head of Amazon Studios. The outlet claimed that audiences found the "queer stories" in the show "off-putting," prompting executives to encourage "downplaying those themes" in show promotions.

The Hollywood Reporter also suggested that overall consumer disinterest in "A League of Their Own" could represent a larger disconnect between content creators and audiences. According to the outlet, many Amazon focus groups "tend to favor broad and less inclusive programming," creating a ranking system in the algorithm which often prefers "straight, white male leads above all others," even as some in the industry continue to push for "diverse and inclusive shows."

To demonstrate the conflicting demands of audiences and producers, That Park Place pointed to a focus group test case involving two different cop shows. The first show features a female cop who is both a racial minority and a lesbian. She moves to an unidentified southern town, where she struggles against "racism, sexism and abuse of power of her new colleagues." The second show is just a pastiche of old "Starsky & Hutch" clips adapted for a modern audience. The main characters are white, male cops, and they are the good guys who take on bad-boy criminals, often with mild forms of violence like fist-fighting.

The audience preferred the "Starsky & Hutch" redux by a "huge" margin, prompting That Park Place to conclude that "the marketplace of 'normies' is growing tired of tropes circled around tribalism, politics, geo-elitism, etc." and that those who promulgate those story lines "are poison to the well that is public good will."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: amazon; hollywood; lgbtq
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last
To: Twotone

The silent majority likes normalcy.

And it partly depends on what group they belong to. I’m sure blacks prefer black leads. Without the extra baggage of sex or sexuality or handicap, etc. you have to be part of those little niches to actually prefer that. You know, “identity”.

Meanwhile, our PC society has become so self-conscious about constantly bringing up this stuff and depicting every aggrieved group, well beyond their import.


21 posted on 04/09/2023 9:49:24 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMV.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone
She moves to an unidentified southern town, where she struggles against "racism, sexism and abuse of power of her new colleagues."

Those tired ["no waz tard"] old themes have been run into the ground.

22 posted on 04/09/2023 9:50:39 AM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

“League of their Own”, 1992 version. A very linear (tall) and pretty Geena Davis was cool.


23 posted on 04/09/2023 9:52:25 AM PDT by BigEdLB (Let’s go Brandon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tai_Chung
It’s hard to find American shows without gay characters. I tend to watch more foreign shows because of it.

This.

I watched the excellent Israeli production "Tehran" on AppleTV. No woke. No LGBT. Just good action and storytelling.

24 posted on 04/09/2023 9:53:52 AM PDT by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024. A real conservative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

“Same goes for Wanda Sykes, who despite any discernible talent keeps getting gigs.”

How that slug ever got a moment’s exposure has always been a mystery to me.


25 posted on 04/09/2023 9:55:01 AM PDT by Magic Fingers (Political correctness mutates in order to remain virulent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

I think that the producers and writers in Hollyweird are so insular, that they cannot understand the general movie audiences. Get rid of LGTBQRSTUVWXYZ and vegetarianism as well. “Fat Greek Wedding”, and “Betsy’s Wedding “ are 2 examples where they forced no meat rules into the script whee it was superfluous.


26 posted on 04/09/2023 9:57:09 AM PDT by BigEdLB (Let’s go Brandon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

pointed to a focus group test case involving two different cop shows. The first show features a female cop who is both a racial minority and a lesbian. She moves to an unidentified southern town, where she struggles against “racism, sexism and abuse of power of her new colleagues.” The second show is just a pastiche of old “Starsky & Hutch” clips adapted for a modern audience. The main characters are white, male cops, and they are the good guys who take on bad-boy criminals, often with mild forms of violence like fist-fighting.

The audience preferred the “Starsky & Hutch” redux by a “huge” margin,


In their mind the focus group is wrong, and will get another focus group.


27 posted on 04/09/2023 9:58:17 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tai_Chung

I just watch old shows. Hogan’s Heroes, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, etc.


28 posted on 04/09/2023 9:58:22 AM PDT by EvilCapitalist (81 million votes my ass.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Twotone
From Wikipedia:

"Bros had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. Universal spent between $30 million and $40 million marketing the film and commercially released it in theaters in the United States on September 30, 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, but it bombed at the box office, grossing $14.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $22 million."

Revenue $15m
Production Cost: $22m
Marketing: $35m
Net: ($42m)

Boo hoo.

29 posted on 04/09/2023 9:58:27 AM PDT by KevinB (Word for the day: "kakistocracy" - a society governed by its least suitable or competent citizens)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Reading some of those plot summaries it becomes pretty obvious that audiences don’t react well to a steady diet of boring polemics written by a Woke Politburo, and perhaps that “You’ll listen to this for your own good, you stupid normies” isn’t much of a sales pitch. If the only place that audience can escape that dreary guilt-mongering features straight white characters then that’s where they’ll go.


30 posted on 04/09/2023 9:58:50 AM PDT by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

I see enough minorities and sexual perverts in the commercials, I’m not interested in watching them in movies and TV shows. It sends a false impression of America to the rest of the world. Queen Latifah as “The Equalizer”. ROTFLMAO! Give me a friggin’ break. It’s already been done to perfection by Edward Woodward and Denzel Washington. Don’t need a big mouth, walking gabfest to do it.


31 posted on 04/09/2023 10:03:03 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (It's time to indict the Dung Beetle Party's token affirmative action chubby cheeked shyster lawyer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EvilCapitalist
I just watch old shows. Hogan’s Heroes, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, etc.

This place never disappoints.

"ALL YOU NEED TO WATCH IS PETTICOAT JUNCTION!!!"


32 posted on 04/09/2023 10:03:15 AM PDT by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024. A real conservative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Twotone
I was just on Amazon.com a few moments ago. Front in center is an ad encouraging everyone to watch their new movie "Bros". It features the following picture.

A romantic comedy from the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They're both very busy.

I departed from Amazon's website immediately because it is a reminder that the company is constantly promoting perversion and evil. Go woke, Go broke.

33 posted on 04/09/2023 10:03:25 AM PDT by fireman15 (Irritating people are the grit from which we fashion our pearl. I provide the grit. You're Welcome.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

We’re tired of all the stupid woke ads too.


34 posted on 04/09/2023 10:04:29 AM PDT by Hattie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drew68
I'm sure HBO saw me fast-forward through the gay love scenes in "Last of Us."

I TIVO record most tv shows that I watch just so I can fast-forward through commercials and 'scenes' I have no interest in.

I also fast-forward through some of the streaming shows/movie scenes.

I hope the streaming services/networks notice.


35 posted on 04/09/2023 10:06:43 AM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy

I recently watched the series The Night Agent [Netflix]. It was okay.

I made it through half of S01E03 and then lost interest.


36 posted on 04/09/2023 10:08:04 AM PDT by fretzer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

The invisible hand is apparently white, and homophobic.


37 posted on 04/09/2023 10:11:41 AM PDT by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy

The Night Agent was pretty good.

Cultural notes:

1) The President was a woman. Because of course she was.

2) There was a pair of fags. Definitely bad guys.

3) The female lead ... Is she a “Strong Independent Powerful Woman” or a nice young lady with a spine?

If there is a Season 2 I won’t watch it. They tied up the story very nicely. The End.


38 posted on 04/09/2023 10:12:17 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: EvilCapitalist
I just watch old shows. Hogan’s Heroes, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, etc.

I have been watching a lot of dramas and movies from the late 1900s. I am surprised at how much woke stuff is in them. It is more subtle, not so in-your-face, and more abbreviated, but it is there.


39 posted on 04/09/2023 10:15:59 AM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
I have been watching a lot of dramas and movies from the late 1900s.

For a second there, I read this as just before 1910!

40 posted on 04/09/2023 10:21:47 AM PDT by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-82 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson