Woke Is Broken, Art Is Golden

The artistic landscape is changing once more, with many mediums now dominated by women. I have no particular issue with this, seeing as there are many female artists I admire and hold in high esteem. According to the WEF (not endorsing them in the slightest), female authors now make up over 50 percent of the books being written.

What I have an issue with is the idea of diversity for the sake of it. A talented author or filmmaker is a woman? Awesome.

Making Snape a different race when the source material describes him as pale and thin-haired?

No way.

One notion is talented people of another gender in a once male-dominated space, the other is appropriation and checking a box.

That’s the problem with a lot of art today. It is done to check a box off, and not relevant to the growth and arc of a character.

Brandon Sanderson recently received much backlash for Wind and Truth, and while I believe Sanderson is only living what he feels is right, there’s a reason for everything feeling shoehorned instead of natural.

If an adult of age chooses the gay lifestyle and leaves everyone else alone about it, then more power to them. But when the government or art is forcing these things upon a populace or consumer base, that is morally bankrupt.

If you need me to call you by your pronouns, that’s fine. But if the government forces me to do it at the point of a gun, that’s totalitarian and immoral. As a grown adult, you are free to make your choices. I will treat you with love and pray for you.

But when children get involved, that’s overstepping the line by a long distance.

Traditional publishing is sadly the same way these days. “This book isn’t diverse enough for us.”

“But why are they white?”

Lilo and Stitch is a great example of art using race and culture the right way. No issues with me whatsoever, not even with the new movie coming out.

Once Upon a Time making Merlin a different race was fine, as it fit for what was happening in that part of the show.

But the recent Snape news and new books getting rejected for not being politically progressive is self-defeating and hypocritical.

You say you want diversity, yet you only choose a certain demographic of authors.

Wouldn’t diversity also include conservatives and moderates?

Just saying….

Therefore, traditional publishing is going the way of dinosaurs and indie publishing is thriving.

Gatekeeping for political reasons is ironically the opposite of what these people claiming virtue claim to be.

Don’t get me wrong. If you’re a progressive, that’s great for you. I also have a few progressive takes Christians might look at me sideways for (I care what the text actually says, not random pastor opinions, for example). To a point.

In a free world, we’ll defend the right to choose your views. That’s amazing.

I don’t agree with most leftist ideologies, but I will respect your right to have them.

I want to write stories that captivate, commentate, make people feel, and create my art. The interpretation is up to them. I won’t force that.

On a similar note to what I started with, we need more male-oriented stories that show masculinity as positive.

Who better to write about this than the new guard of the indie world?

Being a man is not toxic, and there’s no need to apologize for being one.

Writing the opposite gender isn’t an issue for authors. If you understand that everyone is a person instead of a biological sex alone.

J. K. Rowling did fantastic with Harry and Ron, as well as the other characters who aren’t her gender.

I’m writing a series of books with a female main character, but I certainly won’t be adding any “ideologies” to make her awesome and immaculate. She has flaws, and wants, and goals. She’s a person.

I will also not pull a Terry Goodkind and make everything about capitalism.

But the truth is, art helps us process the world, so politicism is unavoidable in some respects.

Metaphor:ReFantazio is a splendid example of politics done right. Atlus made a masterpiece there (with an incredible Jesus metaphor to boot). I don’t often have time for games these days, but if something stands out as an amazing work of fiction, I must give it credit and praise.

Art does not need forceful ideologies.

We do not need to make characters less masculine, less feminine, or less attractive to appease two people who have a weird idea that fictional characters exist, or something. Seeing a fit character makes me go, “That’s awesome. How can I achieve that or close to it?”

I don’t mind a diverse cast, but make it make sense, please.

The reason many movies, books, and games are flopping is because the “modern audience” doesn’t actually exist.

Make good stories about people.

That, my friends, will make a difference and cause the world to think.