I can't pinpoint the moment Hollywood died, but I do know it happened at some point within the last 15 years. More and more I find myself going back to watch films from the 90s and 80s. They didn't have half the flash and the technology wasn't nearly as advanced as it is today, but there was a charm and magic to them that you won't find in some of the latest CGI-fests.
That's because when watching these movies, you get a sense of far more heart and artistry. These were storytellers telling stories. Few were what you'd call perfect, but they were far more enjoyable than what the Academy is calling the "best picture" today.
If you were to ask me whether I wanted to watch "Real Genius" or "The Shape of Water," I'd say "Hold the fish sex."
Back then, Hollywood seemed to understand what it was and what it needed to accomplish. It needed to make a film that truly entertained and won the hearts and minds of Americans. Back then, with no internet, it behooved movie studios to put out the best product they could so that word of mouth would spread, causing more people to see their films.
Comedies really were funny and dramas really tugged at your heartstrings. Not every film hit the mark, but on average, a lot more of them did.
Critics were a lot more honest about their craft as well. Siskel and Ebert could decide the fate of a movie with a turn of their thumbs like some Roman Emperor at the Colosseum and they were generally on target.
Then, at some point, something in Hollywood changed, or rather their priorities did. Studios, actors, producers, and directors began feeling a sense of "responsibility." They suddenly believed that they needed to use their platforms to effect real social change for the betterment of mankind. This attitude would mark the downfall of Hollywood as films adopted more political messaging and less storytelling.
Fast forward to today and while you sometimes get echoes of the past with good, solid films, these are now rare. Most of the time, you're going to get a sad piece of propaganda that the media and Hollywood try to sell off as "important" for one socio-political reason or another.
On Wednesday, I wrote about how the SAG-AFTRA brass is angry because the strike is preventing them from telling LGBT stories that would change the minds of the people and alter world views. This was reiterated several times by various members of the union's leadership.
(READ: SAG-AFTRA Strike Stopping Artists from Making 'Worldview-Changing' LGBT Stories, Complains Union)
This is effectively a confession that they're more interested in the political propaganda they can create, not art or stories that truly affect the people. For them, their platform is all about the politics of "progressivism" and whatever that entails today.
The obsession has extended into the press where it appears journalists are bullying and policing creators to make sure that they're properly worshiping at the altar of "diversity and inclusion." Amazon even had "inspectors" they would send to productions to make sure that this was enforced. Try really hard not to picture Nazis showing up to search the premises. You won't succeed.
(READ: Amazon Has Inspectors to Make Sure Its 'Rings of Power' Production Is Diverse)
Hollywood has forgotten itself. It's lost touch with what it was and the people within it have misplaced their priorities. These are no longer directors, producers, or actors. These are activists with an agenda.
And if that's the case, Hollywood must be dead and the SAG-AFTRA strike that has stopped all production is just nailing the coffin shut.
I will miss the Hollywood I used to know, but it's pretty clear that it's gone. Hopefully, it will soon be replaced by independent creators who actually care about their craft and whose first priority is entertaining you.