Political correctness has become a juggernaught force in our society. What makes its all-encompassing presence in our daily lives today so impressive is how short a time the transition took. So much has changed about how we’re expected to view one another, interact with each other & self-identify in less than 30 years. For context, that’s less time than the internet has been available to the general public!
The origins of the new philosophy of sensitivity, inclusiveness & acceptance came about for all the right reasons. However, things spiraled & evolved to the point where it’s become potentially detrimental for one to say or do nearly anything without carefully thinking it over lest one be interpreted –correctly or incorrectly –as a bigot, racist, fascist, leftist or any other ‘-ist’. In this era where anything is instantly available on Twitter & the like, where the court of public opinion can destroy a person’s singular momentary misstep without consideration of who they are as a whole, where you can’t easily escape your previous transgressions… it’s tough to be human. Even though being human means being fallible.
The broad-reaching effects have left practically no exceptions. The entertainment industry is the biggest example of that. The very nature of movies & TV has changed dramatically under the microscope of PC (or whichever fashionably appropriate label you prefer). The industry has always been about the bottom line, but now a clear objective for attaining that bottom line is ensuring the product is appropriate for the times. Enter PC. In an era when comedians are sued for their punchlines & Paula Dean’s empire hemorrhages for her use of racial epithets in private, insulting the sensibilities & expectations of potential audiences is bad for the bottom line (& therefore, for the jobs of those involved in creating that product). Gone are the days of simply entertaining your audience & letting them deal with the language, overtly stereotypical characters, derogatory comments that were traditionally accepted (even if undesirable) norms in everyday life until the late 80s. Don’t believe me? How do you think the ultra-bigot Archie Bunker or the misogynistic Dirty Harry or the ’86 blackface comedy, Sole Man would fare publicly & monetarily today???
Besides the more positive, fostering & accepting environment the newer, kinder world has allowed for, one of the greatest things it’s afforded us all is the opportunity to see powerful, refreshing work that we would never have had the chance to see on the big (or small) screen 20 years ago. Like the award-winning Dallas Buyers Club, Philadephia & Certain Women. These films have only been made possible, I believe, because of the shift in society’s perspective in how we are supposed to deal with each other –as human beings regardless of our differences.
Now we get Moonlight from writer/director Barry Jenkins. Another incredible film that is stirring early Oscar buzz for its delivery, its strong performances & thought-provoking story. It checks all the boxes of what real life can be like for any of us –finding identity, fitting in, growing up. I recently heard an interview with the Toronto International Film Festival’s creative director, Cameron Bailey, who has high-praise for Moonlight. He makes it clear the importance of seeing this type of film: the bottom line. Our supporting such films as viewers is what shows the executives, producers & other influencers in Hollywood that these types of stories not only have a place, but will make their companies money. & that’s the only way to get more films like these made. As much as I enjoy the escapism of the superhero/action/adventure tentpoles, nothing beats a thought-provoking, insightful film reflecting real people living life everyday in our everyday world.
Now that’s a win-win!