Creative works you enjoyed until politics happened - "How politics made me hate Welcome to Nightvale and other things"

[Meat Target]

Either that or they enjoyed it for very similar reasons to why people who watched the movie laughed at it. They thought it was so outrageous it was funny. Cut around footage of people laughing and looking shocked and you can create the impression everyone was enjoying it unironically.

An interesting case for me, since it was always very political, is Rage Against the Machine. Hordes of jackasses rampaging through the streets, assaulting people for daring to voice different opinions, and showing that they can't plant a garden or function for a week without shooting each other, who have basically the same politics, and possibly were directly inspired by this sort of music, makes it really hard to enjoy as general rebellious hard rock. The edgy left wing rock of yesteryear in general is like a meme that got killed by people taking it way, way too seriously.

I always get a condescending smirk at the name Rage Against the Machine. Real cute, especially since they, their fans, and bands like them are The Machine.

As for myself, I got really into Stephen King's work several years ago. He doesn't really insert his politics into his books (though I have learned several racist jokes from him), but knowing he's a massive condescending libshit with terminal TDS has made me no longer interested.

Also, I was extremely disappointed in the ending of the Dark Tower series.

 

[Saint Alphonsus]

Everything after the sixties is garbage.

And I say that as a formerly huge fan of Led Zeppelin, The Simpsons and Saturday morning cartoons. With the Simpsons in particular, even during its golden era first ten seasons, in hindsight I can see it push a very particular cultural program: Fathers are stupid and lazy, kids should be rebellious, you should exploit your kind-hearted religious neighbor and Lisa Is Always Right.

In general I also see that starting at around the 2000's, there had been a general move away from true heroism and moral uprightness. I enjoyed Breaking Bad, but it's clear that Vince Gilligan was playing off the audience's vicarious desire to see an underachiever seek revenge against the world.

 

[Meat Target]

I would've also said GoT, but that got ruined long before it got political (probably season 4)

I got bored around Storm of Swords/Season 3. Couldn't keep track of the eskimos Jon was traipsing around with, or which Hadji was trying to get in bed with Khaleesi that week.

 

[Pepsi-Cola]

Not to sound like a boomer but modern TV and film is just such absolute garbage. Not even necessarily in a political context. Just seems like anything even decently fun/good gets milked until the udders fall off from necrosis.

Like why are they even making Marvel movies at this point? They established a cast of characters played by big name actors that everybody liked, they beat big bad guy in infinity gauntlet or whatever the fuck the movie was called, that should've been the end of it. What's even the point anymore? What is still entertaining about watching the same CGI action scenes that look like action figures slapping against each other?

 

[Red Hood]

Not to sound like a boomer but modern TV and film is just such absolute garbage. Not even necessarily in a political context. Just seems like anything even decently fun/good gets milked until the udders fall off from necrosis.

Like why are they even making Marvel movies at this point? They established a cast of characters played by big name actors that everybody liked, they beat big bad guy in infinity gauntlet or whatever the fuck the movie was called, that should've been the end of it. What's even the point anymore? What is still entertaining about watching the same CGI action scenes that look like action figures slapping against each other?

Marvel movies always ring hollow, like watching someone else play a video game. Also, making your last movie about time traveling to undo a cataclysm completely negates the stakes. As much as I think Christopher Nolan is overrated and overpraised, I at least respect that he managed to tell compelling stories and was restrained in his use of CGI. The hand-to-hand fight scenes look like crap, sure, but at least there are actual people and sets in them.

 

[Meat Target]

Not to sound like a boomer but modern TV and film is just such absolute garbage. Not even necessarily in a political context. Just seems like anything even decently fun/good gets milked until the udders fall off from necrosis.

Like why are they even making Marvel movies at this point? They established a cast of characters played by big name actors that everybody liked, they beat big bad guy in infinity gauntlet or whatever the fuck the movie was called, that should've been the end of it. What's even the point anymore? What is still entertaining about watching the same CGI action scenes that look like action figures slapping against each other?

That's the consensus even among Zoomers I was recently talking to on a summer service project.

But when you really think about it, doesn't that happen fairly frequently in entertainment? The 50's and 60's did Western movies ad nauseam; the 70's and 80's overdid action and sci-fi; the 90's had everyone cashing in on Doom-clone FPSs and Mario 64 3d platformers; and the late aughts/early 10's ran Cawadooty and AssCreed into the ground.

 

[soy_king]

I got bored around Storm of Swords/Season 3. Couldn't keep track of the eskimos Jon was traipsing around with, or which Hadji was trying to get in bed with Khaleesi that week.

Season 4 was the final straw for me because they deviated so horrendously from Storm of Swords that I couldn't watch anymore. The badass Red Viper going out like a total bitch, getting rid of the entire Tysha subplot, and Littlefinger willingly disclosing Sansa's identity to his enemies was just too much of an insult to these characters.

 

[FluffyTehFennekin]

Cartoons in general. Pretty much nowadays people just wanna be the next Steven Universe.

 

[Red Hood]

Cartoons in general. Pretty much nowadays people just wanna be the next Steven Universe.

That's such a low bar, too. No one wants to make the next Batman: The Animated Series, they just want to make hyperkinetic drivel to air between commercials.

 

[Pissmaster]

Rick & Morty was one of the best shows on TV for seasons 1 and 2.

Then came Season 3, and with it, Pickle Rick. That show's quality dropped harder than Lowtax's Patreon.

 

[MediocreMilt]

Until in Season 3 when they started talking about strippers being victims of patriarchy, decided to create a taxi service as a female safe space, and painted [Diane] as brave for having an abortion... in California.

I've always read Diane as a parody of catlady feminism. She really never bothered me, and by the end of the show becomes more of a normal person.

Alison Brie cucking to the mob over voicing a character while white was both disappointing and predictable, however.

 

[soy_king]

I've always read Diane as a parody of catlady feminism. She really never bothered me, and by the end of the show becomes more of a normal person.

Alison Brie cucking to the mob over voicing a character while white was both disappointing and predictable, however.

I mean, possibly, but she's also portrayed as incredibly stunning and brave. A sane person can see that irl she's just as shitty as everyone else, but the show constantly portrays her as the voice of reason/moral compass of the show.

I didn't know that happened, but can't say that I'm surprised. This shit is pinnacle Neo-McCarthyism, and Terry Crews is apparently our era's Edward Murrow.

 

[Tanuki Mixed Nuts]

The funny thing is, as with most music, most people don't pay that much attention to the lyrical content. RATM is loud aggressive rock with a groove. You can enjoy it in the same way you can enjoy Pantera and never give two shits about the message. The same is true of just about any music with politcal content, save for hippie folk music where all you have is lyrics and a badly strummed guitar.

SoaD is that way for me, as well as the forementioned Gorillaz. SoaD is blatant and hits you over the head, but for some reason in music form, if its catchy I'd sing along.

Pre-MCU Black Panther.

Black Panther got the Spiderman treatment in terms of suddenly blowing up to mainstream success. Like, Spiderman is cool, some of his villians are cool, but his popularity is overblown. Like seeing someone in a black lantern t-shirt is infinitely more interesting that seeing some popular superhero logo. Assuming the viewer knows of both, at least.

I always get a condescending smirk at the name Rage Against the Machine. Real cute, especially since they, their fans, and bands like them are The Machine.

As for myself, I got really into Stephen King's work several years ago. He doesn't really insert his politics into his books (though I have learned several racist jokes from him), but knowing he's a massive condescending libshit with terminal TDS has made me no longer interested.

Also, I was extremely disappointed in the ending of the Dark Tower series.

I read a ridiculous amount of Stephen King, enough that the more obscure movie adaptations excite the hell out of me when its relating to older works, but yeah I don't think the last 10 or so years have had anything of worth? Like the most recent book I enjoyed by him might have been Cell, (Movie adaptation made me vomit) but that was about flip phones, so hell if I know if thats considered "recent".

Cartoons in general. Pretty much nowadays people just wanna be the next Steven Universe.

Oh man, I could talk about that all day. That or Adventure Time or Teen Titans GO!

I looked up what they have been putting out recently and it was a lot of "[name] & [name]" shows or random trash no one would hear about until they were cancelled.

 

[JambledUpWords]

The Percy Jackson series. It was okay up until they started introducing non-binary characters. Part of the problem is the series having gone on too long though. Sometimes less is better.

I’ll admit that I did like the new She-Ra, but that was mainly because I found the side characters more interesting than the main ones. Like all cartoon fandoms though, the fandom is cancerous and it’s annoying how they tout Catra and Adora’s romance as something aspirational. Just because it’s lesbian doesn’t mean the relationship is good. If Catra and Adora were a straight couple, I don’t think the fans would see their relationship as “good”.

 

[tehpope]

It easier to talk about what wasn't affect than what was. Sad I know.

Pretty much all I watch now are LTT, Techlinked, youtube channels on old tech (Nostalgia Nerd, 8-Bit Guy, LGR, Phils Computer Lab, Ashens, RMC), Deadwing Dork and Cecil McFly, and Vargskelethor Joel. And LGR even made a half-hearted attempted at a BLM support post on twitter. At least it doesn't show on his YT content.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

Basically it feels like everything I used to enjoy, games, fantasy, cartoons and all the other nerd shit.

Though to be honest, it's a bit of a blessing in disguise. Been pushing all that money and energy I used to waste on it into more worthwhile endeavors. Got a family now so focusing on that, stop eating fast food and cooking my own, started wood working projects and being out in nature more.

 

[Sperghetti]

My main example, and what has been bugging me to some degree has been Welcome to Nightvale.

As soon as I saw the title, this was the first thing I thought of. I always enjoyed how utterly absurd and surreal it was, I don't need things to get preachy about real-life opinions. That's another good one for "becoming aware of politics that were always there", too, because the reason they cast what's-his-face as Carlos's voice is utterly absurd. I don't give a shit if he's gay and hispanic, his voice just sounds too young for the character.

Basically it feels like everything I used to enjoy, games, fantasy, cartoons and all the other nerd shit.

Though to be honest, it's a bit of a blessing in disguise. Been pushing all that money and energy I used to waste on it into more worthwhile endeavors. Got a family now so focusing on that, stop eating fast food and cooking my own, started wood working projects and being out in nature more.

In my personal opinion, physical hobbies are much more satisfying and refreshing than media-based hobbies. Probably because it's more about learning what you can do.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Radiohead.
I really enjoyed their music, even though it's mostly scales with weird tunings. Their lyrics/storytelling is great. But they lie (when questioned by obnoxious journos) about the 'meaning' of their songs. I like that too.
I can't listen to any of their studio sessions, due to their retarded political views.
Interpol and p much 90+% of 90s and 2000s music
Separating the art from the artist is required to listen to anything these days.

Artists are fucking idiots when it comes to practical world views or anything of consequence.
Fee-fees are what they excel at.

 

[Saxxon]

Comics. Comicbook artists and writers always manage to be the most preachy and obnoxious fucks when it comes to sharing their opinions specially satirical ones, because it all comes down to "People I don't like bad and dumb me right and smart" or some 2deep4you reflection about the state of the world. Just shut the fuck up, if you want to write something meaningful at least don't smell your own farts in the process.

 

[Pargon]

Mass Effect. Fucking Andromeda and it's Greetings Space Traveler, have I mentioned I am trans shit was the last straw. Fucking Bioware. I saw what they were trying to do with the end of ME3 and even stuck with them through that, but one fucking conversation with one NPC that could have been just innocuous while still letting the player know that trans people made it to another galaxy. Uh-huh, nope, gotta break that message over the heads of everyone with a controller.

The only saving grace was that plenty of trans fans took them to task over it, some because of what it was and others because they thought it didn't go far enough.

You can't ever win with inclusion. Just make every character an Aryan übermensch and call it a day. You'll get just as punished as if you tried to please anyone.