Disney’s annus horibilis continues as Wish becomes their first film in 20 years to be certified “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes—as Disney itself, not Marvel or Lucasfilm or one of their other subsidiaries. People care too much about Rotten Tomatoes, but there’s no denying Disney is going through some kind of creative foundering right now. If anyone can get back on track, though, it’s them.
Honestly, this moment right now reminds me of Disney in the Eighties, when they were sort of creatively disconnected, both internally and externally with audiences. And then you know what happened? The Little Mermaid. The animated renaissance started, and then came Pixar, and then thirty years of domination. They’re back in the dark water right now, but they won’t stay there. (Celebitchy)
Lo, a rare wild Emma Watson has appeared. I bet people are having opinions about her wearing a bra top to the premiere of a film about the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, and while she’s posing next to Malala Yousafzai, but she looks amazing. (Go Fug Yourself)
I love Dolly Parton, but can we acknowledge the subset of rich people who “only” use fax machines to communicate are enabled by a coterie of assistants armed with smartphones, tablets, and computers? I totally get Dolly not wanting to text because she “doesn’t want to have an answer”, but then I immediately thought about the flurry of texts over Thanksgiving about picking up last-minute groceries, and then realized Dolly probably isn’t doing her grocery shopping, either. A fax machine used to be standard office equipment, now it is a sign of extreme privilege. It’s not a coincidence Miles Bron was a faxer in Glass Onion. (Pajiba)
Hey guess what? Warner Bros. Discovery stepped in it again. This time, it’s over the Looney Tunes. You know, the beloved animated classics that have never fallen out of popularity and are enjoyed across generations? Well, it was announced Max would remove ALL Looney Tunes in the end of the year. After instant and VIRULENT backlash, they’re backtracking, claiming that was a “mistake” and only Looney Tunes: Back in Action will be removed from Max.
Here's my theory: 1) it was not a mistake, and they were absolutely going to dump the Looney Tunes, and 2) they don’t see the value of the Looney Tunes because they don’t sell merchandise. Obviously, they sell SOME, there’s always LT branded stuff in stores. But they don’t move at the rate of, say, Mickey Mouse or any Disney sh-t. A Disney movie can bomb, and kids will still wear the tee shirt. The Looney Tunes, though, don’t rock the sales aisle that way. But they DO entertain people, yet in a streaming environment for pre-existing titles, ratings don’t really matter. What matters is if the studio can leverage the title to either generate new subscribers or move merch. I bet the Looney Tunes help retain subscribers—when all else fails, you can put on Bugs Bunny—but they don’t create new subs or move merch. And so, Warners keeps trying to dump them, only to have to take it back every time. Because people love the Looney Tunes, even if they don’t buy the tee shirts. (Entertainment Weekly)
People are picking on Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith? It’s official, we have too much time on our hands. (Eater)
