Confessions of a Conservative Atheist
The world’s only one man media empire
In an era where TV rarely ventured beyond the dreaded “To be be continued…” ending, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Frost placed a bet that people wanted more, that the mystery was important for the sake of the mystery, that not everything needed to be explained, and that sometimes things are better without an ending. In… Continue reading David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and the birth of two genres, at least
The British actor and director released his first film, Henry V in 1989, when I was a tender thirteen years old. It passed without notice for me during its theatrical run, but the video rental store, that monument to entertainment, where most families made at least a weekly pilgrimage before the rise of streaming, was… Continue reading How Kenneth Branagh changed a fantasy geek’s life and transformed him into a Shakespeare fanatic
The Wheel of Time is coming alive with the underlying energy of Jordan’s creation while The Rings of Power has smothered Tolkien’s genius, allowing it to break through only at the edges. Both, however, serve as a valuable lesson for other television producers and filmmakers who bow to the whims of the woke. In the… Continue reading The Wheel of Time, the woke, The Rings of Power, and the difference that comes from truly loving your source material
The Boss’ new album will be composed of entirely culturally appropriated songs, a collection of “soul music” covers, but that is inherently a good thing. Harold Bloom’s seminal The Anxiety of Influence reveals why all art, if not all ideas entirely, can be seen as the product of cultural appropriation. Bruce Springsteen is just the… Continue reading Bruce Springsteen and the artistic necessity of cultural appropriation
A recent article in Harper’s Bazaar concludes that fantasy has become a “stronghold for white supremacy,” starting with the work of J.R.R Tolkien, which can be reduced to “the story of white men reclaiming their world.” This is a radical retelling of an incredibly complex genre, requiring the erasure of seminal fantasy authors such as… Continue reading Fantasy games and literature: The woke crusade against the genre continues
Beyond the accusations of woke casting or challenges modernizing Christian morality, the problem has always been that no one alive can write on the level required to realize Tolkien’s vision. Tolkien was a master of his craft and a singular genius, one of the greatest writers who ever lived and widely considered the greatest of… Continue reading The Rings of Power: The good, the bad, and the Spielberg
The announcement that there will be elves, dwarves, and other species of color prompts Tolkien purists to claim Amazon Studios is destroying the franchise, which of course prompts accusations of racism and bigotry from the usual suspects. Of course, few bother to consider that elves and dwarves aren’t real and aren’t human at all… Last… Continue reading Amazon’s woke take on Tolkien provokes another racial controversy
“Core design elements” of the world’s most popular role playing game - you know, stuff like good and evil itself - must be changed to satisfy the woke generation, but we all know nothing will be enough because Dungeons & Dragons was dominated by white dudes, or something “It’s a game that was dominated by… Continue reading Woke in fantasyland: They’re coming for Dungeons & Dragons now and the entire fantasy genre next
Confessions of a Conservative Atheist 