So I actually haven't seen the movie or the show, but I'm just putting in my two cents. Paramount may be trying to set Shyamalan up as a scapegoat in some ways, because naturally the people in charge need to point the finger of blame at somebody, compulsively. But part of why he so easily became said scapegoat is because people, at least here, have been waiting for him to fail utterly. I don't even mean like some kind of exercise in mediocrity like some of his movies are, but I mean I have a theory that his movies become logarithmically worse as time goes on. In this case, he's the scapegoat because frankly, this guy having produced so many astoundingly not-worth-seeing movies, is probably in large part responsible for the apparent shittiness of the movie. I mean I won't say I think there was no studio involvement; if you're not producing a movie independently, there has to be. This isn't just Paramount selecting a fall guy. This is the entire country finally realizing that apparently, you can produce one mind-blowingly great movie without apparently having much real talent. I think that this was just the straw that broke the camel's back, the final proof that M. Night Shyamalan wasn't the wunderkind everyone thought he was at first.
On the other hand, the movie did hit #2 at the US box office, which is pretty impressive, and even if Paramount blames him for everything that people say he did wrong, somehow, despite producing a mind-numbingly shitty movie, it didn't flop, and that's really all that matters to Paramount. And this is also why it pretty much doesn't matter if Paramount blames him for something like casting and, you know, race bending. I'm not sure what's going on there because I'm not familiar with the text. But I mean, they could blame him for everything, but in showbusiness, it doesn't matter if you're clueless or an asshole if you can somehow make money being a clueless asshole. But I'm saying, I don't think he's become a fall guy for these problems without merit.
He certainly makes a good fall guy, I won't deny that. I am pretty sure I have not missed much by avoiding most of his movies.
I'm just also saying that even if this spells the end of his career, getting rid of him won't be the fairytale end to racism in Hollywood. It won't even be the end to racism within Paramount, they just might be a little bit more careful next time.
I am a little depressed it still managed to hit #2 - I wish people would just leave it well enough alone, even if they are morbidly curious about how bad it could be. But I can't really fault them for that.
On the other hand, the movie did hit #2 at the US box office, which is pretty impressive, and even if Paramount blames him for everything that people say he did wrong, somehow, despite producing a mind-numbingly shitty movie, it didn't flop, and that's really all that matters to Paramount. And this is also why it pretty much doesn't matter if Paramount blames him for something like casting and, you know, race bending. I'm not sure what's going on there because I'm not familiar with the text. But I mean, they could blame him for everything, but in showbusiness, it doesn't matter if you're clueless or an asshole if you can somehow make money being a clueless asshole. But I'm saying, I don't think he's become a fall guy for these problems without merit.
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I'm just also saying that even if this spells the end of his career, getting rid of him won't be the fairytale end to racism in Hollywood. It won't even be the end to racism within Paramount, they just might be a little bit more careful next time.
I am a little depressed it still managed to hit #2 - I wish people would just leave it well enough alone, even if they are morbidly curious about how bad it could be. But I can't really fault them for that.
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