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Before I begin, this article isn’t complaining about situations like Forces of Destiny being a female-led series. It is discussing these types of situations and pointing out that if it were the other way around, there would be just as much complaining and that we should stop getting so annoyed.

Everything in entertainment is political to a degree. There’s always moves being made by the various industries in order to create a message or to properly represent a demographic. However, entertainment has become so political in the past few years especially that it’s starting to detract from the enjoyment and escapism people are supposed to be feeling. One group of people will always find a way to be happy about it. That being said, another group will always feel like they’re being alienated while people with opposite ideologies are being pandered to. In the case of Forces of Destiny, liberals are happy but conservatives are upset.

Continuing with the example of Star Wars, many conservative fans aren’t very happy with the progressive direction that the series has taken under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. The most common complaint that conservatives will throw at the new content is that it is pandering to “SJWs”. They don’t like that Rey (a woman) and Jyn (another woman) have been the lead characters of the last two films and of the next one coming out this year as well. They also really hated the idea of Finn and Poe (two men) being in a relationship.

To be honest, it doesn’t really matter. Who cares if a woman or a man is leading the film? The only thing that matters is that the film is enjoyable which, in the cases of both The Force Awakens and Rogue One, they were. Beyond that, people who are part of the LGBT community also exist and plenty of them are quite talented, having entered into the entertainment industry through acting, writing, directing, etc. So, Finn and Poe being together is a possibility that you should just get used to, even if it doesn’t happen.

Moving on to an example of liberals feeling this way, a general complaint they have is the portrayal of women in entertainment. While the scantily clad female warriors in video games and damsels in distress have been parodied to death (and for good reason), the issue extends beyond that. They’ll get outraged at women not holding positions of power, or that they are sexualized and sexually assaulted in series like Game of Thrones.

I’d argue Game of Thrones is the wrong place to be complaining about patriarchal elements in the entertainment industry. It’s a fantasy based on our own dark ages, which means it’s a male-dominated world. As a result, women would rarely hold positions of power let alone be as badass as Daenerys, Arya, Sansa, Catelyn, Cersei, Brienne, Ygritte, and even the Little Bear. As for sexualization, I point to the numerous male-only nudity/sex scenes in the series. Finally, where sexual violence is concerned, the most vocal example is Sansa being raped by Ramsey. To that, I have many things to say. Yes, it was disturbing to watch, but it was important to the story. It showed us even more the kind of person Ramsey is and made Sansa’s eventual revenge on him all the more satisfying. Not only that, sexual violence is committed against men as well in this show. Both Theon and Varys were tortured and had their genitals removed and Theon was almost raped by another man in season two.

Don’t boycott things because you’re feeling like someone is being pandered to. Forces of Destiny is hardly something to complain over since the vast majority of Star Wars content is male-led. We’re also getting a male-led movie about Han Solo (hopefully) next year. As for the other way around, movies like The Great Wall shouldn’t be boycotted because a white man is leading an army of Chinese soldiers. It isn’t pandering to a white male, power fantasy. Not only does it make narrative sense if you actually watch the movie, but the film was created by Chinese filmmakers who specifically picked Matt Damon for the role. Even though it ended up not being that good anyways, it at least deserved a chance to prove itself like every other entertainment product in the industry.

So please, stop complaining about the various decisions made in the creation process for entertainment. There’s no need to turn a medium that is supposed to unify us all into a political nightmare where people are afraid to even speak their opinions on certain products for fear of being ostracized. Not only is that an issue, but entire projects where people spent years pouring their heart and soul into it are destroyed by people who act this way. Just enjoy the entertainment you’re experiencing and, if you can’t, don’t try to take that enjoyment away from others.

I spend most of my days working towards my Writing and Rhetoric degree at the University of Central Florida, but I spend a lot of my down time keeping up to date on the best TV, movies, and video games the industry has to offer. Here I put all of that extended time to use discussing each of them in-depth.

Gaming

Joker’s Free Suicide Squad DLC on PS5

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There hasn’t been much buzz surrounding Suicide Squad since its release in February. Warner Bros. was let down by the game’s underwhelming sales, but they remained committed to turning their live service vision into a reality. An exciting new DLC update has been released, introducing The Crown Prince of Crime to the game.

As the game’s first live season begins, players will have the chance to take on Green Lantern and, in the end, unlock The Joker as a playable character. Which Joker are you referring to? This is quite intricate. Furthermore, players can look forward to the inclusion of a Battle Pass, a variety of new shop items available for purchase, exciting Incursions and Strongholds to partake in, as well as an expanded selection of Infamy Sets and Notorious Gear to amass.

What are your thoughts on this? Does the allure of The Joker entice you to return to Suicide Squad, or have you remained a loyal fan all along? We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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Gaming

Documentary Explores the Making of the Highly Praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for PS5

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Square Enix has launched a captivating documentary series that explores the intricate process behind the creation of the highly praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In the first episode, titled “Shaping the World,” the developer delves into the process of reimagining the expansive PS1 map of the original game into a vast sandbox for the PS5. The film includes personal stories shared by directors Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura, as well as other important members of the team.

This reimagining of the all-time PlayStation classic was truly enjoyable. In our review, we praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for its ability to enhance the already impressive combat system of Remake. The game truly shines in its portrayal of an iconic RPG setting. If you have a deep appreciation for the original PS1 game and found enjoyment in Remake, then Rebirth’s character-focused adventure will surely captivate you from start to finish.

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Gaming

Gran Turismo 7 for the PS5 and PS4 shows continuous improvement

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While Sony may not classify Gran Turismo 7 as a live-service game, the team at Polyphony Digital certainly approaches it with a similar mindset. The game continues to impress with every new update, and although v1.44 may be smaller compared to previous versions, it still manages to enhance the already extensive content of this simulation racer.

The update, now available worldwide, introduces three new cars: the Audi R8 Coupé V10 Plus ’16, the Lamborghini Urus ’18, and the Toyota GT-One (TS020) ’99. Furthermore, it introduces three fresh events to World Circuits, an extra menu to conquer in the GT Café single-player campaign, and a collection of livery stickers inspired by the upcoming Highspeed Étoile anime, set to debut next week in Japan.

If you’re not already acquainted with Highspeed Étoile, you can watch a trailer right here. “Sony has announced that a collection of 26 stickers, consisting of 8 title logos and 18 main character stickers, will be made available for a limited time,” stated Sony on the PS Blog. In addition, Fukushima will be included as a backdrop in the title’s beloved photography mode.

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