re: Ad Astra was very boring

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I noticed on RT that critics loved it but half the fans hated it. So it's one of "those."

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It would make sense that the 2016 presidential election, one whose shocking outcome was partially rooted in institutional sexism and a certain “boys will be boys” mentality, would bring about a wave of movies outwardly confronting the pressing social issue of the day.

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After all, fair or not, the conventional Hollywood studio picture, be they strong-jawed white dude action fantasies, gritty crime dramas about men behaving badly or romantic comedies which (intentionally or not) lionized stalker-ish behavior and a refusal to take “no” for an answer as a sign of romantic strength,

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We can argue that pop culture has a moral/social duty to make girls feel empowered. I have long argued that it has a greater obligation not to normalize and (at least somewhat) glamorize the very aggressive behavior and cultural mindset that makes men feel that they are superior to women and can do whatever they want to/with the women they encounter. A women or girl can have all the self-confidence in the world, but it won’t matter if she ends up hurt or killed for rejecting a man in a bar, for saying no to or getting upset over street harassment, for turning down a prom invitation, or for just ending a relationship.

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Walt Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet, which saw its protagonist nearly destroy the Internet in rage after his best gal pal expressed a desire to live a life separate from his, was a solid hit

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Stuber, starring Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani’s (surprisingly hilarious) R-rated action comedy throwback was very much about varying definitions of masculinity and how stereotypes cause men undue suffering.

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Scott Mendelson

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