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Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Fewer pimples, more pronouns': Cinema's classic coming-of-age genre suffers most in Hollywood's shift to woke storytelling
When did going to the cinema start to feel like attending an HR seminar? And how did we go from plot twists and real dialogue to one-dimensional characters regurgitating ideological talking points? Somewhere along the line, Hollywood clearly handed the writers' room over to political activists. Films were no longer about escapism, but about productions more interested in moralising and telling you no longer sells dreams. It peddles guilt, replacing characters we once cared about with vacuous mouthpieces who speak in hashtags. This shift, although underway for a while, gained momentum during the infamous #OscarsSoWhite scandal in 2015. It triggered a full-blown identity audit across the industry, with film houses tripping over themselves to 'out-woke' each other. By 2020, a complete overhaul was underway. It led to diversity checklists, which, in the case of the Academy, determined whether films could even qualify for Best Picture. 'Diversity', as we once knew it, had been boiled down to a person's race and/or genitalia. And true creativity suffered in the writers second-guess every joke, plot twist and character flaw, for fear of causing offence. Instead of leaning into what makes stories compelling (i.e. tension, conflict, and the messy bits of humanity), we get glossy morality tales that no one asked for. Hollywood, the long-standing epicentre of debauchery, addiction, opportunism and every other human vice you can think of, has now become too scared to explore the human condition. Isn't it ironic? It no longer tells timeless stories of love, jealousy, power, addiction or conflict. Every love story has to be 'modernised' and told through the lens of feminism and the impact of the patriarchy. Even protagonists and antagonists have to be clearly good or indefensibly bad. It's ridiculous. Yet no genre has suffered more from this shift in storytelling than coming-of-age films. It's now practically extinct, like cinema's equivalent of the dodo bird. Films like 'The Breakfast Club', 'Stand By Me', and 'Dazed and Confused', which captured the awkwardness of adolescence with honesty and humour, would never get made today. Modern replacements are now all about introspection and identity politics. Fewer pimples, more pronouns. Teenage angst is no longer worthy of storytelling because it's not seen as progressive enough. Unless, of course, it's the angst of a one-eyed, trans-identifying Muslim teenager called Sandra. Meanwhile, Eastern cinema is picking up where Hollywood left off. Films like 'Parasite', 'RRR', and 'Shoplifters' have succeeded not because they're diverse, but because they tell damn good stories. They treat audiences like grown-ups, not mentally challenged misfits. Something that used to be Hollywood's job. Is it any surprise that audiences are now looking elsewhere in search of raw storytelling power? Of course, Hollywood has always been political to some extent. From 'Gentleman's Agreement' to 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner', it never shied away from difficult themes. But it did so with nuance and craft, things which are nowhere to be found. So people are returning to the classics not just for nostalgia, but because they're starved for universality. From 'Rocky' to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Gone with the Wind', these stories endure because they speak to something timeless. In today's climate, they wouldn't make it past a pitch meeting. They'd be too problematic, too white or too male. Even 'The Wizard of Oz' would be binned for its lack of intersectional munchkin representation. That is the era we've entered now, where cultural self-censorship is flattening the vibrancy of criticism isn't what it used to be anymore. Instead of lively debate based on plot, pacing and cinematography, it has now become a moral tribunal. The only question that matters is whether the message of the film aligns with a particular virtue, not vision. We no longer ask, "Was it good?". But rather "Was it correct?" Industry jobs, too, are not being lost for poor scripts, but for poor optics. White, male writers are being quietly dropped. Agents whisper that 'they had to hire a diversity candidate.' And no one dares to push back because it's become easier, and safer, to stay silent. Those willing to put their heads above the parapet are saying similar things. Quentin Tarantino argues that ideology is trumping art. And Mike White admits people are too scared to speak freely. How can we expect anything decent out of Hollywood when creatives are writing with a fire extinguisher pointed at their faces? Take 'Woke', for example, a series that was meant to satirise the very culture it ended up drowning in. Black writers who wanted to push boundaries were shut down. The show lost its voice, its viewership and had a Rotten Tomatoes score so low that it ended up becoming the quintessential cautionary tale of what happens when ideology micromanages art. Even the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures managed to erase the Jewish immigrants who built Hollywood from the ground up. Diversity, apparently, has its limits. A story about resilience, talent, and the American dream apparently didn't fit the vibe they were going for. In the rush to elevate new voices, Hollywood has forgotten to honour the ones who laid its foundation. Hollywood once thrived on the belief that talent could come from anywhere. It didn't matter where you were from, as long as you could write, act, direct, or produce. That meritocracy is now under siege. Your identity matters more than your ideas. What used to be an industry obsessed with innovation is now paralysed by be clear: representation matters. But not at the expense of quality. And not if it means filtering every story through the same narrow ideological sieve. We need to separate the art from the artist, stop demanding that every film be a political statement, and let flawed characters be flawed. Art isn't meant to make us comfortable. It's meant to make us feel something; sometimes joy, sometimes discomfort, but always something real. Otherwise, audiences will keep leaving. If Hollywood is going to survive, then it's time to bring back the Hollywood that used to say, 'here's something to think about', not 'here's what to think'. Esther Krakue is a British commentator who has regularly appeared on Sky News Australia programs, as well as on TalkTV and GB News in the UK. She launched her career with Turning Point UK, with whom she hosted a show featuring guests including Douglas Murray and Peter Hitchens
Leader Live
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Fans to join family and friends of musician Mike Peters at his funeral in Wales
The rock star, who was frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, died on April 29 from blood cancer, more than 30 years after he was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. More than 150 guests, some who have travelled from the US, will attend the funeral service in the village of Dyserth alongside Peters' wife Jules, 58, and their sons Dylan, 21, and Evan, 18. Dylan and Evan are expected to carry a casket containing their father's ashes to the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan for the service, which will feature readings and musical performances. Peters' sons are expected to play guitar as those in attendance since Stand By Me, before Welsh TV presenter and opera singer Rhys Meirion, who is himself being treated for cancer, performs Anfonaf Angel. There will also be performances of Wonderwall, by Evan, and Fade In Fade Out Fade Away by Peters' longtime friend and collaborator Billy Duffy of The Cult. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will speak of Peters' contributions to Welsh culture, and Welsh singer and campaigner Dafydd Iwan will perform Yma o Hyd. The service is expected to be broadcast on a big screen outside the church for fans who are planning to attend. In a statement, Jules Peters said: 'Mike lived as he sang – with passion, courage, and an unshakeable belief in the power of people to make a difference. His voice may be still, but his message and music will never fade. 'Mike was so grateful for the love so many people showed him in his lifetime, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love our family has received in the past few weeks since he died. 'Mike's music will keep us strong, and the community he built for all of us will sustain us. 'Today is a sad day, but it's also a celebration of his life and the legacy he created. Mike is very much here in spirit.' Reverend Gregor Lachlann-Waddell, the vicar at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan, said it was an 'honour and a privilege' to lead the service in the village 'Mike loved so much'. He said: 'The celebration we have carefully curated befits a man whose life was marked by music, resilience, and unwavering hope. 'While staying true to his Welsh roots, Mike found global fame, and the people who have come to celebrate his life today, many travelling thousands of miles, are reflective of the remarkable life he carved for himself and his family.' Peters, who supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy, and had tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay. Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, he noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight and doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter's syndrome, where CLL changes into a much more aggressive lymphoma. He had been undergoing treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester before his death. The artist first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, with hits including 68 Guns and Strength. He was made an MBE in 2019 for voluntary services to cancer care in north Wales and abroad. Alongside his wife, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation. Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.
ITV News
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Fans to join family and friends of musician Mike Peters at his funeral in Wales
Jules Peters talks to ITV Cymru Wales reporter Rob Shelley about the legacy of her husband Mike Peters ahead of his funeral Friends, family and fans of musician Mike Peters, who died at the age of 66, are expected to gather in Wales for his funeral on Thursday, 29 May. The rock star, who was frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, died on April 29 from blood cancer, more than 30 years after he was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. More than 150 guests, some who have travelled from the US, will attend the funeral service in the village of Dyserth, near Prestatyn, alongside Peters' wife Jules, 58, and their sons Dylan, 21, and Evan, 18. Dylan and Evan are expected to carry a casket containing their father's ashes to church for the service, which will feature readings and musical performances. Peters' sons are expected to play guitar as those in attendance since Stand By Me, before Welsh TV presenter and opera singer Rhys Meirion, who is himself being treated for cancer, performs Anfonaf Angel. There will also be performances of Wonderwall, by Evan, and Fade In Fade Out Fade Away by Peters' longtime friend and collaborator Billy Duffy of The Cult. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will speak of Peters' contributions to Welsh culture, and Welsh singer and campaigner Dafydd Iwan will perform Yma O Hyd. The service is expected to be broadcast on a big screen outside the church for fans who are planning to attend. In a statement, Jules Peters said: 'Mike lived as he sang – with passion, courage, and an unshakeable belief in the power of people to make a difference. His voice may be still, but his message and music will never fade. 'Mike was so grateful for the love so many people showed him in his lifetime, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love our family has received in the past few weeks since he died. 'Mike's music will keep us strong, and the community he built for all of us will sustain us. 'Today is a sad day, but it's also a celebration of his life and the legacy he created. Mike is very much here in spirit.' Reverend Gregor Lachlann-Waddell, the vicar at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan, said it was an 'honour and a privilege' to lead the service in the village 'Mike loved so much'. He said: 'The celebration we have carefully curated befits a man whose life was marked by music, resilience, and unwavering hope. 'While staying true to his Welsh roots, Mike found global fame, and the people who have come to celebrate his life today, many travelling thousands of miles, are reflective of the remarkable life he carved for himself and his family.' Peters, who supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy, and had tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay. Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, he noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight and doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter's syndrome, where CLL changes into a much more aggressive lymphoma. He had been undergoing treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester before his death. The artist first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, with hits including 68 Guns and Strength. He was made an MBE in 2019 for voluntary services to cancer care in north Wales and abroad. Alongside his wife, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation. Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Star-studded funeral of rock icon taking place today with heartbreaking tributes
Rock star Mike Peters, who was frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, died on April 29 from blood cancer, more than 30 years after he was first diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 36 Friends, family and fans of musician Mike Peters, who died at the age of 66, are expected to gather in Wales for his funeral on Thursday. The rock star, who was frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, died on April 29 from blood cancer, more than 30 years after he was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. More than 150 guests, some who have travelled from the US, will attend the funeral service in the village of Dyserth alongside Peters' wife Jules, 58, and their sons Dylan, 21, and Evan, 18. Dylan and Evan are expected to carry a casket containing their father's ashes to the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan for the service, which will feature readings and musical performances. Peters' sons are expected to play guitar as those in attendance since Stand By Me, before Welsh TV presenter and opera singer Rhys Meirion, who is himself being treated for cancer, performs Anfonaf Angel. There will also be performances of Wonderwall, by Evan, and Fade In Fade Out Fade Away by Peters' longtime friend and collaborator Billy Duffy of The Cult. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will speak of Peters' contributions to Welsh culture, and Welsh singer and campaigner Dafydd Iwan will perform Yma o Hyd. The service is expected to be broadcast on a big screen outside the church for fans who are planning to attend. In a statement, Jules Peters said: 'Mike lived as he sang – with passion, courage, and an unshakeable belief in the power of people to make a difference. His voice may be still, but his message and music will never fade. 'Mike was so grateful for the love so many people showed him in his lifetime, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love our family has received in the past few weeks since he died. 'Mike's music will keep us strong, and the community he built for all of us will sustain us. 'Today is a sad day, but it's also a celebration of his life and the legacy he created. Mike is very much here in spirit.' Reverend Gregor Lachlann-Waddell, the vicar at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan, said it was an 'honour and a privilege' to lead the service in the village 'Mike loved so much'. He said: 'The celebration we have carefully curated befits a man whose life was marked by music, resilience, and unwavering hope. 'While staying true to his Welsh roots, Mike found global fame, and the people who have come to celebrate his life today, many travelling thousands of miles, are reflective of the remarkable life he carved for himself and his family.' Peters, who supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy, and had tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay. Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, he noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight and doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter's syndrome, where CLL changes into a much more aggressive lymphoma. He had been undergoing treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester before his death. The artist first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, with hits including 68 Guns and Strength. He was made an MBE in 2019 for voluntary services to cancer care in north Wales and abroad. Alongside his wife, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation. Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.
North Wales Chronicle
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Fans to join family and friends of musician Mike Peters at his funeral in Wales
The rock star, who was frontman of Welsh band The Alarm, died on April 29 from blood cancer, more than 30 years after he was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. More than 150 guests, some who have travelled from the US, will attend the funeral service in the village of Dyserth alongside Peters' wife Jules, 58, and their sons Dylan, 21, and Evan, 18. Dylan and Evan are expected to carry a casket containing their father's ashes to the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan for the service, which will feature readings and musical performances. Mike Peters, the frontman of Welsh band The Alarm (Jules Peters/PA) Peters' sons are expected to play guitar as those in attendance since Stand By Me, before Welsh TV presenter and opera singer Rhys Meirion, who is himself being treated for cancer, performs Anfonaf Angel. There will also be performances of Wonderwall, by Evan, and Fade In Fade Out Fade Away by Peters' longtime friend and collaborator Billy Duffy of The Cult. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will speak of Peters' contributions to Welsh culture, and Welsh singer and campaigner Dafydd Iwan will perform Yma o Hyd. The service is expected to be broadcast on a big screen outside the church for fans who are planning to attend. In a statement, Jules Peters said: 'Mike lived as he sang – with passion, courage, and an unshakeable belief in the power of people to make a difference. His voice may be still, but his message and music will never fade. 'Mike was so grateful for the love so many people showed him in his lifetime, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love our family has received in the past few weeks since he died. 'Mike's music will keep us strong, and the community he built for all of us will sustain us. 'Today is a sad day, but it's also a celebration of his life and the legacy he created. Mike is very much here in spirit.' Reverend Gregor Lachlann-Waddell, the vicar at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan, said it was an 'honour and a privilege' to lead the service in the village 'Mike loved so much'. He said: 'The celebration we have carefully curated befits a man whose life was marked by music, resilience, and unwavering hope. 'While staying true to his Welsh roots, Mike found global fame, and the people who have come to celebrate his life today, many travelling thousands of miles, are reflective of the remarkable life he carved for himself and his family.' Peters, who supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, underwent numerous drug treatments and rounds of chemotherapy, and had tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay. Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, he noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight and doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter's syndrome, where CLL changes into a much more aggressive lymphoma. He had been undergoing treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester before his death. The artist first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm, with hits including 68 Guns and Strength. He was made an MBE in 2019 for voluntary services to cancer care in north Wales and abroad. Alongside his wife, he co-founded Love Hope Strength, a cancer charity to encourage action around stem cell donation. Through its Get On The List campaigns, often publicised at rock concerts, the charity has added more than 250,000 people to stem cell registers worldwide.
