Donald Glover Says That TV Is Boring Because People Are Afraid Of Getting Canceled
Remember when TV shows used to get canceled simply because they were terrible? According to Emmy-winning TV actor and director Donald Glover, there’s a current persistent fear of television series creators that’s so pervasive and terrifying, and no, it’s not a focus group filled with Amish people or the cable-impaired. Donald Glover recently tweeted that, in his humble opinion, television sucks right now because too many people are afraid of getting canceled.
According to Donald’s tweets, he decided to give his thoughts after noticing people on Twitter complain about having to review boring television and movies. I’ve really got to put these people in contact with my 2-year-old after I tried to show her an elevator compilation video on YouTube, they’d have a lot to talk about on the topic of boring content. But back to Donald. He broke a very long Twitter hiatus to tweet his own review of current media. And his theory is that movies and TV are objectively boring right now because the people in charge are playing it safe, for the sake of an easy and steady paycheck.
saw people on here havin a discussion about how tired they were of reviewing boring stuff (tv & film).
— donald (@donaldglover) May 11, 2021
we're getting boring stuff and not even experimental mistakes(?) because people are afraid of getting cancelled
— donald (@donaldglover) May 11, 2021
so they feel like they can only experiment w/ aesthetic.
(also because some of em know theyre not that good)
— donald (@donaldglover) May 11, 2021
Of course, this conversation could potentially require some clarity, considering that the word “canceled” currently means something much different than it did even 10 years ago. Now when you hear about a famous person in the same sentence as the word “canceled,” you immediately think, “Uh oh, someone’s publicist is about to have a bad time.” And Donald might mean it in that way, but likely he means it in the literal way, aka when a well-meaning friend calls a TV creator up and tells them to sit down with a strong drink before they check Variety. As in, literally canceled, like BH90210.
Donald is currently working on the third and fourth seasons of his FX series Atlanta, a show that could easily be argued is experimental. But his argument doesn’t really hold up, considering there have always been boring TV shows, just like there have also been experimental moments of televised genius that eventually got canceled, like Twin Peaks. Not to mention that you just have to keep your eyes open for weird, experimental TV (I will go to my grave arguing that Netflix’s Nailed It! is David Lynch-levels of weird). I just wish that Donald Glover had gotten deeper into this conversation. It deserves a more thorough critique. And it might be because I’m petty, but I kind of wish he’d name-dropped which specific TV show he thinks is a polished turd. Then again, he didn’t have to be so explicit. Experimenting with aesthetics while also being a boring waste of time? Donald, you didn’t have to come for the Kardashians like that.
Pic: Wenn.com