To say there are significant differences between the left and the right of American politics is akin to saying bacon is “slightly tasty.” There are huge gulfs between the two sides on everything from abortion to gun control to climate change. Another area where we have a massive difference is in what we expect from actors.
While those of us on the right prefer actors to just act and not pretend their political opinions actually matter, the folks at “geek” website The Mary Sue think differently. At least that’s what it looks like when they blast the actors of the new Hulu drama, “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Both the show’s writer, Bruce Miller, and star, Elizabeth Moss, seem to be doing a lot of hemming and hawing about the show’s (obvious, no really, obvious) political messages and feminism, saying, as reported by Reuters, that “they were initially drawn to the complex characters and script rather than the wider cultural issues.”
Says Moss, “For me, it’s not a feminist story. It is a human story because women’s rights are human rights. I never approach anything with any sort of political agenda. I approach it from a very human place.”
[…]
And she isn’t the only one who’s
deathly afraid of being thought to have a controversial opinionhesitant about politics. Co-star Joseph Fiennes, who plays Commander Waterford, said “For me, it was the writing, not politics.”One can’t separate “the writing” from the politics in a piece like this, because the craft that Atwood used in the original novel, and the craft of Miller’s script is only as effective as it is because of the ideas with which the story is wrestling. The political, feminist ideas.
Yeah…those “politics” that claim Christianity would implement a society where the only difference between it and Iran is a belief in Christ as the savior?
The show was controversial from the start, simply by its nature. Margaret Atwood’s book that the show was based on is a very feminist novel and is extremely critical of what she envisioned a Christian theocracy to look like. Numerous right-leaning fans of the genre rolled their eyes the moment they learned Hulu was making it a show.
With that in mind, is it any small wonder that Moss and Fiennes would present it as being well-written with great characters?
Hollywood has enjoyed preaching at people over the years, but some have gotten the message. People want to be entertained, not lectured to, and the cast and crew of “The Handmaid’s Tale” grasp that, apparently. They’re focusing on stuff that might actually bring people to watch it.
For The Mary Sue, the politics are part of what’s attractive. Great.
The rest of us, though? Hardly.
Moss, Fiennes, and Miller made the right move, and upsetting The Mary Sue isn’t likely to have any real impact in the grand scheme of things.
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