Will Hollywood write a new script for the Trump era?
After Donald Trump’s surprising victory, the creators of “South Park” frantically rewrote their Wednesday night episode. The script, initially titled “The Very First Gentleman,” assumed a Hillary Clinton victory.
The creators rewrote the script, now titled “Oh Jeez,” to reflect Trump’s win.
“I sure am excited. America’s going to be great again,” says Randy in the episode. His daughter’s take: “No, I’m not excited. It sucks, Dad! This country is going to suck for four years.”
Media critic Brian Lowry said more television shows are likely to ramp up their political jokes and references in the wake of the election. And several shows with immigration themes were already in development before Trump won.
“It’ll be interesting to see whether those projects get put on the front burner or the back one,” he said.
The entertainment industry is divided into two camps, said Steve Ross, a Hollywood expert and historian at USC. The creative community, which includes producers, writers and actors, “will be submitting projects that are more likely to be critical of where we are now,” he said. But the corporate camp is “not going to green light things that are going to get the Trump administration up and arms.”
And Hollywood executives are not going to take risks that may not pay off at the box office.
“The priorities of the industry are always to make money,” Lowry added.
Trump’s election is more likely to drive change behind the scenes, “because the economics of activism in front of the camera are much more limited,” said TV writer and producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach. He said Trump’s election could bring greater attention to a situation that’s been creating controversy in the entertainment industry for years.
“I think this is a wake-up call for a lot of people in Hollywood that they need to do better in terms of diversity,” he said.
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