Conservatives don't always pick their culture war battles wisely.
Right-leaning folks can jump the gun on subjects that demand further investigation. For every Bud Light victory, there are lesser instances where conservatives struck out.
Remember how they failed to rally behind 2016's "Richard Jewell," the Clint Eastwood movie that scorched media bias and FBI overreach? Or how some pushed for Jimmy Kimmel's firing after his admittedly ghoulish assassination crack aimed at President Donald Trump?
Cancel Culture is the Left's shiny new toy.
Now, some conservatives are attacking director Christopher Nolan's upcoming film "The Odyssey," sight unseen.
Why? Casting, mostly.
Nolan hired Lupita Nyong'o to play Helen of Troy, a figure consistently depicted as white/fair-skinned on screen and in texts. Nyong'o is beautiful and talented, but her selection felt like more woke race swapping.
It's still not enough to detract from a potentially masterful film. Nolan, after all, is working at the top of his craft after his blockbuster drama "Oppenheimer."
He deserves some customer goodwill. Except ...
He also has cast trans actor Elliot Page in the film. We don't know what role the "Juno" star will play, but clickbait social media users insist it'll be Achilles.
Highly unlikely. But, on paper, not impossible. Plus, both Nolan and the studio refuse to comment on which actor will play that traditionally masculine role.
Hmmm.
Other signs of worry? Nolan chose a woke scholar's interpretation of Homer's "The Odyssey" to fuel his film - Emily Wilson's 2017 work. Her method for translating the classics? Look at the material "as a woman and a gender-aware feminist."
Kathleen Kennedy would be proud.
Nolan's body of work suggests he's resistant to woke overreach. His films are renowned for their artistic excellence and dedication to cinema. And, more intriguingly, his 2012 "The Dark Knight Rises" was a non-so-thinly veiled attack on Occupy Wall Street.
He's no bleeding heart liberal. But maybe he's becoming one?
Nolan is a creature of Hollywood, an industry where progressive groupthink is the norm. He's surrounded by left-leaning artists who likely share their views with him.
Think that can't change some hearts and minds? Consider Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
The "South Park" creators have mocked both sides of the political aisle for more than two decades. It's their calling card, the ability to take on all subjects without an agenda. They're equal opportunity offenders, one reason "South Park" has retained its clout as a pop culture institution.
The show's most recent season abandoned that approach. The show took on President Trump early and often, savaging conservative figures like Kristi Noem and Charlie Kirk along the way.
More shocking? They ignored endless left-leaning targets in the process. And, just by coincidence, they earned some of the most fawning media praise of their professional lives. Legacy Media outlets couldn't wait for each new episode to drop.
The pair just swung by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to talk up their anti-Trump shtick.
Will Parker and Stone return to their fair and balanced comedy? Possible. Would you bet on it, though? Why give up the adulation they've received in recent months?
Did Nolan let the industry change his approach to his art? We won't know until "The Odyssey" hits theaters on July 17, but the possibility is oh, so real.
