People never change because they are under threat or under duress. Never. They change because they see something that makes their life seem valuable enough to start moving toward a life worth living. — Robert Downey, Jr.
Robert Downey, Jr. went from being a failed actor to being one of the highest-paid in the industry. But, he’s an exception to the rule. I rarely go to the movies nowadays because of the type of bullcrap going on right now in Hollyweird. It’s become the new norm.
Here’s what I mean:
Bond and Thor as females.
Don’t get me wrong. I love females. I married one. But… I also think what Hollyweird is doing here isn’t about making genuine female heroes. It’s about co-opting male heroes and riding the coattails of obviously successful male franchises.
James Bond is an inherently male character. It can’t work as a female one. Ditto for Thor.
In my weird male chauvinistic mind, a better option would be to remake Red Sonja and make it an epic revival of a real female hero. I remember watching it with my dad as a kid and being fascinated by it but I can’t remember why. But, the original Red Sonja was considered a flop by critics. What an excellent opportunity to turn that around and make it a new classic.
But no.
The Bond franchise is wildly successful and already profitable. Ditto for the Thor franchise. This is a cash grab, plain and simple… and a poorly thought-out one at that.
Point?
You can’t change people’s minds by tricking them or hijacking an existing success or being a warmed-over version of the original. You also can’t threaten people or guilt-trip them into making good choices in their life.
Which is why 401(k) auto-enrollment rules at employers are totally bizarre to me. That choice to save money and make smart financial decisions has to come from deep within a person’s soul — a desire to make it part of their normal life… part of who they are.
And for some people, it’s just not there.