To preface this, I have no idea who Seth MacFarlane is or what The Orville is so this isn't a defence of anything like that.
MacFarlane might not have much choice. This is the political economic factor that Parenti emphasises in his two books on media.
If there's any kind of board above MacFarlane, it's likely populated by reactionaries who appoint each other. And they'll allow some progressive themes but will insist on balancing out the message. Writers/producers/directors either toe the line or they're dropped or the show is dropped or it's made and never really aired or promoted. However progressive you are, you still end up headbutting the gatekeepers.
It's probably unescapable in capitalist culture. I seen that hundreds of times in books of very varied genres in Poland, author write about something totally unrelated, then boom sudden random jab at communism, then back to the topic, like a fucking commercial in TV. It have no sense whatsoever in most cases but is so incredibly common that it has to be some editorial tip for having your book published easier.
To preface this, I have no idea who Seth MacFarlane is or what The Orville is so this isn't a defence of anything like that.
MacFarlane might not have much choice. This is the political economic factor that Parenti emphasises in his two books on media.
If there's any kind of board above MacFarlane, it's likely populated by reactionaries who appoint each other. And they'll allow some progressive themes but will insist on balancing out the message. Writers/producers/directors either toe the line or they're dropped or the show is dropped or it's made and never really aired or promoted. However progressive you are, you still end up headbutting the gatekeepers.
It's probably unescapable in capitalist culture. I seen that hundreds of times in books of very varied genres in Poland, author write about something totally unrelated, then boom sudden random jab at communism, then back to the topic, like a fucking commercial in TV. It have no sense whatsoever in most cases but is so incredibly common that it has to be some editorial tip for having your book published easier.