Screen Scene of a Geek: THROWBACK; Did Disney jump the Gunn?

Okay, Reader.

This post is going to be considerably shorter and also simpler in terms of content, as I am pressed for time and also trying to remain current with trending news in the geeky media - even though I'm already behind on this one...

However, this has prompted me to categorize this as a "Throwback" post - enabling me to discuss the events that I might be late to the party to. Anything a week old or older qualifies for this type of content - knowing how frequently I will be delayed in reacting to the latest trends, I am pretty confident this format is going to stick around for a while.

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It's about time I brought this blog some film content - after having TV related posts take the vast majority between the 3 screens I claimed I would be featuring posts on - and I figured that I might as well discuss one of the stories that shattered the internet not once, but twice, when it spread like wildfire across social media and online publication outlets.

If you're a fan of Marvel's smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, you are probably familiar with its writer and director, James Gunn, and the controversy surrounding him that broke back in July 20th of 2018 - when he was fired by Disney the morning after old tweets - containing incredibly inappropriate humor (which I will not disclose here due to their vulgarity) - resurfaced across the internet.

In the time after the Mouse House dropped him, Gunn quietly hit the ground running - not only has he produced a horror film approach to a character with Superman's superpowers, but he was also hired Warner Bros, a direct competitor to Marvel and Disney, to helm DC's The Suicide Squad.

Now, since been given back the director's chair for the third installment of Guardians for Marvel, which was officially announced on the internet on March 15th, 2019, Gunn has made a Hollywood comeback unlike anything the film industry has seen before.

Disney made a bold move in reversing this decision - but were they even justified in firing him in the first place?

At the time, maybe. Disney was hot of the heels of having fired Rosanne Barr from the revival of her namesake television sitcom - which was a ratings breaker when it returned in late 2017 - after she published a racist remark about former President Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett. Despite continuing the show as The Connors and writing her character off of it, there most certainly was a loss in profitability off of the program that has jeopardized a possible second season due to the controversy.

Image result for roseanne barr the conners

To maintain this zero tolerance policy towards prolific people in their company, company chairman Alan Horn took swift action in giving the same punishment to Gunn, which also resulted in a controversial backlash circulating the internet.

The key difference between Barr and Gunn is not whether or not their tweets were of an appropriate nature - they certainly were not.

The sole factor that can justify Barr's firing while not doing the same for Gunn was the time in which their provocative humor was published.

The tweets that Gunn was fired for were written and shared on social media over ten years ago - tweets which he has since apologized for on numerous occasions. He changed his brand of comedy and matured his public profile as a director prior to being hired by Disney and Marvel - whereas Barr's statement was made in modern day.

Image result for james gunn roseanne barr

However, it would take a lot more than hindsight to convince the media giant to undo the damage of Gunn's firing - so what led to him being rehired?

I believe it can be attributed to three things; the aforementioned hiring of Gunn by their rival (DC), comedian Sarah Silverman, and the failed search for a replacement.

Sarah Silverman, who voices Vanellope in the Wreck it Ralph film series, came under fire for jokes she made in the past that were in the same vein as Gunn's - but was never fired for it. If she could headline a children's movie franchise and have jokes like that in her past without getting a pink slip, was it really fair to do the same to Gunn, who directed a far raunchier, more adult themed superhero saga? Probably not.

Image result for sarah silverman controversy

Image result for sarah silverman controversy

Disney and Marvel, while they reportedly never interviewed anyone else for the position of directing Guardians 3, lost out on several viable candidates for the job - all of whom stood in solidarity with giving Gunn back his movies; including the likes of Taika Waititi (the comedic mastermind behind Thor Ragnarok), Edgar Wright(the former director of Marvel's Ant Man and the visionary behind Baby Driver), and the film duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the writers of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, the geniuses behind The Lego Movie universe, and the former directors of Solo - A Star Wars Story).

Image result for Taika Waititi James Gunn

So, with all of this said and done, I personally believe that Disney jumped the Gunn (pun absolutely intended) in the first place. While I find the tweets deplorable, I believe them being past statements - which he had apologized for on multiple occasions - make all the difference in his situation. In any case, I am personally glad to see him earn his chance at redemption, and look forward to seeing both The Suicide Squad and Guardians Vol 3 when they arrive.

How about you, reader? Do you agree or disagree? Feel free to let me know in the comments below, or by reaching out to me through my contact info below!

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Any questions or suggestions for me?
Feel free to get in touch with me by emailing
screensceneofageek@gmail.com

I might expand into more social media
if I continue running this blog
after the college course is done,
but for now, you can direct message me
on Instagram - @stealthabotte

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