Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Hollywood keeps spending hundreds of millions of dollars adapting beloved superheroes, fantasy worlds and nostalgic franchises — only to act embarrassed by the things audiences loved about them in the first place.
Masters of the Universe can't stop making jokes about He-Man. Supergirl trades earnest heroism for "Truth, Justice, Whatever." And now Paramount+'s Golden Axe appears ready to turn another unapologetically ridiculous fantasy world into a vehicle for sarcasm and meta humor.
The problem isn't that these stories are silly. Of course they're silly. That's part of the fun.
The problem is sincerity.
Good meta humor feels like an inside joke between people who love the same thing. Bad meta humor feels like the writers reassuring everyone that they know the thing they're making is stupid. And after enough deconstruction, subversion and ironic detachment, audiences start getting the message: the people adapting these stories seem embarrassed by the people who sincerely enjoy them.
So let's talk about He-Man, Supergirl, Golden Axe, Duskfade, the strange relationship between camp and sincerity, and why Hollywood keeps wondering where its audience went.
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Do you need an editor, or do you just want to tell my editor how amazing his work is? Let him know at anaximandersshadow@gmail.com
Hollywood keeps spending hundreds of millions of dollars adapting beloved superheroes, fantasy worlds and nostalgic franchises — only to act embarrassed by the things audiences loved about them in the first place.
Masters of the Universe can't stop making jokes about He-Man. Supergirl trades earnest heroism for "Truth, Justice, Whatever." And now Paramount+'s Golden Axe appears ready to turn another unapologetically ridiculous fantasy world into a vehicle for sarcasm and meta humor.
The problem isn't that these stories are silly. Of course they're silly. That's part of the fun.
The problem is sincerity.
Good meta humor feels like an inside joke between people who love the same thing. Bad meta humor feels like the writers reassuring everyone that they know the thing they're making is stupid. And after enough deconstruction, subversion and ironic detachment, audiences start getting the message: the people adapting these stories seem embarrassed by the people who sincerely enjoy them.
So let's talk about He-Man, Supergirl, Golden Axe, Duskfade, the strange relationship between camp and sincerity, and why Hollywood keeps wondering where its audience went.
======Channel Membership======
You can support the channel by becoming a Gregular, or be a Share Owener to get access to a monthly private stream where YOU get to give input on a video we make together. Sign up here: youtube.com/channel/UC3SyoB0UuS2rsLWcU37eQ2w/join
Do you need an editor, or do you just want to tell my editor how amazing his work is? Let him know at anaximandersshadow@gmail.com
