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New ‘Star Trek’ DEI disaster flops despite airing for free: A ‘huge, gay, glee club middle finger’
Paramount Plus gave away a very expensive product for free.
After reports that “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” cost between $10 million and $20 million per episode to produce, the network bizarrely posted the entirety of its premiere episode on YouTube, likely in hopes of garnering interest from a wider audience.
‘He goes to Starfleet Academy, makes a ton of friends, and they help him be OK with who he is.’
However the typically popular franchise hardly made a big splash, with just over 85,000 views in the first 24 hours. While the city-sized viewership would be nothing to scoff at for an independent operation, reviewers were shocked by the numbers, revealing that during its premiere, the show allegedly hit a peak of just 1,316 concurrent viewers.
Set phasers to ‘slay’
The show has been heavily criticized for its obvious diversity push, with sci-fi author Brad Torgersen even calling it a “huge, gay, glee club middle finger to everyone who liked” the franchise, back in December. Torgersen blamed “theater kids” for ruining the franchise as well.
Since its debut, it has become even more apparent how deep the production went down the diversity rabbit hole. One scene was described as cadets being “required to get DEI training.” In the scene, an instructor tells her students that being in the academy means “being open to the people around you” as a student is questioning his colleagues’ identities.
Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
The instructor is played by actress Tig Notaro, whose real name is Mathilde O’Callaghan Notaro.
Notaro has previously described seeing her 5-year-old son in rainbow-colored clothing — particularly for gay pride — as “incredible” and even apologized for not being active in gender politics until it affected her.
Space cadet
Series creator Alex Kurtzman has not shied away from revealing the show’s devotion to diversity either.
“I think we’re not slowing down on representation in any way,” Kurtzman said according to Comic Book Club. “We’re certainly planning like representation is at the beating heart of [‘Star Trek’ creator] Roddenberry’s vision, and we’ve already done the work of bringing it to that new place.”
“So there’s really no reason to change course there,” he added.
The cast of characters also has an obvious and plainly stated agenda. The same outlet reports that a new lesbian couple will be introduced in the series, and the Klingon character, played by actor Karim Diane, will have his sexuality “explored.”
Here to make friends
Diane alluded to as much in a recent interview posted on the show’s official Instagram page.
“He doesn’t like to battle. He wants to love people and heal people and save people,” he said about his character. “He goes to Starfleet Academy, makes a ton of friends, and they help him be OK with who he is.”
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Other cast members include Zoe Steiner, who has shown up nearly nude to press junkets, and even late-night host Stephen Colbert.
Colbert announced his participation in the series in October and appears in 10 episodes as the Digital Dean of Students, which serves as a comic relief voiceover. He has already been mocked for his “absolute cringe” voice work in at least one scene.
Before the show aired, it was picked up for a second season by Paramount Plus.
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FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Kathleen Kennedy leaves ‘Star Wars’; is it too soon for fans to celebrate?
“Star Wars” fans may be celebrating a bit too early when it comes to Kathleen Kennedy’s departure.
Kennedy headed Lucasfilm for 14 years, controlling iconic franchises like “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.”
‘After destroying a beloved modern myth … Kathleen Kennedy is finally stepping down.’
Fans rejoiced online as Disney announced Kennedy will be replaced by two executives: chief creative officer Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, president and general manager. Filoni will be president at Lucasfilm, while Brennan will be co-president.
Director Filoni’s pairing with Brennan was described by Variety as a move that suggests Disney wanted to pair a strong filmmaker with a person who has a solid sense of budgets.
However, despite what appears to be good news for “Star Wars” fans, Kennedy’s tenure is not exactly coming to a screeching halt.
One to ‘Grogu’ on
Kennedy will still serve as a producer for two theatrical “Star Wars” films, the first being 2026’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
This is the same wing of the franchise’s universe that fired former MMA fighter and actress Gina Carano for speaking out against mask mandates.
Additionally, Kennedy will produce “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is set for a 2027 release.
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Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Disney
That didn’t seem to bother detractors like Babylon Bee editor Joel Berry, who posted, “After destroying a beloved modern myth and replacing it with a 14-year, malice-filled tantrum against the patriarchy, Kathleen Kennedy is finally stepping down. Finally.”
Cartoonist George Alexopoulos joked that Kennedy put the franchise “in a grave.”
Others screamed from X’s rooftops that “Star Wars” is now “free” and is “going to be amazing.”
Put a chick in it
X owner Elon Musk even jumped into the mix by simply posting a clip from “South Park: Joining the Panderverse.”
The 2023 episode was internationally recognized for hilariously mocking the downward spiral of Disney’s intellectual properties at the hands of Kennedy. The episode showed Kennedy demanding the diversification of every character Disney had to offer, changing movies to ensure they had “lame,” gay, and female characters, no matter how unsuccessful they were.
The cartoon popularized the phrase, “Put a chick in it! Make it lame and gay!” as a way to describe needless and forced diversity in media.
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Your worshipfulness
Disney CEO Bob Iger praised Kennedy in a statement on her way out, saying “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”
During her time at Lucasfilm, Kennedy has been criticized by fans not only for her film choices, but for comments that she made toward them.
In 2024, Kennedy accused fans who were unhappy with the show “The Acolyte” of attacking women online.
“I think a lot of the women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.”
While adding that she too has been a victim, Kennedy alluded to the fact that some of the fans were bigots.
“I stand by my empathy for ‘Star Wars’ fans. But I want to be clear. Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism or hate speech … I don’t consider a fan.”
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Scandal-plagued mayor arrested for serious sex crimes — including alleged sodomy of a minor
A St. Louis-area mayor obsessed with race and swamped with lawsuits has been arrested — and the accusations against him are horrifying.
On Thursday, Mayor Michael Cornell of Riverview, Missouri, was arrested and charged with nine felonies: four counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy, and one count each of first-degree harassment and possession of child pornography — film/videotape.
‘Tell me why we’re being sued because you made sexual advances to an employee and when he refused, you fired him.’
As of Thursday afternoon, Cornell remained in custody on a $1 million, cash-only bond.
The statutory sodomy charges relate to repeated incidents between 2016 and 2017 of alleged sexual contact with a teenager under 17 years of age, KSDK reported.
Prosecutors claimed that Cornell has also attacked three adult males: one between 2016 and 2017, one in May and September 2024, and one just last month.
Police worry that other victims, including minors, may be out there.
“In these types of cases with this type of behavior, based on the victims that we’ve talked to, it’s possible that this is a predatory type of behavior. And we’re concerned that if he was willing to do it to a minor, there may be other minors that we’re just not aware of,” St. Louis County Police Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Lohr said, according to KSDK.
A bond hearing has been scheduled for next week, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 18, KSDK said.
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Bill Oxford/Getty Images
Cornell, 39, has been inundated with accusations since before he was elected mayor in April 2024. He currently faces litigation related to sexual harassment, wrongful termination, gender discrimination, fostering a toxic work environment, and jokes on social media.
A former Riverview alderwoman also filed a suit after Cornell allegedly ordered her to be placed in handcuffs after she mentioned the sexual harassment allegations against him at a town hall meeting last February.
“I held up the court papers. I said, ‘Tell me why we’re being sued because you made sexual advances to an employee and when he refused, you fired him,'” Regina Davis said, according to KMOV, which has covered the accusations against Cornell extensively.
At least seven lawsuits have been filed against Cornell in just two years, the outlet noted.
Cornell has also recently made bizarre claims about members of the KKK vandalizing both public and private property in Riverview.
“I am writing to inform you of the disturbing markings and threats against the City of Riverview and its residents by racist and cowardly KKK affiliates throughout the night. Over the past six months, alarming KKK and hate-related markings or destruction of City property and churches in Riverview have been reported,” he posted to Facebook in December.
Additionally, Cornell issued KMOV a rambling seven-page letter on city letterhead, referring to not only the alleged KKK problem, but other wild allegations, including that the chief of police had orchestrated “conspiracies to blow my head off, commit a mass shooting, and then kill himself.”
Former Riverview Police Chief Thomas Tumbrink filed a lawsuit against Cornell and other officials in June, alleging wrongful termination.
In response to a request for comment on the lawsuits, Cornell told KMOV: “Just let the system play that out, and you just follow the facts, you understand? We’re not here to be choked in with the smoke. When the smoke clears, a lot of facts. And if you are someone with some type of integrity, follow the facts.”
Cornell’s bio on the Riverview website evinces a man obsessed with race and overly impressed with his resume. The first paragraph of many notes his “unmatched knowledge, courage, and strength, he has broken barriers and shattered ceilings at such a young age counting back over 20 years.”
Cornell also brags about his call for “environmental justice” and greater “integrity” and “transparency.”
Among other accomplishments, he claims to be the “youngest and First African American” chairman of the Riverview Board of Trustees and that in 2022, he became a “State Licensed Private Investigator.”
A public records request to the state law enforcement licensing agency revealed that Cornell had a peace officer license that has since “expired.” Cornell pled guilty to one count of impersonating an officer in 2017, but his record was later expunged, KMOV said.
Through a public records request, Blaze News learned that while Cornell has been registered to vote in Missouri since at least September 2020 and has cast a vote 10 times since then, he is not registered with a particular political party.
Riverview City Hall did not respond to a request for comment.
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BTS world tour ticket wars? Filipino ARMYs share their ticket-buying plans
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BTS Army, are you ready for ticket-selling day?
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Trump declares ‘we got men out of women’s sports’ as Supreme Court deliberates landmark cases
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Texans lose star receiver for crucial playoff showdown vs Patriots due to a concussion
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