"Go woke, go broke"
- Warning from Trump's Republicans
"Too late to go back to sleep"
- Defying Gravity from Wicked
In a country founded upon the bold premise that "All men are created equal," diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are concepts that should be embraced. Unfortunately, these three words infused with positivity and possibility are now symbolic of the divisiveness gripping our country. Instead of celebrating an attempt "to form a more perfect Union", political careers are built on implanting anchors in the status quo, and protecting the privileges enshrined in our past, as long as you were a white, property-owning (gender-specific) male who presented as straight.
With Trump's descent down his golden escalator into our country's political establishment, the Right has seen an opportunity to make open hatred of "The Other" acceptable again. Taking advantage of the fears generated by rapid social change and the march towards America becoming a minority-majority nation, Trump has trafficked in racial stereotypes, mocked those with disabilities, and attacked the LGBTQ+ community, especially the Ts. As a trust-fund billionaire born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Trump would never be able to find common ground with the working class fighting to keep their heads above water so he built his populist cred with the common ground of bigotry and fear of the other.
While Trump successfully gambled that political capital could be mined from America's racist past, corporate America has invested in a more hopeful future. By acknowledging the sins of our past, many corporations have sought to unlock the economic potential of embracing our county's diversity. While some DEI programs could be criticized as being purely superficial (for example, the Rainbow Washing of Pride month), others, especially those centered on hiring, held the potential to bring us closer to achieving Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream.
Corporations often do not take steps towards being woke based on moral correctness; it is simply good business. No matter how vocal the far right is, Americans generally agree with the march toward a more inclusive nation. The issue of transgender rights provides an example. A survey in 2022 found that "83% of respondents believe that transgender people deserve the same rights as other Americans." While the right wing throws kerosene on the fire of divisiveness by focusing on controversies over how to implement bathroom policies and ensure fairness in sports, the vast majority of the population does not share their hatred of those who do not conform to their concepts of gender identity.
While they do not have the support of the majority, Trump Republicans have become experts at controlling the narrative through pure bluster. Amplifying any failure by any company they have termed "The Enemy", the root cause is simple: "Go woke, go broke". It does not matter that Disney competes in a changing media environment, faces increasing competition for its theme park businesses, and lacks a concrete plan of succession for its CEO, its stock price has suffered because the company's leadership opposed Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law and shut down a theme park ride because the Intellectual Property (IP) it was based on has been widely condemned as being racist.
Maybe it was not a great idea to build a theme park ride using characters that white-washed the history of slavery in America
(Image by Carl J. Petersen) Details DMCA
The release of Wicked by Universal Pictures proves that being "woke" is not a kiss of commercial death as long as the movie is well-made and entertaining. The source material for the film had already questioned how the Wicked Witch of the West had been portrayed in The Wizard of Oz and, in doing so, provided a cautionary tale about the use of propaganda. The movie goes further by correcting the 1939 movie's insensitive representation of munchkins. Fiyero, the love interest of the two future witches, is portrayed as so endearing that people of all genders fawn over him.
Far from "going broke", this film with woke themes has already grossed $534.1 million worldwide. Domestically it is the highest-grossing movie ever based on a Broadway musical and worldwide it is in fourth place in this category. With a projected budget of $145 million, Universal has already made a huge profit.
One of Wicked's advantages is that, while the discrimination its characters face is based on reality, the traits discriminated against are pure fantasy. Black people can relate to Elphaba's ostracization but white people are freed from feeling guilt as they watch. After all, they can be sure they have never discriminated against someone because they are green. The horror felt as Dr. Dillamond is pulled from the classroom by his horns is safe because conservative Christians can be sure they have never attacked a talking goat. As conservative Christians reflect, can they eventually realize the similarities to attempts to remove transgender athletes from the playing field?
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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