Since around 2016 with Lady Ghostbusters, Hollywood has adopted a new marketing blueprint, and it's not simply appealing to the 'Modern Audience' (hat tip: The Critical Drinker). It's an intentional strategy to piss off long time fans of the intellectual property as part of its marketing push.
No longer is it just to do a press junket, make the rounds on the shows and release in a song from the soundtrack. Nope. You must also show distain for the aging-out Boomers and let them know that this is not for them. Backlash is baked into the promotion of these new woke shows.
Star Trek Artist Warns Fans That "Review Bombing" Starfleet Academy Could End the Franchisehttps://t.co/dWT8rztavm
— That Park Place (@TPPNewsNetwork) February 19, 2026
So when the backlash inevitably arrives, the performative caterwauling follows in predictable fashion.
While this writer is a long time sci-fi fanatic who remembers Star Trek in its first-run (and Star Wars without the 'Episode IV' added to the crawl), he'd like nothing more than to tune into thoughtful, intelligent episodes.
All that is left, sadly, is, clunky messaging and ham-handed pandering to 'marginalized' groups. And while there's a healthy debate about whether Star Trek has always been woke, there's no doubt that it was so much more than that.
The best we can hope for is the complete self-immolation of the current Star Trek and something better rising from the ashes.
Your terms are acceptable. https://t.co/TEcoiEHyf5
— FilmLadd (@FilmLadd) February 20, 2026
Them: 'Hurr durr! Why don't you Boomers go back to your VHS tapes and go away?'
Us: 'OK.'
Incentives, how do they work?
— Stephen Green (@VodkaPundit) February 20, 2026
'Wait, where are you going?'
That show is terrible and yes I read the article. Maybe it’s time to bench “the franchise” until they improve the writing and the storylines.
— Source of Grey Hair (@freechewy) February 19, 2026
If you think this, you're just racist / sexist / fascist / phobic!
— Ryan Badger (@ryanseanbadger) February 20, 2026
Maybe a few hundred million more in losses will help them to see the light? Maybe not.
Well I wasn’t considering review bombing before but now it sounds like a great idea
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) February 20, 2026
Sounds like a good idea to us as well.
— Tim Gatins (@TGatins) February 20, 2026
Others have observed that this isn't your standard issue 'blame the audience' whine. It has a Jewish mother (hi mom!) style guilt trip associated with it.
I would much prefer to see this (once-beloved) franchise fade into memory than continue to be defiled as the exact opposite of everything that made it what is was in the first place. pic.twitter.com/ZJxaiXd67F
— BlueSquire (@Blue__Squire) February 19, 2026
Defiled.
A franchise's death is signalled by natural and consistent bad reviews especially when labelled as "bombing" by the producers meaning that they don't take feedback. pic.twitter.com/G5WTIyuL1a
— Freaky Mickey (@SirDogTurd) February 19, 2026
Well put and sadly, well deserved.
Has unfair review bombing ever killed something that was genuinely good? I'm actually asking. https://t.co/UVSCRSjtzv
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 20, 2026
No.
The irony of it all is that Hollywood is all-in on 'celebrating diversity' while intentionally playing to a ridiculously homogenous group: themselves.