For decades we have been hearing the same argument... «There is no white culture».
This is perhaps one of the most common arguments surrounding race, as it is considered socially acceptable to repeat.
If someone said «there is no Black culture» because Black people come from diverse tribes and civilizations, they would immediately be labeled a racist.
Yet, when the same argument concerns white culture, it is treated very differently.
The question is why it is deemed acceptable to diminish Western or white cultural heritage while simultaneously promoting and celebrating other cultures.
And even more so, why groups of the woke Left are attempting to redefine Western history and its achievements.
In the crosshairs this time is Homer's Odyssey, one of the foundational works of ancient Greek literature and the cornerstone of the Western cultural tradition.
Hollywood and the new version of Odysseus
Hollywood has pinned immense hopes on this particular film, attempting to secure a major box-office hit during a period in which several woke productions have failed commercially.
Handling the production is Christopher Nolan, one of the few Hollywood directors who command an exceptionally strong following, with particular emphasis placed on IMAX screenings targeting audiences with higher purchasing power.
Concurrently, American media outlets have aggressively promoted the film for months ahead of its release.
Even the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes has reportedly been influenced, as numerous negative reviews have been filtered out, a practice seen with other woke productions in the past.
«Get Woke, Go Broke»
Special mention should be made of the adage «Get Woke, Go Broke», which posits that excessive politicization and a woke agenda ultimately lead to commercial failure.
Certain journalists have already characterized Odysseus as proof that this argument is flawed.
The fact that critics of the woke agenda themselves now employ the phrase «Get Woke, Go Broke» is an indirect acknowledgment that this movement has gained political and social influence.
The «multicultural» reimagining of Homer
This cinematic adaptation of Odysseus is viewed as a «multicultural» revision of ancient Greek history, replete with substantial historical inaccuracies.
Even in the portrayal of Odysseus himself.
The hero is not depicted as the brave, decisive, and cunning protagonist of classical tradition, but as a broken man plagued by guilt, psychological trauma, and PTSD stemming from war and his behavior as a «colonizer».
It echoes how Kathleen Kennedy and Disney handled Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, recasting a classical hero as a disillusioned, cynical figure fundamentally divorced from his original persona.
The «woke» approach and Western history
Modern woke culture does not stop at colorblind casting; it seeks to fundamentally alter how historical figures and Western heritage are represented.
Casting actors from diverse ethnic backgrounds serves as a protective «shield» against critique, since any objection can easily be branded as racist.
The issue is not the presence of minorities in cinema, but the injection of modern ideological messaging into historical and mythological narratives.
To grasp this, consider a hypothetical cinematic adaptation of an African epic where African characters were replaced by white actors.
In that scenario, the Left would immediately condemn the production for «cultural appropriation».
The battle for ancient Greece
Another crucial dimension lies in the historical and demographic reality of the ancient Mediterranean.
When the Odyssey was composed roughly 2,800 years ago, the Mediterranean and North African regions had a distinct demographic composition compared to today.
One only needs to look at archaeological depictions of Greeks and Macedonians, pottery, frescoes, and other artworks, that portray individuals with fair skin and, in certain instances, light eyes and hair.
The attempt to challenge the historical and cultural identity of ancient Greece is part of a broader push to revise Western history.
Is Western history being «rewritten»?
A wider ideological trend attempts to reframe major milestones of Western history as products of other civilizations or as elements «appropriated» by the West.
This cinematic adaptation of Odysseus fits squarely into this framework, viewed as part of an effort to reshape the perception of Western cultural heritage and engineer a more multicultural narrative.
The issue extends beyond Hollywood. It is tied to education, immigration, and how history is taught in schools and universities.
From the «Odyssey» to the broader cultural conflict
It is evident that behind these developments lies a wider ideological transformation within the West.
The critique of Western history and the revision of traditional values spans from cinema to education, politics, and economics.
Concepts such as meritocracy, republicanism, Christianity, individual liberty, entrepreneurship, private property, free markets, and personal responsibility are increasingly challenged and supplanted by models emphasizing expanded state intervention and social egalitarianism.
Yet this «culture war» has become so conspicuous that it is beginning to lose its momentum.
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