I figured that Tom Cruise playing “Maverick” in the sequel to Top Gun would be all woke. He’d also be at least bi or gay, and probably trans. Look what Hollywood did to Star Wars.
After all, something like 20% of attention starved, navel-gazing, influence-susceptible college students with too much time on their hands – I’m talking about the movie-going crowd – now “identify” (whatever that means) as something other than what used to be called “normal.” And is still called “normal” by statisticians, given that only 2% of the population at large fall outside that category.
I further figured that in the unlikely event that Cruise was neither woke, nor gay, nor bi, nor trans, then he’d just be a cinematic strawman to remind us that biological male masculinity is toxic, primitive and, worst of all, uncool to everyone. (Except, men might observe, to healthy women. Try getting laid with a limp wrist etc.)
I was wrong. Either Hollywood has changed or maybe we’ve passed peak wokeness and peak sexual deviance (I use that term “deviance” in the statistical sense — I make no judgments about your bedroom habits).
Hollywood let Maverick still be a maverick. He’s taking no advice, no excuses, no cover, no prisoners, no guff, no anti-depressants, and no supps. He’s the real deal.
That said, Maverick is not exactly MAGA-rick. Thankfully, overt politicking has been kept out of the film.
The closest we have to politics is the rumor that Hollywood edited out a scene showing Mav in his iconic jacket preserved from the first movie – the one with, among other things, the flag of Taiwan on it – for fear of offending the Chinese who regard Taiwan as a breakaway province that is really part of China. But then the producers reinserted the scene albeit for only a brief second.
I wonder if this was a strategy cooked up by the movie marketing department, or was really the decision and spontaneous turnaround that it’s portrayed to be. Either way, I like it.
Back to Mav, the aging Naval Aviator. The word “Aviator” deserves upper case in this context for reasons of culture if not grammar. They’re the best of the best. Special Ops like the Navy Seals and the Army Green Berets are plenty tough and I advise against a bar fight with them, and Air Force pilots are no slouches, but – hey! – Naval Aviators land jets on boats. Their eyesight, judgment, reaction times, testosterone levels, decision-making, testicles and killer instincts are the best.
In a day when we mock such traits and suppress them in our sons (and then wonder why some of those boys snap) we still value such traits in the particular men, and also a few women now, who are willing to die to kill an enemy who wants to kill us.
The original Top Gun movie was in 1986 when the Soviets still terrorized and tyrannized Eastern Europe and a year before President Reagan demanded at the Brandenburg Gate that they “tear down this wall.” (Did that movie influence him?) There’s a lot of water under the bridge and people through the wall since then. Wokeness accounts for exactly nothing of that victory for humanity.
If naval aviation didn’t exist, we’d have to invent it just to preserve our species. A memorable line in this movie is when Maverick’s commanding officer scolds him that his kind are headed for extinction because future wars will be fought by drones operated remotely by dweeb-like soldiers thousands of miles apart with no danger to their own selves.
With a shrug, Maverick replies, “Maybe so, sir, but not today.”
The Aspen Beat recently passed 800,000 in readers. Join them with a free subscription HERE or by just sending an email to theAspenbeat@gmail.com
the Aspen beat 
Nice. As a person who does use the word “deviance” judgmentally (I “identify” as a bigot), and as someone who admires the ancient rhetorical device known as “chiasmus,” I like your distinction between “sexual standard deviations” and “the sexual standard deviation.”
I see you have subsequently removed the sentence I so admired. Guess that means I can steal your phrasing in the future without being guilty of plagiarism.
I’ve observed that most good ideas are polished versions of pre-existing ones. There’s not much new under the sun, but sometimes we can make it sparkle.
I’m no exception. If I were to authorize any biography, in-depth or abbreviated, it would be by you, friend. Be there when it means.
Excellent! I can’t wait to go see it! How refreshing coming from Hollyweird!
“A memorable line in this movie is when Maverick’s commanding officer scolds him that his kind is headed for extinction because wars will be fought by drones operated remotely by dweeb-like soldiers thousands of miles apart with no danger to their own selves.”
Sounds like the same assumption the smart people made in the ’50s when they assumed that all future air-to-air combat would be conducted with self-guided missiles, a mistake that the Vietnam war painfully exposed and ultimately lead to the creation of the Naval Fighter Weapons School, aka “Top Gun”.
The question that occurs to me when the topic of autonomous warplanes comes up is what will happen when (not if) an enemy hacks its communications? A human pilot is about the only defense against corrupted technology.
I want to hope that there’s a failsafe second set of drone drivers at the ready.
The question that occurs to me when the topic of autonomous warplanes comes up is what will happen when (not if) an enemy
Sorry for the duplicate.
You mean the Hollywood suits didn’t wreck the new Top Gun? By god, I’ll go see it.
The new film was fantastic! Brought back the old and fused it to the present. The scene with Iceman was a poignant cornerstone. Top Gun Maverick delivered a healthy dose of American pride in its armed forces and the brave 1% who serve and protect us all. As you know, Becky and I raised our 3 sons to be men of consequence and character. All 3 graduated from the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. A diplomat, a doctor and a pilot. Now retired to Florida, we can point our rocking chairs toward the setting sun and realize we did our best to raise citizens of our nation, and not the woke little pansy’s we see on Liberals of Tik-Tock…
Well done. Enjoy your rockers.
Interesting article. The only thing I liked about the original were the flying sequences between the A-4s and F-14s. This new one is a possible for the same reason.
Guess I’m going to have to get over my aversion to the word “maverick,” which John McCain ruined for me in the ‘90s. Having never seen the original Top Gun, I only just now realize how shamelessly he was exploiting the Cruise persona.
I don’t watch action movies. But I’ll have to watch this one, Glenn, even if it’s to remind me what a PN (pre-neutered) male looks like. I suspect that if it does well, the Hollywood woke folk will make more films like it, because it’s all about the loot, isn’t it? The sad thing, is, that today’s real world is letting aggressors win. I’m going to have to work hard to suspend disbelief.
Dude ! You have done it again!
Bravo!
When I started dating my wife in 1988, Top Gun was the only CD movie in my collection.
I got ribbed about that a couple times and it still makes a funny story today. Maybe it was because “I feel the need, the need for speed?”
We met during that song by the Righteous Brothers with the verse “You never close your eyes, anymore. When I kiss your lips”, So, yeah. 34 years and counting.
Awesome!
Glenn, (P.S. there are many of us in Aspen Snowmass who are conservative. You are not the only one. Come by the Gas Station and visit with us sometime.) Also, not all of the aviators who “land on boats” as you say know that Greek guy called testiclees. My wife is a pilot (out of KASE) and she is IFR rated. She would not fly with me for years! The she did once and now she has passed me up as far as ratings are concerned. Take sometime to learn about women pilots some off them are really acquainted with Testiclees and I’d bet they have larger ones than you. 🙂
The “Gas Station”???
C’mon dude! I’ll see you at the Basalt Shooting range.
Been there done that, must have crossed paths 🙂
P.S. speaking of guns since you brought it up.
Who created the Militia? When?. Why? How old was he? Why was he, an unexpected hero and 5th son of a King, even involved? How is that relevant to today with the shotings in TX, PA, etc. If you know all that you know the solution to the problem. If not, not.
Pingback: The Media Balance Newsletter: 20/6/22 - Australian Climate Sceptics blog
Pingback: AWED MEDIA BALANCED NEWSLETTER: We cover COVID to Climate, as well as Energy to Elections. - Dr. Rich Swier