What’s so bad about a reboot? Beyoncé's cover of Jolene doesn’t dilute the original, it adds to it
A new take, like Beyonce's cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene, only expands the work. So why do people love complaining?
As my loved ones, acquaintances, colleagues and strangers who've stood in line with me all know, I am not opposed to complaining. I am a complaining-friendly person, especially about small inconsequential things. If you complain, I'll find something to contribute. I've used this very column mainly to whinge about things. But in a shocking twist, today I am here to complain about others complaining. Every time a show/movie/song people love is rebooted or covered, I must watch the complaints roll in. It always makes some people extremely upset, for reasons I usually can't really understand, like watching a dog barking at a pile of clothes.
There are absolutely valid reasons not to like reboot culture. An avalanche of remakes has necessarily meant less original content is being made and, to be clear, I think that's bad. I want originality, fresh perspectives, and I want those ideas encouraged and financed. But the complaints aren't about media control issues, they are about people's nostalgia and love for a piece of work making them think it is sacrosanct and shouldn't be touched. They think a new take on it will somehow tarnish its legacy. Or sometimes they just don't want a new version that acknowledges the existence of women and people who aren't white.
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