A new take, like Beyoncé’s cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, only expands the work. So why do people love complaining?
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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.
