Would Amazon Hire Tolkien to write the Rings of Power?

The fundamental problem with the Rings of Power series is the problem across almost all cultural organizations. Cultural organizations are either dominated or strongly influenced by ideological progressives. These progressives have shown a commitment to include political themes and advocacy in new content. This creates an obvious problem when dealing with existing IP: will the extant fanbase embrace the new content?  

This motivates a key question: Would Amazon consider J.R.R Tolkien as the primary writer for the Rings of Power series?

Tolkien has some selling points. His previous work – The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has sold 150 million copies and might be the most beloved fantasy work ever written. However, Tolkien's past works are highly problematic. Off the top of my head, I could imagine the following objections.

• The foundation of his writing includes themes bounded by patriarchal thinking and toxic masculinity.

• Violence is glorified. Conflicts are only addressed through violence.

• Only men are leaders, and societies are hierarchical rather than collaborative.

• Societies are organized in racially homogenous structures. No attention is paid to racial or ethnic diversity.    

• Societies are heteronormative. The only romantic relationships presented involve dominant men and subordinate women.

• The subordination of women also exists in societal roles. There are no female leaders in government or military operations.

However, as I am not an expert in gender studies, I asked an AI for a feminist critique of Lord of the Rings. I got the following:  

Firstly, the representation of female characters in The Lord of the Rings is a major point of contention. The female characters, including Arwen and Eowyn, are limited in their roles and often serve as motivations or rewards for the male characters rather than fully developed individuals with their own agency and goals. This reinforces traditional gender roles and diminishes the potential for strong, independent female characters in the narrative.

Additionally, the lack of female leadership and representation in positions of power within the story is striking. The absence of women in influential roles perpetuates the idea of male dominance and undermines the potential for diverse and inclusive leadership structures. Furthermore, the series largely adheres to traditional gender norms, presenting a binary view of gender and relationships. The romantic relationships portrayed in the story primarily follow a heteronormative pattern, reinforcing stereotypes and neglecting the presence of LGBTQ+ characters and relationships.

The emphasis on violence as the primary means of conflict resolution also reflects a problematic aspect of the narrative. The glorification of warfare and the predominantly male-centered heroic narrative contribute to a perpetuation of toxic masculinity and the idealization of physical power as the ultimate solution.

In conclusion, while The Lord of the Rings has been revered for its impact on the fantasy genre, a feminist critique raises important questions about its portrayal of gender, power dynamics, and representation. Addressing these issues is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and egalitarian narrative in the fantasy genre.

My quick list was frighteningly accurate. It was also shorter.

Odds are that Tolkien doesn’t get the job. It would be a battle between his demonstrated market success and pushback from social media and probably Amazon workers. Remove Tolkien's “brand equity,” and Tolkien would have little chance of becoming a writer for “The Rings of Power.”

In the 2020s, few content creators, such as Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan, have survived “cancelation” efforts. However, these counterexamples are essentially independent actors rather than members of hierarchical corporate-cultural institutions. Working within a bureaucratic and hierarchical cultural institution requires submission to accepted beliefs and standards.

When organizations are infused with political ideology, they are far less able to execute their original or core missions effectively. This is especially true when the core mission is creating an artistic product. A film studio dominated by evangelicals who felt the need to include religious messages and themes in every film would struggle to create great action or comedy movies. Of course, a movie studio run by Christian evangelicals would be highly unusual. In contrast, progressive sensibilities are pervasive in Hollywood, media, and academia.

So what are the prospects for the second season of The Rings of Power? As a Lord of the Rings fan, I have low expectations. One of the major deviations from the source material to the Amazon reboot was the characters of Galadriel and Elrond. In the movies (since that’s more familiar) Elrond is portrayed as a strong leader and warrior with suspicions of other races like Dwarves. In the reboot, he is cast as an effete political operative. Galadriel shifts from an elegant, ethereal sorcerous to a rebellious, ferocious warrior. Galadriel became the action hero, and Elrond had his toxic masculinity removed.     

It's hard to state how much of a betrayal this is to the source material and the fandom. Beloved characters’ personalities are fundamentally changed to satisfy an agenda. This is problematic on at least two levels. First, fans have relationships with characters. These are one-sided but real relationships with meaning. The dramatic changes to Elrond and Galadriel violate the fan-story relationship.

Second, the foundations of all fandoms are shared stories and narratives. Changing key characters' “narratives” weakens the foundations of a fandom. An older fan thinks of Galadriel as an ethereal being, while a younger one thinks of her as a scrappy badass willing to throw down. These fans have little to share.  Third, the motivations are transparent. There is an adage in marketing that the worst thing that a branding campaign can do is make the “marketing” obvious. Something similar should exist in cultural products, don’t let the politics show.

What’s the likely outcome? Two things. First, the traditional Tolkien fandom increasingly ignores The Rings of Power. Second, the Rings of Power creators increasingly blame the lack of support on the fandom’s primitive attitudes. The end result? Likely a series that limps along until someone at Amazon pulls the plug. Maybe the next reboot is more in line with the fandom’s preferences but the The Rings of Power series is probably destined to be forgotten.