The Odyssey Proves Woke Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Summary

Episode Overview

Title: The Odyssey Proves Woke Is a Feature, Not a Bug
Host: Sasha Stone
Date: May 17, 2026
Theme:
Sasha Stone delivers a cultural and political critique focused on Hollywood's ongoing embrace of "woke" politics, using the hypothetical casting controversy around Christopher Nolan's new film adaptation of The Odyssey as a lens. Stone explores the concept that "wokeness" is not merely a passing trend on the left but has become a defining feature of modern liberal culture, akin to an unofficial moral code replacing earlier forms of Hollywood censorship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Woke" as an Enduring Feature, Not a Passing Bug

• Initial Framing:
  Stone argues that woke ideology is ingrained in the modern American left, especially in elite institutions such as Hollywood and the Democratic Party, rather than being a temporary phase.
  • "Every time we hear that the woke fever has finally broken, Hollywood cares about the people again... Woke is not going anywhere. It is who they are now." — Sasha Stone (01:00)
• Democratic Politics Parallel:
  The host draws a connection between the persistence of woke ideology and political choices, such as the recurring nomination of Kamala Harris:
  • “It’s why Kamala Harris was the nominee in 2024, and why she will once again be the nominee in 2028. This is how the ruling class in America wants to be represented." (13:53)

2. The Odyssey Casting as a Cultural Rorschach Test

• Race-swapping & Gender Identity Casting:
  Stone dissects anticipated public reactions to Pink Christopher Nolan casting Lupita Nyong’o (a Black woman) as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page (a transgender man) in a major role, suggesting that such moves are less about artistic choices and more about ideological signaling.
  • "How you reacted was like whether or not you wore a mask outside in 2020. It was a test. You're on one side or you're on the other." (04:12)
• Tensions in Representation:
  The casting sparks another culture war, forcing viewers into a binary “for or against” stance.
  • “If that weren’t enough, Nolan brought back Ellen Page from Inception, now recast as Elliot Page, the male, as an act of affirmation. In yet another test, these are Orwellian 2 2, 5 and force people to choose.” (04:26)
• Critique of Hollywood’s Motives:
  Stone asserts that Hollywood is less interested in entertaining audiences and more invested in "lecturing" them, using high-profile minority casting as social proof for their own virtue.
  • "Probably the worst thing about the game Hollywood plays with the movie fans they helped raise is that Lupita Nyong’o is held out as a sacrificial lamb." (07:09)

3. The New "Woke Code" as Successor to the Hays Code

• Historical Parallels:
  The host compares today's ideological mandates to the historic Hays Code (1930-1968), noting that both set rigid boundaries for acceptable representation in film—once conservative Christian, now progressive.
  • "That isn't all that different from what the Woke Code is now. It's roughly the same kind of thing. Rigid rules to depict an ideal society." (08:08)
• Key Difference:
  The current code, according to Stone, prioritizes anti-patriarchal and anti-white narratives; it also only includes "half of America”—i.e., the left.
  • "The difference is that Christian advocates have been replaced by progressive activists and the villain is the white male patriarchy." (08:29)
• Market Forces & Diminished Relevance:
  Just as the Hays Code dissolved when it no longer served the market, Stone implies the Woke Code will eventually meet a similar fate—if market realities dictate.

4. Awards, Status, and Artificial Parity (Oscars & DEI)

• DEI Mandates & Forced Change:
  Stone recounts the shift in award outcomes and industry hiring, moving from metrics-driven gender and racial quotas to broader definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • "Counting the number of female nominees and winners, every year it was bad news. As things began to change for women after the Academy announced its DEI mandate in 2020, that change was forced." (12:03)
• Criticism of Meritocracy's Fade:
  There’s a sense that merit has taken a back seat to activism and status-seeking among elite filmmakers.
  • "Now it's all about Marxism disguised as art. If life isn't fair, movies will make it fair." (12:51)
• Status-Seeking Directors:
  Established white directors are cited for their own efforts to “reach for things money can’t buy”—status and cultural credit—through diverse casting (examples: Scorsese, Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson).
  • “Perhaps Nolan was under pressure to cast a non white woman as Helen. Or maybe he wants to be seen as a good person…” (09:55)

5. The Audience's Exhaustion and Alienation

• Hollywood's Disconnect:
  Stone laments the growing gap between Hollywood elites and their audiences; the desire for pure entertainment has been replaced with social litmus tests and ideological lectures.
  • “The game is becoming exhausting by now as Hollywood demands the hardworking American public be impressed by them, lectured by them and corrected by them. All audiences really want is the one thing Hollywood seems unable to accomplish. Entertain them." (05:27)
• Cycle of Outrage:
  Critics who object are marginalized or "purged," intensifying division and resulting in artificial, pre-planned outrage cycles.
  • “When you go against the rules of Woketopia, you aren't just getting hit on X with a lot of angry tweets by loyal fans who continually feel betrayed. They bring out the big guns. Agonizing op-eds in the New Yorker, for instance.” (11:36)

6. The Coming AI Disruption

• AI as the Next Counterculture:
  Stone predicts that artificial intelligence will become the subversive force in entertainment, able to deliver unfiltered content that appeals to the audience directly, unconstrained by DEI compliance or activist pressure.
  • "AI artists don’t have to be held to the same rigid standards. They can be purely about bringing in eyeballs by showing what people want to see rather than what Hollywood wants them to want to see." (14:35)
• Imagination Unleashed:
  Creative possibilities no longer constrained by Hollywood’s ideological gatekeepers.

7. AI Imagines "Troy 2: Helen’s Retribution" (Dramatic Reading)

• AI Plot Summary Segment:
  The episode includes a dramatic reading of an AI-generated sequel scenario: “Troy has fallen. The great city lies in ashes… Helen of Troy, once blamed for the war, now seeks revenge…” (15:11-17:10)
• Commentary on Representation:
  The presentation underscores how new technology might invent stories and characters without wokeness or traditional industry constraints.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Anti-woke is anti-black. I know the Democrats. I was one. I helped build the modern-day party of the Great Feminization and the Great Awokening." — Sasha Stone (01:53)
• "Tell me what you remember." (01:56) — segues into imagined dialogue, dramatizing mythic storytelling and identity.
• "Notice it, comment on it, object to it, criticize it. And you’re one of the bad people to be purged." — Sasha Stone (04:17)
• "People become protective over historical and cultural figures they strongly associate with their identity. In my opinion, race swapping in stories so tied to a specific culture can sometimes feel forced and ends up creating unnecessary backlash, division and even racism instead of focusing on the actual performance." — Citing @T_SEC Tweet (07:00)
• "That isn't all that different from what the Woke Code is now. It's roughly the same kind of thing. Rigid rules to depict an ideal society... Christian advocates have been replaced by progressive activists and the villain is the white male patriarchy." (08:08-08:29)
• “No film has better exemplified Hollywood in the Trump era than this one. It says it all. ICE is the Gestapo. Check. America is run by a cabal of wealthy white Nazis. Check. A woman of color must save herself. Check." (11:23)
• "If you were hoping that Woke is over, well, I think that was its own Hollywood fairy tale." (13:44)
• “They want to force change. And they do that by elevating minority groups to high status positions as symbols for the mostly white people who run things." (13:55)
• "AI artists don’t have to be held to the same rigid standards... They can make the women as beautiful as they want, and no one can cancel them for it." (14:53)
• “After the movie comes out, we’ll have to see whether it works or not. At the moment, it feels like just another test to decide who gets to stay and who has to go.” (17:36)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:00 — Introduction, theme establishment, politics and the persistence of woke ideology
• 04:00–07:09 — The Odyssey casting as flashpoint, virtue signaling in Hollywood, struggle over representation
• 08:00–10:00 — The Hays Code vs. The Woke Code, cultural governance, historic parallels
• 12:00–13:55 — Oscars, DEI mandates, industry change, and status-seeking elites
• 14:30–15:11 — The rise of AI as counterculture creator
• 15:11–17:10 — AI-generated “Troy 2: Helen’s Retribution” reading
• 17:10–17:50 — Closing thoughts on fantasy vs. reality, the ongoing cultural litmus test

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Conclusion

Sasha Stone’s episode delivers a thought-provoking and deeply skeptical look at the current state of Hollywood and left-liberal activism, arguing that “wokeness” is now inextricably linked to elite American culture and entertainment. From controversial casting decisions to the emergence of AI as a creative disruptor, Stone paints a picture of an industry caught between ideological self-congratulation and the looming possibility of obsolescence—a must-listen for anyone interested in how culture wars shape (and reflect) the stories America tells itself.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi, this is Free Thinking through the fourth turning. I'm Sacha Stone. The Odyssey proves woke is a feature, not a bug. Every so often a moment in culture arrives a Sydney Sweeney ad or project Hail Mary. Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue.

[B]

Sydney Sweeney has great genes.

[A]

Every time we hear that the woke fever has finally broken, Hollywood cares about the people again, Right? The same reason Kamala Harris is likely to be the nominee in 2028. The same reason the Democrats are still selling the lie that any kind of attempt by Republicans to even out redistricting is Jim Crow 2.0 is proof enough that on the left, woke is not going anywhere. It is who they are now. Not all of them, but the most powerful among them. Early on, when Mark Halperin and others were insisting Gavin Newsom would be the nominee in 2028, I said there was no way Democrats would get behind a white guy, no matter how passionately he genuflects to the woke. Anti woke is anti black. I know the Democrats. I was one. I helped build the modern day party of the Great Feminization and the Great Awokening. I know what fires them up every day. And it isn't just taking back power. It's foisting their religion upon the rest of us. They think it's the opposite, that it's the right that is foisting their Christian nationalism upon them. While it's true that a faction of the right has unmasked to become the very thing Rob Reiner warned about in his movie God and Country, they aren't the majority. Perhaps that's true on the left, but look around. Their religion is the dominant culture in America. Tell me what you remember.

[C]

A wife, A son.

[D]

And then what?

[B]

We won the war.

[E]

War.

[B]

Help me go home.

[A]

This is a household waiting for Master.

[C]

I want you to choose me.

[A]

Ithaca's king is coming back. When news got out that Christopher Nolan had cast Lupita Nyong' o as Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world whose face launched a thousand ships, it ignited yet another culture war. How you reacted was like whether or not you wore a mask outside in 2020. It was a test. You're on one side or you're on the other. Notice it, comment on it, object to it, criticize it. And you're one of the bad people to be purged. And if that weren't enough, Nolan brought back Ellen Page from Inception, now recast as Elliot Page, the male, as an act of affirmation. In yet another test, these are Orwellian 2 2, 5 and force people to choose between ignoring it and going to see a big effects movie in IMAX or not buying a ticket and boycotting the film. Elon Musk took the bait, becoming the villain Hollywood needs to turn seeing the Odyssey into a righteous and political act. You can see them now, the bearded male feminists buying tickets 10 times in a row. Take that, Elon Musk. The ladies of Blue sky will go in groups, then fawn over how beautiful Lupita Nyong' o is and overuse the male pronoun for Ellen Elliot Page. Wasn't he great? For podcast listeners, a series of headlines Elon Musk supports racist and transphobic commentary about the Odyssey casting. Alec Baldwin calls out Elon Musk for criticizing Lupita Nyong' O as Helen of Troy. Musk renews attacks on Nolan's $250 million Odyssey casting. Elon Musk sparks racism accusations after questioning Lupita Nyong' O's casting. The game is becoming exhausting by now as Hollywood demands the hardworking American public be impressed by them, lectured by them and corrected by them. All audiences really want is the one thing Hollywood seems unable to accomplish. Entertain them. It isn't that Nyong' o isn't pretty. She is. It's that Helen of Troy was white, famously so. Even if Greek, Nyong' o is a unique beauty, not a universal one, a reality the left wants to force because Hollywood doesn't care about its audience. They want to look good. Probably the worst thing about the game Hollywood plays with the movie fans they helped raise is that Lupita Nyong' o is held out as a sacrificial lamb. She isn't pushing any ideology, unlike Ellen Elliot Page. They're putting her out there and expecting her to absorb the criticism about herself, including whether she is pretty enough. I met her once, back in 2013 in Telluride, before her career took off. She was too young to know how to act like a celebrity. She was so nice. I was won over and she would win an Oscar that year and become a big star in Hollywood. Is it fair to put her in this position just so they can feel good about themselves? No. Does it change anything?

[D]

No.

[A]

There is still such a thing as truth and reality. Even if that is the thing that is unfair. Podcast listeners. A picture I took of Lupita Nyong' O and a Tweet by T SEC quote my 2 cents on the Lupita Nyong' Odyssey debate. I Think Christopher Nolan set Lupita Nyong' o up by casting her as Helen of Troy. This was always going to create controversy because Helen is one of the most iconic figures in Greek mythology. It's similar to how black people would react if a white actor was cast to play Shaka Zulu or Nelson Mandela. People become protective over historical and cultural figures they strongly associate with their identity. In my opinion, race swapping in stories so tied to a specific culture can sometimes feel forced and ends up creating unnecessary backlash, division and even racism instead of focusing on the actual performance. The Woke Code and the Hays Code The Hays Code 1930-1968 represented an era where indecency and morality were mandated in all Hollywood films. The Christian conservatism morality mandated by the Hays Code reflected less a separation between art and governance and more a united effort toward a utopian society of goodness. Especially as we moved through the last Fourth Turning, the Great Depression and World War II, a time when the world saw true evil in Hitler and Stalin, not to mention the nuclear bomb. That isn't all that different from what the Woke Code is now. It's roughly the same kind of thing. Rigid rules to depict an ideal society. The difference is that Christian advocates have been replaced by progressive activists and the villain is the white male patriarchy. What is different now amid our current fourth Turning is that the Woke Code includes only half of America to the left. They would rewrite this narrative to say that Hollywood depicted mostly white America and that is what changed. But really, if you respond to the box office as Hollywood doesn't do anymore, you will always default to the majority. It isn't rocket science. Beautiful sexy women and masculine men and a great story. The end of the Hays Code was entirely due to economics. Television became so popular in the 1950s that there wasn't much of a need to go to the movies if all you saw was the same kind of buttoned up themes you could see on tv. That's true now too. Movies then had to break out of the Hays Code and become much more subversive leading into the 1970s, which saw some of the best films ever made. While it's true that the Odyssey will be eligible to win awards under the new rules, it's also true that the criteria could have been met in a way that didn't make audiences play this exhausting game that has alienated them from everything Hollywood puts out. The casting of Nyong' O and Paige is less about Oscars and more about status. Perhaps Nolan was under pressure to cast a non white woman as Helen. Or maybe he wants to be seen as a good person, using his wealth and fame to make change as the most famous white male directors reach for things money can't buy. Like Martin Scorsese making Killers of the Flower Moon. Steven Spielberg making West side Story with a real Latina. And Paul Thomas Anderson's peak woke Best picture winner. One battle after another.

[B]

You should put on more makeup to make yourself look better. You go to a dance, you make an effort, you put on more makeup.

[D]

Why is your shirt so tight?

[B]

I'm not gay, if that's what you're saying.

[D]

I didn't say that.

[B]

I'm not a homosexual.

[D]

I did not say that. But I see the lifts in your shoes.

[B]

Oh, you are a smart ass. You a hobby in and you know, you just. You're this little princess, aren't you? Smart mouth like your mother. Your mother had a smart mouth and I buried her.

[D]

Are you having trouble remembering what you just read? If it's a straight line, I have a problem. If it's not, you have to let me go. God, there's no way I'm actually yours, cuz I can actually.

[E]

Shut up. Just shut up, you mutt.

[A]

No film has better exemplified Hollywood in the Trump era than this one. It says it all. Ice is the Gestapo. Check. America is run by a cabal of wealthy white Nazis. Check. A woman of color must save herself. Check. And all of it is held together by a hapless white man, Leonardo DiCaprio, who represents the film's beating heart. He's the only good white guy, which is how those in Hollywood who make these kinds of choices would like to be seen. One battle is actually a movie about them. Had Nolan cast a blue eyed blonde woman as Helen of Troy, all hell would have broken loose. When you go against the rules of Woketopia, you aren't just getting hit on X with a lot of angry tweets by loyal fans who continually feel betrayed. They bring out the big guns. Agonizing op EDS in the New Yorker, for instance. If you obey the rules, then you are praised. The problem is that it all feels so artificial, so pre planned, so inorganic. I used to write the Oscars report for Jane Fonda's Women's Media center who fired me after they found out I voted for Trump. Counting the number of female nominees and winners, the statistics were always grim. Every year it was bad news. As things began to change for women after the Academy announced its DEI mandate in 2020, that change was forced. If before merit had made too many white men winners. Now we were seeing something a little closer to gender parity. So then the line moved back. Then it became not just about women, but women of color and trans women. Now it's all about Marxism disguised as art. If life isn't fair, movies will make it fair. It isn't just because the Oscars have it written into their new rules. And it isn't just because activist groups like GLAAD breathe down the neck of every Hollywood studio, counting heads and making reports. It's that this is a deeply felt belief system that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I have no doubt the Odyssey will make money. It's a Christopher Nolan film, after all. Who doesn't want to go see a giant visual effects epic filmed entirely on imax? If you can ignore the elephant in the room, the performative casting, you might have a great time. But if you were hoping that Woke is over, well, I think that was its own Hollywood fairy tale. It's why Kamala Harris was the nominee in 2024, and why she will once again be the nominee in 2028. This is how the ruling class in America wants to be represented. They want to force change. And they do that by elevating minority groups to high status positions as symbols for the mostly white people who run things. Culture like the Democratic Party will have to be built anew. That, more than anything, explains why AI is about to completely consume the business, becoming the subversive counterculture revolution Hollywood never saw coming. They can do it all and more without the millions of dollars necessary to mount a production. AI artists don't have to be held to the same rigid standards. They can be purely about bringing in eyeballs by showing what people want to see rather than what Hollywood wants them to want to see. In other words, they can make the women as beautiful as they want, and no one can cancel them for it. For podcast listeners, an AI version of Troy 2 Helen's Retribution they will pay for this.

[C]

Troy has four fallen. The great city lies in ashes, its people scattered, leaderless, hopeless. The Greeks, led by Agamemnon, celebrate their victory. But in the shadows of ruin, one woman refuses to surrender. Helen of Troy, once blamed for this war, now seeks revenge. With Paris perished and only a few warriors by her side, Helen knows she cannot face the Greeks head on. Instead, she fights with cunning on the coastline. Her rebels strike in the dead of night, torching Greek ships to trap them within the broken walls of Troy. Agamemnon's men grow restless. Fires rage. The Greeks are hunted by the very prey they sought to conquer. Agamemnon, furious, humiliated, orders a manhunt for Helen. His soldiers search every corner of the land, but Helen stays one step ahead. Just when the noose tightens, she meets Aeneas, a legendary Trojan warrior renowned for his unmatched skill. Together they strike deeper into Greek lines, cutting off supplies and spreading fear among their ranks. But revenge comes at a price. The Greeks regroup. Supplies run low. Every move feels like their last. Will Helen's fury be enough to stop Agamemnon? Or will this fight seal her fate? This is not just a story of war. It's a battle for survival, a fight for freedom, and the final act of a woman determined to rewrite her destiny. Troy Helen's Retribution Coming to a theater near you soon.

[A]

I spent my life in movie theaters, gazing up at the big screen and watching some of the best films ever made. That only makes sense if you are escaping real life and finding your way into a fantasy world. And maybe for the Woke, seeing Lupita Nyong' o cast as the most beautiful woman in the world is its own kind of fantasy fulfillment. After the movie comes out, we'll have to see whether it works or not. At the moment, it feels like just another test to decide who gets to stay and who has to go. Thank you for listening to my podcast sashastone.com a cross post with Hollywood woketopia.com I might have to fuse the sites at some point because I can't do both I don't think and do both well. I'm leaving on my trip to drive to Ohio to see my daughter, but I'll be posting along the way. And if you like my work, you can always consider becoming a paid subscriber and I will be putting my travel logs behind the paywall. Or you can leave a tip on the tip jar and also be able to access those posts. And if you can't and you have tipped, please let me know so that I can change your status. I hope you had a great weekend. And remember to thine own self be true.

[E]

Step right up and don't be shy because you will not believe your eyes. She's right here behind the glass you're gonna like her cuz she's God class you can look inside another world you get to talk to a pretty girl she's everything you dream about. Don't fall in love she's a beauty More than a million girls she's a beauty why would I lie? Why won't I lie? You can't say anything you like but you can't touch the merchandise she'll give you every plan is worth? But it will cost you a dollar per? You can step outside your little world? You can talk to a pretty girl? She's everything you dream about? Don't fall in love, she's a beauty? More than a million girls? One with a million girl. Why would I lie now? Why would I lie? If you do, you find out you.