'One of the girls went behind our backs.'

As movies are a staple of popular culture, this year’s box office hits indicate a new shift towards entertainment that is not influenced by leftist ideology.  This summer’s top movie — Inside Out 2 — holds a 96 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the film was praised by viewers for its relatability that transcends generational norms. The movie is distinctly family-friendly, with no indication of a woke agenda that’s infiltrated recent films. “I watched with my 12-year-old grandson. I enjoyed it and he said he was interested in the emotions of puberty. Good times and good conversation,” one user wrote.  The movie brought Gen Z back to the movie theaters and suggests a shift in Gen Z’s preferences in entertainment. Gen Z is shying away from the perverted morals that are advertised in the entertainment industry. (READ MORE: Inside Out 2’s Success May Signal the Return of the Movie Theater Experience) Gen Z and Sex Scenes A recent study by Talker Research found that 43 percent of Gen Z will turn off a movie when they encounter a sex scene. The survey revealed that Gen Z found sex scenes as “either always or mostly unnecessary and don’t add enjoyment or story enhancement.”  Talker Research also found that baby boomers and Gen Z, despite being over 30 years apart, agree that sex scenes are not necessary in movies. “It’s notable that Gen Z and Boomers are agreeing on this when everything else under the sun — politics, sports, cars, parenting — all that kind of stuff, Gen Z and Boomers could not be further from each other,” Van Darden said, who is the director of media relations for Talker Research.  Inside Out 2, Dune: Part Two, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Despicable Me 4 are currently the top five movies worldwide in 2024. Cumulatively, these movies generated over $3.6 billion in worldwide sales and boast high ratings in movie reviews. These movies continue to evoke positive responses from audiences, perhaps because of one thing in common: their lack of a woke agenda. On average, the top five movies hold a 91 percent audience score by Rotten Tomatoes.  These box office numbers reflect this return to preferring moral values over obscenity and woke-filled plotlines. MovieGuide reported that the top-performing movies in 2024 “promote strong morals … while more perverted movies, even when they have a strong backing, have sunk.”  The Talker study also cited findings from the Economist that nudity and sex scenes in movies have dipped by 40 percent since 2000. The top five movies do not display sexual content or suggest strong nudity. There is a slight exception in Dune: Part Two, but the movie only “implies fornication” and “brief upper male nudity.” These movies share in displaying vital redemptive elements of forgiveness, restoring what has fallen, and doing the right thing. A similar study by the University of California Los Angeles found that 51 percent of Gen Z preferred content centered around platonic friendships rather than romance on-screen. The 2023 study also found that 47 percent of Gen Z thought that sex scenes aren’t needed in TV shows or movies.  As media entertainment continues to evolve and advance in different kinds of content, there is hope that Gen Z could change the landscape into one less stained by the left. The post Movies Are Becoming Less Woke, and Gen Z Approves appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

This week, Hamas, Fatah, and 12 other Palestinian factions met in China and signed the Beijing Declaration, which outlined their plan for post-war governance in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has also met with allies this month to formulate its own post-war plans. Pre-War Governance Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which officially represents Palestinians on the international stage, signed the Oslo Accords and the Gaza-Jericho Agreement in the 1990s. The Palestinian National Authority, more commonly known as the Palestinian Authority (PA) was created to govern the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into three areas of control intended to eventually become one Palestinian State. Area A: Area A is fully under Palestinian control and consists of about 17 percent of the West Bank and most of Gaza. Israel has increased its control over Gaza as the war with Hamas rages. Area B: Area B is about a quarter of the West Bank. Israel controls security in the area and the PA controls civil affairs. Area C: Area C consists of the rest of the West Bank and is under Israeli control but the PA manages education and medical services for Palestinians in the area. Palestinian Factions The PLO is the “umbrella” group that claims to represent the Palestinian people across the world. The Palestinian Authority, though a separate entity from the PLO, is controlled by Fatah. Fatah is one of the 11 factions that make up the PLO. Hamas, another separate Palestinian group, has been in power in Gaza since 2007. Fatah still controls the West Bank. The two groups have been at odds ever since Hamas defeated Fatah in the 2006 parliamentary elections. Hamas took power in Gaza and fighting broke out between the groups. Hundreds were killed or executed.  Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state. According to their charter published in 1988, they seek to “obliterate” Israel, something that is reflected on their website. Fatah does recognize Israel as a state. In Article 12 of their Constitution, however, Fatah seeks the “Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence,” also reflected on their website. Hamas and Fatah are the most powerful groups seeking control of the Palestinian state, but several other Palestinian groups are fighting for control as well. The Beijing Declaration Beginning on Sunday, China hosted reconciliation talks between Hamas, Fatah, and 12 other factions in Beijing to discuss unity and the governance of the postwar West Bank and Gaza Strip.   This is the second round of talks held by China, which is looking to increase its influence in the Middle East and to present itself as a peace broker in world conflicts. On Tuesday, the 14 factions signed the Beijing Declaration. Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative faction, told Al Jazeera that there are four main elements to the declaration: the establishment of an interim national unity government, the formation of unified Palestinian leadership ahead of future elections, the free election of a new Palestinian National Council, and a general declaration of unity in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks. Israel, U.S., U.A.E. Talks President Joe Biden has been putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a “day-after plan” for governance in post-war Gaza as well as reach agreements for a ceasefire and return of hostages. Last week, Israel, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates held a meeting in Abu Dhabi to discuss postwar governance. The U.A.E. proposed a plan that would install a temporary international mission in Gaza that would deal with the humanitarian crisis and reestablish law and order. In contrast to the Beijing Declaration, the plan is built on the defeat of Hamas. The Emiratis were willing to play an active role in the international mission if the U.S. had a leadership role in the mission and the Palestinian Authority formally invited the force to enter Gaza. The plan would also require the PA to conduct reforms and have a role in governing Gaza through a two-state solution. Months ago, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant proposed a similar plan in which a multi-national military force would be brought into Gaza that would build a new governing system that is not Hamas. It does not include a role for the Palestinian Authority but does give local Palestinian authorities power in civil affairs while Israel maintains military control. Netanyahu has rejected both proposals. He wants U.A.E support but rejected the Emirati’s proposal because he is against a two-state solution and the PA having any role in Gaza. Netanyahu lambasted Gallant’s proposal too. Recently, however, Netanyahu has showed increased interest for it and presented it to the Emiratis and Americans. The future of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank is uncertain and will continue to be long after the war is over. The post Governance in Gaza and the West Bank: What to Know appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

A Michelin Star is one of the highest honors a restaurant can earn, but only eateries in certain states can get them. Here's what we know about the process.

?BREAKING: Candace Owens just said: "It has now been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris CHEATED in the 2020 election with mail-in ballots. The Democrats,in collusion with Big Tech and state TV, were the real insurrectionists all along" Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/sQwqi8F1H3 — Save America ?? (@usanews0) July 25, 2024