Lord of the Rings Trilogy Has Many Elements That Are Difficult to Watch in the Modern Day – Twitchy

It’s a tough news day for J.R.R. Tolkien fans. First, we learn that Stephen Colbert is writing and producing a new “Lord of the Rings” movie based around one of the Hobbits’ daughters and the “long-buried secret” she has uncovered. A lot of posters assumed that the long-buried secret would be her penis.

“The Fellowship of the Ring” was released in 2001, but times have apparently changed more than we realized. According to Comic Book Review, a lot of Peter Jackson’s trilogy is hard to watch through a modern lens.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an iconic film series, but it also has many elements that are difficult to watch in modern day. https://t.co/LtHXOd3rfL

— CBR (@CBR) March 25, 2026

Eight reasons it’s difficult to watch today?

Ajay Aravind tallies them, although only two would be considered “woke.”

• 6. Middle-earth’s Female Characters Are Severely Underserved
• 5. Even LOTR Didn’t Avoid Cultural Stereotypes

He writes:

Saying that Tolkien belonged to a different era is a blame-deflecting argument used in defense of the author’s borderline-colonial gaze. While all the Elves are compassionate at heart, they clearly represent white characters. The Rings of Power tried to subvert this with Arondir, a tactic that failed because it came far too late in the franchise. In fact, even the Dwarves, Hobbits, and Men are entirely white in The Lord of the Rings. There is not a single POC actor among the heroes.

You’d think cucks like you would not find anything difficult to watch. pic.twitter.com/lyBrNvclDr

— 100 Proof 🥃 (@ChampionCapua) March 25, 2026

Not only is this a terrible take, it was a terrible take 2 weeks ago when some OTHER jackass floated it.🤣

So it both sucks and is redundant.

Well done! You’re fucking awful.https://t.co/82D4EccF0s

— The Middle Aged Baby (@MiddleAgedBaby2) March 25, 2026

Recommended

The cultural stereotypes and lack of female characters are some of the best parts of these films.

— William Swollace (@WBS_Meme_King) March 25, 2026

Sounds about right, people in the modern age have forgotten what true cinema actually is.

When one embarks on the LOTR (Extended, of course) journey, they weep at how modern cinema has lied to them, producing drivel.

— Alaric (@thenickoftime90) March 25, 2026

“Difficult to watch in [our neurotic, easily offended and weak minds].”

— 8trius (@8trius) March 25, 2026

“[T]here’s far too much moral clarity in The Lord of the Rings for the story to feel authentic and relatable. With very few exceptions, the heroes are always good and the villains are always evil … the 21st century has no place for black-and-white perspectives.” pic.twitter.com/ueSqJ5KtfT

— Dr. History by the ,5 Liter Ehrenbiertrinker (@historybythpint) March 25, 2026

I’m not a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings but I respect it and will absolutely defend it from woke douche bags

— Third Railify (@ThirdRailify) March 25, 2026

“Difficult to watch”

And let me guess, Stephen Colbert’s version is gonna “fix” that?

— ✨♐🎮 MystyxSama 🎮♐✨ (@MystyxSama) March 25, 2026

Why am I not surprised who the writer is.. woeful opinions of an outright fucking classic. pic.twitter.com/5XLNKyGRaA

— VV (@TheEngancheEra) March 25, 2026

Translation: pic.twitter.com/3A47WpTGCW

— Alan ₿ (@alanbwt) March 25, 2026

There is nothing difficult about watching Lord of the Rings Trilogy today.

Anyone who has difficulty doing so, needs professional help, because they are the problem.

— David Krae ~ PublicEnemy#246011111 (@DavidKrae) March 25, 2026

It told an amazing story, not a lecture to appeal or pander to an agenda, to a minuscule part of an audience or to modernity, etc. And quite frankly, this trilogy had some one of the best female characters I’ve seen.

Calling them “underserved” is an insult. pic.twitter.com/6Fm0iFp2kp

— Greg Mikaels (@GregMikaels) March 25, 2026

The writer started with hating the movies because they’re too white and too male, then tried to come up with ways to support it. Could only come up with eight things that say the same thing: “Too white, too male.”

— John in the Woods (@jswriter65) March 25, 2026

“There’s too much moral clarity” is one hell of a take. You absolute morons

— Simon Tanner (@SimonTanner13) March 25, 2026

You guys are actually *trying* to get ratioed, right? Like, you had a meeting and said to yourselves, “what’s the dumbest take we could post about LOTR to just see if anyone is watching?”

— AGuyinTexas (@a_guyin) March 25, 2026

No it doesn’t. It’s timeless and eternal. It is as near to a perfect film series as could be made. Nothing you say or do can change that.

— tracer (@not_tracer_120) March 25, 2026

Yeah, bad takes for the most part. Indeed, the 21st century needs a big dose of moral clarity demonstrated by this very post. Tolkien knew that there were eternal and immutable truths…

— Tony Williams (@TWilliamsAuthor) March 25, 2026

The greatest film trilogy ever made about a timeless epic about good triumphing over evil that isn’t seeped in woke slop is not “difficult to watch”. Cease your imbecilic claptrap.

— Rondo (@Rondomonium) March 25, 2026

“Ajay has also written a few articles about sexuality and queer rights”

Dear god

— The True Gentleman (@TheTrueClochard) March 25, 2026

For Middle Earth! pic.twitter.com/T4nEwsXCHB

— The Sarcasticat (@TheSarcasticist) March 25, 2026

It not being modern is exactly why people like it.

95% of everything I watched in all of 2025 was made before the year 2005 because now everything is absolutely dogshit garbage.

— Gargus (@Gargux) March 25, 2026

They had to have known this was rage-bait. They’re still stuck at 20 likes after 12 hours of being up.

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