‘White Lotus’ Creator Crushes Woke Guardrails on Storytelling

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Mike White isn’t a rule-breaking investor, a drug-addled socialite or a Gen Z womanizer.

He’s a soft-spoken artist who penned those characters for the third season of “The White Lotus.”

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but express my fascination with the Max series, particularly its initial two episodes that have been showered with critical acclaim. What makes this series unique is its portrayal of complex characters who find themselves in paradise, yet are far from perfect. It’s strangely captivating to witness their struggles and discomfort.

This season, paradise means the sumptuous jungles of Thailand.

The show’s author and director, White, is adept at developing characters beyond his own life experiences. He is a versatile individual, publicly identifying as gay, who excels in both acting and directing roles.

People have been attracted to the series ever since it first started, largely due to his knack for developing diverse and vibrant characters. The latest episode of this season garnered 3.4 million viewers, a considerable number in today’s television industry. Moreover, it surpassed the viewership of the show’s premiere during its third season.

In short – we can’t get enough of “The White Lotus.”

White articulated to blogger and podcast host Andrew Sullivan his reasons for not allowing Identity Politics to impede him within the confines of the writer’s workspace.

White explained to Sullivan that the concept of personal experiences comes with certain boundaries you shouldn’t cross when it comes to identity, and this is what makes storytelling enjoyable for him. He wouldn’t find writing engaging if he only wanted to pen first-person accounts about his feelings and opinions.

He subtly countered the idea, which was gradually losing popularity, that artists should only draw from their personal experiences and inherent traits when producing art.

The most glaring example?

In 2020, author Jeanine Cummins encountered a fierce backlash from cultural canceling movements upon the release of her novel “American Dirt.” The story revolves around a Mexican woman’s journey across the U.S.-Mexico border, though Cummins herself does not have Mexican heritage.

Some on the far Left said she had no right to tell another culture’s story.

I had to postpone my promotional events due to some alarming threats that turned violent. Even my most ardent advocates, like Oprah Winfrey, seemed to take a step back after the controversy unfolded.

White has no time for such restrictions.

I have a deep-rooted opposition to the concept of Identity Politics in art… It seems we often prioritize our differences over shared commonalities, which is an approach I question. The persistent emphasis on defining and categorizing identities doesn’t align with my understanding of the world.

It seems to me that my religious background has fostered within me a belief that at our core, we humans are remarkably similar rather than distinct. This common ground could be found in any individual, be it a black woman or a white man.

In the show, Sullivan commented that “the characters seem strikingly human, unlike many other television characters.

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2025-03-24 21:03