“That was a mistake,” Spielberg said. “I never should have done that. ‘E.T.’ is a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through.”

Wait. Stop.

Spielberg specifically said, “or being forced to peer through.” That matters. …

What Spielberg alluded to speaks to the heart of the matter. We’re being “forced” to re-examine classic films, books and TV shows by a tiny minority of woke scolds who want to erase western culture.

[I’d prefer it if Spielberg had been more explicit about that point. Kudos to him for taking it up at all, but this is of existential importance to art, and Spielberg is one of the most well known and powerful artists of his era. If he’s having to pussyfoot around this point, it’s not very encouraging. — Ed]