The problem of the present day writing isn't self-indulgence.
The self-insert fan-fiction is inherently self-indulgent, yet the vast majority of the self-insert fan-fictions fall into one or more categories you had created, be it action, an escapism, or even intellectual resonance...
...and still came off better than the shows like Acolyte.
Why?
Because most fan-fiction writers do understand the concept of fiction, of imaginary characters, settings and events.
The modern writers, i.e. professionals employed by the Hollywood as such, don't understand that. They act on the belief that all fiction is always an allegory for the present day political issues, and doesn't allow for any other interpretation, because they are adamant there couldn't be any other interpretation. They don't understand the story is a story.
Most fan-fiction authors, even the self-indulgent ones, don't do this.
They understand very well that fiction is fiction, and self-insert characters often revolve around thinking out of the box, out of the context of this fictional universe. They might be uncreative, since they didn't found better way to do it that SI, but understand a basic that Hollywood couldn't comprehend.
