Do you really care if entertainment rewards itself with a few million more

[The Lone Liberal]

At a time that teachers are working at or below the poverty level, at a time when 41 million working Americans don’t have health insurance, at a time when 3.1 million good paying American jobs have gone to the sweat shops of the third world, at a time when 50% of American children are living in poverty, do you really care if some movie makes an extra 30 or 40 million because it won an Oscar?

This is the night for the peacocks to preen for the sparrows. Gowns that cost more than a lot of Americans make in a whole year to be described ad infinitum . People who have no wants, being fawned over. Something seems a tad askew here, Don’t you think?

Just asking.

[mhr]

1. Warped American Culture - The Freepers Love It - Ah Family Values

eom

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. And then there are the expensive gift baskets given to the presenters.

Lots of crap the fabulously wealthy "stars" don't need. The money could be spent on feeding hungry kids, buying prescription medications (or food) for the elderly who have to choose between food and their drugs, the unemployed.

Great post. Thanks.

[Deja Q]

3. It's only going to get worse.

An I hate to drag the comatose horse, but peak oil will ultimately mean the death of billions. And if you think discompassion is running rampant now, just wait... :scared:

Better pick up a certain book before they raise the price of it...

[mlawson]

4. I find the whole spectacle offensive.

Not only the points you have made, with which I totally agree, but to me, movies are BORING!! I haven't been to one since 1977.

[The Lone Liberal]

5. There is less experimentation due to the "Winner-take-all" environment

More and more is going to fewer and fewer.

[NicoleM]

6. No. But

people need some escapist fun every now and again, and if this provides it for some people, who am I to judge? I watch The O.C., for Pete's sake. :)

[aquart]

7. You sound horribly jealous. And IGNORANT.

How dare actors become affluent and respected, even revered.

How dare their faces and bodies be the reason to hire thousands and thousands of people at well-paying and well-respected jobs?

Have you ever stayed in a movie long enough to read the credits? Every name is a paying job. Lotta union jobs. Even the list of credits itself is an achievement, because it didn't used to be there.

Have you looked at the names? The names are from everywhere. Every name on those credits is a separate journey and a particular struggle for decent work, decent pay, and recognition. Japanese names, Hispanic names, Chinese names, women's names.

Theatre used to be so low on the social scale that actresses were automatically considered prostitutes, and an acting company had to have a powerful patron or be arrested for vagrancy.

The movies have a disproportionate amount of Jews and Irish, know why? Because respectable people didn't consider the movies for a career, so the people who were frozen out of respectable jobs found a place there. Beverly Hills came into existence because a Jewish movie person, no matter how rich, wasn't allowed to buy land and live in the respectable parts of Los Angeles.

But how dare they celebrate being able to laugh at them all? What nerve.

I just saw a sucking up interview on the red carpet with Jada Pinkett and Will Smith. How dare they strut in and remind us that a Will Smith movie is a prize, and those decades of discrimination probably wasted fortunes of talent, without making a speech or anything but standing there, impeccably dressed, winners.

How dare they celebrate that?

All you see is the money they make and you don't. I see the struggle. And the victory.

[The Lone Liberal]

10. I plead guilty to ignorance....

I am ashamed that I think a $2 million gown is a bit over the top. I feel bad that I didn't realize that $35 million for the lead in Dumb and Dumber is a bit over the top.

How dare I think that maybe we have some real social problems to address and that usin part of the very limited pie to pay for such high dollar for entertainment is not a wise thing for society. I just remembered, Rome, had the circus didn't it.


PS. 90% of them are Republicans.

[aquart]

22. 90% of what are Republicans?

The film editors? Sewers? Costumers? Wigmakers? Make-up people? Boom operators? Animal wranglers? Directors? Assistant directors? Prop buyers? Prop makers? Continuity editors? Script people? Caterers? Post production crews? Cameramen? Computer animaters? Stunt people?

AS FOR THE DRESSES.....they're donated by the FASHION INDUSTRY, but I don't tout that because that's mainly overseas employment. Still, jobs. As the granddaughter of the first woman in her sweatshop to walk out for the ILGWU, I tend to like the idea of plentiful employment in the garment industry. It makes it easier to organize.

You've never been on a movie set. You've never been in on the years of planning, the writing, the re-writing, the re-writing, and the re-writing. Your contempt for the efforts of so many people is contemptible. Just because it looks glamourous and easy to you. You haven't a clue how physically, emotionall, and mentally taxing it is.

You're behaving like the worst bigot, condemning what you don't know.

[The Lone Liberal]

26. Oh? I don't?

I didn't recognize you. I am red-faced now! Going on and on when my best friend was here to call my hand. Shame on me.

A couple points though:

I never said that it didnt take three or four or five years to make a couple hundred million.

Sure the more sweat shops there are larger the population that the union might organize. Of course, one small thing, in most of these countries with the sweat shops, if you try to organize they will shoot your ass off. Sort like the US of A in the 20s.

One other point, most of the money goes to a very small percentage of the industry. Big money is Republican money. Look at the history of Hollywood.

PS. I am a bigot. I hate and work against the elite in this world wherever I can, because if someone doesn’t speak up, then no one would and most of the world would vanish, that is become invisible.

[deadliving]

27. Oh those poor poor hollywood elite

"how physically, emotionall, and mentally taxing it is"

I'm sure as they count and spend their millions they worry about us "little" people just trying to make ends meet. I pity the hard working hollywood millionaires. God grant them peace of mind.

[deadliving]

24. I see the struggle the hollywood elite make

If all I had to worry about was if my slice of the pie is only worth 10 million instead of 20 million I would sleep better at night.

Struggle and the hollywood elite don't belong on the same page. They can eat my leftovers.

[aquart]

30. Ignorant. Ignorant. Ignorant.

You see the top of fame and think they were born there? Just walked in off the street and got the lead, huh?

I will bet cash money you never worked as hard as they did. I've never met an actor who wasn't training, working 8 hours or more a day, and auditioning.

But it's sooooooooooooooooooooooo easy, isn't it.

85-90% of the members of the actors unions never earn subsistance at their craft.

The stars you sneer at make work for everybody. Especially the journeymen of the profession.

But they shouldn't be paid for it? Is that your contention? Even though their work makes hundreds of millions for their production companies?

Your jealousy is sickening. Your contempt is ignorance and bigotry personified.

[The Lone Liberal]

31. Oh, why can't we be friends?

If you want to give them your money that is fine with me. If you want to give them a parade, have at it. I think though I have a right, no a duty, to try and talk people into not supporting a bad allocation of their money. Of course, I am out-gunned, when it comes to talking people into things, hell look at the quality of films that the culture is being talked into shelling out good money for everyday.

But, quality is off the point, isn't it. We can't expect those who have so much to turn out socially important films, say like those films that were made before Hollywood peed in their collective pants before the House on UnAmerican Activities. That stopped the movies from making films that pointed out that maybe something was wrong in society. No what they did was became part of the collective corporate culture. But that is just my bigoted point of view.


Oh, by the way, how is the organizing going? Have they started organizing the undocumented house slaves that abound in the Hollywood Hills? How about those sweatshops in Manila? Got them under contract?

[Lars39]

8. Tad askew is a definite understatement.

We just invaded Haiti, yet the show goes on...I wonder if anyone will even mention it? :(

[corporatewhore]

9. sometimes i find it disgusting then my bro tells me to shut up

[Astarho]

11. I think it's good...

that we honor artists and storytellers at least somehow, since we don't in too many other ways in this society.

That said, I think they do go over the top with the whole thing (Billy Crystal's musical number went on waaaaaaay too long). I think it is a tad askew.

[The Lone Liberal]

12. I think the money is obscene....I think the "Winner-Take-All" environment

is obscene. I think that the guys who pick up the garbage are more important than entertainment, sorry, that is what I think. I am not against recognizing those who go without recognition, but, that doesn't happen to be this bunch of people. We fawn over them everyday. We follow their every action, they are not the forgotten ones.

How about a night where we recognize the best teachers, be best garbage collector, the best waitress, the best discount store clerk, the best fast food employee. There are millions and millions that live invisible lives, lives of quite desperation, lives that as Hobbes said, "lives that are short, mean and brutish."

No, let them make their millions and millions, but lets not give them a parade also. That is the trouble with those who have the best, the want the rest and the rest is a parade.

No thanks, I only go to parades for the people.

[corporatewhore]

17. one of the red carpet people is wearing a 2.5mil diamond dress

:puke: :puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[greatauntoftriplets]

18. And how much in jewelry?

Excessive display.

[aquart]

25. So what do you tip your garbage man? Your waitress?

Garbagemen in my city make a perfectly good living with benefits. If they aren't where you are, what are you doing about it?

How many desperate garbagemen do you know, btw? Any?

[The Lone Liberal]

28. Well, I dont give them enough.

A question, what is a prefectly good living? How do you define that for the garbageman?

[oxymoron]

13. Wow.

And me with my sackcloth at the cleaners. Damn.

[The Lone Liberal]

14. Sackcloth is unnecessary

of course in my mind so are $2 million gowns. Come to think of it, I bet there are some people sleeping under the freeway bridge tonight that would like some good sackcloth.

Of course if you are saying that "sackcloth" is being implied, you are right on point. Mental sackcloth might be what we could use to counter the insensitivity that is so prevalent within our society. We honor the rich and well-to-do when there is no need, it is sort of carrying coals to Newcastle. They have the honor they desire and most everything else they desire. There is no need for us to line up to be shorn or to huzzah at the parade.

[PartyPooper]

15. As long as Hollywood keeps $upporting the Democrats

I don't have a problem with it.

However, you did raise some provocative issues in your post. I'll admit the U.S. and the world are in a hell of a mess. So much damage has been done in the last 4 years.

And, so, we must oust Junior in November!

:kick:

[The Lone Liberal]

20. A couple points of history.

When the HUAC came Hollywood caved. When Nixon came Hollywood caved, no one came to Jane Fonda's side. When Reagan came Hollywood caved. Hollywood supported Arnold. Hollywood money cannot be counted on, it mostly goes to the Republicans. Neither can we count on the majority of those folks sitting in that theater.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. No, I really don't

Do some actors make large amounts of moolah? Yeah, some do. Not many.

And the money they're getting paid is coming from the pockets of the 41 million Americans without healthcare, it is coming from the tens of millions of people who work 40 hours a week in burning hot factories making cars and toasters and earning maybe $40K a year, it's coming from the teachers of our children, it's coming from the tens of thousands of people whose jobs are paid by the money that the aforementioned people pay to see a movie.

So a few actors get to rake in a lot of money from the capital of their talent (whether it's raelly talent or not).

I don't care.

All the power to 'em. It's not their money is coming from the government, or anyone is being forced to shell over their $10 to see a movie.

The movie industry is 100% VOLUNTEER in terms of our participation in it.

And those actors who are paid hugeley ridiculous amounts of money? They provide a lot of jobs for gardeners and construction workers and maybe butlers; they also support a hell of lot of artists (outside of the movie industry), they give away a lot of money to charities; yes those gowns are expensive, but by buying them, they are supporting the people who likely spent boatloads of time making those dresses.

I guess as an artist, I'd rather make on $2 million artistic special gown a year than 4,000 $500 gowns.

I think you're blowing this totally out of perspective. Yes, there isa certain Roman Empire-esque "Hey, look at the entertainment while everything goes to hell!" kind of thing to it, but that's part of being human. We like entertainment. We like storytelling. And as I said, all the money the few - and it's very few - highly paid actors earn comes directly from the hardworking American shlubs who want a bit of entertainment in their lives.

[NashVegas]

19. "Every Party Has Its Pooper"

and that's why we invited you!

[The Lone Liberal]

21. Been called that before and who am I?

So go ahead, huzzah all you want, fawn over a bunch of bizillionaires, have fun. I am just "a party pooper" who thinks maybe it is a little overdone for those who have the best and want a parade so they can make more.

Besides, I think Bob (Mr. Republican) Hope should be given a parade. He visited every war of the last sixty years.

[deadliving]

23. It makes me sick

If they didn't trash repubs and fawn over Dems I would hammer them much harder. We are forced to accept them for their relentless support of Dems.

[corporatewhore]

29. check it out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x827672

[Bertha Venation]

32. Ask away.

My two cents: nothing is going to stop them. It's a diversion for some, and a thorn for others. One man's entertainment (i.e., Survivor or Fear Factor) is another man's bullshit garbage. Same w/ the Oscars. BFD.