The Fall Guy, Universal’s Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt caper movie that is set to open May 3, is the first big film of the summer season since 2006 that is not a Marvel movie. That really says everything about the complete takeover of Hollywood by the intergalactic widget-makers, but this article by Daniel Bessner, “the Life and Death of Hollywood,” which is the cover story of the May issue of Harpers, tells the story in detail.
Such an educational and historical article!! Thank you! You probably could have written it yourself out of your own experience but this really gave the panoramic, macro view.
On the micro level something like this has been happening in our local TV market for quite some time. When I started working as a reporter/anchor in 1976 we were a network affiliate but locally owned. In those days of license renewal accountability we had to show that we were covering/responding to community needs and values. We got a list of those every year!
Times have changed! The affiliates are all owned by private asset companies--a sequence of them over the past years. They are " in and out" of our viewing area. They only care about the local scene to the extent that it is thriving enough to make them a profit!!
You can see the change in talent to younger, inexperienced ( presumably cheaper) reporters who see their job as a stepping stone to bigger markets. The older ones are eased out or see the writing on the wall and retire or leave. I am not against younger people getting these jobs and learning the trade. But it is lopsided. An institutional memory and a sense of place no longer exist. In its place a kind of memory and history gap. Of course, TV broadcasting is increasingly "old media" I guess. But with it goes a sense of the local missing from social media.
And good luck getting federal monies for public broadcasting!!! It would be great but don't see that happening!
Incredible piece, Tom. My brother, also Tom, got into the film industry from the other end of the business, as a film buyer for theatre chains. But his first love was of film as a creative process. I'm forwarding this to him. He now writes for an online industry publication, analyzing box office performance. I know that the world continues to change and evolve, but the level of greed that has been allowed to flourish with Wall Street's takeover of everything, combined with a disregard of the importance of art to our culture, has destroyed so much. Thank you for sharing this.
Very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to describe the industry and effect of Reaganomics. Private equity and hedge funds are now taking over the healthcare industry, decimating quality of care over money. Not sure where it will wind up, but it won’t be good for us, the consumer.
No surprise that so much that's gone to poop started under Reagan. And while one would think deregulation would unleash monumental creative production, the result has been the expanding shadow of the Goliath of corporate greed.
Very interesting. I’m a ceramic artist who has been fortunate enough not to be dependent on my work to make a living. I have always suspected that greed strangles creativity and your article confirms that.The greedy need creativity but I suspect they are too arrogant to understand that. Lots of monsters afoot these days.
Absolutely great piece. During the so-called "Morning in America" era launched by the GOP with Ronald RayGun as the Master of Ceremonies, the same abuse from management and the resulting precarity that was imposed on writers in Hollywood, also spread across American workplaces like a metastasizing cancer high on fresh bone. Thankfully, Substack is a great alternative to that predatory business model, a creative platform where the audience is empowered to directly support talent that's respected and valued. Engaged in a participatory process like this, who has time to watch mindless television or shitty movies anyway? And BTW, thanks for all the tips about what's worth watching.
Very informative article, Tom. Thank you for showing it to us.
Such an educational and historical article!! Thank you! You probably could have written it yourself out of your own experience but this really gave the panoramic, macro view.
On the micro level something like this has been happening in our local TV market for quite some time. When I started working as a reporter/anchor in 1976 we were a network affiliate but locally owned. In those days of license renewal accountability we had to show that we were covering/responding to community needs and values. We got a list of those every year!
Times have changed! The affiliates are all owned by private asset companies--a sequence of them over the past years. They are " in and out" of our viewing area. They only care about the local scene to the extent that it is thriving enough to make them a profit!!
You can see the change in talent to younger, inexperienced ( presumably cheaper) reporters who see their job as a stepping stone to bigger markets. The older ones are eased out or see the writing on the wall and retire or leave. I am not against younger people getting these jobs and learning the trade. But it is lopsided. An institutional memory and a sense of place no longer exist. In its place a kind of memory and history gap. Of course, TV broadcasting is increasingly "old media" I guess. But with it goes a sense of the local missing from social media.
And good luck getting federal monies for public broadcasting!!! It would be great but don't see that happening!
Thank You. With two (successful despite all this) offspring in the business, this explains alot.
Incredible piece, Tom. My brother, also Tom, got into the film industry from the other end of the business, as a film buyer for theatre chains. But his first love was of film as a creative process. I'm forwarding this to him. He now writes for an online industry publication, analyzing box office performance. I know that the world continues to change and evolve, but the level of greed that has been allowed to flourish with Wall Street's takeover of everything, combined with a disregard of the importance of art to our culture, has destroyed so much. Thank you for sharing this.
Very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to describe the industry and effect of Reaganomics. Private equity and hedge funds are now taking over the healthcare industry, decimating quality of care over money. Not sure where it will wind up, but it won’t be good for us, the consumer.
This is an amazing piece, Tom. I would have expected to have read it in The Atlantic! Thanks for sharing it with us.
No surprise that so much that's gone to poop started under Reagan. And while one would think deregulation would unleash monumental creative production, the result has been the expanding shadow of the Goliath of corporate greed.
Very interesting. I’m a ceramic artist who has been fortunate enough not to be dependent on my work to make a living. I have always suspected that greed strangles creativity and your article confirms that.The greedy need creativity but I suspect they are too arrogant to understand that. Lots of monsters afoot these days.
Great history. Your writing is magic. I’ll read this again after I finish Halberstam. Whew.
Absolutely great piece. During the so-called "Morning in America" era launched by the GOP with Ronald RayGun as the Master of Ceremonies, the same abuse from management and the resulting precarity that was imposed on writers in Hollywood, also spread across American workplaces like a metastasizing cancer high on fresh bone. Thankfully, Substack is a great alternative to that predatory business model, a creative platform where the audience is empowered to directly support talent that's respected and valued. Engaged in a participatory process like this, who has time to watch mindless television or shitty movies anyway? And BTW, thanks for all the tips about what's worth watching.