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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 8/21/2003 7:20 AM (GMT -6) |   | Movies/TV/DVDs have displaced books as the medium that reaches out to the masses. Movies entertain, but they also tell people's stories and can enlighten us regarding the world-views of others. As such, the rules of the game governing the film industry has a strong impact on the world. Through Hollywood, USAmerican culture gets exported to the rest of the world and yet Hollywood movies, in general, do not reflect much of the US's cultural values. As a Christian, I do not see it reflect my values and yet its films are how so much of the world sees the US. I see this strongly as a US citizen who works and lives abroad.
This leads me to consider how the situation might be altered so that the "rules of the game" might favor better independent and foreign films in the years ahead. It is well known within the film industry that the cost of producing films are grossly overstated so as to mislead the public into thinking that extravagant sums are being spent on producing films. Huge audiences are guaranteed by virtue of star-power and large expenditures on advertising. Generally-speaking, there are large advantages that come from spending high amounts on advertising. As such, the predominance of Hollywood-produced movies at movie theaters stems from their larger budgets for advertising.
One way to even the playing field some might be to enact a progressive tax on advertising expenditures for movies. Block-busters would be checked some in their ability to pay for advertisement and lower-budgets may get a slight subsidy. The result would be to encourage more movies getting more screen-time, perhaps. One could even push for a tax on sequels that would subsidize starting directors so as to promote more innovation in movie-making and, of course, the porn-film industry could be penalized with an increase in its taxes.
The goal would be to reduce the concentration in power to produce and present movies in Hollywood. To the extent Hollywood's movies typically glamorize sinful behavior, reducing its power to produce and market movies would have a positive effect that Christians should support. In my experience, foreign and independent films, while including sinful behavior, has tended to portray the consequences of sinful behavior with a lot more realism and would be preferred over many Hollywood films, as such.
I don't think this issue would be settled in the recall election for Governor of California, but the outcome of the election could impact whether such a reform could come into being and so it might make a valid issue to bring up in that election.
Here is a response from another discussion-board...
Several things to consider:
1. I think most people would balk at an actual tax on ad spending, and of course you would have the clout of Madison avenue itself opposing any such effort. However, an indirect approach may be more feasible - limiting the deductibility of advertising. This would be no different than the federal 50% deduction limit on T&E expenses.
2. While reducing the competitive disadvantages of independent movie would benefit Christian filmmakers, it would also benefit plenty of other indie producers, including, as you note, foreigners. If you've ever watched IFC you'll know that some of these are far worse than the excesses of mainstream Hollywood.
3. Movie production costs are indeed overstated, but the primary reason behind this usually (AFAIK) is to reduce percentage payouts.
4. It is not merely large ad spending that keeps theaters filled with movies from major production houses, it is the exclusionary distribution system that keeps smaller players out of the picture (pun intended). But this would be a federal issue (interstate commerce of a legitimate type), not a California one.
dlw
Niebuhr thought that sustained moral energy in politics depended on religion's power to mobilize reason along with self-transcending love. The prophetic tradition, meanwhile, gave Jews and Christians some protection against the temptation to identify their social causes with God's will. Lincoln's second inaugural address expressed the prophetic insight, "The almighty has His own purposes." | | Back to Top | | |
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ReasonableDoubt
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 655
| Posted 8/21/2003 7:27 PM (GMT -6) | | | Yes, and everyone knows that "liberal" means demonic, evil, and (GASP), someone who supports welfare and criticizes SUVs. | | Back to Top | | |
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