Corrupt Government-Hollywood Complex Worsens With MPAA Appointment of Chris Dodd
by Ben ShapiroThe relationship between the federal government and Hollywood is corrupt and dirty. In essence, Hollywood liberals go easy on liberal politicians – in fact, their entertainment routinely stumps for liberal causes — and in return, the politicians give handouts to Hollywood. Government has been particularly beneficent to the television industry – from the days of Paley, Goldenson, and Sarnoff onward, warm relations between the industry and those who regulate it have been the norm.
During the 1990s, the Democratic Party raised $8 million per campaign cycle from the Hollywood contingent. By the way, that’s three campaign cycles every year. Some of the biggest Hollywood donors included David Geffen, at $200,000 per year; Jeffrey Katzenberg, who clocked in at $125,000 per year; ABC Family network head Haim Saban, who coughed up $250,000 per year. Organizationally, Disney led the way with $1 million per year, and AOL Time Warner followed suit with $500,000 per year. According to one estimate, Hollywood gave the Democratic Party “contributions roughly equivalent to what Republicans received from their friends in the oil and gas industries.” In return, Hollywood got what it wanted: favors. The 1996 Telecommunications Act got rid of restrictions on cable pricing without doing anything about local government-created monopolies, leading to skyrocketing cable prices and profits. Meanwhile, President Clinton instituted a “research and development tax credit,” according to film scholar Ben Dickenson, worth $1.7 billion to the industry.
Such warmth continues today. As of June 2010, 73 percent of entertainment industry donations during the 2010 election cycle had gone to Democrats. Comcast – a supposedly conservative company — had given approximately $1.3 million to Democrats and $756,000 to Republicans, a 64-to- 35 percent advantage to the Democrats. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) grabbed $329,800 in Hollywood donations. Not surprisingly, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), who chairs the House Commerce and Energy Committee, which has jurisdiction over communications issues, gathered $82,500 from the industry.
Things just got worse. Now, the Motion Picture Association of America has selected former Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) to head up its lobbying effort in Washington D.C. Dodd follows in the footsteps of former Clinton Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman. But Dodd makes Glickman look like a piker when it comes to graft. Dodd is the same man who regulated the mortgage industry while receiving sweetheart mortgage deals from Countrywide. Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo took points off of Dodd’s mortgage and lowered his fees. Meanwhile, Dodd was supposed to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t assume too much risk. As we all know, Fannie and Freddie ate up all the risk, forcing them into nationalization. Dodd should have been impeached from the Senate. Instead, he’s going to be the chief lobbyist for the movie industry.
“Senator Dodd is a battle-tested leader whose reputation as a strong leader on major issues facing this country has prepared him to serve as the ambassador for the movie business,” cheered Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jim Gianopolous. By the way, Dodd will receive $1.2 million per year to help relieve taxpayers of their money.
The movie industry is in trouble right now because, like too many other American businesses, it has lived off of government bloat, kowtowed to unions, and expected consumers to pick up the slack. Despite rising ticket costs and a decent slate of movies, Hollywood’s revenue dropped this year; its attendance was down more than 5 percent from last year. Fewer and fewer movies are produced because production costs are so high. The industry’s solution: go to the government for help.
In the short term, it will probably work. In the long term, it’s doomed to fail. Over the next ten years, watch as the American movie industry – as iconic as the American automobile industry, only with more cultural power – fades into oblivion with the help of people like Chris Dodd.
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91 Comments
These politicians like Chris Dodd, can never fade away, even when they retire.
They are like a woman, who has been introduced to a little taste of sin, and finds out she likes it.
Power and money doth corrupt.
Dodd is nothing more than a self serving politician with no concern with the future of America. Only his own needs and wants. Just like a lot of other elected ones.
Anything that liberals infest they kill (parasite – host). Dodd being a parasite herder extraordinaire aka Friend of Angelo, will only hasten their demise, by ensuring poor state sanctioned propaganda, that the majority of America could care less about. I think his choice is perfect, and illustrates corporate cronyism is alive and well in Tinsel Town.
Wow …. hollywood and Dodd !!! This metaphor tells you everything you need to know ! This explains why my list of unwatchable hollywood pukes grows almost daily !!
Why isn't Dodd cowering in fear in some dark corner, biting his nails into the quick, worrying about being
indicted on charges of fraud and corruption?
Because MORALS and ETHICS are dead in our society, that's why.
WHAT A COUNTRY!!!
.
In Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1805), he points out: "At home, fellow citizens, you best know whether we have done well or ill. The suppression of unnecessary offices, of useless establishments and expenses, enabled us to discontinue our internal taxes. These covering our land with officers, and opening our doors to their intrusions, had already begun that process of domiciliary vexation which, once entered, is scarcely to be restrained from reaching successively every article of produce and property… "The remaining revenue on the consumption of foreign articles, is paid cheerfully by those who can afford to add foreign luxuries to domestic comforts, being collected on our seaboards and frontiers only, and incorporated with the transactions of our mercantile citizens, it may be the pleasure and pride of an American to ask, what farmer, what mechanic, what laborer, ever sees a tax-gatherer of the United States?"
Hmmmmm, how far have we gone off the path our founders laid out???
Outlaw professional politicians. Phase them out. We'll be better off and have a more productive society.
Hollyweird and the left are made for each other – and deserve each other. That Dodd gets a job like this in lieu of spending the rest of his life in prison is just indicative of how far this country's ethics and morals have degenerated.
The PICTURE of DODD says it ALL: Disgrace, Corrupt, Criminal, Deception, Traitor, Evil.
Gotta wonder if his kids graduation pictures look similar. So sad … am so Pi$$ed Off.
Gov't 101: ANY ex-Congressman has 100% access to the floor of Congress. Be it to speak, filibuster and/or defend. Yep …the Dems passed said law years ago. I'd say REPEAL said law …but who am I ???
Agree on all of the above, ya know the lobbying industry is too big to fail…
but if I could have one wish granted before I reach the time to take my ''dirt nap'' I would love to see
"K Street" become a ghost town.
Lobbying on the scale we see now is antithetical to the best interest of citizens of the USA.
; )
Damn it,…….if only Dodd were a Republican,…..
he'd be in jail, however,…….
as a Democrat,…….
he's still coordinating the guarding of the hen house.
Dodd has found a way to keep soaking the people. He will be well paid to move money around without producing anything.
Or worse, maybe they don't fade into oblivion but through a series of grants and under the table deals become an arm of the federal government. Movie making is so technical and yet virtuous you know. Maybe it becomes the peoples ministry of public information and propaganda. Joseph Goebbels would be proud of us…
What's the old adage?…… The fish stinks from the head!
works with obama too……
Two names come to mind as I read your comment George Washington and Cincinnatus. I think in order to get rid of career politicians lobbying from corporate America needs to be outlawed also corruption and ethics violations need to include heavy prison sentences from trials with jurors of average American citizens.
C'mon Ben, he was totally useless as a Senator, why not have him be totally useless in Hollyweird
The collusion between politicians and Hollywood is a pathologic symbiotic problem, but they can both be
impacted by US. The Hollywood radicals can lose revenue by US not patronizing their socialist productions. .
. and the politicians face our VOTES and elections such as they did in November! . We have our ways!
Absatively! Hollywood is yesterday's news.
Worldwide movie industry revenue for 2008 was $27 billion with a declining number of ticket sales. They are getting a bump lately with 3D movies but are losing audience counts.
Worldwide video gaming industry revenue for 2008 was $54 billion and growing at a 9% annual rate. http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_industry
Fewer movies are being released each year due to the massive increase in costs. Dodd is piloting the Titanic which will sink under its own ego, ignorance and self-rightousness. Thank the Lord for comic books or Hollywood would have no scripts! Their originality is just about gone.
I hear Steve Jobs is piloting the Carpathia.
Isn't that interesting timing considering that Ban Ki Moon (UN Secretary General) wants Hollywood to do his bidding and make "pro climate change movies"???
Chris Dodd is there to play the part of the UNION THUG and to physically threaten directors, screen writers and actors(especially conservative ones) for not towing George Soros, Chairman O and little Ban's agenda.
Oh how I'm with ya, Corn. Can't wait to hear from the Dems that WE are ALL too big to fail …
Am on Craig's List: looking for bicycles, skateboards, roller blades and "horse n' buggies" …
A New Used Unregistered Business …may as well "join them" since I've not been able to beat 'em.
Amen to that sista….. Only in the Progressive/Socialist cesspool that is Washington DC can a person who ripped off the country to the extent that Dodd did get a better job. But hey, the progressive/socialist tax dodgers (Rangel, Pelosi, and Geitner) admitted their crimes and didn't go to jail (like Wesley Snipes) and still kept their jobs and govt. perks. ;0(
One more reason to get rid of pensions for politicians. This guy is going to get $1.2 Million per year on top of his
$5,000 or $6,000 per month pension from the taxpayers.
If you want term limits, get rid of pensions.
As far as Hollywood goes, I have a hard time watching TV shows and I never go to the movies because I can't stand the fact that I am contributing to their liberal cause.
Yet we never hear any politician address the destructive influence lobbies have had on our
REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC, now do we?
It seems to be the stinking corpse in the room, that everyone is doing their damndest to ignore,
choke, choke, barffff!!!
;0( me too!
;-D too true Ralph, too true!
.
I think you're 100% correct M8s…
Too damn many actors coming out of the shadows as Conservatives for Soros and Co. to live comfortably.
They best nip that little trend in the bud,,, and Dodd has been hired as the #1 ENFORCER…
.
I see a sequel to "The Day After Tomorrow" in our future.
And a lot more Michael Moore productions.
That is a very likely scenario
With Chrissy Dodd at the helm of MPAA I wonder how long it will be before every left nut agenda whore starts making propaganda movies on our dime…
We need a very serious boycott of Hollyweird!
"We don't like your script, write it this way or sleep with the fishes, see"
Dodd is scum
and just what are Dodd's qualifications for this job other than being a corrupt dimocRAT?
too much yapping and not enough action,…….
so let's get involved folks.
Here in Chicago if you want to join a Tea Party:
chicagoteapatriots@gmail.com
or call:
Catherina Wojtowicz,
Chicago Tea Patriots, Organizer
(312) 662-8666
P.O. Box 557654
Chicago, IL 60655
tell her CHICAGO RALPH from BG sent ya.
Another Seat warmer who will do nothing but allow Hollywood more access to the corrupted mess that is Washington.
Wife Board of Directors at BLOCKBUSTER …… Hmmmmm
A political fatwa ehh.
I never talk to anyone who admits to having gone to the ''movies'' anymore. Do they keep it quiet
from embarrassment, or is most of the citizenry of the USA like us. Hell they haven't received one
dime from me in a long damn time.
I'm beginning to think they are being supported by the leadership of the hard left specifically as a
popaganda arm of the Democrat Party, with no financial input needed by the general public.
If that is so, it will be fun to see them wither and die on the vine, once we figure which cord to cut…
.
We need for good people to stand up and speak out against Holly-weird with their wallets.
Holly-weird's automatic knee jerk reaction will be to raise the price of tickets and concessions (punishing their customers) to pad their bottom lines but once attendance takes a severe fall it'll be all over for them.
Isn't it funny how hardcore lefties never seem to complain about the rise in movie studio profits but they always bitch and whine every time somebody makes a profit in the real world?
Yep
Kennedy buddy – his sins are many and will need to repent someday just like Ted
His Federal pension is more like $12,000 per month, Blue. There should be some sort of means test for that, with the millions these guys make lobbying and writing books, etc. They want to screw senior citizens out of $1,800 a month in Social Security with means testing, money that they actually paid IN to the system, but forget about limiting Congressional or presidential pensions.
So Ben, how about the publishing industry? I don't watch much TV, mostly because as soon as a show starts promoting liberal drivel, I turn it off, but I have also noticed more and more that novels published by the leading publishing houses always seem to have a strong liberal slant. Even if the book itself doesn't involve politics, there has to be some slam against Republicans and conservatives. The bad guys are almost always conservatives or religious nuts, if there is a corrupt politician he/she is always a Republican, and the protagonist is almost always a bleeding heart liberal, even if it's a prosecuting attorney. Is there some kickback going on here as well?
Yawn, another no-news news piece, huh? A corrupt politician working to lead a corrupt industry.
What happened, did his estate in Ireland get repossesed? Gee, I hope so!
Corruption loves corruption. Dodd and hollywood. Same, same. Another example of a subsidy that needs to end.
Thanks for the info. I took a guess on the pension. I feel sick to my stomach knowing the actual amount.
He was hired to lead jollywood to the public traf H MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Do as I do—–simply don't go to the movies. Period. I haven't been since 2004 (One of the Bourne sequels). Now do the math: If you go once a month with a date of your spouse. $20 for tickets. 20 dollars for food (the theater makes the concessions money). That's 12X20=$240.
Then multiply times 8 (the years I haven't stepped foot in a theater)–that's almost $2,000. Now if just 1M of us had not gone in that time because of a boycott then that would be nearly 2 billion dollars.
It could could get exponential real fast.
For many years I have despised the entertainment industry and the liberal entertainers who populate it. The whole thing is a cancer on America's soul. I don't care who wins an Oscar or an Emmy. I don't know who most of them are because I don't patronize their wares. They represent nothing but death and destruction to the moral values that make life even remotely worth living in this country. How can anyone stomach movies in which these purveyors of moral decadence appear, knowing what they stand for?
Dodd resigned from the Senate to avoid investigation and avoid going to jail..Like Tom Daschle, who was Voted out of the Senate, he landed an even better job earning 4 million a year. Was it not Bill Clinton who removed the rule that an Ex Government member could not lobby for 5 years ???? We NEVER really get rid of this Slime……
obama said he will ban lobbyists ?? I don't believe he would ever lie to us, he just meets with them at the "Coffee Shop". Remember: " DON'T PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING" ?
Yep.
They still should investigate his involvement in the Financial Meltdown.
Dodd is lower than the horse stall manure I scrape off my boots to go riding … I'll make this plain … Dodd is a human piece of fecal matter, with matching brain … this man should be in jail along with Barney Frank and the entire Fannie/Freddie management team of years past. I get infuriated by the mere mention of this pie-holes name. Funny how 1/2 this country still can't figure out that Liberalism is like a tumor killing its host organ.
@onecornpone & KristinefromNYC … good posts you two!
What's with the writing style?
I call the TV the idiot box. I've purchased three TVs in my life and everyone of them has been shot with my gun.
We need to get Tom Delay out of jail.
or a man? a man could also be introduced to the taste of sin and like it.
I don't advise shooting one's TV, but I do understand the feeling.
I don't know. I just watched the Academy Awards the other night, and it looks to me like they're turning out a pretty good product, as good as it's always been.
Is that how it goes? Corrupt Democrats get off and corrupt Republicans get off? You must have been born yesterday.
Ticket sales are down, you moron, because people are broke. It has nothing to do with "ignorance or self-righteousness."
The MPAA doesn't create movies. It only rates them.
Well, Corn Pone — apt name — you need to get out more. People aren't embarrassed about going to the movies. And you clearly aren't paying attention, as there are very few political movies out. Ever.
Recycle MUCH Al? You've already been through the thang about my name, F* off!
Did 'ja see my comment above Al, the one with the +16… the highest on this page BTW?
So I guess this crowd agrees with me more than they do you, huuuummmm?
Get lost loser!
.
Tom DeLay,……Charlie Rangel
and these outcomes transpired long before……. "yesterday"
"………. as there are very few political movies out. Ever,……"
How old did you say you were,……..??????
Just always been curious, I like it
WhenEVER I think of the strong, Hollywood type, I automatically think of Chris Dodd. *gag*
How about he can lobby if breaks are given for patriotic and non-seditious films, like during WWII and the red scare? I'd part with a few dollars to lift the cynical cloud on today's populace.
This bum was a corrupt Senator! Jerks like this should be barred from Washington!
Electing this weenie is going to cost big time.
all we need is the fair tax and it's all over for these crooks
Too many politicians have corruption a mile wide; Chris Dodd's was Country Wide.
MPAA is heavily involved in legislative policy such as FCC regulatory licensing authority, product piracy lawsuits and tax breaks for their own industry or did you just conveniently overlook those facts?
MPAA is and always has been a "lobbying group" first and foremost for its own industry.
To say that all that they do is "rate movies" is not only naive it's downright ignorant.
No, I didn't overlook it. But that's not my point. The nitwit above was talking about the MPAA as if they created content. What I said was, they didn't create content they only rated it. My comment was related to content only, and nothing to do with its other functions.
You people are so funny. Today it's the MPAA on your target list. You're like trained attack dogs. I don't like that organization for my own reasons, but to you people, it's about Hollywood. "Sick 'em, boy, sick 'em." LOL!
So, are you new to this idea? I mean, you do understand what the rating means, right?
Oh, no, I remember my mentioning your name. I've just never seen anyone do that before, not only admit their countrified limitations, but actually wear them like a badge. And of course your post would have a high score. But that's as significant as a poll taken on a Fox News website of how many people think Obama is a Kenyan. Get it?
You really are a corn pone, ain't cha?
"… countrified limitations" If you ever come around when there is a substan-
tive topic to argue you'll learn all about my "limitations", kiddo.
You only show up here to sling mud and name-call. I'm not interested in wasting my
time with you.
As I said, get lost, bozo!!!
; )
// "I supplement my thoughts with visual "style"" ///
And I always thought it was because you wanted us to read between the lines. : )
No, MPAA doesn't "create content" themselves but if somebody greases their palms I'm certain that their slimy hands would make whatever they are told to by whomever is providing the grease. If you think that Dodd's involvement at MPAA in it's lobbying capacity won't affect content you aren't considering the power of Hollywood's propaganda machine or its history of collusion with democrat administrations over the decades.
FDR used Hollywood as his personal PR firm from 1932 to 1943.
Harry Truman did the very same right up until his last day in office but he added the concept of co-intel-agit-prop to mess with the enemy's heads and feed them false information.
Eisenhower tried to use Hollywood but he didn't like their agenda any more than they despised his and they sent him packing when he asked them for help with Korea.
JFK used Hollywood to create the Camelot fantasy associated with his election and months in office that continues in perpetuity even today.
LBJ got back into the propaganda game from 1964 to 1968 during Vietnam trying to convince people that he was winning the war but Gen Westmoreland was actually getting his ass whacked because of lack luster military strategy being fed to him by bureaucrats in the White House.
Nixon, Agnew and Ford despised Hollywood but Hollywood made them all their poster children for anti conservative movies and TV shows for decades.
Carter tried to use Hollywood's influence to do his energy PR messaging for him but even they knew he was a moronic boob and not worth their time, that's why they bailed on him in 1980.
Reagan Was the president of the Screen Actors Guild but that didn't make the left love him it only provoked them to dream up all kinds of conspiracy fantasies about him
Bill Clinton used Hollywood to promote his anti 1st and 2nd amendment agenda through movies, commercial advertising with movie star spokespeople as well as television sitcoms and made for TV dramas.
Hollywood dumped on George W Bush from day one and belittled him relentlessly for eight years.
Chairman O is involved in a national live sex act with Hollywood and they jump when they're told to by their new master, you'd have to be deaf dumb and blind not to see it..
If you can't see that Hollywood sold its soul to statist socialists decades ago then you won't ever see the next agit-prop piece coming at you to manipulate you like a cheap voodoo doll. You'll probably ignorantly cheer for it as you happily bend over and spread your cheeks for Chairman O's promises of rainbows, puppy dogs and chickens for every pothead.
Woof woof!
Well that explains a lot
And DeLay supposedly did pales in comparison
Precisely
You need to see that documentary about what the MPAA actually does. They're nothing but a (thankfully outdated) tool for the Hollywood elite to clamp down on independents.
Someone of your limitations can't discuss anything substantive. You traffic in stuff like your accusation that Hollywood is a big propaganda machine. You're a slime-slinging wingnut full of baseless delusions.
You'd think that, at some point, these old fools would just want to retire. He must need money and the getting must be good.
I saw it.
Show me the money, and I shall help you get even more! It will sure take a lot longer to get to that fancy high-dollar villa in Ireland from sunny California.
I live in New Mexico where we give a 25% rebate to the film industry for shooting movies or production of same if the work is done in our state. This has gone on for 6+ years. Our new Gov. , a Republican said perhaps 15% was a bit more sensible since our state is broke like about 48 others. You should have heard the howling coming from the movie producers when they caught wind of the 15% idea. These same libs don't think that private individuals need a tax break to survive but their business sure does and it damn well deserves it because these are clean, green jobs so they say. Then they threaten to take their movie-making elsewhere if they can't keep getting the 25% rebate – but they'll scream bloody murder about a company moving their operation to a less expensive state or country. Such asinine hypocrites!
I agree with you and we could start with the biggest fraud of them all…POTUS. The only thing he has done since taking office is hire speech writers. Being named president, does not a leader make. This country needs a leader, we are faced with roaring inflation, the dollar being devalued, unemployment at an all-time high, moral is at an all time low, our troops scattered all over the world and Obama wants to bow down and apologize to everyone. Obama is not leading this country he is driving us into the ground. He is nothing more than a politician and needs to be replaced with someone who will take the reins and lead us out of this mess before we all go down the toilet.
I did not know Hollywood even knew old people like Dodd existed. At least he will be able to pay his mortgage payment, but that was a forgone conclusion, wasn't it? Two words…"Declaration Entertainment." We as a country that is currently capitalist (tick tick) have the ability to support the making of movies that represent our values, not just at the box office, but in the investment arena as well. If we find that course of action too difficult, we will get what Dodd and the gang wants us to have.
The fox is in charge of the chicken house.
cblogic…you always have made pretty good sense but you miss the mark with this one! How about when a man meets sin? Reckon the same could be said. And Lord, knows Dodd knows what sin is.
Morals and ethics aren't dead in our society, just in politics. Chris Dodd will fit right in with the Hollywood crowd.
I know a whole heap of morally upstanding and ethical people in our great nation.
Truthfully, I said it tongue in cheek.
You know?
Humor.
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