Hollywood Going Bust Longtime (I)

60 Years in the Making Problem at its Last Leg

Writers began their strike a few months ago. Now, actors joined them. Ever since, most everyone started to make reference that it is the first time in sixty years. That in fact says two things. Either Hollywood going bust, finally, or America has been going in the wrong direction since 1963. In either way, it points to one major problem: We in North America chose to play the Three Monkeys for a long time.

Hollywood’s problem today began innocently sixty years ago. Of all people, the flag carriers were the likes of James Gardner, first, not the Jane Fonda likes. Actor Garner was not alone when he decided to help organize and attend the March on Washington in 1963. Unfortunately, not many thought the fight for social justice was not going to be without consequence, including Republicans.

NOT A COINCIDENCE OR FLUKE HOLLYWOOD IS ON STRIKE TODAY

Hollywood has to take credit for what it gave to the world. However, it must also look inside for the problems at hand, especially today.

Hollywood grew with America all throughout the twentieth century. One wonders if arrogance or complacency was their common problem.

Most of the eight billion inhabitants of Planet Earth would say “Arrogance.” Most in the West must say “Complacency.”

In any event, something is rotten in Tinseltown like never before at this time. In fact, it is rather clear: The sixty years in the making problem arrived at its last leg.

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime

Starting in the 1960s and 1970s

In 1963, maybe James Gardner was doing the right thing supporting Black Actor Harry Belafonte in the company of Paul Newman and Marlon Brando.

In 1972, maybe those of us on the right side of the aisle were too harsh on Jane Fonda for speaking against U.S. military policy in Vietnam.

Daphne Barak and Jane Fonda

With all their good intentions, they may have cemented the roots of problems America faces a half a century later.

How so?

Politically Correct to Cancel Culture & No-No Rhetoric

The million-dollar question today is if the “politically correct” was correct. If it was then so must be “cancel culture” and “no-no rhetoric” as far as ensuing inferences.

In conclusion, since we currently have a rigidly divided America, how could it be correct then? In fact, it is there to break apart the sole superpower of the world permanently.

In retrospect, where did this “politically correct” come to being in the first place is a suspect. Who can effectively argue that the source is not in the overseas adversaries of the US?

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime

Accelerated Thirty Years Later in the 1990s

Considering how the destruction in America accelerated since the 1990s in the last thirty years is indicative. Otherwise, how can one explain the election of three Globalist presidents in a row?

One made mockery of morality with an intern as part of his Oval Office escapades. The other depleted the military with his grudge. The shortcoming of the third caused an economic meltdown like never before.

None of them was right for the job for more than one reason. First, they were not mature enough at their early fifties. Two, they were not qualified for the period of time when they came to power.

Yet, voters in America decided on them not once but six times since each served two terms. Unless the candidates were manipulated together with voters how could that be possible that America will end up with “three stooges” in a row.

Do not Quickly Jump To the Gun

Hillary Rodham Clinton was not the worst fourth candidate in a row. Donald J. Trump also was not a disaster half of America would claim to be. They were role players as part of history.

Together, they were commissioned to get rid of the fourth pillar that made America the superpower in the first place. Freedom of press and expression became the last pillar to come down to bring America down.

It was such a good plan of evil minds that Hollywood was also suckered into it without realizing it. In the end, there was no more free press in America. Otherwise, Hollywood strike like this would not have been likely.

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime

As Part of Decaying West Rising East     

When the overall picture is observed, one thing becomes clear. Actors demanding a rise to the minimum wage, benefits from the streaming revenues, and getting rid of AI are not it.

The real problem why Hollywood is going bust is the overall decaying of the West in the face of the rapidly rising East. This has been an ongoing phenomena for the entire past century.

The arrogance of the West aside the complacency is also important to note. The East has been at the sleeping mode for the entire twentieth century only to rise up in the twenty first.

In other words, the rapidly rising Eastern markets have been building their infrastructure all along. That is why their agents possibly doing an inside job in America, is also a big probability.

Arrogance and Complacency Revisited

In that regard, it would be wise to revisit arrogance and complacency of the West. All throughout the twentieth century, America has been criticized by the entire world as being imperialist.

Meanwhile, the good life in America made citizens complacent. As a result, the hard working East learned how to take advantage of the West. Nowadys, it is ahead and pulling away and leaving America far behind.

In that respect, it is no surprise that America that once controlled 26 percent of the global GDP thirty years ago now controls only 15 percent of it. Sixty years ago, it controlled nearly 45 percent of it.

From Our Perspective

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime

Daphne Barak and I have been making a living from Hollywood for the past twenty years. We witnessed how it evolved in the last two decades or so.

In the 1990s, it was at its height as far as we were concerned. In the 2000s, it was withering away. The opportunities were becoming scarce. By the 2010s, it was done, fading in history.

So much so, I personally was now watching mostly what is filmed overseas. With time, even less of what I could watch was coming out of Hollywood. There was practically nothing for me.

As far as livelihood is concerned, we had long left the industry to look for alternatives. Since we were in the business of creating original content from Hollywood for a global audience, we could not go overseas.

Making it in America First, Last, and Always

So, we turned to the American Spirit. We endured well even excelled. While the industry went to a never-ending downward vortex, we went up equally and as fast and limitless.

The answer is hard work, nothing else. Nothing to complain about wages or feeling entitled to something or complaining about progress and modernity.

Being thankful to God, America where we live, and the family, friends, and colleagues that we cherish were the sole pillars we depended on. The results are so far so good.

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime

Final Thought

My mother, God rests her soul, used to take us to movies once a week in Istanbul, Türkiye where I grew up. There was a good Hollywood movie every week we always looked forward to.

In America about two or three decades ago, we used to go to movies in New York. There were always few movies to select and enjoy in theaters.

Nowadays, we would like to go to movies in California. Unfortunately, it takes us two or three weeks at a time to find one suitable movie to watch.

Even then, half of the time, either the script is so predictable or the actors are not original or je ne sais quoi what is not right.

I cannot tell what made me so happy when I used to come running home in Istanbul laughing so hard and continuously from a Jerry Lewis movie, for example.

What exactly went haywire in Hollywood?

Hollywood’s Real Problem

Yes, wages and revenue sharing have to be fair. However, objecting to AI is backwardness. Progress is here and cannot be denied. For actors to complain about progress does not make sense.

At this time, the fifth generation aircrafts are in their last leg. Sixth generation unmanned aircrafts are in the process of replacing them. The US cannot insist and try to protect pilots' jobs.

If the US does that, the US will lose wars. It is the same for Hollywood. The movies will not be as good without AI under certain circumstances. That is a fact of life, an overseas competitor will exploit.

Having said all of that, to my mind, the real problem of Hollywood is the mindset, or culture, of those that are working there. Shouldn’t somebody look for an answer why I can’t find a movie to watch in Hollywood, first?

Hollywood Going Bust Longtime (I)

New Chapter in My Substack

This is the introductory episode to my Hollywood chapter in my Substack.

Unless I were to give you firsthand problems and prospects of Hollywood from top of my head, Daphne will surely provide “exclusive revelations” involving Hollywood in this chapter.

So stay tuned and look for (II), surely it will be primarily “informative” but also “opinionated” whether I write it from heart and mind or Daphne does it from “horse’s mouth”.