Partners, Predators & Pariahs

Watching the Los Angeles full moon on its gradual decline this early Friday morning, one has to wonder…Ya Gotta Love L.A.

In Los Angeles, thanks to Hollywood, people and activities are so much is larger than life. We have partners, predators, and pariahs. Let’s look at this week’s luminary:

The partners:

This week Hollywood is in talks with Northern California ’s Google owned, YouTube. It would appear that Hollywood is finally realizing that they really are in the entertainment business and not the DVD pressing business. Hollywood studios are looking to access YouTube’s gargantuan online audience. Way to go guys, it only took you…how long?

The predators:

In Los Angeles, we have plenty…Anaheim Ducks owner, Broadcom co-founder, and billionaire, Henry Samueli is pleading with the U.S. 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals to stay out of jail. He seems to think that Security Exchange Commission (SEC) rules do not apply to him or his company. He tried to buy off the court by agreeing to a plea bargain fine of $12 million. U.S. district Judge Cormac Carney seems to think that “justice” is not for sale. Wow, what a concept.

While in the subject of predators, how about recently ousted and historically highest paid Screen Actors Guild (SAG) executive director, Doug Allen? Now Doug’s annual pay is nothing to sneeze at: $593,363…and who said that unions do not serve? When the guild is facing a $6-million deficit, he grants unprecedented pay raises to his senior staff, so apparently SAG is not serving, but rather ripping off the thousands of starving actors trying to build a career. Then there is SAG's rival, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists' executive director, Kim Roberts, who is the lowest paid in Hollywood at a mere $349,808 last year. But that’s not all; guess the 2008 income of Jay Roth, executive director, at the Directors Guild of America. Just as an FYI, it was $636,266. Henry, perhaps you should have worked for a union? The SEC doesn’t bother them.

The pariahs:

Traditionally the pariahs were the lower caste in India. However the term is broadly used for any group that has been shunned…like the illegal, I’m sorry—that’s undocumented, immigrants. Here in Los Angeles the largest group and numbering in the several millions are the folks that are visiting from Mexico. There is much to do about downtown L.A.’s noted manufacturing company, American Apparel—quite a success story. However, the Feds caught American Apparel employing about 1,500 employees, in their downtown manufacturing facilities, that were “unable to prove their immigration status.” Funny, for a company that so loudly touts immigration reform, American Apparel has chosen to lay off their employees rather than to face “potential legal consequences.” Go figure…

Enjoy your holiday weekend, Ed Rigsbee