Is Nicole Kidman worth $15-$20 million a picture? How about George Clooney, Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon or Angelina Jolie? If we’re capping Wall Street salaries, we need to be socially just and review the West Coast as well.
Are there people who could be substituted for Cameron Diaz, who’d be willing to work for, say, $5 million a film? Or even a paltry million? Shouldn’t we share that wealth? Maybe she’d become nicer or at least well-informed at a lower rate of compensation.
Sidney Poitier said recently that Hollywood CEOs should earn no more than $500,000, and I’m with him. The same should apply to the stars. I know it’s a hard-knock life, but people have been known to live on money like that.
And what about pro sports? Terrell Owens reportedly earns around $7 million a year. Aren’t there ex-high school receivers out there willing to step into his cleats for a lot less than that?
And we haven’t even gotten to the musicians yet. How much effort does it take for some of the music produced now? These people don’t need compensation. Wouldn’t most be willing to work (if you can call it that) for nothing? I say, free downloadable music for everyone, all the time, under the new regime!
The public should be outraged about these stars’ salaries. So should the Obama administration. After all, fair is fair. These people are greedy, not to mention stingy. After they’ve covered the cost of a modest suburban home and one hybrid car, Terrell, Matt, Nicole and Cameron should be responsible citizens and donate the rest to the poor – or back to the federal government, who knows better what to do with it than anyone else. Diaz and Clooney should especially be ready to do this, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Sean Penn. And Alec Baldwin, whatever he’s doing these days.
And television – where to start? I would begin with a thorough examination of my personal favorite dispensable show, “The View.” Barbara Walters should get low six figures – that’s it! And Whoopi? She doesn’t need any more money, does she? Perhaps the show should simply be eliminated, right after “Gossip Girl,” all shows with “housewives” in the name and MTV in its entirety.
The public deserves cheap, government- regulated entertainment, and so we need a Cabinet-level agency, the Department of Entertainment, to manage events and spectacle. I would nominate Rosie O’Donnell as secretary. She’s just nasty enough to get the job done for less money and less fun for everyone. Most of the Senate Republicans would probably rubber-stamp her nomination like they do all the far-left nominees Obama brings forth.
And none of this sneaking around with endorsements or, heaven forbid, yet another final tour. How many times are we going to say goodbye to Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson? Once was more than enough. There should be a government regulation against “final tours,” even if relocated to the UK. We are the world now, aren’t we? Obama thinks so.
If we are going to cap executive salaries on Wall Street and in banking, and Barney Frank is even talking about applying the new orders to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, times are truly desperate. Consciences are being convicted. So let’s get this rampant Hollywood greed under control, too. Let’s also bring the NBA, MLB and NFL under the purview of the globally just economy.
The recording industry needs the heavy hand of efficient federal bureaucracy to manage the output of glorious creativity. “Britney, you’ll need to complete Form DOEN 10989334-4b-74, in triplicate, then just wait in that line over there. Yes, right behind Mr. Keith and Ms. Underwood.”
Of course, only so many stars and artists will be needed under the new efficiency, so some of these entertainers will have to be outplaced.
But don’t worry, Brad, Beyonce and Keanu – Mr. Obama can always get you a job at ACORN.
Linda Harvey is president of Mission America and author of the new book “Not My Child: Contemporary Paganism and the New Spirituality” (AMG Publishers).
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