If the reports in the mainstream press since 2001 are to be believed, groups such as The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) blame a slump in their sales entirely on the internet and file sharing piracy.
Never mind that in the past 15 years Hollywood has produced no more than four films that in any way appealed to me (and I'm sure I cannot be the only one bored to tears by the majority of Hollywood films these days). Piracy is a problem; a very real problem. It might even be showing up in some small way on movie studios' bottom lines. But consider that since 1975 there have been six Star Wars movies (the last four of which, in my opinion, aren't even worth watching), there have been ten Star Trek movies (slowly going downhill since "The Wrath of Khan" in the early 1980s), five Batman movies, two Spiderman movies, three incarnations of "Scream" and three also of the horror parody "Scary Movie". There were three "Naked Gun" films, three Indiana Jones films (at least each of those franchises had 2 out of 3 good movies). There were four "Alien" films (five if you count "Alien Vs. Predator") and two Predator films (three if you count "Alient Vs. Predator"). There have been umpteen "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Child's Play" movies released. I believe there were three "Poltergeist" and I think five "Police Academy" movies.
And of course there were numerous remakes of older films such as "Cape Fear", "Little Women", "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Dracula", not to mention movies based on 1950s and 1960s television shows such as "Mission Impossible" (two movies), "The Addams Family" (another two movies), "Lost in Space", "My Favorite Martian" and the movie that no one saw, "The Avengers". Are mind-numbing sequels and old TV shows turned movies the best that Hollywood can offer? Is this what they expect the people of the US to continue to pay for at ever higher prices? Don't the American people have enough problems holding onto their own hard-earned cash when gas prices have been spinning out of control for the past five years and a war in Iraq that's costing US taxpayers billions each year and has already ensured that thousands of Americans will never return home to their families?
But internet piracy is the great evil that's hurting Hollywood.
Never mind that ticket prices just to get in to see one of these regurgitated non-ideas have risen from somewhere around US$3 in the late 70s to about US$9, plus $2 for popcorn, $2 for a small soda, $1.50 for a normal (60 cents at the store) candy bar and that today when a movie is supposed to start at, let's say 3pm, at 3pm the lights go down and ten minutes of previews for other movies and commercials (yes, commercials for which the theaters and movie companies are paid to display) are shown before the actual movie starts.
But it's all those damn internet pirates cutting in on hard working filmmakers' revenue.
Mainstream music has been similarly myred in its own filth over the last twenty or so years. You can call me a child of the eighties if you wish, but consider that from 1981 to about 1987 MTV actually showed music videos and they weren't just of one music style. The early to mid 80s were a time of varied styles and sounds becoming popular. Children such as myself (and people in general) were exposed to different sounds, different cultures and different ways of thinking about music. Record labels signed and marketed artists who had unique talents and interesting new styles.
In the past 20 years, the recording industry has primarily focused on what I call The Boy Band Of The Month, the Girl With a Boob Job Singing To Some Simple Repetitive Synthesized Melody and The Wannabe Rock Stars Who Call Themselves Alternative While Conforming To The Accepted Pop Style Of The Time. Artist with unique talents and new styles have been shunned by the major labels. Synth groups that actually wrote their own songs and tried to advance the synthpop and techno styles have been left to fend for themselves with indie labels and no marketing to get them into national retail stores. Children have grown up thinking MTV is the channel to watch "Beavis And Butthead" and "The Real World" and censored pop culture safe spring break videos.
Practically every person I know who does buy CDs only likes two or three songs (out of typically 10-12 per CD) on any given album.
But hey, it's those damn file sharing pirates that are killing the popularity of CDs. The RIAA can't be responsible if the artists they sign aren't worth listening to to begin with or if a CD which costs the major labels about $3 to make, ship and sell combines costs the consumer $15 for only 2 to 3 good songs. Damn internet users. Damn them to hell!
And just for the record, I've paid for every movie (on DVD) and every album (on CD) that is in my posession. The RIAA wouldn't know it, though, because I'm pretty sure they don't represent the indie artists and labels I buy from these days. I've purchase one particular artist's entire library of about 15 releases on CD between 1999 and 2005. I'm proud to have helped support him in what little way I could by paying for what I considered the only quality music to be recorded in the last six years. Some of other favorite artists have disappeared in part because they couldn't get their foot into a major label's door even though they had a good pop music sound with refreshingly original music and lyrics. People don't dislike synthesizer music -- most of the popular "artists" use synthesizer tracks. The problem, for me, is that they all sound the same and have no inspiration or vibrance.
©1996, 2008 by Don K. Eitner