Saturday, June 28, 2008

SUICIDAL HOLLYWOOD

As I navigate the choppy waters that is the current economical situation in America, I try to find new and better ways to save money. This stands to reason because I am the sole "bread winner" of our growing family. That means that my wife and I are getting pretty good at stretching a dollar. In short, we spend on the necessities and cut out the rest. Though having to exist on a very tight budget is very stressful at times, I have found solice in the fact that what goes around comes around.
For decades, Hollywood has decided that is their obligation to preach their gospel from the silver screen. If a new liberal trend surfaces, they just have to make a movie that is designed to brow-beat you into towing their convoluted line. When that doesn't get your attention, actors use the bully pulpit of their celebrity to impose and promote their morality (or lack there of) on you.

Call it Karma. Call it pure irony. Hollywood may have finally shot themselves in the foot. You see, in the past decade or so, Hollywood has been trying to convince us that by our very existence, we humans are going to destroy the planet through man-made global warming. Sometimes, it may be a simple line or two written into a script. Other times, global warming is the main plot of a block-buster movie. As a result of this constant obvious and occasionally subliminal agenda being injected into our movies and TV shows, our elected officials decided to take the liberal bait.
So now we have $4.00 a gallon and rising gasoline. We have abundant oil resources that we are not allowed to touch. The price of food is rising because of the ethanol debacle. All culminating into the perfect storm of economic crises for regular folks.
Today, "we the people" are being forced to budget as we never have in most of our lifetimes. The irony is in how we budget. If given the choice between spending on food, gas, or entertainment, entertainment gets the ax. That means that people can no longer afford to rent movies, let alone drive to the video store. We buy fewer if any CDs. And we don't even consider actually going to a move theater. The merchandise connected with a movie is now expendable as well.
Then there is the other back-lash of what we opt to do in our spare time as opposed to giving money to Hollywood. Reading, walking, bike riding, socializing with friends and family are bound to make a comeback. Scrabble and Monopoly may start to become popular again.
With a more active, healthy, and mentally sharp population, Hollywood may become obsolete and dare-I-say, lame.
And it's not beyond the realm of possibility that people might just get angry enough about prices to do a little investigating as to just why it's happening. If that ever happens, Hollywood itself could become the next "evil" character. After all, they do have a supporting role in our current situation.
Now that my former CD and DVD money is going into my fuel tank, I can honestly say that the old adage still applies, especially to Hollywood.

Be careful what you wish for.