Twinkie goo tech and IP theft, the firehose of streaming promotion, noodling Nirvana, the blind chemistry of 'offer only', what Chris Evans and RDJ get out of returning to the MCU, and accreditation
I posted this in the chat too but want to say…kudos to the whole team on how you folks have recalibrated to give Lainey some time off. It is so awesome to see Sarah as editor, doing a kickass job and keeping us entertained on a daily basis, and to hear more about the business side from Jacek (lots of us are business nerds in addition to being pop-culture scholars). I don’t think I remember Lainey taking much/any days off in my 15 years of reading. It’s great to see that you’ve been able to make it work to support her. 🙌
Thank you Jen. We're really grateful for Sarah (and Emily, and all the writers) because there was a time when if Lainey wasn't able to write, nothing got written but for a health or flight update from me. Agreed the site has been buzzing this week and thank you all for all your discussions. The Jay/Beyonce chat reinforced how constructive this place is even when we can't agree, and we're also grateful that you guys keep each other entertained when we're not posting about a certain topic, or not at all for periods.
On a related note, Lainey was a bit ambitious on her timeline for when she'd be able to write again but rest assured she's doing well and should be back at it 100% on Monday.
Zuckerberg saying that "individual creators or publishers tend to overestimate the value of their specific content" is the same line every plagiarist uses when they get caught. Oh, we stole your writing? Stop being such a big-head about your work, it's not that important. Still important enough for you to use it for profit, of course.
That quote made me want to punch my monitor. All these AI douchbags talking about how they're changing the world and doing things bigger than we can understand while ripping off LITERALLY everyone who has ever written, recorded, or videotaped anything or so much as posted a comment on an internet chat board. And then they pay the biggest publishers with deep enough pockets to sue the shit out of them for "licensing" agreements worth pennies on the dollar for what they cost to produce.
Whenever the real Zuckerberg speaks, I flash back to this scene from The Social Network: “You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole.”
I used to work in private equity (as Exec Admin) and my boss was/is a polo player and 2 out of his 4 kids play. I helped the process around him buying a place in Wellington Florida, bought Polo gear from Tato's (again in Wellington) and had to search for Polo in Netflix. I'm halfway through and enjoying it as it takes me back to that life (boss also helped run Polo for Heart, annual Heart and stroke charity event that sweet Melissa Grelo came to host at, always looking like a robo-babe - shout out to Erica, exceptional work) but more it reminds me how ultra high net worth folks feel they are 'of the people' while genuinely having no clue how little their lives have to do with the 99%. My boss used to say to me I don't know why more people don't play Polo, it's such a great sport and I would just blinkblink at him as I hit Pay, on a $2K invoice for a few new bamboo mallets. Being at PFG is so fun to dress up and put on a fascinator and you feel adrenaline when the horses and hot men go thundering past but yeah, I'm sure they thought people will catch our enthusiasm for this not, damn the Rich be rich-ing.
The answer on the Chris Evans/RDJ question being that yeah it's basically money didn't surprise me but it made me sad. I don't keep much of the traumatic faith I was raised in (Evangelical Christianity) but I remember being told over and over again by my mother that the "love of money was the root of all evil" which is a quote from some part of the Bible
Not saying these garbage movies are "evil" but I just...those two men have enough money to live their lives comfortably forever. Why do they need more? It really does seem like the more money you get the greedier you get. When will it be enough? My friends and I used to say we wanted to be the kind of rich where we didn't have to stop and think about how much was currently in our account before we bought something. And that something was like, a couch, clothes, a vacation to someplace nice...not private jets, or a ginormous mansion.
I know these guys aren't billionaires but they have a lot of money. So, you can't make MCU anywhere else..WHO CARES!
When it comes to these people who have insane wealth (I put them one notch below 'unfathomable wealth'): I always try to remember one thing: It's all relative. They might not have to ever work again, based on OUR living standards. But based on THEIR current living standards, unless they have Elon or even Oprah money, they do have to keep working to keep the coffers full to maintain that lifestyle. First, taxes. Then, staff (including business managers and personal staff, whether it's just a PA, or an entire house staff), plus multiple homes. Plus, living large. Plus, children. RDJ has like, a ranch or something, in MALIBU, that is likely so eye-wateringly expensive. He likely doesn't have to worry about checking prices on his private flight to Aspen, but I bet he does get calls from his financial manager monthly telling him to cool it. I think we fantasize about hitting that one big payday and retiring to a life of luxury, and upgrading our lives a small amount. It sounds awesome. I don't think RDJ or Chris Evans think that way. It's more, more, more.
(PS: I've seen rdjs ranch. It's not huge and it's right on the highway, but holy hell, THE VIEW. Also, he paved in the paddocks to house his car collection, which made me sad because the barns were gorgeous.)
I think you’re definitely right! I think that even goes further to my point of how things get warped after awhile in your head when you have so much money. Like, certain things become a “must have” when….are they really? Think about Daniel Radcliffe. He made so much money doing Harry Potter. We don’t see him sniffing anywhere around the new harry potter stuff that comes out and you know that isn’t because Warner Brothers isn’t trying lol. He clearly is managing his life and finances in a way where he lives the life he wants, but maybe he’s better about differentiating between a real “need” and what a rich celebrity actually thinks they need.
Janelle, I think your comments in this thread are probably the subtext to what I was asking without realizing it (and thanks to Sarah for answering it!). And Daniel Radcliffe is such a great counterpoint, as perhaps are other MCU regulars who seem to have moved on. It just all feels a bit cliche, the endless money grab. And it’s also so so different from someone like Nicole Kidman who also WORKS, but it feels like it comes from a place of genuine creativity and drive, not a cash grab. But it’s undeniably true that what we see as “enough” can change over time. But yeah, something about that is really depressing to me.
Thanks for the insight on the casting question! It seems like some casting directors must honestly be sorcerers if they can spot potential or ability for a role that’s a real stretch for someone or two leads who’ve never acted together. So yes, wonderful they’ll be getting recognized more!
I worked with an analytics firm who did modeling for a number of clients (mostly commercial and government contracts), including for movie studios (example of their work was determining which movies during the pandemic would be successful enough on streaming that they should release on streaming instead of waiting for theaters to open back up). Modeling like this can be very accurate but should still be scrutinized since garbage in, garbage out.
I remember a development exec pushing back on using computers to determine which scripts to greenlight because he said if you make shit for an entire year and use that as your source data, then the computer is going to tell you to keep making shit. I don't think there's anyone with that much common sense left in the industry.
There are some areas where data, analytics and tech & tools can be helpful, but quality of data, tech and tools matter and having people who understand how to use it contextualize it matters too. There really aren’t a lot of people who truly get it, and often, you end up with people who repeat back buzzwords so they look great in front of some bro exec.
In terms of movies, I think it's useful to find trends, and it can definitely be helpful to set budgets. But you have to be willing to roll the dice on something new, too, and what's happening now is a real effort to remove all risk from filmmaking, which just isn't possible. Someone will always be trying to do something new.
Thank you Lainey, Jacek, Sarah and the entire team at LaineyGossip for another wonderful year. I renewed my subscription this year because I value the work that you do, giving us good quality gossip and insight/analysis. You're my only source of pop culture gossip. I'd be lost without you LOL!
Question for Jacek and / or Sarah: I'm excited about the Ask Me Anything but just realized I have a work commitment that evening (PST). Will there be a transcript I can dig into when I get home? Thank you!
I posted this in the chat too but want to say…kudos to the whole team on how you folks have recalibrated to give Lainey some time off. It is so awesome to see Sarah as editor, doing a kickass job and keeping us entertained on a daily basis, and to hear more about the business side from Jacek (lots of us are business nerds in addition to being pop-culture scholars). I don’t think I remember Lainey taking much/any days off in my 15 years of reading. It’s great to see that you’ve been able to make it work to support her. 🙌
Thank you Jen. We're really grateful for Sarah (and Emily, and all the writers) because there was a time when if Lainey wasn't able to write, nothing got written but for a health or flight update from me. Agreed the site has been buzzing this week and thank you all for all your discussions. The Jay/Beyonce chat reinforced how constructive this place is even when we can't agree, and we're also grateful that you guys keep each other entertained when we're not posting about a certain topic, or not at all for periods.
On a related note, Lainey was a bit ambitious on her timeline for when she'd be able to write again but rest assured she's doing well and should be back at it 100% on Monday.
Zuckerberg saying that "individual creators or publishers tend to overestimate the value of their specific content" is the same line every plagiarist uses when they get caught. Oh, we stole your writing? Stop being such a big-head about your work, it's not that important. Still important enough for you to use it for profit, of course.
That quote made me want to punch my monitor. All these AI douchbags talking about how they're changing the world and doing things bigger than we can understand while ripping off LITERALLY everyone who has ever written, recorded, or videotaped anything or so much as posted a comment on an internet chat board. And then they pay the biggest publishers with deep enough pockets to sue the shit out of them for "licensing" agreements worth pennies on the dollar for what they cost to produce.
Whenever the real Zuckerberg speaks, I flash back to this scene from The Social Network: “You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole.”
“Human Twinkie goo” and “sooper sekret” took me out! 🤣 10/10 no notes.
I used to work in private equity (as Exec Admin) and my boss was/is a polo player and 2 out of his 4 kids play. I helped the process around him buying a place in Wellington Florida, bought Polo gear from Tato's (again in Wellington) and had to search for Polo in Netflix. I'm halfway through and enjoying it as it takes me back to that life (boss also helped run Polo for Heart, annual Heart and stroke charity event that sweet Melissa Grelo came to host at, always looking like a robo-babe - shout out to Erica, exceptional work) but more it reminds me how ultra high net worth folks feel they are 'of the people' while genuinely having no clue how little their lives have to do with the 99%. My boss used to say to me I don't know why more people don't play Polo, it's such a great sport and I would just blinkblink at him as I hit Pay, on a $2K invoice for a few new bamboo mallets. Being at PFG is so fun to dress up and put on a fascinator and you feel adrenaline when the horses and hot men go thundering past but yeah, I'm sure they thought people will catch our enthusiasm for this not, damn the Rich be rich-ing.
The answer on the Chris Evans/RDJ question being that yeah it's basically money didn't surprise me but it made me sad. I don't keep much of the traumatic faith I was raised in (Evangelical Christianity) but I remember being told over and over again by my mother that the "love of money was the root of all evil" which is a quote from some part of the Bible
Not saying these garbage movies are "evil" but I just...those two men have enough money to live their lives comfortably forever. Why do they need more? It really does seem like the more money you get the greedier you get. When will it be enough? My friends and I used to say we wanted to be the kind of rich where we didn't have to stop and think about how much was currently in our account before we bought something. And that something was like, a couch, clothes, a vacation to someplace nice...not private jets, or a ginormous mansion.
I know these guys aren't billionaires but they have a lot of money. So, you can't make MCU anywhere else..WHO CARES!
When it comes to these people who have insane wealth (I put them one notch below 'unfathomable wealth'): I always try to remember one thing: It's all relative. They might not have to ever work again, based on OUR living standards. But based on THEIR current living standards, unless they have Elon or even Oprah money, they do have to keep working to keep the coffers full to maintain that lifestyle. First, taxes. Then, staff (including business managers and personal staff, whether it's just a PA, or an entire house staff), plus multiple homes. Plus, living large. Plus, children. RDJ has like, a ranch or something, in MALIBU, that is likely so eye-wateringly expensive. He likely doesn't have to worry about checking prices on his private flight to Aspen, but I bet he does get calls from his financial manager monthly telling him to cool it. I think we fantasize about hitting that one big payday and retiring to a life of luxury, and upgrading our lives a small amount. It sounds awesome. I don't think RDJ or Chris Evans think that way. It's more, more, more.
Lifestyle creep is real.
(PS: I've seen rdjs ranch. It's not huge and it's right on the highway, but holy hell, THE VIEW. Also, he paved in the paddocks to house his car collection, which made me sad because the barns were gorgeous.)
I think you’re definitely right! I think that even goes further to my point of how things get warped after awhile in your head when you have so much money. Like, certain things become a “must have” when….are they really? Think about Daniel Radcliffe. He made so much money doing Harry Potter. We don’t see him sniffing anywhere around the new harry potter stuff that comes out and you know that isn’t because Warner Brothers isn’t trying lol. He clearly is managing his life and finances in a way where he lives the life he wants, but maybe he’s better about differentiating between a real “need” and what a rich celebrity actually thinks they need.
Dan Rad is the raddest and a real one
Janelle, I think your comments in this thread are probably the subtext to what I was asking without realizing it (and thanks to Sarah for answering it!). And Daniel Radcliffe is such a great counterpoint, as perhaps are other MCU regulars who seem to have moved on. It just all feels a bit cliche, the endless money grab. And it’s also so so different from someone like Nicole Kidman who also WORKS, but it feels like it comes from a place of genuine creativity and drive, not a cash grab. But it’s undeniably true that what we see as “enough” can change over time. But yeah, something about that is really depressing to me.
Thanks for the insight on the casting question! It seems like some casting directors must honestly be sorcerers if they can spot potential or ability for a role that’s a real stretch for someone or two leads who’ve never acted together. So yes, wonderful they’ll be getting recognized more!
I worked with an analytics firm who did modeling for a number of clients (mostly commercial and government contracts), including for movie studios (example of their work was determining which movies during the pandemic would be successful enough on streaming that they should release on streaming instead of waiting for theaters to open back up). Modeling like this can be very accurate but should still be scrutinized since garbage in, garbage out.
I remember a development exec pushing back on using computers to determine which scripts to greenlight because he said if you make shit for an entire year and use that as your source data, then the computer is going to tell you to keep making shit. I don't think there's anyone with that much common sense left in the industry.
lol I love that.
There are some areas where data, analytics and tech & tools can be helpful, but quality of data, tech and tools matter and having people who understand how to use it contextualize it matters too. There really aren’t a lot of people who truly get it, and often, you end up with people who repeat back buzzwords so they look great in front of some bro exec.
In terms of movies, I think it's useful to find trends, and it can definitely be helpful to set budgets. But you have to be willing to roll the dice on something new, too, and what's happening now is a real effort to remove all risk from filmmaking, which just isn't possible. Someone will always be trying to do something new.
If anything isn’t the risk in doing the same thing over and over again? Audience tastes evolve, no?
Thank you Lainey, Jacek, Sarah and the entire team at LaineyGossip for another wonderful year. I renewed my subscription this year because I value the work that you do, giving us good quality gossip and insight/analysis. You're my only source of pop culture gossip. I'd be lost without you LOL!
Question for Jacek and / or Sarah: I'm excited about the Ask Me Anything but just realized I have a work commitment that evening (PST). Will there be a transcript I can dig into when I get home? Thank you!
Yes. We'll leave it accessible in this format that you're reading now, similar to how we've done Awards live chats in the past.
Thank you! : )