MOVIE ATTENDANCE

This is from The Associated Press:

For the 18 weeks from early May through Labor Day, domestic movie grosses are expected to total $3.6 billion, down 9 percent from summer revenues of $3.96 billion last year, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Attendance figures are even bleaker. Factoring in higher admission prices, the number of movie tickets sold should come in around 562.5 million, down 12 percent from summer 2004.

You can read the entire article *here*.

Attendance down 12%! This in a boom year for the economy when the GDP is up over 4%!

What is happening?

I am reminded of when I was in the ’64 campaign (yes, 1964 smartass, I didn’t campaign for Lincoln) working with liberal ‘operatives.’ There was a very rich man who was a Republican donor/fundraiser who owned a large company that made pens and razors. The ‘operatives’ were obsessed with ideas to hurt or destroy this man’s business.

This bothered me at the time. I couldn’t get mad enough at him or his products to participate in a boycott. Why did they take it so personally? It seemed over the line.

This is the California political climate that produced ‘Tricky Dick’ Nixon. Or maybe he had a lot to do with creating it. That is more likely.

I digress.

I am wondering if the politicizing of what seems like the entire Hollywood community has anything to do with the very real, very severe decline in business.

That is a possibility.

It has always struck me as strange, to say the least, that people who are in the entertainment business, people who have strived all their lives to gain approval of their audiences, would say things that are almost sure to offend at least half of that potential audience.

Is what they have to say that important? Does it have any effect on any election? If it does have an effect it is not enough to sway a national election.

I have been a long time fan of Donald Sutherland. It pleased me to see his face on the screen. It usually meant a good performance in a good movie. He recently came out with the usual Hollywood group think, hate Bush statement. (They are like animated zombies.)

It depressed me when he exposed himself as just another air-head. I can never look at him in the same way again. It now saddens me just to see him. I’m not going to pay money at the box office to be depressed.


Maybe the “stars” should reconsider expressing their “thoughts.” Perhaps they should become closet air-heads.

Someone once said: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and leave no doubt.’