Both Sides Are Right In Hollywood
Today's second topic is Gaslighting in the Workplace.
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One thing both sides agree on is that the entertainment industry has fundamentally changed. What they disagree on is who is most impacted.
The SAG-AFTRA Point of View
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 people.
To qualify for health insurance through the union, the members must earn $26,470 each year. In any year, only 14% of members qualify – 22,400.
Only 7% (11,200) of members earn more than $80,000 annually.
Not too long ago, broadcast television produced 22 to 26 series episodes per season. With the advent of streaming, the number has fallen to between 8 and 10. Members are working half as much on average.
Residual payments for broadcast and cable airings are paid whenever a show is aired. On streaming platforms, Residuals are based on the subscription revenue and are paid to everyone on the service, even if no one watches the shows. Interesting history, union president Ronal Reagan led the SAG strike that resulted in the creation of the residual payment program.
The Studio Point of View
Streaming is not the big money maker they planned for. Between 2012 and 2022, US entertainment revenues are down approximately $60B.
Many services are money losers. The losses are so significant that executives find removing content and taking tax write-offs more profitable. Max shelved their Batgirl movie claiming it was unreleasable. (My opinion is that the DC team has released several unwatchable movies.) Paramount+ decided not to release season 2 of Star Trek Prodigy. They also pulled season 1 and are shopping it to other platforms to increase revenue.
There is a day of reckoning coming for the industry. I do not have any answers, only a few predictions. Industry consolidation is inevitable. Less new content each year. Higher subscription fees. More advertising.
Related Articles
MSNBC - Why the Hollywood strike is proving so intractable
Rolling Stone - Most SAG Actors Don't Even Make A Living Wage. Here Are Their Stories.
Den of Geek - Suits' Streaming Popularity Explains Why Hollywood is On Strike
EW - New DC boss says canceling Batgirl was the right move
IGN - Star Trek: Prodigy Isn't Getting a Second Season
NY Times - For Disney, Streaming Losses and TV's Decline Are a One-Two Punch
Gaslighting in the Workplace
How to Become a Cult Leader recently premiered on Netflix. The documentary explores six cult leaders and their tactics to control their followers. In many respects, cult leaders are master gaslighters.
Gaslighting is manipulating people to get them to question themselves and their judgment so much that they will blindly follow the leader. There are three common reasons for business gaslighting.
Fear is a primal factor. Many people cannot admit a mistake. They believe it is a sign of weakness. They will manipulate people to shift blame or cast the error as something beyond their control; if they can get others to accept it, all the better. Leaders who suffer from imposter syndrome are especially vulnerable.
Taking credit for success is next. People who are obsessed with building the perfect reputation will take full credit and actively work to minimize the contributions of others. They cannot share the spotlight.
Consolidating power is another driver. Gaslighters will do everything possible to build their base by weakening those around them. Their sole objective is personal success without regard to organizational or team success.
The companion documentary, How to Become a Tyrant, focuses on consolidating power. The tactics it describes are adapted for use in consolidating organizational power. Much of the content comes from Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
Articles on Gaslighting
JUCM - THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED! HOW TO DEAL WITH GASLIGHTING IN THE WORKPLACE
HBR - Gaslighting at Work—and What to Do About It
Wisconson School of Business - Combating Gaslighting in the Workplace
What I'm Up To
We have a neighborhood golf outing each month in our neighborhood. Each year, I partner with a neighbor to create a fundraiser for two causes that have special meaning to us.
My friend raises money for FSHD Muscular Dystrophy. Both of his daughters have this disease.
I raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. Both of my in-laws are in memory care facilities. One for seven years, the other for four. Nancy Reagan described it as "the long, long goodbye."
Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
There is no denying Elon Musk's intelligence. His unshakable belief that he is always right leads to bad decision making. This is the definition of narcissistic leadership.
Reuters - Meta, Microsoft, hundreds more own trademarks to new Twitter name
Mashable - Apple isn't letting Twitter rebrand as X in the App Store
Inc - She Slept on Twitter's Floor, but Elon Musk Laid Her Off Anyway.
"That you gon' go up and down, Kinda like a yo-yo" – Doja Cat
PBS - San Francisco investigates permit violation after 'X' logo installed on Twitter building
CNN - 'X' removed after being installed atop company headquarters
Reclaim Your Attention
Nir and Far - 6 Habits That Are Secretly Making You Miserable
Bob Iger is not responsible for much of what is happening at Disney today. But he does not get the free pass that this article argues for. He was CEO when Disney focused content development on comic books and remaking old classics. He also selected Bob Cepak as his successor.
Time - The Misdirected Anger at Bob Iger Risks Seeing the Bigger Picture
The campaign season is upon us!
Bloom County - Opus will have to wait
Interesting perspective on Ukraine
Foreign Affairs - Putin Is Running Out of Options in Ukraine
Timing is Everything
When you take a chance, make it a good one.
CNBC - Warren Buffett's protégé was hired after sending the billionaire a letter
Quotes
"When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package."
- John Ruskin
"Challenges don't come neatly packaged the way we planned them."
- Mark C. Thompson and Bonita S. Thompson
You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.
