Chapter 474: The Old Era and New Forces

[Chapter 536: The Old Era and New Forces]

As Woody Allen's scandal escalated, Hollywood's female executives from the Big Seven film studios, led by Paramount Pictures chairman Sherry Lansing and MGM president Amy Pascal, established a Female Safety Committee to specifically give a voice to female artists.

At the same time, a federal court in Los Angeles officially charged Woody Allen with the crime of child molestation!

...

Los Angeles, Bel-Air Country Club.

Arthur met with Jennifer Connelly, MPAA chairman Jack Valenti, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Arthur Miller.

Arthur was quite familiar with Jack Valenti, while Arthur Miller had just been elected as the Academy president the previous year; he was 81 years old and was one of America's top playwrights, famous for his play Death of a Salesman, which made a huge impact on American theater in the 1940s and 50s.

In the club's lounge, Arthur sat across from Jack Valenti and Arthur Miller.

"Arthur, you should know when to stop. Hollywood's problems should be solved by Hollywood itself, not overly mixed in with politics," Jack said.

"Hollywood is growing so rapidly now, and some things can affect its reputation!" Arthur replied.

As MPAA chairman, Jack Valenti aimed to ensure Hollywood's stable development; after all, it was the most crucial means of America's cultural export.

Arthur smiled and glanced over at Academy president Arthur Miller. "What about the Academy? I heard you received thousands of complaint letters demanding justice against Woody Allen. What do you plan to do? Woody Allen is a representative figure at the Oscars!"

Arthur Miller shook his head. "Allen is indeed talented, but now his reputation is in ruins. How long do you think this lawsuit will last? Arthur, Woody Allen's notoriety is enough to put an end to this matter. The Academy will take back the award previously given to him and prohibit him from participating in any Oscar-related events!"

Jack Valenti chimed in, "Now because of Allen's issues, some people in Hollywood are feeling quite anxious. Arthur, a stable Hollywood market is good news for Galaxy."

There was no denying that Arthur Smith held significant leverage and resources to promote certain agendas.

The old power in Hollywood stood no chance against the new forces emerging in the industry!

Arthur shook his head. "Relax, it's just Woody Allen. How much impact could he really have on Hollywood?"

Then, Arthur fixed his gaze on Arthur Miller. "The new era in Hollywood has arrived, and everything revolves around capital. Hollywood is no longer a plaything for certain individuals. The original people who built Hollywood are long gone. Clinging to outdated ideas could truly crush them under the wheels of history!"

Who were the people who built Hollywood?

Of course, they were the Jews, and most members of the Academy's management committee, led by Arthur Miller, were old-school Jewish guys from Hollywood's golden age.

The development of Jewish folks in Hollywood had always been smoother than others; these people contributed a lot.

Jack Valenti understood this well. At the heart of the matter was a struggle for interests. The Jews had indeed held sway over Hollywood for far too long!

Arthur Miller smiled helplessly. As a Jew himself, how could he not understand other Jews?

Now with Galaxy's strength backing Arthur Smith, there were no shortages of Jewish support, as Arthur represented immense profits.

"Arthur, you know that the Big Seven film studios have always aligned with the MPAA," he pointed out. "The Oscars are nothing but an awards ceremony; it's merely a tool for prestige. When did the major studios ever take the Oscars seriously?"

Did Arthur Miller want to protect Woody Allen?

He certainly did; after all, Allen was a notable Jewish director. But the news had spread too fast and too much insider information had leaked.

Woody Allen had attracted too much attention. Years ago, Roman Polanski fled to France after being accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, but Woody Allen had his picture publicly exposed!

Arthur shrugged. "Hollywood is my main concern, and things are different now; the internet has developed so rapidly. The speed of information dissemination is nothing like before. The old Hollywood red sofa model needs to change! If a scandal really breaks out in the future and Hollywood's reputation is shot, for you folks, it might just be a lost job, but for me, it translates to billions in stock market losses. You folks should understand, if it reaches that point, there's no turning back. Who's going to cover our losses?"

Arthur Miller opened his mouth. As someone who had experienced the red sofa era, did he not know what those Hollywood filmmakers were like?

Pedophilia, misconduct, sexual assault -- there were basically no moral standards!

"And before coming here, I already spoke with the people from the Big Seven film studios," Arthur stood up. "Everyone acknowledges my viewpoint: internal matters in Hollywood should be resolved internally. The Academy should just focus on its own business. We prefer you to avoid meddling in politics. Nonprofit organizations should stick to nonprofit matters!"

Arthur Miller left. When referring to Hollywood's internal issues, it mainly pointed to the media groups led by the Big Seven film studios.

As for the Academy, it had previously interfered too much in Hollywood.

Jack Valenti chuckled. "Arthur, for the next few years, Galaxy will probably be out of the running for Best Picture at the Oscars!"

The MPAA represented the interests of the major studios, purely a group for financial gain.

The Academy was nothing more than a service tool for this interest group. Who, besides independent filmmakers, would truly take the Academy seriously?

Arthur took a sip of his drink. "If a student from USC makes a film and claims it has won an Oscar, someone will pay tens of millions for the rights. I can guarantee that the Best Picture at the Oscars in March will be that film, even if it's a piece of garbage; it will become the Oscar-winning piece of garbage!"

"Ha ha ha," Jack Valenti laughed and patted Arthur on the shoulder. The current Oscar voting panel had approximately 5,300 members.

They prepared thousands of deluxe video tapes, invited more people for vacations, advertised in various newspapers, and spent money to get critics to rally support.

As long as someone was willing to spend, even garbage could win Best Picture at the Oscars!

Unfortunately, for the Big Seven film companies, it was primarily about business. If the Oscars couldn't generate the expected profits, they wouldn't spend a dime.

*****

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