The Crony Capitalism of Hollywood and Porn

Maybe it’s in part that with Hollywood’s notorious nepotism is where we also get the studio “Peter Principle,” where certain studio brass are functioning on the same dysfunctional level as Mike Judge’s Office Space–and how it eventually “trickles down” to what is being green-lighted into our local film theaters! I also suppose that’s why in examining the satiric premise behind Office Space, is the main plausibility why I’m not on my way up on my aspiring film career (*i.e, had I obstinately maintain my personal issues, not only will it compels me to not be as innovative-productive as some other peers, nor only get promoted to the director’s seat, but possibly likewise with gaining the sort of perks and monetary privileges of the higher ups–JUST SO THEY CAN KEEP ME FROM DOING MORE DAMAGE ON A LABOR LEVEL–AS OPPOSED TO A MANAGERIAL LEVEL!). So on a facetiously-hypothetical level, if I wanted to be a filmmaker today, maybe I should have immaturity problems–and all the while proclaim my self-promoting, self-defending sense of self-importance–never mind the fact that whatever passes off as art or talent nowadays is perpetually-adolescent, entitlement-arrogant, mediocrity!

And like with any other workplace, Peter Principle…

I would like to go into the *cough cough* “other” film industry, where their bankable names are–or was, Jenna Jameson, John Holmes, and even Ron Jeremy, where this Peter Principle involves how to… you know… Whenever I hear about the laughable defenses of pornography as art (via the convenient references of Renaissance/Restoration/Greco-Roman-era art), I have to use my Milton Friedman analogy to best question how much “art” there is in pornography…    Now that’s a (sick) laugh!

I was reminded by some shock-jock, talk radio comments, explaining why Playboy founder/publisher, Hugh Hefner had a brief experimentation with bisexuality:

“If you see one set of boobs, you seen them all!”

So I guess given Hefner’s “work schedule(!),” what’s our sure bet that seeing the same female nudity, conducting the same sexual acts, on a daily basis, wouldn’t that brings to mind how mundane that will be? And with this rationale in mind, how much more predictably boring pornography can be, if not already is?

Whenever I ruminate about the art industry, if not the (post-) modern art industry, I am reminded of (to put it charitably!) how little artistic, let alone product innovation there is, constantly relying on the marketability-safer avenue of using the same shtick time and time again! And with regards to pornography, what’s so product-innovative of viewing the same over and over again, to the point of being bored to tears?(!) In many ways, I like to liken the act of watching porn today, as to still driving the same Model-T Ford in today’s automotive technological age!*

*or perhaps watching hardcore porn is comparable to driving that fiery death trap-of-a-jalopy called a Ford Pinto! 

Funny enough, whenever I hear about “Big Three automakers,” (Ford, Chrysler, GM), why do I find myself facetiously comparing them to the SoCal Valley’s, “Big Three of porn (Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler)?” Like Detroit Motor City, it’s almost amusing to think that much of the smut then, now and ever, are comparable to that automotive, epic failure best known as The Edsel! With Flynt Publications in the fiscal red, I suppose that’s why the onetime “free speech poster boy” had to (ironically enough) be on the same begging position (with the TARP-crazy pols) as say, many of the ladies who were “independently employed” by him!

And for more damagingly funny comparisons with the Big 3 automakers, whenever I hear about the complacent nature of the automobile unions (i.e, to not give more flexible room for their employers to do what they have to do, to stay in business, hence to practically have little or no incentive to do their hard-working part), why do I find myself chortling, comparing porn actors/actresses with the same slovenly hard-headed, union bosses… being overpaid to do practically nothing?(!)  

But I suppose with how much campaign/lobbying money limousine-Leftist Hollywood and the porn industry contributes to the currently-ruling, Democratic Party, it could have been darkly-funnier to suggest that both film industries will be under the same incompetent, bureaucratic control/regulation as the Big Three Automakers…

Oh wait a minute; I think we already have something like it called, The National Endowment For The Arts!

Hmmmm… I guess that explains why I found the themes/commentary of Daniel Clowes’ Art School Confidential so resonates in me: hint, how these artistic institutions are more of a over-rated, for-profit schools for no-talent, unintentionally self-parodying jerks!