"How greedy can you get? You have to share the Internet!"

We have all noticed the absence of new late night comedy shows. When Jay Leno starts a joke about Paris going to jail or K-Fed’s new album, it is an obvious repeat. Soon, all of our favorite shows will start on reruns. George and Callie will still be together, House will still have forty fellowship applicants and Jim and Pam will still be crushing on each other from afar. What is going on? One word: strike.

The Writer’s Guild of America went on strike on November 5 because of conflicts over residuals in new media. According to the WGA website, here is what’s going on: writers want a raise from 3 cents for each DVD to 6 cents, but that is only to make up for a dock in pay they took in 1987 to help the new VHS market. They would also like to be making more for every show sold on iTunes or Unbox because these save the companies 50% by getting rid of manufacturing, shipping and warehousing costs.

The biggest issue is the free Internet streaming. Through the stations’ websites television shows are being shown as for fans that missed the initial broadcast. Most of us would consider these reruns; the executives, however, are calling them “promotions,” and not paying the writers for the work they have done and the money their shows are bringing in. These “promotions” are broken up with ads without the option to skip. Since these ads must be watched to continue the show, advertisers are paying twice as much for them, and yet the writers get nothing.

The corporate executives say they are waiting to see if this new media will be profitable, but the writers say they already have proof. In an article in the LA Times, show runner for “The Office,” Greg Daniels said “We have had 7 million iTunes downloads and we get the biggest traffic on NBC.com. As this business grows, they are going to make more money than they ever made on TV. There’s a huge pot of money out there.”

Writers fear that as entertainment shifts to the Internet rather than television, they will be receiving less and less of their fair share. In a news release from the WGA, Jon Cryer of Two and a Half Men, said, “Everyone knows the Internet is the future. If we don’t get a piece of that, we’re doomed

So far, the network executives have not been cooperating with the writers. They don’t think that this strike is going to hurt them much. What fans need to do is go on strike with them. As Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo said in one of the strike videos being shown on YouTube, “ Do not download shows from the Internet. Don’t watch them, because the people who create the shows aren’t getting paid.”

We need to show the executives we support the writers by abstaining from watching shows on the Internet, signing the petition and keeping up with unitedhollywood.com.

Uh, oh. This guy again?

I can remember sitting on my kitchen counter as a six year old watching the O.J. Simpson trials on TV. This is one of the first news stories many people our age remember. I didn’t know him as a football player or a famous celebrity, I just knew him as the guy who they say murdered his ex-wife and her friend. The nation followed his story, many sympathizing with the victims’ families and watching jaw-dropped when he was acquitted.

After the surprise wore off, we forgot about him… until his book. Last year, everyone cringed as the National Enquirer reported that Simpson would release a hypothetical book, “If I Did It,” where he described how he could have committed the murders. Now, he is back in the news again. The New York Times reported his arrest in the September 17 article “O.J. Simpson Arrested and Charged With Felonies.” Steve Friess wrote “Mr. Simpson was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and charged with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon, as well as one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary with a firearm.”

It seems like he keeps doing these things to get his name back in the news. According to Friess’ article, O.J. could spend 6 to 70 years in jail. Is having fame, or even being infamous worth that much to him? He is already infamous from his first indiscretion.

Richard Huff commented for the NY Daily News that it reminded him of 1994, “this time there was no gun, no white Bronco and no threat of him killing himself, but the scenario was the same: a gridiron star at the heart of an alleged crime kicking off a media circus.”

Before, I talked about the influence of celebrity on teenagers, but what about the influence of celebrity on the celebrities themselves? I see O.J. as being one of those little kids who always needed attention. As he grew up, he kept receiving that attention and when he became famous with his football career, he got even more.

What happens when the cameras stop? For most celebrities, they slip back into normal society, and are often relieved to have a life without paparazzi. What about those who are addicted to the spotlight?

For O.J., crime could be his desperate cry for attention. It is scary to think that someone could commit such acts for the fame, but celebrity could be just like any other addiction; it changes people to the point where they would do anything for one more fix.

He is definitely receiving attention. The Associated Press reported that he returned to Florida after posting bail on Thursday “into the center of a media cavalcade.”

ABC news reported that Simpson’s lawyers “believe he has a better chance of acquittal in Las Vegas than he did in Los Angeles.” Great. We could be seeing Simpson’s name in the papers again sometime in the future. Lets hope not.

Influence

While looking at the New York Times, I could have gone to the front page and created a discussion on the ramifications of the Attorney General retiring, or an even more heated debate on the war in Iraq, but as a journalism student emphasizing in Public Relations, that is not what first catches my eye.

I aspire to get involved with the entertainment industry as a PR professional or publicist. I am interested in the influence celebrities have on this nation and how their lives are becoming more watched than the political concerns of the country. Many “serious journalists” find this fact appalling and will try to fight this with national news. Though I congratulate them in their effort, I find myself being pulled into the ever-growing entertainment industry as a Christian influence in the area that has undeniably become a huge part of the American culture.

My biggest concern in Hollywood is the influence that these select few have on young America: the still impressionable future of the country. This is why my mind is immediately attracted to the story about Hilary Duff “Amid All The Cheers, A Few Signs of Change,” written by Kelefa Sanneh for the Arts section.

So, why choose to comment on a music review? It is not an article, it is opinion, but it does not merely examine what songs she sings well, or doesn’t, Sanneh is looking at Duff’s fans and changing influence.

Sanneh is very correct in saying that “Ms. Duff’s music is much better than it might be, and much better than it needs to be… earning trebly screams that probably would have been just as loud if she had been reciting her life story, putting on a fashion show or doing jumping jacks.” Her fans are not concerned with her singing voice being exemplary; they are merely excited to be in the same room with her.

As Daniel Boorstin said in his 1992 book, “The Image”, a celebrity is simply someone who is “known for his well-knowness.” That is certainly true here. Young preteens and teens, like much of America, are amazed by the pure sight of a celebrity. With so much excitement and attention to these people, the influence in young peoples’ lives must be immense. Everything they do, whether admirable or not, will be taken in.

Senneh worries about Duff’s influence as she is “onstage in shinny short-shorts and high heels, singing songs that sounded kind of like sexy robot music or something,” while some are just happy that she has not turned out like Lindsay Lohan. Ross Raihala of the Pioneer (Minn.) Press titled a recent piece “Hilary Duff proves to be the anit-Lindsay Lohan.

No article on Duff can ignore the fact that she is loosing popularity as the next generation of Disney Channel Stars takes the spotlight. As Senneh puts it, Duff “must know that her empire is under siege from newer tween juggernauts such as Hannah Montana and “High School Musical.” These are the celebrities that are really having the influence. Though Duff’s appearances have a good following, many of the dates in Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana/Meet Miley Cyrus Tour sold out in minutes (Cooper, Peter, “’Hannah Montana’ breaks hearts with less than 15-minute sellout”, Tennessean), and “High School Musical 2” broke records with it’s 17.2 premiere viewers (“High School Musical 2’ Already A Mega Hit”, CBS).

This new set of Disney Channel stars seems to be the cleanest of them all. The cast of “High School Musical,” with a median age of 21, is the same age of Lindsay Lohan, and yet you do not see them on the cover of tabloids for excessive partying and DUIs. Ramin Setoodeh makes this comparison in the Newsweek article titled “Growing Pains.”

The Disney Channel is producing celebrities for the younger generation to grow up with, creating role models with better standards. Just a few years ago, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake were the idols of the preteens; their scantily clad bodies and sexed up dance moves and lyrics are far from the squeaky clean presence of Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron.

Though no one can say they will not change for the worst, for now, preteens are doing pretty well.