Tuesday, February 10, 2009

We Own G.E.

The taxpayer stimulus bailout whatever-we-want-to-call-it is giving over $100 billion to GE, which is about what it's worth, which means we own it. Now the money's focussed on their energy side, but does this mean Pres. Obama's proposed $500,000 salary cap on companies that receive federal funds extend to all branches of GE? Does this mean all actors and directors who work on Universal Pictures take pay cuts? What about NBC actors? Do Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin take the hit? Do MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough give back most of their paychecks now?

Looking at Universal's upcoming slate, I'm not that encouraged for spring. The Last House on the Left might bring out torture-porn fans. Duplicity has a great cast (Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson) but a middling marketing campaign. Will there be clauses added to the back-end deals of guys like Will Ferrell (Land of the Lost) and Adam Sandler (Funny People) that they now get 10% of the gross only up to $500,000?

I guess it's my patriotic duty now to see Fast & Furious 4. We all must sacrifice.

Do U.S. taxpayers now get a discount at Universal Studios Orlando?

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