Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

ARE MOVIE SUBSIDIES POLITICAL PAYOLA?
boblonsberry.com ^ | 01/23/17 | Bob Lonsberry

Posted on 01/24/2017 5:57:18 AM PST by shortstop

On Saturday Night Live, have they ever lampooned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo?

As it turns out, no, they haven’t.

And it’s not because being governor of New York is too obscure to merit mention on a national television show. SNL repeatedly lampooned Cuomo’s predecessor, David Paterson, for being blind.

Classy.

But Cuomo has never come been the target of SNL’s scorn.

It’s all in on attacking his potential presidential political opponent – Donald Trump – but it’s never laid a glove on him.

Which has no connection, I’m sure, to the fact that Andrew Cuomo feeds Saturday Night Live between $10 and $12 million each year in taxpayer subsidies.

This is in the news now because of some details in Andrew Cuomo’s recently released proposed budget. It doesn’t seem to include the specifics for Saturday Night Live, or any other show, but it does call for another $420 million this year to subsidize the motion picture and television industry.

Andrew Cuomo, jockeying to be the leader of national progressives, funnels more tax dollars into the entertainment industry than anyone else in the world.

And the entertainment industry is wildly progressive.

And I’m sure that’s a pure coincidence.

Or not.

Because it turns out that the two most Democrat-leaning states in the nation – California and New York – pour about $750 million a year between them into the television and motion picture industries. That’s more than any other states, and seemingly more than all other states combined.

And ironically, those television and motion picture industries, getting all those tax dollars from Democrat politicians, create programming and take public positions that politically benefit Democrats and socially stigmatize Republicans.

What a crazy coincidence.

Republican waitresses and welders get taxed to subsidize Democrat movie stars.

And we’re supposed to pretend it never even occurs to us to ask whether or not there’s a connection between the money Democrats give movie stars and the endorsements movie stars give Democrats.

Like Saturday Night Live, which seems of late to revolve completely around mocking Donald Trump. Is nobody at all curious about what implicit strings come attached to the massive amounts of money Andrew Cuomo gives the show each year?

And what about Stephen Colbert, who used to be funny on TV, but now does a daily anti-Republican screed on CBS. When he wanted the Ed Sullivan Theater renovated to accommodate his show (and ego) the taxpayers of the state of New York – led by Andrew Cuomo, Democrat – were ripped off for $5 million to pay for it.

Does no one in society or the so-called watchdog media wonder if there’s a connection between money from Democrats and hatred for Republicans?

Is it just a coincidence that they all share a shrill political philosophy?

Doesn’t anybody worry that the pouring of all this money into the mind-shaping organs of our society might be intended to propagandize public opinion? From topics on variety shows to story lines in sitcoms, to pronouncements from millionaire entertainers, how do we know none of that is bought and paid for?

How do we know that the $420 million Andrew Cuomo is giving Hollywood this year isn’t intended to buy anything? He pushes his progressive agenda every way he can, and his Hollywood cronies do a great deal to help. Are we completely sure that’s not the result of his incredible generosity with taxpayers’ money?

Is this anything other than not biting the hand that is feeding you?

Many are upset that this one industry is so disproportionately and lavishly benefited by taxpayer underwriting. But shouldn’t people also be upset by the seeming conflict of interest, in which a Democrat governor gives more than $10 million to a show that savages all things Republican? Why are taxpayer dollars in such astronomical amounts plowed into a business that blacklists anyone who’s not a progressive?

Doesn’t that bother anybody?

Are no reporters or attorneys general intrigued by that? Isn’t the United States attorney the least bit curious?

To me, it smells like political payola.

You wash my back, and I’ll wash yours. You preach my gospel, and I’ll pay your bills.

With taxpayers’ money.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: andrewcuomo; cuomo; hollywood; hollywoodsubsidies; moviesubsidies; newyork; payola
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
Every Saturday night, SNL reaches a new low.
1 posted on 01/24/2017 5:57:18 AM PST by shortstop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: shortstop

Saturday Night Live are hacks!


2 posted on 01/24/2017 6:01:53 AM PST by EventHorizon55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

Time was SNL was a televised version of the National Lampoon Radio Show (the concept and cast were lifted in total).

Today, it coasts on the legacy of casts that came before it just as “late night talk shows” coast on the legacy of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson but neither program holds a challenge to that legacy. “It’s funny because it’s supposed to be funny and you hear laughs”.


3 posted on 01/24/2017 6:02:17 AM PST by a fool in paradise (The COM-Left is saddened by the death of the Communist dictator Fidel Castro. No surprise there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

IMO it’s all wasted money, which is what politicians do best. Fact is, the people of New York and California would elect the same people no matter what! It’s their money. Problem is that like children, after they feel the effect of their actions they move to other places, rinse, and repeat!


4 posted on 01/24/2017 6:07:21 AM PST by gr8eman (The guys who picked last season's loser are already excited about next season's loser.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

NY is a big state, but I find it amazing that $420 million is devoted to subsidizing the motion picture and television industries.

“The arts” is one thing, specific industrialized media is another. And, $420 million isn’t chump change at the state level.


5 posted on 01/24/2017 6:12:17 AM PST by Pearls Before Swine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

“That’s more than any other states”

Ummm...why is any state paying money to celebrities?


6 posted on 01/24/2017 6:20:32 AM PST by lacrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

Here’s the problem as I see it. Who the hell watches all this TV garbage? I read viewership is down, which might mean that program ratings do not indicate vast audiences, as in the past.
We are in a time when the TELEVISION SETS get better and better by the year, while the TELEVISION programs get worse and worse by the week.
“Dumbed Down” shows attract “Dumbed Down” viewers, thus the base of the (you know who).


7 posted on 01/24/2017 6:20:39 AM PST by CaptainAmiigaf (New York Times: "We print the news as it fits our views.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pearls Before Swine; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; TWhiteBear; WildHighlander57; ...

Article, and # 5.

8 posted on 01/24/2017 6:22:49 AM PST by LucyT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

Why are any taxpayer dollars going to Hollywierd?


9 posted on 01/24/2017 6:23:03 AM PST by bray (Pray for President Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

I watch very little network or major cable TV, mostly MeTV, with low budget ads and TCM with no ads. I guess it was while my husband was watching a football game that I saw some new shows advertised. I don’t know what they were, but they sure looked like blatant propaganda to me.


10 posted on 01/24/2017 6:26:45 AM PST by stayathomemom ( Read Shadow Men, The Progressive Virus, and The Marxist Playbook by Dr. Anthony Napoleon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LucyT

Trump Targets 3 Agencies With Ambitious Budget Cuts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3516554/posts

http://dailysignal.com/2017/01/23/trump-targets-three-agencies-with-ambitious-budget-cuts/

1/23/2017, 11:33:45 AM • by Perseverando • 79 replies
The Daily Signal ^ | January 23, 2017 | Thomas Pippen
President Donald Trump’s reported plan to gut federal spending by $10.5 trillion over the next decade includes eliminating three of iconic agencies defended as cultural mainstays by many Democrats. The next administration is working on plans to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Hill reported Thursday. Combined, the three departments cost around $741 million in 2016, and is a small part of a host of budget reforms needed to cut more than a trillion a year from the federal budget. Eliminating funding to the Corporation...


11 posted on 01/24/2017 6:28:18 AM PST by Whenifhow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

DEFUND


12 posted on 01/24/2017 6:40:59 AM PST by PGalt (HOORAY President Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shortstop

Very good article. Explains a lot. Always follow the money.

I know liberals who are big fans of SNL because of the show’s liberal bent. Turns out the reason SNL panders to libs is because they are getting paid to do so.


13 posted on 01/24/2017 6:42:09 AM PST by Ticonderoga34
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pearls Before Swine

Why? Why does a multi-billion dollar industry need subsidies from taxpayers? The people in these industries are uber-rich. Let them pay their own costs.

Are they afraid that without subsidies, the TV networks will go off the air? That they will stop making movies? And if they did, how would that be a bad thing?!


14 posted on 01/24/2017 6:44:50 AM PST by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: CaptainAmiigaf

I watched about 10 minutes of it once back in the 70s and never tuned in again. Don’t find it funny or the least bit entertaining.

It’s horrifyingly disgusting how many millions “the arts” gets. Taxpayers are struggling trying to keep a roof over their heads while their taxes are poo-pooed away.

Texas, under Gov. Goodhair Perry, gave the Bravo Channel $$$$ out of the tourism fund for them to film a season of “Top Chef” here. Name one person who brought their family to vacation in Texas because of that show. The day that news came out was the day the channel was banned in this house. Sure, they get my money through the cable bill but no ratings.


15 posted on 01/24/2017 6:59:51 AM PST by bgill (From the CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: stayathomemom

“The Dallas Observer reported in 2011 that the Texas tourism office paid the show $400,000 to integrate the state’s brand into season nine. According to the website SeattleMet.com, that city pitched in more than $300,000 in production costs for similar considerations.

Details of the show’s sponsorship agreements with the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation and the Louisiana Office of Tourism have not been released.”

http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2013/05/bravos_top_chef_headed_to_new.html

That’s not counting the non-cash perks.


16 posted on 01/24/2017 7:05:06 AM PST by bgill (From the CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: generally

“Why? Why does a multi-billion dollar industry need subsidies from taxpayers?”

Government propaganda ain’t going to insert itself on its own.


17 posted on 01/24/2017 7:24:11 AM PST by thoughtomator (Purple: the color of sedition)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Whenifhow; LucyT; All

“three of iconic agencies defended as cultural mainstays by many Democrats.”

Uh sorry....the federal government is NOT in the “cultural mainstay” business. It is to protect the citizens of the USA.


18 posted on 01/24/2017 8:18:42 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) since Nov 2014 (GOPe is that easy to read))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise
Time was SNL was a televised version of the National Lampoon Radio Show (the concept and cast were lifted in total).

The original cast mainly came from Chicago's "Second City".

19 posted on 01/24/2017 8:20:35 AM PST by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: CaptainAmiigaf

“We are in a time when the TELEVISION SETS get better and better by the year, while the TELEVISION programs get worse and worse by the week.”

Amen to that!


20 posted on 01/24/2017 8:38:41 AM PST by Rennes Templar (The Mediocre Negro is finally leaving the WH.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson