Jesse Jackson: Hollywood Needs 'Diversity'

NewsMax.com ^ | Feb. 22, 2007 | Reprinted from NewsMax.com

[Free ThinkerNY]

Jesse Jackson: Hollywood Needs 'Diversity'

Newsmax.com

Feb. 22, 2007

As seemingly half of Hollywood converged on a fundraiser for Democratic presidential aspirant Sen. Barack Obama, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was huddled elsewhere with Universal Studios president Ron Meyer over his own campaign - to increase industry diversity.

"We must go to each of the companies and agencies and urge them to make the industry open up and expand the market and the opportunities," Jackson said Wednesday during an hour-plus interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"After all, we once did not know how big baseball could be until everyone could play. Right now, with the system (in) Hollywood, we don't know how big the entertainment market can be until everybody is able to participate."

Jackson's Tuesday meeting with Meyer and his planned sessions with various studio heads, talent agency executives and others are part of a continuing campaign by the civil rights leader's Rainbow Coalition to press for greater diversity in Hollywood's casting process and studio hiring. Citing data like a recent UCLA report showing low numbers of minority-oriented film roles, Jackson aims to convince industry elite that increased casting and hiring of minorities will broaden the creative scope of Hollywood entertainment and thus its revenue base.

[alloysteel]

"Diversity" is one of those elastic terms, which may only be used if you are out pimping for mo' money and mo' money.

Ain't never 'nuff money.

[carolinalivin]

Somebody tell Jess the Oscar votes are already in the mail.

Didn't his kid get the Chicago Budweiser distribution franchise?

Jess is helping black folks by not being poor himself donchano!

[paulat]

Jackson is truly living in the past. Black actors such as Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, and Will Smith are major leads, and there are also black female actresses headlining movies and shows too.

You miss the point.

They tried this in the NFL. No black coaches. Now there are black coaches. No black owners...etc., etc.

In Hollywood...no black Academy Award winners. Now there are black Academy Award winners. Now they want more black Spielbergs.

Jesse ain't goin' nowhere...he has his life plan set.

[weegee]

There is interest in conservative films (both filmmakers and audiences).

There is a liberal bent and agenda at play in the industry (studios, distribution, critical acclaim). If the movers and shakers bury your product because it isn't politically correct, it is difficult to recuperate the millions of dollars in investment.

And that is true of fictional (even docudramas) films as well as documentaries.

The big story of 2004 was how much documentary films were playing a roll in the presidential election. Unreported by the MSM was how conservative filmmakers were getting into the game in a bigger way and even establishing a filmfest of such works.

Roger Ebert used to be a credible film critic. He even made the claim that he could embrace a film he didn't agree with politically. That statement was proven false when he gave a zero star review for a suspense film set in Texas about a man on death row. Rog liked the cast and crew but disagreed with the message and said that this film could not be made and set in Texas.

There is a blacklist in Hollywood.

[massgopguy]

The last time one person had control of the flow of beer in Chicago, his name was Al Capone.

[carolinalivin]

He must have been quite a drinker!

[MissEdie]

Na, he's just trying to find more people and businesses to shake down.

[Ben Mugged]

Maybe it's time for a few quotas.

[ArmstedFragg]

Gee, what an amazing coincidence.

Five minutes after Hollywood votes with its feet regarding Hillary, Jesse suddenly discovers there's a diversity issue.

I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked!

[Borges]

Anyone can get a movie made these days. You just have to hustle for financing. People like Kevin Smith have gotten films made on credit cards.

Critics aren't a part of the industry and will like what they like regardless. Roger Ebert's objection to Alan Parker's "The Life of David Gale" was that it played fast and loose with the audience and didn't seem to embrace either side but just used the subject matter for trivial suspense and plot twists. He felt the subject matter was too srious to be used in that matter.

[Dante3]

Weren't those Oscars awarded because of race a few years ago enough for Rev. JJ? He needs to spend more quality time with his love child.

[PhilCollins]

Nine years ago, I sent a letter to Jesse and asked why he calls black Americans "African-Americans" but doesn't call any Whites "European-Americans." I said that about 2/3 of the Blacks I know prefer to be called Blacks. They know that, since an African is a resident of Africa, an African-American must be anyone who was born in Africa, immigrated to the U.S., and became a U.S. citizen. This definition includes some Whites, so whether someone is an African-American can't be determined by his or her skin color. I sent a self-addressed stamped envelope, but Jesse didn't answer my question. I didn't think he would.

I had a black conservative friend who was against affirmative action. He said that, when a government uses affirmative action, the government tells the minorities that they're not smart enough or talented enough to get the job without government help. He said that all minorities should be insulted and offended by affirmative action. When he was debating the topic with another black man, my friend said, "If the government uses affirmative action, the country should be fair, and everyone should use is. 12% of the U.S. is black, so 12% of the NBA players should be black." The other man said, "No, only the most qualified people should play for the NBA." My friend said, "That's my point. Only the most qualified people should have any job. Why should we have a double standard?" The other man couldn't answer.

[Borges]

What Oscars awarded because of race? Halle Berry and Denzel Wahington were both quite good. Even if the films they were in were not.

[lormand]

I am all for JJ ruining Hollywood.

[CPOSharky]

Yo, Jessie, let's pass a law that every business entity must have exactly the percentage of minorities as the general population. No more, no less.

(Bye, bye football and basketball.)

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

I guess the rest of the USA is just fine, and the rev has no one else to extort from.

[litehaus]

lol. jesse must be short on cash payments to the mistress.

Think he's making those payments down by DUKE for "The Victim's College Education?"

[Buffettfan]

Jesse Jackass has it wrong. Professional sports namely the NBA and the NFL need more diversity. Whites are definitly under misrepresented since both of these sports are almost 90% black.

[keats5]

LOL. I guess we think alike. I thought he meant more Christians.

[GourmetDan]

What in the world did Britney do to K-Fed anyway?

I mean, wasn't he just the most wonderful guy in the world before he married her and now he's a big jerk?

The only other explanation would be that Britney doesn't have a clue and that can't be right, can it?