Posted on 09/24/2016 8:20:42 PM PDT by grundle
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed legislation that requires certain entertainment sites, such as IMDb, to remove an actor’s age upon request.
The law applies to database sites that are used by the industry to make hiring decisions, which includes IMDb and the Studio System. In order to make the request, a membership to IMDb is required, which is open to all to apply.
“Even though it is against both federal and state law, age discrimination persists in the entertainment industry,” Majority Leader Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, said in a statement. “AB 1687 provides the necessary tools to remove age information from online profiles on employment referral websites to help prevent this type of discrimination.”
SAG-AFTRA lobbied for the legislation.
“On behalf of everyone in the industry who has struggled with age discrimination, whose opportunities to showcase their talent may have been blocked, I want to thank Gov. Brown and the bill’s author, Assembly member Ian Calderon," said SAG-AFTRA’s Gabrielle Carteris. "Gov. Jerry Brown today stood with thousands of film and television professionals and concerned Californians who urged him to sign AB 1687, a California law that will help prevent age discrimination in film and television casting and hiring."
In August, Carteris wrote of her support for the law in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter.
“It is time to stop the ageism that permeates Hollywood’s casting process,” Carteris wrote. “This problem exists for all performers, but most distinctly for women. Performers create characters and often employ illusion to do so. That’s acting.”
She added, “Many actors have endured age discrimination of some sort throughout their careers. Those isolated, individual cases have now morphed into the almost-automatic age discrimination made possible by the online casting services. The information is put front and center before those making the decisions about whom to audition and whom to hire.”
The technology community opposed the law, saying it was a violation of free speech.
“We are disappointed that AB 1687 was signed into law today,” said Internet Association spokesman Noah Theran. “We remain concerned with the bill and the precedent it will set of suppressing factual information on the internet.”
Michael Beckerman, the association’s president and CEO, also wrote in August for THR about his opposition to the law.
“Requiring the removal of factually accurate age information across websites suppresses free speech,” Beckerman wrote. “This is not a question of preventing salacious rumors; rather it is about the right to present basic facts that live in the public domain. Displaying such information isn’t a form of discrimination, and internet companies should not be punished for how people use public data.”
The law may be subject to a First Amendment challenge.
Calderon said the law was more for actors and actresses not as well known as big stars.
“While age information for Hollywood’s biggest stars is readily available from other online sources, this bill is aimed at protecting lesser known actors and actresses competing for smaller roles,” Calderon said in the release. “These actors should not be excluded from auditioning simply based on their age.”
Places like IMBD don’t need to exist.
I’d laugh my ass off if the Hollywood fanatics would stop paying these pampered assholes any attention.
Take the age down. While you’re at it, take everything else down.
I’ve never seen a more conceited group of people, awarding themselves continually, for heaven knows what...
You have to use very loose terms to think of anything positive they create. Good luck with that.
It’s all make believe. Nothing exists except a fantasy when they finish shooting.
They haven’t made something someone can live in. They haven’t created anything to feed people. They haven’t created a mode of transportation to take people to work. They haven’t contributed to the betterment of any society on earth, but to hear them tell it, the world would be nothing if not for them.
The people who help create their television shows and movies only work sporadically.
Ah, but boy are the actors important.
Why once they score a staring roll making believe, they are instantly awarded a doctorate for any subject they wish to enlighten others about.
Spare me...
Take the age down. Take the would damn industry down.
That’s hilarious! IMDB is incorporated in the UK. Good luck forcing a company located in a foreign country to comply with Californistan law.
Doesn’t anybody EVER say this is way beyond the scope of government?
Only a government official cold make it illegal to report the truth.
Most Americans mistakenly believe that actors and politicians are people of importance. I blame public schools.
I blame the entertainment industry.
It’s an incestuous relationship everyone feeding off everyone else.
+1
Aren’t the scripts all ready written with the characters being of a certain age?
To really nip this ageism thing in the bud, we must control the writers and demand their stories meet approved diversity standards, regardless of how the story is presented to the public.
Simple math and basic reasoning is next.
It’s great that California has no problems more pressing than age discrimination against actors. Good use of their time. /s
I like to look up people from classic TV and movies.
Bingo! There’s the post I was going to make, but looked for first. California can’t pass laws to tell me I can or can’t do sh!t because I don’t LIVE in California. His Majesty, Governor Brown, and the clown chorus that is the California legislature seem to have overlooked that all important fact.
Theat’s a very good point!
Why should William Brimley get to play all the old, diabetic grandfather types, and not some young actor like Bradley Steven Perry for example?
Discrimination at its worst!
Age does show on IMDB, by coincidence within the last hour I researched the age of Ally Walker (the shrink on Longmire), she was born in 1961.
Interestingly, this example proves this Calif law is stupid. Last night wife and I were discussing her age, we figured it to be close to 70, when she’s only 55.
Wouldn’t they have to censor Wikipedia, too, which has birthdates as standard biographical information?
Yep, we like to watch old Perry Mason shows and check out if the actors are still kicking...
Dear Californistan,
No thank you. You don’t get to dictate what the rest of the country can see.
PS: Go fornicate yourself.
Love,
Laz
Next, California will ban any internet discussion of firearms, wherever it is in the entire world.
You know, because they can just do stuff like that.
What difference does the age make? You’d still hit it ...
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