On Both Coasts, the Elites Fiddle While Rome Smolders . . .
Staring into the wreckage of both Hollywood and D.C. and the terrifying parallels
There’s no lower form of journalism than the metaphorical equivalency column, equating the struggles of the world with our squabbles in Hollywood — e.g. “Congress’ impasse over Medicare is like our best supporting actor race which no one can win and all sides end up losers.”
In the real world, of course, what happens in Hollywood is far more consequential and important than any passing hysteria the political system has worked itself into. But all the same, there are moments when the parallels suggest themselves too strongly to ignore.
As of this hour, the Democratic Party — the last bulwark between us and an authoritarian abyss — is being held hostage by an elite ruling class that is now, only barely and very belatedly realizing that their hold on the public consciousness has slipped away. This comes after years spent flailing around without anything resembling a plan to confront the new forces in our culture and belief it can spin and command their foot soldiers into agreeing that everything is just fine. (Exhibit A: Jeffrey Katzenberg.)
Like I say, I don’t like to get carried away with these metaphors, but does this sound at all familiar to anyone else in Hollywood?
An aging boomer elite who for years presided over a very simple and controlled order, unable to accept that this paradigm has changed and refuses to offer any plan, but insists that they’ve got this. No questions please.