บท 155: Chapter 155: Ethan, Welcome to Hollywood
"Oh Ethan, you'll get used to it."
After bursting through the media scrum to the safety of his company, Ethan instructed his staff to secure the doors, preventing the foul-smelling reporters from barging in. Meanwhile, he vented his frustrations to Evelyn and Wozniak, who had arrived earlier, about his recent ordeal.
Yet, despite his efforts to shake off the annoyance caused by Magnavox and Atari's tactics, he found no satisfaction. So, he dialed Spielberg's number to share his experiences with the media's frenzy.
Ethan remembered how, around the same time last year, Spielberg had been similarly harassed by the so-called kings without crowns. The media had flooded the public with fake news about him lambasting the Oscars, prompting Ethan to reach out. Spielberg, on the other end of the call, had cursed those responsible without holding back.
Back then, it was Ethan who had calmed Spielberg down. Now, the roles were reversed, with Spielberg offering reassurance.
Yet, could such agitation really be soothed with just a few words of comfort?
Upon hearing Spielberg's "you'll get used to it," Ethan loudly protested, "Oh NO! Steven! How can one ever get used to this?"
"They're like flies, relentless once they've set their sights on you!"
"You have no idea the effort it took to escape their clutches!"
"The most disgusting part is, I could clearly feel that they were sent by Magnavox and Atari! They only wanted my opinion on those two products!"
Ethan angrily exposed the puppeteers behind the scenes.
His anger was not unfounded, as he viewed the actions of both companies as utterly reprehensible. They weren't just openly disparaging him; they were coercing him into responding.
After listening to Ethan's complaints, Spielberg couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh—," he said, "Although my next words might seem impolite, I still want to say them—Ethan, welcome to Hollywood."
"What?" Ethan didn't quite catch his drift.
Spielberg explained, "What you've just experienced is the basic gameplay of Hollywood. When a company there wants to accomplish something, they'll employ every means possible, including direct attacks on their rivals…"
Hollywood, essentially America's entertainment circle, is inherently noxious. Since movie production doesn't center on high-tech innovation but rather on directors' imaginations and actors' performances, the industry's internal strife is far more intense than in other sectors.
For instance, the infamous 'morality clauses' originated here in 1922. Hollywood studios, to extract more benefits from actresses, would sign image contracts with them, the most notorious being the 'no pregnancy' clauses that allowed studios to forcibly maintain actresses' images by arranging abortions.
The individuals most affected by this were Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.
At first glance, this seems like capitalist oppression against actresses.
But how did this information come to light?
It was because other studios were jealous of MGM's talented actresses, preferring to destroy everything rather than let MGM monopolize the talent.
Furthermore, Hollywood's product selling strategies are almost manic.
Despite the Paramount Decree settling in the late '40s, its implementation began as early as 1921. Even in 1927, the Federal Trade Commission issued a ban, demanding Hollywood movie companies to stop their monopolistic practices. Unfortunately, the capitalists there didn't take the authorities seriously.
They continued to bundle and package their offerings as before.
The Federal Trade Commission was so incensed by their audacity that, when it decided to enforce the ban strictly, Hollywood's capitalists negotiated a deal with President Roosevelt, becoming beneficiaries of the National Industrial Recovery Act, effectively bypassing the FTC's judgment.
It wasn't until the Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional in 1935 that Hollywood studios lost their protective umbrella. Even then, they dragged the case until 1944.
Why did Hollywood finally compromise?
Television posed a significant threat to traditional cinemas, making once-premium cinema assets burdensome for Hollywood capitalists. They didn't want to give up cinemas; they simply saw more profit in focusing on television production.
Aside from these, there were many more malicious tactics.
"So, having reporters at your doorstep, forcing you to respond…"
"It's quite normal."
Spielberg's voice carried a hint of melancholy over the phone.
"Ethan, although it seems your current rival is still Atari, once Warner acquires them, Warner will lead the project."
"And when Warner aims to swallow the gaming market…"
"They won't settle for a product-based showdown with you; they'll use every possible means to showcase their superiority."
"Don't find this exaggerated. Remember, Warner succeeded in capturing the sound film market with 'The Jazz Singer,' which also facilitated the creation of RKO Pictures. When RKO attempted to sweep Hollywood with even more substantial capital, Warner didn't hesitate to fight back, stealing talents and setting fires. If Warner didn't care about Rockefeller back
then, why would they now forsake stepping on others as the simplest path to success?"
Ethan pursed his lips upon hearing this.
In reality, he also believed that such a media offensive wasn't something Atari could have orchestrated on its own.
If it were Warner…
Then everything made sense!
Another question popped into his mind.
"Steven, if Atari is now considered part of Hollywood, then what about Magnavox? If I'm not mistaken, they're backed by Philips, right?"
"Philips is just an electronics company; what do they have to do with Hollywood?"
Spielberg burst into laughter at the question.
"Oh Ethan! Philips might not be a Hollywood company, but they're also involved in entertainment!"
"Didn't Philips start producing records decades ago? A few years back, didn't they merge their record division with Siemens to form PolyGram?"
"You're aware of PolyGram, right?"
"Now, they're Europe's largest music company, one of the global music giants!"
"And in the entertainment industry, aren't the tactics the same all over the world?"
"Everyone's competing in a race to the bottom!"
When the name PolyGram was mentioned, Ethan instantly understood why the previous actions of Atari and Magnavox differed so much from their current tactics.
Before, when criticized, both companies had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill quietly.
Back then, they were still electronics companies, adhering to what Spielberg described as a product-first philosophy.
But once their parent companies noticed the excellence of their products and began to get involved…
Uniting the media for hype, using invitations, negative reporting, and blocking journalists as entertainment tactics became utterly normal.
However, just because such practices were common didn't mean Ethan had to accept them.
He acknowledged feeling extremely irritated by the hassle.
When Ethan inquired about potential solutions after such an ordeal, learning that his previous non-response wasn't due to poor game development but rather because he followed a principle of ignoring external disturbances and focusing solely on product creation, Spielberg was speechless.
"Oh Ethan—you actually think that way?"
"My goodness—how could you entertain such a thought?"
"If I were you, I'd fiercely fight back! I'd kick their asses with my boots!"
"Because your silence, in their eyes, means you're scared!"
'…'
'This is all Rebus's fault!'
Ethan mentally drew circles in his mind.
If it hadn't been for him considering Magnavox and Atari's disparagement as normal business behavior, why would his temperamental self remain silent?
A joke!
Ethan was a man who believed in tit-for-tat revenge!
It was only to avoid giving Magnavox and Atari the spotlight that he hadn't swung his fist immediately.
If he had known sooner that his opponents had changed, completely lacking any bottom line…
He would have slapped them right away!
"Steven, so what you're saying is…"
"You want me to respond?" Ethan asked.
"To tell the media I have a new project, a game tied to a movie?"
Considering this question, Spielberg shared his thoughts.
"My personal advice is to consult Fox first."
"After all, 'Star Wars' is currently a joint project between you, George, and Fox."
"In terms of responding to this, I think Fox would be more professional than me."
With that, he paused.
Then, he added, "Of course, I still think they don't understand movies."
Truth be told!
Ethan was indeed exasperated by the relentless disparagement from Atari and Magnavox.
But when Spielberg playfully demeaned Fox, Ethan couldn't help but be amused by the adorable gesture, "Okay, Steven, thanks for the advice."
"Talking to you has been a pleasure."
"I'll contact Fox now, see you…"
Note:
1. Joan Crawford, winner of the Best Actress Oscar in 1946.
2. Bette Davis, Best Actress Oscar winner in 1936 and 1939.
3. The origin of the Paramount Decree was in 1921, when the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation used strong-arm tactics to force cinemas to accept poor-quality films, already recognized as market monopolization. The integration of production, distribution, and exhibition was a later development. The Paramount Decree was so named because Paramount was acquired by Famous Players and Lasky in 1916 and retained as the distributor for the new company, hence the final judgment bore Paramount's name. Despite the decree, Hollywood paid it no heed, as evidenced by Fox's use of strong-arm bundling tactics to force North American cinemas to screen its films, with 'Midnight Cowboy' being one such example.
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