So, I’m sitting here in my swanky Hollywood condo, in beautiful downtown Tinseltown, reading a story in TheWrap on some viral video guy hardly anybody knows who’s getting better ratings then NBC’s prime time lineup (of course that’s not a huge undertaking, since NBC’s ratings pretty much suck) …and I literally hurl my morning bran muffin! This video show generates millions and millions of hits. It’s basically just E’s "Talk Soup" done over.
Not a day goes by that my tookus is not amazed at how rapidly show biz is changing via the online world. I remember black and white TV, vinyl records and one of the first online services: Prodigy … Hell; I remember the original hotels in Vegas, Metromedia Square on Sunset Blvd (who remembers that?), the ABC Complex in Century City, and when real talent got you a job and you became a Star! Yes, a Star! Now, who needs dance and voice lessons or Stella Adler? It’s the power of the mega-browsers that can make one a star, not talent. Who knew?
See, I remember when being a star meant something. Talent was usually associated with the word “star.” I am so tired of how show biz labels some of these morons “stars”! You make a sex tape…You’re a star…You’re an overweight blogger…you’re a star… you get your lips plumped, you’re a star…hell, there’s even some wanna be pop singer out now …a Lady something or another with one hit. And they call her an icon! An icon? People!… what happened to our sense of value when it comes to entertainment?
We’ve allowed the bar to be lowered so damn far. Hell, you can break wind on “Rock of Love” and almost guarantee your own spinoff reality series. Then these so-called stars develop some misplaced sense of entitlement to their place in show biz. We are bombarded by folks with camcorders on their viral madness and pursuit for fame. Hello YouTube!
I think as this awesome medium quickly changes, we cannot allow ourselves to think we are so hip that we forget the roots of real entertainment. People still yearn for comedy and creative scripted shows. I’m talking the art of writing, doing inspired comedy with real talented young stars – not some plumped pumped lipo’d reality heirheads looking for love or trying to be someone’s new BFF.
That’s really getting old. I do believe in my heart that we might return to some old fashioned showbiz. There’s a whole generation of Baby Boomers with advertising bucks to spend that want something more. We can’t be forgotten.
My aging tookus still goes out for parts and auditions. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in a casting office and the young casting executive said to, me “you’re funny Ester…But you’re old and old people don’t sell or bring viewers.”. I must say my jaw dropped. I stared in amazement. I fumed as I drove the freeway home. As soon as I walked thru my front door … I logged online. I ordered the seven seasons of “The Golden Girls” which has just been added to the Hallmark Channel and WE TV, and had it shipped to the casting exec with a note. “So you say Old People don’t bring viewers? “ I have yet to receive a thank you card or note. Go Figure!