The Ego Nickel

6 notes

In the entertainment media business, the seduction of being “part of the family” is very real. Unlike politics or sports, the public face of “playing” tends to be about short bursts – movies opening, promotion, awards – while the daily grind is kept behind the scenes. When journalists are not being awed by a big new gross or a shiny award or world media domination for a month, it is easy to feel like the talent you meet is just going to work with a lunch bucket, just like you. For the price of lunch at the Polo Lounge – which your paper used to cover without a blink – you can step into their world. You can put on the tuxedo or gown and say “hello” at fancy parties, just like you belong. When you work for what is deemed a Major Outlet, your calls get answered pretty quickly and you might just think that it’s because you have “a relationship.” And sometimes you do. But mostly, the speed of a return call is measured by the amount of concern the call-ee has with what you might print and how many people they know might end up reading it the next day/week/month.