the writing and photography of Neil Kramer

Another Sell-Out

Some of my older relatives were socialists back in the 1930’s and 1940’s, and sometimes I think I have some of their politics in my blood.  I wonder if it is fair for someone to make more money than they can ever possibly need.  Hey, I’m all for someone to work hard and become a multi-millionaire.   But is it fair when a CEO of a company is making 1000x more than the average worker at the company.  Wouldn’t it be nice for a CEO to say, “Now I own four homes around the world and seventeen cars.  Enough is enough?”

In Los Angeles, did you know that 80 percent of SAG members earned less than $5,000 from acting annually, and fewer than 5 percent earned more than $35,000?  I’ve very happy Nicole Kidman makes $120 million dollars a year.  If she can bring in the box office, then she deserves it.  But why does she need to do commercials for Chanel No. 5?   I love Catherine Zeta-Jones, but does she really need to do those T-Mobile commercials?  Why don’t these actresses suggest hiring some fellow SAG actress who could use the extra money? 

But nothing has disappointed me as much as the knowledge that one of my favorite actors has recently “sold out” for the money.

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27 Comments

  1. jackt

    Not just Lassie! Hello Kitty too! 🙂

    I think everyone’s got a different measure of how much is enough to be comfortable- lifestyle expectations can vary widely.

    But I’m sure there is some amount at which most rational people would agree is beyond what they could spend in their lifetime- past that point it all just becomes a game I would think. How much can you acquire relative to others. Just another measuring stick in the end.

  2. kimananda

    No, not Lassie! Say it isn’t so! As for the reasons behind unreally large incomes, I’ll enlighten you…as soon as I win the lottery, or get an amazingly paid job in Copenhagen (the chances of the one being about the same as the chances for the other, as far as I can tell).

  3. Bre

    Ugh, Lassie! I’m hoping that she has no choice, she has to sell out to raise money to cure Timmy of some rare exotic disease…

  4. bettyonthebeach

    Clearly Lassie is being pimped by her stage mother owner so she can pay for lipo and a face lift. It’s Dogsploitatiion!

  5. Elisabeth

    Would that make her a rich bitch?

  6. Heather

    Of course, all the Lassies were actually male dogs, and judging from that TV Guide cover, it’s clear why he was chosen to play a female part.

  7. cruisin-mom

    Neil, you’re right about struggling actors…What about that little Taco Bell dog? Where’s he been lately?
    (And why is Brooke your blog crush of the day, EVERYDAY?)

  8. ACG

    some industrial countries have regulations on buisness, allowing CEO’s to only make a certain percentage more that the employees.
    When the CEO gets a raise because of increased profits, the employees who worked hard to bring those increases also receive a raise, bringing everyone’s base pay up. This breeds loyalty to companies and trust between labor and management. As it stands in the US, most employees at a company where they are living pay check to pay check, while the CEO’s are making 1000x’s what they are, the workers feel those CEO’s are profiting off their blood, sweat, and tears.

  9. Holden

    Hey. Just stumbled over your Blog. Cool Blog you got here. Great writing!

    Looking forward to reading more…

    Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

  10. treespotter

    i so totally agree. what sad state of business!
    Next we’ll see kermit doing that sorta stuff.

  11. Dirk

    And yet sadly, Lassie may be whoring herself out when her career is a bit too long in the tooth. Today’s youth probably have little –if any– idea who she is. It’s all about reinventing yourself and striking while the iron is hot or rolling over and playing dead.

    Has no one learned anything from the career blunders of Mrs. Beasley?

  12. claire

    I’ve been thinking along those lines myself lately, wondering how much is enough. Maybe what you make above and beyond $50 million in a year should go to charity. Ooh, it could be incentivized. Once you’ve donated a certain amount, then your cap gets raised so you get to keep $75 million, and so on…

    As for actors, the same thing is true of animated movies. They used to be a good place for unknown actors to get some work,but now even the voices are big names.

  13. cruisin-mom

    Neil, I’m your crush of the day! This is, perhaps, the best day of my life…

  14. Melissa

    Hold on, Lassie isn’t a good example, didn’t they use like 15 different dogs for filming? And if they are pimping out Lassie now, are they using a specific one that gets paid or the general image so the corporation makes the profit instead of the actress?

    And whoever mentioned Hello Kitty, you just settle down. Nothing works like my Hello Kitty vibrator.

  15. Student Nurse

    I agree Neil. I was reading InStyle Magazine today (while at the salon) and a majority of the clothing/purfume/jewerly ads were with a celebrity as the model. Whatsupwiththat? These folks don’t need the cash. I thought it was a shame they are putting a model or actor out of work for their shamless involvement. Besides that are the only one’s who can afford all that designer merchandise. Do they really need to (probably) get free stuff for doing the ad?

    ..and… LOL to Betty and Elizabeth.

  16. Edgy Mama

    Lassie’s still alive?

    She’s gotta be like 300 in dog years.

  17. Lassie

    —- you Neil. You know how many times I had to pull Timmy’s corn-fed ass out of a well/coal mine/raging inferno? Those doggy treats they were feeding me weren’t made out of gold or anything so excuse me for trying to pay off my hip replacement surgery.

  18. danielle

    That is so not the same Lassie on both… Check out the white strips on the nose. She is totally an imposter!

  19. Leah

    Gaaaaah!!!! Not Lassie! Next thing you know the ole girl is going to be pushing drugs onto our kids at the playground.

  20. Rabbit

    If Lassie was going to sell out, she should have at least become the mascot for a daycare or something.

    “Little Timmy is safe with me!”

  21. better safe than sorry

    actually, there have been more than several lassies since the show started, so really, the money that lassie has made has been spread between more than one dog.

  22. stephanie

    Lassie, come home!

  23. Dagny

    Lassie always struck me as the kind of canine that would sell out.

  24. Sandra

    Damn canines. They’ll do anything for a bone. Not unlike a lot of the male SAG members, I suppose…

  25. jules

    Sandra – LMAO 🙂

  26. Kevin

    Lassie, you bitch!

    I really wish CZJ would give up the T-Mobile commercials. It’s like watching Patricia Heaton do Jewel/Osco-Albertson’s commercials. Annoying and unnecessary. Granted, Heaton is “unemployed” compared to CZJ, but she’s been doing them for a few years now and annoying me all the way through.

  27. tiff

    I believe you have now identified for me my political leanings. I want that $150 a week that might be awaiting me too!

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