Mark Steyn writes:
As it is, the fellows with no dong turned out to be the executives of Sony Pictures.
I wouldn’t mind but this is the same industry that congratulates itself endlessly – not least in its annual six-hour awards ceremony – on its artists’ courage and bravery. Called on to show some for the first time in their lives, they folded like a cheap suit. As opposed to the bank-breaking suit their lawyers advised them they’d be looking at if they released the film and someone put anthrax in the popcorn. I think of all the occasions in recent years when I’ve found myself sharing a stage with obscure Europeans who’ve fallen afoul of Islam – Swedish artists, Danish cartoonists, Norwegian comediennes, all of whom showed more courage than these Beverly Hills bigshots.
As I’ve been saying:
The studio execs and distributors aren’t caving to Kim & Co. per se so much as they are taking the advice of their attorneys.
As much as it complains about it, America has embraced a sick, litigious culture.
It is the only nation on earth which doesn’t have a “loser pays” rule, for example.
In a nation in which a weird combination of lawlessness and super-regulation (along with cronysim at the top and laziness/stupidity at the bottom) have made it harder to break even, let alone succeed, lawsuits are like lottery tickets but with much better odds.
