Sometimes actors should just stay quiet
By Michael Vass | December 23, 2010
Entertainers are known for quite a few things. Their ability (or lack thereof), their looks, even the things they support and promote. All of it hits the airwaves as if it were a decree from greatness itself.
In the case of say Bono, who has made great efforts in bringing help to those suffering from AIDS around the world, its a welcome passion. In the case of say Don Cheadle, and his efforts to recognize and do something about the genocide in Darfur, its needed attention on an issue most of the world wants to ignore.
But then there is the other side of the use of popularity. There are those entertainers who use their fame and most generally wish they’d just shut up. This is often true of people like Kanye West. And entering such a category of foot-in-mouth entertainers is Ben Affleck.
Affleck was speaking on NPR to promote his latest film, Company Men. In that discussion the subject of CEO pay came up.
It is true that the disparity used to be far less severe, back in 1950 (in the 70′s it was 30 – 1). But there is just something wrong with an entertainer spouting off about someone else making too much money. Only in Hollywood could someone who makes $250,000 just because he appeared at a casino, dare comment on the salary of anyone else. Only in the lofty and secluded atmosphere that the top entertainwers dwell in could finger pointing be considered the right thing to do.
The average movie takes less than 9 months to film. The average actor (A-list) makes no more than 2 films in a year, generally making 1 film every other year or less. For such a light schedule, where they are cared for and flown to locations most Americans can’t afford to visit even on vacation, they are paid millions of dollars. To be exact Ben Affleck made $12.5 million for the exceptional flop Gigli, which is slightly higher than his average overall of $10 million per film. It roughly gives him an anual salary of $3.7 million per year to date (check out that site to see how much per second Affleck is making right now – it surprised me).
Going with the lower annualized estimate, Ben Affleck makes 74.3x more versus the median average American ($49,777), 168.5x more than the 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009 ($21,954). And that is the nice comparison, using the average income and not an exact income from say what he was paid to make Company Men.
Mr. Affleck, exactly how fundementally wrong does that sound? Espcially when you consider that a CEO works some 350 days out of any given year, and will be fired – potentially never getting another job ever – if he does not do his job well. An actor, at the level of pay that Ben Affleck recieves works maybe 180 days – in the years that they work at all. Plus, entertainers make their money from audiences primarily, most of it in the first few weeks a movie is in theaters.
Is the disparity huge? Yes indeed. Does it make much of a difference where you are looking at CEO pay or that of an entertainer like Ben Affleck? Not at all.
Sometimes actors should just get off their morally superior high horses and stay quiet.
Topics: Celebrity news | 1 Comment »
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