So this came out of nowhere. Here's a brief overview of the situation from Cartoon Brew:
Tech site Pando Daily has been providing amazing coverage of the Department of Justice antitrust invesigation and subsequent class action lawsuits over wage-fixing amongst Silicon Valley tech companies and animation studios. Described as the largest wage-fixing cartel in American history, it’s the story of how some of the most powerful figures in tech and entertainment, including Apple’s Steve Jobs, Lucasfilm’s George Lucas, Pixar’s Ed Catmull, and Google’s Eric Schmidt, conspired to illegally manipulate and suppress the wages of their employees.
The major point that Ames makes is that the illegal wage-fixing extended far beyond the primary players, Pixar and Lucasfilm. Through the deposition testimonies of George Lucas and Pixar president/co-founder Ed Catmull, there is evidence that other studios like Walt Disney Animation Studios and DreamWorks/PDI participated in the illegal activities to keep their employees’ wages unnaturally low. The Walt Disney Company has emerged as a central figure in the scandal, especially now that they own both Pixar and Lucasfilm, and it should come as no surprise that as they worked to pay their employees less, their stock prices and profits shot to all-time highs.
And here's the in depth article that gets into the nitty gritty details.
Their next article promises to go into detail about GL's involvement with all of this.
Thoughts?
Lucas once wanted to be the guy working outside the Hollywood system. He seems to have ended up becoming just like those he was rebelling against.
Where were you in '77?
Any chance GL got served the papers on the 29th of October 2012 ;-)
VIZ TOP TIPS! - PARENTS. Impress your children by showing them a floppy disk and telling them it’s a 3D model of a save icon.
SilverWook said:
Lucas once wanted to be the guy working outside the Hollywood system. He seems to have ended up becoming just like those he was rebelling against.
Sad but true. I wish his younger self would come in to the future and kick his older self's ass so hard that Greedo would NEVER shoot again no matter what anyone did .
:)
Damn Obama.
Damn Illuminati.
SilverWook said:
Lucas once wanted to be the guy working outside the Hollywood system. He seems to have ended up becoming just like those he was rebelling against.
Yeah it really made me laugh when Empire of Dreams tried to paint Lucas as some kind of rebel when he is the single biggest player in the Hollywood system and has been that for at least the past 25 years.
This could really shake everything up in Hollywood. I wonder if the production of any movies will be effected.
I am shocked, shocked I tell you to find that there is scandal going on here.
Warbler said:
I am shocked, shocked I tell you to find that there is scandal going on here.
You know that may be my favorite line in the history of movies:)
TheBoost said:
Damn Obama.
Close. It's "Thanks Obama."
No, no, it's "Thank the torpedoes".
...
Wait -- what were we talking about again?
SilverWook said:
Lucas once wanted to be the guy working outside the Hollywood system. He seems to have ended up becoming just like those he was rebelling against.
Something similar happened to many Americans around the same time; e.g., a 15-year-old hippie in 1969 becomes a 30-year-old yuppie in 1984.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Post 102 is worth more.
I’m late to the party, but I think this is the best song. Enjoy!
—Teams Jetrell Fo 1, Jetrell Fo 2, and Jetrell Fo 3
DuracellEnergizer said:
No, no, it's "Thank the torpedoes".
...
Wait -- what were we talking about again?
DuracellEnergizer said:
No, no, it's "Thank the torpedoes".
No, no, it's "Damn the torpedoes".
VIZ TOP TIPS! - PARENTS. Impress your children by showing them a floppy disk and telling them it’s a 3D model of a save icon.
It's a broad and fuzzy line between trying to understand what the market is doing and conspiring to set prices.
If the Obama/Holder JD is going after them, it is entirely hyperpolitical.
Gotta love the spectacle of the Bamster Gang going after anyone else for conspiracy.
This is not to say that every single person involved was "innocent" of "violating" every single provision in the overly broad legal code. It only means that economic fascism will be turned up to the max for remainder of the Dear Leader's rule.
If they are going after them, I wonder how they crossed our Lord and Master.
For outfits that pay a solid middle class wage, my attitude is to let the market forces sort it out to the furthest reasonable extent.