1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,279 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Missed in History Class, A production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio, Hello, and Happy Casual Friday. I'm 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: Holly Frying. I'm Tracy P. Wilson. So this week we 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: talked about the Paramount decrees, starting with how Paramount came 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: to be in the first place, and then all of 6 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: the legal mess that ensued thereafter. I have so many 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: feelings about this because, as you know, like I'm a 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: movie buff, and I am into the entertainment industry in general. Um, 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: and I one thing that I wanted to at least 10 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: mention that kept occurring to me as I was working 11 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: on this. Right, we're talking about all of these things 12 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: going on in the nineteen twenties and and all of 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: this legal stuff involving Paramount and all of their business moves. 14 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: But the backdrop against which all of this is going 15 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: on is like the perceived debauchery of Hollywood, which I 16 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: thought was really interesting because this is also removed from it, 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: and it's guys making deals and like you know, we 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: talked about William Desmond Taylor's murder on the show before 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: that was so right when all of this was going on, um, 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: you know, the Fatty Arbicle scandal, played out in this time, 21 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: like Hollywood was in a whole weird place where people 22 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: were judging its morality a lot, which I have to 23 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: wonder didn't make it easier for people to get involved 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: in business dealings that may have been more predatory or 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: aggressive because people were not worried about that part of 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: the industry the general public. They were busy like reading 27 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: headlines about scandals. Well, meanwhile, these guys were like, how 28 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: can we absolutely take over everything? When really, right, those 29 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: are the people with power, Like the people that show 30 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: up in scandals kind of come and go in the industry, 31 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: But the people who are making these big deals are 32 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: the one that carry on for decades and really run things, 33 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: which is just something I find fascinating. Yeah. The other 34 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: thing I think is interesting in the midst of all 35 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: of this, particularly the overturn essentially of the decrease, is 36 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: that I can't imagine what today's entertainment distribution would look like. 37 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: Adolf Zooker right, like, no, you're going to get a 38 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: movie on your phone that's in your pocket. What you 39 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: don't post phone in your pocket? Yes you do. It's 40 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: got more power than anything you've ever encountered. And studios 41 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: have their own distribution plans with them, right, Like, yeah, 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: this is a whole different thing that nobody has ever 43 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: really considered before or was never part of the considerations 44 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: of of these decrees because they couldn't predict the future 45 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: in that regard. Um, this whole thing made me think 46 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: about when I was a kid growing up, Like the 47 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: nearest city to us was Winston Salem. Um, And for 48 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: a long time it had maybe I feel like it 49 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: was to first run movie theaters. Others were built as 50 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: I got older, but when I was a kid, I 51 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: really feel like they were. There were two and they 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: never were playing the same movies. Yeah, And so it 53 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: would be like you would sort of have your fingers 54 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: crossed that the movie that you wanted to see was 55 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: going to be playing at the better theater, right, And 56 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: in my head, I was like, were they colluding with 57 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: each other? Like how how did that all go down? Um? 58 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: And you know, now I live outside of Boston, and 59 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: if there's a movie we want to see, there's probably 60 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: four theaters we can choose from. Um, and there are more. 61 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: There are way more than two theaters in Winston Salem. 62 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: Now I'm sure I knew there are definitely ones that 63 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: were not there when I was a kid. Yeah, the 64 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: options have grown everywhere, which is great, but it is 65 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: it's it's very very um It's one of those things 66 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: that when you think about it in terms of both 67 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: how that used to work, just what we've seen develop 68 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: in our lifetimes and now this idea of you know, 69 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: we distribute, Yes, we're also the distributors and essentially the 70 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: exhibitors because of apps, right, I mean the launch of 71 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: Disney Plus was like huge news. Yeah, all of these 72 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: companies are now offering their own things, which are also 73 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: competing with television uh networks that are offering their own apps. 74 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: I don't know how one would sort that all out legally, 75 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: unless it's just perceived as a relatively level playing field 76 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: because everyone has an app and most people in the 77 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: developed world have access to them. Yeah. Yeah, well, and 78 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: it's also one of those things where the the industry 79 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: has had to deal with the fact that, like licensing 80 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: and distribution agreements for some movies were written before there 81 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: was a Netflix and a phone that was capable of 82 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: showing stuff. I mean, we've dealt with that to some 83 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: extent in our own work, not so much on the podcast, 84 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: but like when we were part of a website. Yeah, 85 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: Like the idea that a photograph, instead of being published 86 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: on a print newspaper would instead beyond a website and 87 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: perpetuity like that was a whole different thing. Yeah, for sure. 88 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: It also does make you think about how much of 89 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: what you sort of how I sort of hope anyway, right, 90 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: like in my dreamy worldview, particularly as a younger person. 91 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: Now I'm I'm old and jaded. Um, but of this 92 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: idea that you know, entertainment is art and it is 93 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: still art. I don't want to in any way demean 94 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: entertainment or film or television, but you realize how much 95 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: of that art is tied to the really sucky parts 96 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: of the business that you probably don't want to think of. 97 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: I mean, everybody has to make money because that's how 98 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: they make more art. But at the same time, you realize, 99 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: like art is not what's driving the bus a lot 100 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: of the time. It is a business arrangement that had 101 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: to be made so that any art could get made 102 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: in the first place. Slightly heartbringing, but also interesting. I've 103 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: been really really fascinated watching um, you know, older holdings 104 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: start to show up in streaming services, right, especially like, 105 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: now everything right, HBO Max suddenly has all loved the things. 106 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: We're not getting paid to mention any of this, by 107 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: the way, but like the fact that now I can 108 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: watch the Muppets there, I'm like, this is a very weird. 109 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: The business dealings that have to connect to make all 110 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: of this work are are mind boggling. It's the very 111 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: fancy Lehman's term. But when you think about the fact 112 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: that each of those properties has to have an agreement 113 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: managed to make those those distribution deals happen. When you 114 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: think about like the websites that just cover what is 115 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: coming and going on a streaming service like Netflix or 116 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: Hulu on a month to month basis, I feel like 117 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: distribution is one of those aspects of the industry that 118 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: is so key and important to keeping the whole industry going, 119 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: but which consumers do not really have a firm grasp on. 120 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: I don't. I've just demonstrated that I don't understand all 121 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: of this well. And it's like sometimes you'll see somebody's 122 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: incredibly angry comments that something they want to watch is 123 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: not on Netflix, and they're like tweeting at the Netflix account, 124 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 1: and it's like that person has no control over this, 125 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: and it may also be entirely outside of Netflix's control, 126 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: Like it's they didn't just make a decision to make 127 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: you mad. Nobody just called Netflix and said take my 128 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: show down. Um. It's also the related because you and 129 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: I have worked in online content for so long, this 130 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: seems so obvious to us. But I've had so many 131 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: discussions with friends and very smart people who get really 132 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: frustrated with ads being placed in online content that is 133 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: not user generated content but like studio generated content, and 134 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: like they're like, well, it's free to watch on television, 135 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: and I'm like, well, it's also free to watch on 136 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: your phone, but you're going to get an ad And 137 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: they're like, but I don't want the ads. That's why 138 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: I'm watching on my phone. And I'm like, how does 139 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 1: that company get paid them? And there's a weird disconnect 140 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: that happens where because so much information on the Internet 141 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: is free and is without any sort of advertising connected 142 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 1: to it, that people get very frustrated with the parts 143 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: that do have advertising connected to it sometimes and they'll 144 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,479 Speaker 1: get out of stop Watch and tell you how many 145 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 1: ad there are, right, But it's like, I mean that's 146 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: really again, that's what is keeping everything going. That is 147 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 1: what's paying the overhead. A little bit weirder now because 148 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: we're all at home, but you know, to maintain an 149 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: office building, to maintain servers where things can be hosted, 150 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: to pay the people making the content, which you hope 151 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: is always going on. Um yeah, all of that, I 152 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: mean the business model. I understand as a consumer people 153 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: don't always love to watch commercials, I mean their entire 154 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, ideologies about how to how exactly the time 155 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: you're muting of the television if you're still watching broadcast television, 156 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: um to like how to try to get around ads 157 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: on the internet. But that is literally how you're supporting 158 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: the things you love is by giving your eyeballs to 159 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: that thing, your ears to that thing for a little while. 160 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: I understand the frustration, and at the same time, I'm like, 161 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: we live in a capitalist society. So as awesome as 162 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: it would be if everything we're free, somebody's still gotta 163 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: make money. Yeah. I'm very, very curious what will come 164 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 1: of this, this whole shift in law. Yeah, I had 165 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 1: not heard anything about it. So when you mentioned to 166 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: me that you were thinking of doing this episode, these 167 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 1: episodes for reasons, I like googled the thing, and I 168 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: was like, that sounds interesting. What are the reasons because 169 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: even like, like the news story hadn't even floated up 170 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: at that point. It was like, because everything is changing 171 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: right now, I'm such a dork that I knew that. Um. Yeah, anyway, Well, 172 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: we hope you've enjoyed this partial digression into why entertainment 173 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: has to be paid before by somebody and um, and 174 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: that you have a marvelous Friday and hopefully a good weekend. 175 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: If you work on a normal operating schedule of a 176 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: work week of the weekend, hopefully your weekend ahead is grand. 177 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: If you don't work on that, hopefully whatever awaits you 178 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: in the next coming days is also grand. And that 179 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: you are all staying safe and healthy. You can always 180 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: check in with us by writing us at History podcast 181 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: at iHeart radio dot com, and you can subscribe to 182 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: the show on the I heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 183 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: or wherever it is you listen. Stuff you missed in 184 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: History Class is a production of I heart Radio. For 185 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 186 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 187 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 1: favorite shows.