Our twisted society - Page 12

luvmydoggies · ‎07-13-2013

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@blackhole99 wrote:
The society is twisted! These guys are just genetically gifted giants who play a game. Defending and glorifying these people and justifying their rewards for playing a game, well I think it's a crying shame. Again it never ceases to amaze me how some people will always defend the rich under the guise that the rich deserve it because they work so hard.

When we are all given the same advantages from the cradle,

I'll go along with that thinking.

@blackhole99

Maybe I missed something here ..... your comment about "defending the rich" seems a little bizarre.

Do you honestly think that most rich people got their money by sitting on their but t and someone else just came along and handed them a lot of money?

What exactly is wrong with people working hard to get to the top of their field and enjoying the rewards that come with that? They paid their dues, and I don't see why you would begrudge them.

As for "we are given the same advantages from the cradle" is just not true. Some people are born with special talents ..... or an enjoyment of the game ..... or a strong will to overcome odds and succeed.

You could be born with a talent for playing the piano (for example) but if you don't bother to develop that talent, why would anyone want to hear you play? You haven't accomplished anything, and there's no reason anyone would want to hear you play.

It really doesn't matter what you're born with ..... it's what you do with it that counts.

"It really doesn't matter what you're born with ..... it's what you do with it that counts."

Amen to that @Tinkrbl44.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@stevieb wrote:
Regardless of any questions of morality or the individual ethics, morality or legal track records of individual athletes, I agree with the OP's premise that payment of sports stars is ludicrous, as is that for stars in entertainment industries, overall. It reflects a very skewed set of values and the extent to which certain businesses and industries are clearly driving the train in much of the developed world. This kind of compensation widens the gap between the haves and have nots and is a factor in the shrinking nature of the middle class.

Okay .... just for the heck of it, and because no one else has ..... I'm going to defend actors and entertainers. lol

What most people don't realize is that, due to shady accounting practices going back several decades, most actors and entertainers have learned that they now need to get all their money "up front".

Take your hypothetical talented, popular actor with good box office draw worldwide ...... A producer with a good script and some deep pocket investors comes along and wants this actor to star in this film project. The very healthy budget is covered and this star is offered $5 million for approximately 3-4 months of work (& later promotion appearances before the opening) plus a percentage of the "profits" from box office sales.

Ultimately, this hypothetical film does very well worldwide, and grosses over $700 million. Yet, for some strange reason, actually due to unethical & shady accounting, the movie never makes a profit ..... so the actor gets nothing from the "profits" .... because there were none! They can prove, with fake accounting, that the movie LOST money! The usual story is unforseen expenses, blah blah blah

What some people also don't realize is that the REAL money is made by the top people behind the camera! Take that same actor who made $5 million ...... the producers can easily walk away with, for example, $350 million to divvy up ...... Why is it no one b*tches about the MOVIE PROFITS made by people behind the camera?

Same scenario is possible for entertainers who can draw a sold out crowd at a large stadium ..... they can get shafted by producers in all sorts of ways. Again, the safest way to go is often "all money up front".

That's my two cents on the subject.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

One more thought on actors' salaries ....... does anyone remember when the Friends stars all held out for $1 million per episode .... and got it?

What a lot of people didn't understand at the time was that Friends will be making money in syndication until the end of time ...... well, you get the idea.

The Friends actors realized that their show will ultimately make more than a billion dollars in profits, which they might never see one cent from ...... so they banded together and held out for "money up front".

AngusandBuddhasMom · ‎03-10-2010

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@stevieb wrote:
Regardless of any questions of morality or the individual ethics, morality or legal track records of individual athletes, I agree with the OP's premise that payment of sports stars is ludicrous, as is that for stars in entertainment industries, overall. It reflects a very skewed set of values and the extent to which certain businesses and industries are clearly driving the train in much of the developed world. This kind of compensation widens the gap between the haves and have nots and is a factor in the shrinking nature of the middle class.

Okay .... just for the heck of it, and because no one else has ..... I'm going to defend actors and entertainers. lol

What most people don't realize is that, due to shady accounting practices going back several decades, most actors and entertainers have learned that they now need to get all their money "up front".

Take your hypothetical talented, popular actor with good box office draw worldwide ...... A producer with a good script and some deep pocket investors comes along and wants this actor to star in this film project. The very healthy budget is covered and this star is offered $5 million for approximately 3-4 months of work (& later promotion appearances before the opening) plus a percentage of the "profits" from box office sales.

Ultimately, this hypothetical film does very well worldwide, and grosses over $700 million. Yet, for some strange reason, actually due to unethical & shady accounting, the movie never makes a profit ..... so the actor gets nothing from the "profits" .... because there were none! They can prove, with fake accounting, that the movie LOST money! The usual story is unforseen expenses, blah blah blah

What some people also don't realize is that the REAL money is made by the top people behind the camera! Take that same actor who made $5 million ...... the producers can easily walk away with, for example, $350 million to divvy up ...... Why is it no one b*tches about the MOVIE PROFITS made by people behind the camera?

Same scenario is possible for entertainers who can draw a sold out crowd at a large stadium ..... they can get shafted by producers in all sorts of ways. Again, the safest way to go is often "all money up front".

That's my two cents on the subject.

I have no problem with what actors make. Some should stay for the credits and see all the people behind that actor who are working hard to put out that movie or show etc.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@AngusandBuddhasMom wrote:
@software wrote:
@blackhole99 wrote:
The society is twisted! These guys are just genetically gifted giants who play a game. Defending and glorifying these people and justifying their rewards for playing a game, well I think it's a crying shame. Again it never ceases to amaze me how some people will always defend the rich under the guise that the rich deserve it because they work so hard. When we are all given the same advantages from the cradle, I'll go along with that thinking.

I've never been given a job by a poor person.
Balance & perspective
Just so you know that closed minded statement speaks volumes about your pov. It isn't balance and perspective. It is a myth that allows the top 1% to continue robbing this country and creating a society that excludes others by way of putting a ceiling over those who no matter how many times they try can not get a break. Unless you are someone like Bill Gates who gives back don't try to equate all the wealthy as job givers. And this is spoken by someone who once shared your narrow pov until I opened my eyes. Why we would once again become a society that rewards the wealthy and chastises the poor is crazy.

She didn't say that all wealthy people offer jobs to others. The fact is that in general and overall wealthy people do give jobs to others in far more numbers than less wealthy people do because they are able to do so. It's really common sense.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@blackhole99 wrote:
The society is twisted! These guys are just genetically gifted giants who play a game. Defending and glorifying these people and justifying their rewards for playing a game, well I think it's a crying shame. Again it never ceases to amaze me how some people will always defend the rich under the guise that the rich deserve it because they work so hard.

When we are all given the same advantages from the cradle,

I'll go along with that thinking.

@blackhole99

Maybe I missed something here ..... your comment about "defending the rich" seems a little bizarre.

Do you honestly think that most rich people got their money by sitting on their but t and someone else just came along and handed them a lot of money?

What exactly is wrong with people working hard to get to the top of their field and enjoying the rewards that come with that? They paid their dues, and I don't see why you would begrudge them.

As for "we are given the same advantages from the cradle" is just not true. Some people are born with special talents ..... or an enjoyment of the game ..... or a strong will to overcome odds and succeed.

You could be born with a talent for playing the piano (for example) but if you don't bother to develop that talent, why would anyone want to hear you play? You haven't accomplished anything, and there's no reason anyone would want to hear you play.

It really doesn't matter what you're born with ..... it's what you do with it that counts.

I didn't see anyone here just arbitrarily "defending the rich" either.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@NYC Susan wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@blackhole99 wrote:
The society is twisted! These guys are just genetically gifted giants who play a game. Defending and glorifying these people and justifying their rewards for playing a game, well I think it's a crying shame. Again it never ceases to amaze me how some people will always defend the rich under the guise that the rich deserve it because they work so hard.

When we are all given the same advantages from the cradle,

I'll go along with that thinking.

@blackhole99

Maybe I missed something here ..... your comment about "defending the rich" seems a little bizarre.

Do you honestly think that most rich people got their money by sitting on their but t and someone else just came along and handed them a lot of money?

What exactly is wrong with people working hard to get to the top of their field and enjoying the rewards that come with that? They paid their dues, and I don't see why you would begrudge them.

As for "we are given the same advantages from the cradle" is just not true. Some people are born with special talents ..... or an enjoyment of the game ..... or a strong will to overcome odds and succeed.

You could be born with a talent for playing the piano (for example) but if you don't bother to develop that talent, why would anyone want to hear you play? You haven't accomplished anything, and there's no reason anyone would want to hear you play.

It really doesn't matter what you're born with ..... it's what you do with it that counts.
I didn't see anyone here just arbitrarily "defending the rich" either.

@Tinkrbl44

I agree with you that it's what you do with it... or allowed to do. Not all that long ago, there were almost no sports programs for girls or women. Women's basketball was considered a joke by a lot of people and it was said no one would watch.

As for all given the same advantages from the cradle, absolutely not true as you already pointed out.

Some people are born with handicaps, mentally and/or physically. And many things in life require money. Most poor kids aren't out there playing golf or tennis, it costs money.