Monday, November 17, 2003

How Come Movies on the Media Don't Do Well?

Maybe we are all just navel-gazing at ourselves? It is a possibility. How else to explain why we love movies on the media than nearly everyone else in the Western world does? I was wondering how come movies dealing with the media -- i.e. journos, djs, talking heads, editors -- don't do so hot in their cumulative box office numbers?

Almost Famous, which is perhaps the most beloved journo movie of this age, had a cumulative box office of a measley $31.7 million. Elf made that much on its opening weekend! Even that Steven Glass movie Shatterd Glass has earned only about $269,898, despite tons of media attention, including Hayden Christiansen appearing on Reliable Sources, as well as tons of raves in everything mediacentric from Interview to The Observer.

Veronica Guerin hasn't even earned more than $10 million yet, depite -- tellingly -- critical and media raves. Howard Stern's Private Parts only earned $40 million, despite his being on every cover imaginable (Can you say overexposure? Can you say ultraoverexposure? Then again, exposed private parts and Stern go hand in hand, so to speak).

Woody Allen often spoofs the lives of television writers and we all know of his dismal box office numbers, which fly in the face of his East Coast media acclaim.

Let's face it, my fellow media monkeys we in the media and of the media love ourselves a lot more than the heartland loves us. Don't feel bad, though, cultural elites: I love you, baby. The Corsair will always love you and cover your snarkiness with affection. Now, bookmark us.


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