It’s interesting to me that today, SOPA and PIPA were finally destroyed (at least for this year). It’s great that SOPA and PIPA are now dead, but is piracy truly a problem? Is there something that is destroying jobs and Hollywood in general? I believe there is, and the main cause is reality television.
Think about this: Reality TV has to be costing a lot of people jobs, because reality television does not require many aspects of traditional television. Reality television does not have writers, special effects, and is cheaper to produce. Editing takes less time, meaning less editors are required. Original music is often not required in reality television. And one of the biggest aspects- reality television stars aren’t paid as large as traditional actors are.
That means the people at the top (aka the 1%) are the ones making the real profit, and not paying taxes on that income, with all of the tax loopholes still available. But how exactly is reality television causing piracy?
Here’s how I see it: Television networks are finding it’s easier to make a profit on a reality television show than it is on a traditional television show, based on the reasons I’ve mentioned earlier in this post. These networks are becoming more resistant to having the traditional style television show, as the cost is higher. Television shows are become less innovative (Did American television peak with Seinfeld?) and drawing fewer talented individuals into television.
The serious television shows are now moving onto pay networks, like HBO and Showtime. Take Dexter, which moved from CBS to Showtime (Yes, I do know that CBS owns Showtime). We will continue to see this trend, as a ploy to make even more money.
Most people are sick of being taken advantage of, so they find the television shows online and stream them there. I promise you, no one would be streaming Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, or other “premium” (aka traditional) television shows if they were available in the subscriptions that people already pay for.
Ways to Connect with Jay: