I can't quite choke down Hollywood

A reporter I know was on a chartered flight with the Utah Jazz one year near Christmas when the NBA players took up a collection to give the airplane staff a Christmas tip for all their efforts to serve the team. A worthy cause for sure.

But the reporter wasn't just asked to donate, he was asked to donate a specific sum of money by an all-time great NBA player that isn't known for being subtle. The amount was uncomfortably large for the reporter who made at the most $80,000 (but likely less) a year. Meanwhile the poorest rookie on the plane made at least ten times that amount and received a daily per-diem that covered the asked-for tip three times while the reporter's daily travel expenses would barely cover the demanded donation. Other veteran players made more than 100 times the reporter's annual salary but were clueless of the inequality. The reporter, who counted to some degree on the goodwill of players for interviews, paid up.

The Golden Globes celebrated television and film Sunday night and I watched a portion of the program. I am a bit of a story-telling junkie and film especially interests me so I like to see what wins.

Ricky Gervais hosted and was funny because he didn't take Hollywood's stars or the awards too seriously, realizing the ceremony is rich, famous people getting together to congratulate each other. Still film and television is sometimes more than entertainment and stretches into art that can move the soul and enlighten the mind. Ideally, award shows publicize such films to the masses.

The stars gathered Sunday wore ribbons as a symbol of those in devastated Haiti and during the broadcast they took opportunities to remind viewers to donate at NBC.com at a special Golden Globes link to get relief money to the needy.

I can't argue with the sentiment. Apparently George Clooney, according to a few who spoke on television, didn't even want to be at the Globes and will soon be organizing a phone bank and a telethon to raise money. Again, nice sentiment. But I would like to know the combined income of all the producers, writers, directors and actors in the Golden Globe audience and I would like to know how much money they have donated to the cause. I want to know if say, 10 percent of the money made by 'Avatar' has been sent to Haiti. I would sleep better knowing one percent of its $1 billion at the box office is on its way, sent by the studios, actors and talent assembled to take kudos on television.

How about the giant sponsoring companies of the telecast pitch in a percentage of what they paid in advertising last night trying to get people to buy mascara? Maybe NBC could send five percent of its money made on the telecast to Haitians. I don't fault Clooney for setting up phone banks. I congratulate him for it but I would like to know that he, like viewers were urged to do, dug deep and gave what he could.

Maybe instead of spending money on limos last night all the stars could have taken taxies or carpooled and sent the difference to Haitians and made a dramatic statement by doing so. Such actions would carry a lot more weight than looking in the camera and telling me to look into my heart. Or, they could show up in jeans and send the red-carpet dress money they didn't spend to Haiti or donate the rental expenses of costume jewelry. If they did that and then asked me to dig deep and give what I could I would feel a lot better about it. (Yes, I realize this would hurt dress designers, jewelry folks and limo companies and I don't want an economic boycott, it is just that these things seem especially overboard.)

My favorite idea is that movie studios all get together with the support of stars and television networks (often owned by the same conglomerates) and pick a day as "Haiti movie day" when they promote and then donate all the proceeds of one day's box office to Haiti. I bet the public would support this in a big way, knowing the $10 movie ticket would help victims of the earthquake.

To be clear, we should all donate time and money and the Hollywood stars are doing the right thing by promoting help but I would feel a lot better knowing they are donating a proportional amount - or perhaps a greater proportion - than the average middle-class donor.

And, so as not to be thought of as a hypocrite, I have given time this week to helping stock and supply food for the hungry and I will be making Haiti donations as well but none of that had anything to do with prompting of stars. Incidentally, I hope I am dead wrong and would love to learn that all those big-income stars with big-expense lifestyles have already done the right thing.

Here are some stories about what citizens of Utah (none of them rich or famous) are doing for Haitians:
Out of Haiti comes relief and sorrow
Utahns assemble kits for Haitians
Salt Lake couple working to help Haitian orphans
Family's prayers answered by loved ones — safe and sound
LDS medical team arrives in Haiti
Dispersing LDS aid challenging