With the consolidation of media empires, many worry about the level of creativity, original thought and jobs left for students. (Image Courtesy of Dunya)
Emily: Hi! I’m Emily, a student here at CU Boulder, and like a lot of us, I spend way too much time keeping up with what’s trending in the entertainment universe. From binge-worthy shows to viral moments online there is always something that everyone seems to be talking about and that’s exactly what this column is all about. Emily’s Entertainment Edit is my take on the biggest moments in entertainment, from TV shows and movie releases to celebrity news and internet trends. Think of this as your curated guide to all thing’s entertainment as I’m here to break it down and share my perspective!
Every few months it seems like the media is flooded with major headlines of the possibility of two major media companies merging. Every time these headlines come out, they are framed in an extremely similar way, being strategic and for the future of entertainment. While many of these rumors have been false in the past, the recent news of a merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount appears to be moving forward.
The merger of these two entertainment giants is being pitched as a way to compete with other streaming giants like Netflix, Apple and Hulu in order for them to survive in an increasingly changing industry. This does make a lot of sense from the business perspective as studios have been struggling for a while now. This merger will bring a much larger company with more resources and will give them a greater chance of success with competing against platforms like Netflix.
However, the important thing to note is who actually gets hurt when these companies get bigger. Is it the actors, the writers, the producers, the boom operator or the crafty? No one will truly know who will get hurt until this merger happens, but we all know it will not be the executives paying the price. This industry is only getting harder to break into and this merger could make it extremely difficult for someone trying to break into this industry.
These types of mergers have happened for a long time with a variety of different industries and companies. Often when companies merge, there is redundancy in staff and projects get cut, which ultimately means people lose their jobs. This means a lack of creativity will be present as more and more people get let go, which will possibly make the studios turn to their safest options such as sequels, reboots or more franchise content.
However, audiences want new ideas, not something we have already seen many times before. As much as I love all the reboots and sequels that are coming out of some beloved movies and TV shows, it’s also nice to have new things to watch as well. People want new ideas, different perspectives and stories that feel completely original. However, as fewer companies monopolize the industry more and more, they also heavily control what is made.
I think this is why a lot of actors like Mark Ruffalo and unions like SAG-AFTRA are completely justified in pushing back against the merger. According to the BBC, “more than 1,400 actors, directors and filmmakers…have signed an open letter opposing the proposed merger of film studios Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.” The list includes a variety of major Hollywood names like Rose Byrne, Ben Stiller, Pedro Pascal, Don Cheadle and Noah Wyle. This list continues to grow each day as more actors protest the merger, citing the merger will take jobs away and a lot less media will be made.
What worries me most is that this kind of consolidation doesn’t just affect people in Hollywood, it could also affect the future of the industry. This will shape what kind of careers in Hollywood are possible, what stories get told and whether there’s space for new voices to emerge. A new writer may never get the chance to have their amazing story told if they’re only able to go to four major studios to pitch their idea instead of a multitude of studios to pitch for. The struggling artist problem could now get even bigger, as there may be less work for non major Hollywood actors.
For students who want to go into the media, entertainment or marketing this could matter a lot more than it might seem from the outside. The industry we could be entering in soon is being shaped by decisions like these that are driven by profit and taking little note of all the people that could be affected. Yes, the entertainment industry is evolving and as it should. Streaming is changing everything and older companies need to adapt in order to remain competitive in the market. But merging two already massive corporations that prioritize efficiency over creativity shouldn’t be the default solution. There has to be a better way in which both the company and all the creatives are happy.
Finally, creatives will not just be losing jobs but there will also be stories that will never see the light of day. A manuscript will be sitting on a screenwriter’s desk, collecting dust waiting for its time to be told to a massive audience that may love it for years and years to come. This writing might never come to fruition if studios continue to merge with one another.
Contact CU Independent Columnist Emily Eigenbrode at emily.eigenbrode@colorado.edu
