You’re sellin’ sexism.
You’re sellin’ racism.
You’re sellin’ anything you can get your fuckin’ hands on.
So with no evacuation -
Let California fall into the fuckin ocean.
I recently had an audition for a Blockbuster spot. That was odd. I didn’t get the gig, but it brought up some interesting ethical issues. Shadows of things to come. It is, of course, bigger than Blockbuster. It’s the first episode in what could become a long and painful relationship between me as actor and Corporate America.
I wish my time in circus school had covered this kind of thing. There were no ethics of acting classes. The closest I ever managed to get was when I asked an agent (last Good Friday, as it chanced): “Do you know any actors who decline to do commercials on political grounds – not just one or two, but largely, as a category – because they fundamentally oppose what Corporate America is doing to what is left of our souls? Or is there a tacit understanding in LA that in order to act in this country you have to accept and even endorse it?”
Her answer, in so many words: “You endorse it or you starve.” From that point on in the conversation I was flagged as “political”, and in her imagination, would do “independent work”.
This time round, I was smart enough not to discuss it with my (fledgeling, trial) agent. Instead, I sent a letter out to a long list of intelligent people. Excerpts from that letter:
I don’t really appreciate Blockbuster. They censor their movies in a pretty deuschebaggish fashion, and they’re part of the megaplex of corporations that – for various reasons, some legitimate, some aesthetic – make me want to vomit.
The question is, then – can I, in good conscience, put my face on their product?
The basic arguments kicking around my head for and against are these:
Nay
They’re evil. I’ll be putting my face on an economic model and a cultural paradigm that I oppose. The money isn’t worth the spiritual cost.Yea
They’re going to make the commercial anyway. My impact on their business is minimal, and refusing to do the spot is economically meaningless. I might as well take their money.It gets better. To get good roles in good cities for good pay, you need an agent. An agent won’t take you unless they think you can make them money. Commercials are money. No commercials, no contract, no agent, no work.
So here’s a thought. Make the Lord my manager: give twenty percent of proceeds of commercials that I feel less than comfortable with promoting to some group, cause, or organization dedicated to correcting the ills associated with the company I just did a spot for.
Like, in this case, giving money to the ACLU.
Blood money.
So my question is this: does giving blood money to worthy parties justify taking commercials I’m less than happy about?
The range of responses I got was fascinating. Excerpted and summarized, they go like this:
- Do it, and give the bloodmoney. It’s intelligent and effective. Taking the high road is putting personal principle over potential change. It’s not about the heart you have, but what you do with it.
- If you’re gonna lose sleep over it, it’s not worth it. It’s not about what you do, but the heart you have doing it.
- Make the Lord your manager, but negotiate for better terms: 10% or less.
- Don’t do it. Seek first the kingdom, and all else will follow.
- Everyone has the right to draw the line somewhere. If it makes you want to vomit, that’s probably a good place to put the line.
- You have to do it. This is a faustian bargain which you simply must make if you are serious about being an actor as your profession.
- Tithing at the age of 23 is bullshit. Invest in yourself. Use the money to create opportunities to do more meaningful work.
- Do it: only major success can bear the weight of moral responsibility.
- Take it. This is capitalism; it’s all blood money.
- Just say no.
- You think that by placing your face in a Blockbuster spot you’re supporting all the things that they do. That’s bullshit.
- If you’re in it for the Art, acting is a hobby.
If you’re in it for a living, then you can’t afford to be this distracted.
Of course, taking the audition meant I had already agreed to do it if they cast me. Otherwise I’d just have been wasting their time, and that’s purely amateur night. Not an option.
After long thought, I’ve decided that I do have to draw the line somewhere. And that will just have to be a messy process of evaluating each audition as it comes up. As I become more successful, that line can get closer to where I want it: no commercials, ever. But for now, Blockbuster isn’t past that line.
I don’t want my punkrock alter ego to have to ask me an ethical question that I can’t face. Or the Lord, for that matter.
So this is something like my intuitive compilation of all of the responses:
All people at all income brackets bear the weight of moral responsibility. But this is a faustian bargain I’m going to have to make; so OK, then goddamnit I’m gonna get a better deal out of the devil for my soul, because potential change is as important as personal principle. And if I were in it for a living, I wouldn’t be: I’m an actor, but I’m not stupid. Seek first the kingdom, and all else will follow.
So yeah. I guess I’d take the spot, and I’d give the money.
