Hollywood's Virus Relief Efforts Slow to Materialize So Far

[mystery-ak]

Hollywood's Virus Relief Efforts Slow to Materialize So Far

5:15 AM PDT 4/8/2020 by Tatiana Siegel

 While Netflix, WarnerMedia and Sony each has stepped up with $100 million funds to help aid out-of-work crewmembers, most industry giving has been focused on medical first responders so far.

On March 12, Broadway shut down, leaving thousands of performers and stagehands out of work. In the aftermath, Madam Secretary actor Erich Bergen called Rosie O'Donnell with a plan to help those in need. "He said right from the get-go to do it as a benefit for The Actors Fund," O'Donnell recalls. "They give you actual money so you can live. That's what we want."

But since the March 22 live-streamed event — which featured performances by Kristin Chenoweth, Tituss Burgess and Darren Criss and raised $600,000 for the fund — the number of Hollywood figures stepping up to assist less-fortunate industryites appears to have slowed even as hundreds of thousands of showbiz rank and file remain out of work. Per publicly disclosed individual donations, the entertainment industry's one percent has largely prioritized giving to medical first responders or general coronavirus relief funds rather than its out-of-work brethren.

"The response has been slow from Hollywood billionaires, and that silence from them in many ways mirrors the silence and slowness that we are seeing from other types of billionaires in the country," says The Chronicle of Philanthropy staff writer Maria Di Mento, who tracks donations in excess of $1 million. "But the stock market has been insanely rocky [with] deep, deep plunges. And so if they are bottom-line types, which unfortunately I think a lot of them might be, and if they have gotten hit, they might be focused on that right now, which is unfortunate."

A few Hollywood individuals have written seven-figure checks in response to the coronavirus crisis, including Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. But those contributions have largely benefitted recipients outside of the industry (Reynolds and Lively split their donation between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada). Among the six-figure givers, Bob Iger, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg each donated $500,000 to a government fund to help those in need in Los Angeles. And Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' family gave $5 million to buy Philadelphia students laptops for remote learning amid the crisis.

more
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywoods-virus-relief-efforts-slow-materialize-far-1289115

[dfwgator]

Hollywood = Non-Essential Workers

[Neverdul]

Hollywood = Non-Essential Workers

In addition to the $1 millon donation to food banks, Ryan Reynolds has also donated 30% of the proceeds from his Aviation Gin to out of work bartenders and kicked it off with a $15k donation.

I also recently learned he owns a large stake in Mint Mobile and are giving all new and existing customers unlimted data through the end of April.

He seems like a good guy.

[truth_seeker]

Hollywood = Non-Essential Workers

Sure, in the short run. In fact it might boost the "streaming" option.

Longer term, somebody has to produce  new content.

[dfwgator]

Sure, in the short run. In fact it might boost the "streaming" option.

Longer term, somebody has to produce  new content.

We've already got enough movies to last decades.  Hollywood just rehashes.

[mortarman]

We've already got enough movies to last decades.  Hollywood just rehashes.

I got a stack of DVDs standing 11 ft. tall. Have only viewed 2/3 of them as of yet (Some multiple times). Figger I got about 3 weeks viewing if run back to back. Plus Heroes And Icons Network an' GritTV an' all the other + channels on regular broadcast tvgot good programming.

 

[goatprairie]

I've said this before, but the total wealth of all the Hollyweird, Silicon Valley, and other assorted libs totals in the trillions of dollars.
Why aren't these uber wealthy libs joining forces and donating a few billion towards the poor, oppressed, and the now disease afflicted?
You'd think the Steyers, Buffets, Bezoses, Zuckerbergs of the country, all big-time libs,  could each shell out a few billion or so towards suitable charities.

[truth_seeker]

I've said this before, but the total wealth of all the Hollyweird, Silicon Valley, and other assorted libs totals in the trillions of dollars.
Why aren't these uber wealthy libs joining forces and donating a few billion towards the poor, oppressed, and the now disease afflicted?
You'd think the Steyers, Buffets, Bezoses, Zuckerbergs of the country, all big-time libs,  could each shell out a few billion or so towards suitable charities.

What makes you certain, they don't already give a lot?

It has been great sport over recent days, that Vill & Melinda Gates are giving money, but without thanks.

Insstead there is criticism.

I get the idea there is jealosy 7 resent ment of thos that make great wealth.

They are sort of damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

I understand some wealthy people are pushing hard to solve this Chinese virus trajedy.

[goatprairie]

What makes you certain, they don't already give a lot?

It has been great sport over recent days, that Vill & Melinda Gates are giving money, but without thanks.

Insstead there is criticism.

I get the idea there is jealosy 7 resent ment of thos that make great wealth.

They are sort of damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

I understand some wealthy people are pushing hard to solve this Chinese virus trajedy.

That's why I didn't mention Gates. I heard he's been donating some of his loot.
But if you read the article, it appears many uber wealthy people appear to be keeping their loot.
And I'm not jealous of rich people, I'm simply contemptuous of wealthy liberals who virtue signal about helping the poor but don't seem to want to part with their dough.

[dfwgator]

That's why I didn't mention Gates. I heard he's been donating some of his loot.
But if you read the article, it appears many uber wealthy people appear to be keeping their loot.
And I'm not jealous of rich people, I'm simply contemptuous of wealthy liberals who virtue signal about helping the poor but don't seem to want to part with their dough.

I thought this was about Hollywood, and not the likes of Gates.

[Applewood]

The title of this piece makes it sound like all of Hollywood is being stingy and not doing their part at all.  Fact is, some of them are doing their part -- they just aren't directing their generosity to the ones the author thinks they should.   Well, too bad, Miss Siegel, but there are plenty of people outside of Hollywood who need help, maybe more than those inside.  Perhaps she should direct her hostility toward the moguls who run the studios and make bazillions off their product.  Tell them to take care of their people and let the performers give their money to whoever they see fit. 

[roamer_1]

Sure, in the short run. In fact it might boost the "streaming" option.

Longer term, somebody has to produce  new content.

meh. I find hollywood driven entertainment to be rather pedestrian except in that it is laced with political propaganda.

I will take small channel content over hollywood almost all the time.

[goatprairie]

I thought this was about Hollywood, and not the likes of Gates.

You are correct....the article is mostly about Hollyweird uber wealthy types. I just threw in other lib wealthy types to make an argument about wealthy libs in general.