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Neil Young vs. Joe Rogan<\/b><\/p>\n

The \u201cHeart of Gold\u201d rocker\u2019s protest against and Spotify over Joe Rogan and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation was an archetypal battle to start the year \u2014 a collision of celebrity, public health, free speech absolutism, business incentives<\/a> and inescapable online-ness. Young\u2019s boycott, joined by Joni Mitchell and Young\u2019s old Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates, started with the COVID-19 doubts spread on Rogan\u2019s podcast. But the imbroglio quickly spread to a variety of complaints. Rogan\u2019s use of the N-word. Royalties. Audio fidelity.<\/p>\n

The outcomes were mixed. Music\u2019s heaviest hitters remained on Spotify. CEO Daniel Ek stuck by Rogan, while promising to affix labels to all podcast episodes that contain a discussion of COVID-19, accurate or not. In the wake of all this, Spotify subscriptions increased and we all ended up sharing our Spotify Wrapped end-of-year playlists, just like last year. <\/p>\n

The Slap<\/b><\/p>\n

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Nobody was talking about the Oscars until everyone was, and for all the wrong reasons. Will Smith\u2019s storming of the Dolby Theatre stage became the defining cultural moment of the year<\/a>, while totally eclipsing the best picture winner (\u201cCODA.\u201d Remember that nice movie?) and Smith\u2019s own triumph as the night\u2019s lead actor honoree. Was it a story about toxic masculinity? Bottled rage? Black women\u2019s hair? The limits of comedy? <\/p>\n
After some delay by the Academy, Smith was banned from the awards ceremony for 10 years, but the apology tour officially began<\/a>, doubling as a promotional campaign for Apple\u2019s Antoine Fuqua slavery drama \u201cEmancipation.\u201d Meanwhile, Chris Rock seems to be doing fine, having signed a deal to headline Netflix\u2019s first livestreamed comedy show. That might get better ratings than the next Oscars telecast. <\/p>\n
Disney and \u2018Don\u2019t Say Gay\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
Bob Chapek didn\u2019t want Disney to become a \u201cpolitical football.\u201d But Disney\u2019s then-CEO forgot that the company has always been one, creating the migraine to end all headaches for the Burbank entertainment giant. Chapek\u2019s reticence to speak out against Florida\u2019s law, which restricts classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, led to weeks of protests from employees<\/a>. When Chapek later denounced the law, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and right-wing media figures seized the chance to blast Disney as a \u201cwoke\u201d corporation. <\/p>\n
We\u2019re still seeing the effects. Disney lost its self-ruling privileges in the area that encompasses Walt Disney World Resort. Chapek lost his job, with the \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\u201d snafu being just one of many critical missteps. Perhaps most consequentially, the incident raised DeSantis\u2019 national profile. The governor easily won reelection in a midterm race that otherwise didn\u2019t go as well as expected for Republicans. See you in 2024. <\/p>\n
Wall Street turns on streaming<\/b><\/p>\n
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Media investors were once deeply in love with streaming. Entertainment companies chased Netflix into the direct-to-consumer future, spending billions on content to attract subscribers to their \u201cplus”-es and \u201cmax”-es. Subscriptions soared during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. So did stock prices. But at some point, investors thought, it might be nice if these services actually made money<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Disappointing Netflix earnings gave investors the spins. Losses piled up for Paramount+, HBO Max, Peacock and Disney+ as their parent companies poured resources into straight-to-steaming movies, TV shows, technology and marketing. Streaming continued to cannibalize profitable pay-TV businesses and box office revenues. That, plus weakness in the advertising market and economic factors like inflation, has led to high level executive shakeups (AMC Networks\u2019 CEO lasted less than three months) and massive cost-cutting. Expect a wave of consolidation in 2023. <\/p>\n
Zas swings the axe<\/b><\/p>\n
No company defined the streaming industry\u2019s vibe shift better than Warner Bros. Discovery, where CEO David Zaslav has been on a cost-slashing spree in his quest to find more than $3 billion in savings. In an effort to undo the sins of WarnerMedia\u2019s previous owner, AT&T, Zaslav has embarked on a quest for cash flow, which, in practice, has meant more than 1,000 layoffs at Warner Bros., CNN, cable networks and other divisions. <\/p>\n
There were the standard-issue post-merger regime change decisions (Toby Emmerich out, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy in). The DC franchise is in flux, with new leadership. But more broadly, streaming would no longer be a win-at-all-costs business for the Warner properties. <\/p>\n
Faced with a new mandate, Warner Bros. killed a $90-million \u201cBatgirl\u201d movie<\/a> and HBO Max canceled shows including \u201cGordita Chronicles.\u201d A popular pipeline program for new writers and directors was killed. Until it wasn\u2019t<\/a>. Luckily Warner Bros. didn\u2019t have any other problems. <\/p>\n
Off-screen drama <\/b><\/p>\n
Some stars and filmmakers couldn\u2019t stop getting in their own way and giving their studio minders grief. Ezra Miller\u2019s antics landed him in serious legal trouble. In October, he pleaded not guilty to felony burglary in Vermont. But his upcoming DC movie, \u201cThe Flash,\u201d is still on the schedule for next year. In fact, Warner Bros. moved it up a week. Will the backstory matter to audiences? Who knows. <\/p>\n
Rumors of personal drama overshadowed the press tour for Olivia Wilde\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Worry Darling,\u201d with an alleged behind the scenes tiff between Wilde and star Florence Pugh spilling into headlines. Crew members denied the feud. There was added intrigue about an on-set romance<\/a> between Wilde and Harry Styles, a custody battle<\/a> between Wilde and Jason Sudeikis, a made-up spitting incident<\/a> involving Styles and Chris Pine and a spat between Wilde and ex-cast member Shia LaBeouf. Despite \u2014 or because of \u2014 all that, the movie ended up doing fine at the box office. <\/p>\n
Depp vs. Heard <\/b><\/p>\n
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In a year full of ugly trials involving Hollywood figures, the defamation battle between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard was the cultural black hole from which no light could escape. There was endless discussion of the broader implications, some of it constructive<\/a>, much of it not. It was a dark moment for survivors of abuse, with so much online vitriol being slung, mostly at Heard. That\u2019s true whatever people think of the outcome of the trial itself.<\/p>\n
Rather than serving as a referendum on the #MeToo movement, the trial was mostly a public excavation of a deeply troubled relationship, providing so much fodder for aspiring pundits and legal influencers<\/a>. Depp, for whom this was a chance to clear his name and get his career back, was the ostensible winner. The \u201cPirates of the Caribbean\u201d actor got a $10-million jury verdict. But no one came out of this looking good. <\/p>\n
Kanye flies a swastika <\/b><\/p>\n
Once a brilliant rapper known for merely erratic behavior, Kanye West became a full-on Hitler apologist, a transition exemplified by an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and a buddy-buddy relationship with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Ye\u2019s descent into antisemitism<\/a> has lost him his CAA representation, his Adidas sneaker deal and, with it, his billionaire status. <\/p>\n
Fans were previously willing to overlook Ye\u2019s incoherent politics because of the music. \u201cThe College Dropout,\u201d \u201cLate Registration,\u201d and \u201cGraduation\u201d are classics. But Ye\u2019s embrace of anti-Jewish rhetoric has left many to mourn for the West they thought they once knew. <\/p>\n
Taylor vs. Ticketmaster<\/b><\/p>\n
You don\u2019t want Taylor Swift fans angry at you<\/a>. Especially if your company has already been criticized as a living argument for stronger antitrust regulation. <\/p>\n
The Bob Swap<\/b><\/p>\n
Disney\u2019s year-end shake up could hardly have been more dramatic, with Chairman Susan Arnold reaching out to Iger on a Friday and the board bouncing Chapek on a Sunday night, as a high-profile Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium was about to livestream on Disney+.<\/p>\n
Iger\u2019s return was broadly hailed by Disney employees and Hollywood creatives. But Disney\u2019s failure at succession planning (Chapek was Iger\u2019s own pick for CEO) was symbolic of a larger problem for the company, which historically has not excelled at transferring power<\/a>. In the vacuum of obvious successors, we can expect some Machiavellian political gamesmanship in the next couple years. Assuming Iger actually steps down when he says he will. <\/p>\n
Honorable mentions: <\/b><\/p>\n
For the record: <\/i><\/b>Last week I misspelled the last name of child star Lora Lee Michel.<\/p>\n
Stuff we wrote<\/h2>\n\u2014 \u2018Law & Order: SVU\u2019 showrunner accused of mistreating women, support staff on multiple shows. <\/b>My colleague Stacy Perman last week published a deep dive on the career of \u201cSVU\u201d boss David Graziano<\/a>, which includes a long trail of allegations of troubling behavior. People who spoke to The Times \u201cdescribed him variously as a volatile and bullying boss who rage-fired underlings, left staffers in tears and made inappropriate and demeaning comments toward women, support staff and people of color,\u201d Perman reported. <\/p>\n
Graziano\u2019s rep said the producer was \u201cproud of his leadership skills on SVU,\u201d adding that there has been no turnover in the production offices on the show since he took over almost six months ago. \u201cThe implication that Mr. Graziano created a hostile work environment, or is sexist, inappropriate and unprofessional is false,\u201d his spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Watch out, Reese Witherspoon: <\/b>On NBC\u2019s \u201cToday,\u201d Jenna Bush Hager is becoming book publishing\u2019s best friend. The former first daughter is a tastemaker with #ReadWithJenna<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\u2014 ICYMI.<\/b> Legal fight over \u2018Back to the Future\u2019 car the DeLorean<\/a> revs up. Inside Trevor Noah\u2019s tearful goodbye to \u2018The Daily Show.\u2019<\/a> \u2018Black Panther\u2019 No. 1 in week No. 5. <\/a><\/p>\n
Number of the week <\/h2>\n
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Things are getting weird for the DC film universe as James Gunn and Peter Safran line up their plans for the franchise. Superhero stars \u2014 Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot \u2014 have been campaigning for their roles on social media, hoping for that #RestoreTheSnyderverse bump. But nothing has been quite as odd as the competing stories in the Hollywood trade press over whether or not Dwayne Johnson\u2019s \u201cBlack Adam\u201d made money. <\/p>\n
Variety reported the film stood to lose as much as $100 million<\/a> from its $390-million box office run. Deadline responded with the producers\u2019 view: that, actually, the movie would profit by $52 million-to-$72 million, counting home video and TV revenues.<\/p>\n
Johnson, who wants a sequel to his $195-million passion project, was happy to tweet the Deadline story to his fans<\/a>. Break out that tequila. Still, a $52-million profit after ancillaries isn\u2019t exactly what you\u2019d expect from a superhero movie staring the Rock. <\/p>\n
Film shoots<\/h2>\n
Los Angeles shoot days recovered from the post-Thanksgiving holiday doldrums, but were still down from a year ago. <\/p>\n
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Finally …<\/h2>\n
I talk about my favorite things a lot, but why not go to the real experts? Check out our critics\u2019 picks for the best<\/a> albums, songs, TV shows, books, performances and dance sequences of 2022. Let me lend a quick \u201cditto\u201d to Mikael Wood\u2019s endorsement of Alvvays\u2019 latest record, \u201cBlue Rev,\u201d a collection of infectious dream-pop songs. Wood calls it \u201cthe year\u2019s finest guitar album.\u201d He\u2019s not wrong. <\/p>\n

Film shoots<\/h2>\nLos Angeles shoot days recovered from the post-Thanksgiving holiday doldrums, but were still down from a year ago. <\/p>\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n