Richard V. Rupp

July 17, 2024

I'm novelist Richard V. Rupp, writing to you from Burbank, California – "Media Capital of the World."

 

Welcome to my monthly newsletter, published on the third Wednesday of each month.

 

Like all of you, I was horrified by the attempted assassination of former President Trump this  past weekend. The title for this issue was selected because of last Saturday's assassination attempt.

 

This issue addresses the impact of Former President Trump's assassination attempt, a violent America, Hollywood movie production, and Americans' change in drinking habits and sex.  

 

THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD

 

Last Saturday's assassination attempt on Former President Trump confirmed to the world that we are a violent, declining country and to us Americans that we are a very divided country that has all of us constantly looking over our shoulders in fear.

 

Historically, four sitting American presidents have been assassinated by young American men, and three have been injured by young American men in attempted assassinations. Except for one, all the assassins were men in their 20s. The exception was Charles J. Guiteau, who was 40 when he killed President Garfield in 1881. Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired at Trump, was 20.

 

The attempt on Trump's life punctuated a presidential election cycle marked by dire warnings in which the two parties have accused each other of wanton criminality. 

 

President Biden's Sunday Oval Office TV presentation called for Americans to "lower the temperature" on politics. Both Republicans and Democrats have made calls to lower the political temperature and unite the country. However, in listening to the pundits/commentators, they seem skeptical that this will happen in a highly polarized country involved in a hotly contested presidential race. There have been several reports of misinformation and conspiracy theories spreading online since the assassination attempt. Here is one that popped up on my Facebook account -  "They allowed him on the roof – They let him take the shots – They took him out so he couldn't talk."

 

I wouldn't hold my breath, hoping this will be a peaceful election as we seem to be in a violent stage in our nation.

 

AMERICA – THE WILD, WILD WEST

 

We are a "packing society." It is estimated that 377 million guns are circulating in the United States, and the number appears to be increasing. A 2023 report indicates that 42% of U.S. households had at least one gun in their possession.

 

According to an FBI Report, in 2022, guns killed 48,204 Americans, including murders, suicides, and accidents. FBI data indicates that active shootings have increased by 60% since 2019 and that shooting incidents have increased a staggering 89% from 2019-2023 compared to the previous five years. Guns have become the leading cause of death for kids and adolescents under 19 in the U.S., with 4,603 killed by guns in 2022 (more than car crashes, cancer, or poisoning).

 

When I discuss the above number with people, I'm often asked if I am for gun control laws. And they are surprised when I say, "Not really." I am not necessarily against gun control laws; it's just that they won't accomplish much. My response is based on the logical fact that there are already 377 million guns in circulation, and there are kits and 3D printers that can produce as many sophisticated guns as a person would want. The only way to reduce gun violence, in my mind, is to work toward a kinder, gentler society. People, can't we all just get along?

 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BURBANK

 

My buddies at my local pub, Story Tavern, have informed me that the movie (now the media) industry is in a state of transition.

 

With the strikes by the actors and writers and now the behind-the-camera craft over, things are starting to take shape, but not going back to what was considered normal. This is mainly because nobody can figure out how AI and streaming will impact the industry in the future.  

 

Thirteen local guilds (which have 70,000 members) of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the major studios have finally inked a tentative three-year agreement that is subject to ratification by the guild members, who will have until today to cast their votes. This will help get the cameras rolling again.  

 

My understanding is that the deal includes – 1. A 7% first-year pay increase, followed by 4% and 3.5% in subsequent years; 2. Triple time for workdays exceeding 15 hours; 3. Double time on the 7th day for On Call classifications; 4. AI protections to prevent job displacement (Note – it is believed the AI wording will leave many crafts exposed to being replaced by AI, such as Art Directors); 5. Measures to address a $670 million healthcare funding gap; and 6. New residuals for projects on streaming platforms.

 

Recent mergers and acquisitions within the media industry, such as David Ellison's Skydance Media taking control of Paramount Global on July 7th and the mergers of Comcast and NBC Universal, AT&T and Time Warner, and Disney and Fox, are reshaping the industry.

 

Then, there is increased competition for the industry business from Atlanta, Toronto, and Australia, where production costs are lower and tax incentives are often more.

 

On the other side of the coin, new sound stages are popping up all around me. The Worthe Real Estate Group, a Santa Monica-based development and property management company, has begun construction on the 30-acre Warner Bros. Ranch Lot here in Burbank. Its commencement reportedly marks the largest sound stage development in the nation. It is already fully leased to Warner Bros. It will consist of a 926,000-square-foot total campus, including 16 soundstages, a parking structure, a commissary, mill space, and a 326,000-square-foot office complex.

 

Last year, the same group completed Second Century, an 800,000-square-foot expansion of the Warner Bros. headquarters in the Burbank Media District.

 

ALEC BALDWIN TRIAL

 

As a member of the Hollywood crowd, I have followed the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Rust movie set since the beginning. Safety is a major consideration for the behind-the-camera craft trades because of all the crazy things they must do. For this reason, I watched the Alec Baldwin trial with interest. I couldn't believe the prosecution's unprofessional presentation. This is from a series of texts between a friend and me on the trial.

 

Day 1

 

Me - "The prosecutor in the Alec Baldwin case is a disaster."

 

Reply - "Cannot stand Alec Baldwin."

 

"I can't stand him either."

 

"I hope he is found guilty!!! He is not liked in the movie industry."

 

"I have heard the same thing. The way the prosecutor is going he will not be convicted."

 

"Ugh."

 

"The judge halted the trial early so the prosecutor could get her act together."

 

"On no – that bad?"

 

"You can see where the prosecutor is heading, but she has her exhibits and notes all mixed up and lacks confidence."

 

"No plan."

 

"She already has 38 exhibits. Some of which she has admitted are duplicates."

 

"Poor thing/who is assisting her?"

 

"Another lady and an Asian gentleman who seems to be just as confused. They have about 3 inches of notes and a laptop they keep walking around with and showing to each other. Each has their own laptop."

 

Day 3

 

"Alec Baldwin's case was dismissed because of prosecutor's errors. Like you implied – she was a train wreck.

 

* * * *

 

Note: This prosecutorial misstep led to the case's dismissal with prejudice, barring a retrial.

 

NBC NEWS - Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who gave an opening statement accusing Baldwin of being reckless, said she knew the prosecution's case was in trouble Friday when she learned that some rounds had not been turned over to the defense.

 

"It was clear that it was something that should have been turned over," Ocampo Johnson told NBC News on Friday night.

 

Ocampo Johnson resigned Friday and walked out of court even before a hearing could be completed about whether the evidentiary issue meant that Baldwin's case should be dismissed, as his lawyers argued.

 

LA TIMES – "The spectacular collapse of New Mexico's criminal prosecution of Alec Baldwin in the deadly "Rust" movie shooting laid bare nearly three years of errors by state officials who were eager to prove themselves on a world stage."

 

BOOZE AND SEX

 

Two surveys caught my eye because of what they were indicating about changing American habits. One addressed the change in the consumption of booze, and the other the changes in our sex lives.  I would bet you that the two fit together.

 

A 2023 Gallup poll indicates that younger people are drinking fewer alcoholic beverages, and that older people are drinking more. The poll indicates that 18- —to 34-year-olds are drinking less frequently and are less likely to drink to excess, while those of us over 55 are drinking more. As an older person, I suspect that our observations of what's happening with the younger generations are causing us to drink more.

 

The average number of drinks consumed by Americans has been declining for more than a decade, from 4.8 drinks per week in 2009 to 3.6 in 2021. The Gallup poll indicates that younger adults are driving this trend, with the number of Gen Z and millennials who reported drinking less—or not at all—increasing over the past several years.

 

It seems obvious to me that this change in drinking has had an impact on our sex lives. Based on the above, I suspect that younger people are having less sex and older people are having more. I couldn't find any evidence supporting my older people's comment, but yes, several studies indicate millennials and Gen Z are having less sex and fewer sexual partners. An annual survey by UCLA indicates that the number of young Californians ages 18 to 30 who reported having no sexual partners in the prior year reached a decade-high of 38%. In 2011, 22% of young people reported having no sexual partners during the prior year, and the percentage climbed steadily as the decade progressed. Nationally, a University of Chicago survey found that 3 in 10 Gen Z males and 1 in 4 Gen Z Females reported no sex in the prior year.

 

The major reason for the reduction in sex and drinking, for that matter, is an increased lack of social contact. The younger generation's reliance on cell phones and apps and playing video games has lessened physical contact with others. Then, the pandemic, COVID-19 made social contacts even trickier. Jessica Borelli, a professor of psychological science at UC Irvine, indicates that "In general, people coming of age in an era of dating apps say the notion of starting a relationship with someone they meet in person — say a chance encounter at a bar or dance club — seems like a piece of nostalgia. Even friendships are increasingly forged over texting and video chats. "A lot of young people, when you talk to them, will say their best friends are people they've never met." 

 

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If you are new to my posts and find this one interesting, you can read my prior posts, learn about my novels, and learn more about me on my website at www.richardvrupp.com. You can also sign up in the RUPP'S NOTES section to get my posts directly. 

 

Until next month.

 

Cheers, 

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

Website – www.richardvrupp.com

Email – rupprisk@gmail.com

Copyright@2024 by Richard V. Rupp