From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hollywood sees few changes from FTC violence report By Sue Zeidler LOS ANGELES, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Hollywood insiders said a government report savaging the entertainment industry for aggressively marketing violent fare to children sounded like a broken record that will result in little change -- despite the possibility of it becoming a major election year issue. "This report may have short-term political impact, but in the long term it will produce no change," said Eric Schockman, a professor of political science at University of Southern California and an expert on the entertainment industry. A Federal Trade Commission report -- ordered by President Clinton after last year's deadly teenage shooting spree at Colorado's Columbine High School -- found a "pervasive and aggressive" marketing of violent movies, music and electronic games to children, even materials labeled as appropriate only for adults. While several trade groups declined immediate comment, Hilary Rosen, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, was quick to deny the report's accusations. "As an industry, we do not market violence; we market artists. When material is explicit, we clearly label it for parents and guardians to make informed buying decisions for their kids. Artistic freedom is a basic First Amendment right. As an industry, we are not in the business of dictating content to our artists," Rosen said, adding: "We help parents and guardians make informed choices about their purchase decisions through our voluntary parental advisory labels. (But) parents, not the government, have the responsibility for guiding children toward music that is appropriate for a child's age and maturity." President Bill Clinton praised the report, even though Hollywood is a strong financial supporter of his, telling an audience in a New York City suburb, "They're trying to sell their movies and other products to the very people that they themselves say shouldn't see them." Democratic Presidential nominee Al Gore also praised the report, urging the film, recording and video game industries to agree to an immediate ceasefire in marketing adult-rated entertainment to children. But Hollywood experts dismissed the report as a way for the White House to deflect attention from politicians whose policies are really responsible for the spread of violence among youth. Schockman said, "This condemnation against the entertainment industry will probably have great impact on the elections and will be synthesized into campaign rhetoric." "But the bottom line is the industry will turn its nose up and politicians are with weak knees when it comes to ... the entertainment industry," he added. . A lobbyist with a major Hollywood trade group said, "Attacks on Hollywood tend to be cyclical. These initiatives often lead to a discussion of the breakdown of society and wind up being coupled with cries for better gun control. Then, the two sides always wind up cancelling each other out." The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has consistently disputed the impact of violent media on children, pointing to a drop in crime rates over recent years as proof. The MPAA declined comment on Monday, but a spokeswoman said the group was consulting with member companies and would respond to the report at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. The Senate committee had hoped to get representatives from major studios to testify but industry sources said major executives have declined to appear, leaving the MPAA to make the case for them. "If movies are causing moral decay, then crime ought to be going up, but crime is going down," MPAA Chief Executive Jack Valenti told the Washington Post in an interview Monday. Gore called for a six-month deadline for the industry to adopt the recommendations of the FTC report and enforce a voluntary, uniform policy that prohibits such marketing. If the industry does not comply, Gore and running mate Sen. Joseph Lieberman said in a joint statement that they would support tougher measures to hold the industry accountable. They said if the industry makes a promise not to market the material to children, but then does so, it could be found guilty of false advertising. "The Washington culture is sort of tone deaf to teen and pop culture. I think it's bad and drives people away from politics, but I don't think it will hurt business," said Danny Goldberg, president of Artemis Records, an independent label. Goldberg, the former head of Mercury Records, said he will be among record industry executives who will be testifying at the Senate hearing on Wednesday. Kenneth Pantling Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. (Edmund Burke�1729-97) Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
