Controvery exists everywhere- even in the world of entertainment. Just because the entertainment Industry may be viewed as artistic and glamorous, it doesn't mean that law and business practices don't apply. Today, I will give you three examples of current controvery in the entertainment industry.
I begin with one cause that is personal to me, the "Real Men Don't" PSA created by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore in their efforts to end child sex slavery. The big controvery is that film maker Tom Kiesche has been using the "Real Men Don't" phrase since 2006. Online entertainment website, Bitten & Bound has an article, "Tom Kiecshe vs. Ashton Kutcher 'Real Men Don't' Controvery", compares both videos by Kiecshe and Kutcher and asks readers to see for themselves. They also report that a spokesman of Ashton's and Demi's told Canyon News, "This allegation is absurd. There are 7.8 million results on Google for the phrase (Real Men Don’t), used in all sorts of media.”
Another current controversy in the world of entertainment lies in that of the fashion industry. Its no secret that Calvin klein has been known to be quite controversial in many of his ads over the years. The most norotious was the Brooke Sheilds ad where the 15 year old at the time stated, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins". This time its supermodel Laura Stone wearing nothing but underwear and her body along with the background seem to be spelling out a naughty word. That's right, the streets of Manhatan seem to be receiving the F-U-"ck" (the calvin klein signature). Click here to view the billboard. Fox News Entertainment reporter, Hollie McKay, interviewed editor of AdRants, Steve Hall; he stated, "It won't hurt the brand because CK isn't a brand people look towards to be ‘sensitive’ or ‘politically correct’ or just plain ‘nice.’ No. It's a fashion brand and by design, fashion brands push limits". As we all know, the 1980's Brooke Sheilds ad did just fine despite all the controversy. Makes you wonder if creating such controvery is a smove business move. I think it depends on the industry.
The final controvery I'd liek to share is that of Dreamwork's "Kung Fu Panda". In China there are protestors who feel the movie has "Americanized" the Chinese culture. The movie uses several Chinese elements to capture audiences-especially Chinese. Some Chinese scholars and artists have argued that film has twisted Chinese culture and serves as a tool to "kidnap" Chinese people. English News Editor, Fang Yang, reports that some Chinese view it as a "cultural invasion". However, many other Chinese viewers have been huge fans of the "Kung Fu Panda" movies. They often wonder why they (the Chinese people) have not ever created a movie quite like this before. The story also reports Deputy General Manager, Cao Hui, expressed "Technically, Kung Fu Panda is not more advanced than Chinese movies, but as for story telling skills, Chinese movies have a long way to go". The arguments closes with the understanding that there seems to be nothing wrong with using Chinese elements in creating fine cinema.
These three examples are perfect examples of current day controversy in the world of entertainment. There are tons of other examples found related to the entertainment industry. One must remember that the Entertainment Industry, like many fellow industries, have much legal guidelines to follow. The world of creativity is as much business as any other and it is always important to consider and explore all the outcomes and risks imagineable. Its never a bad idea to continue to conduct research and seek legal guidance or counsil.
