June 23, 2001

Bad Grammer
   by indavis <isaac@dontforgetthemilk.com>

You know, a couple articles ago I was complaining about how much gas and a loaf of bread cost. Well, after reading the news the other day, it's becoming a little clearer. Kelsey Grammer (from Frasier) has signed a deal where he is going to be paid $1.6 million per episode. Now how screwed up is that. What is wrong with this world! Let's just say that it takes a week to tape a show. For you and I to make that kind of money, we must make $40,000/hour. Why is someone who stars in a television show making more money per hour, then the majority of Americans make per year. What is wrong with our system of values. I don't see the value of his TV show being that high. If it went off the air tomorrow, we would all still wake up, birds will still chirp. There are a lot of hard working people out there who will never make $1.6 million in their entire lifetime. What makes this actor so special? Nothing.

What really gripes me, is when you factor everything back to the source, it's those hard working Americans who will never ever see that kind of money, that eventually foot the bill for this kind of nonsense. The networks are paid by advertising, and advertising is paid for by manufacturers. For the manufacturer to stay in business they must pass along all costs of running the business to the consumer, and still make a profit. Paying someone this kind of money for what he actually does just rubs me wrong. It would be different to me if he were performing a meaningful job.

Some of you are going to say "well, you are just jealous." I tell you, it isn't jealousy driving this one. I make good money, and am pretty content with my life, I just can't believe how far the values have been skewed on this. Personally, I think if these actors are good and worth their salt, then they should be making about $80,000/year. Same goes for athletes. Now don't tell me "they work hard to get where they are at." Well, so do a lot of people, and they never get this kind of compensation. I have been working hard my whole career, and for the last year, I have been working nonstop almost 20 hours per day for most of the time, so don't tell me about hard work. Then I see something like this, and it just sets me off. So this Pfft! goes out to skewed values. The one good thing I see about this is that currently, I don't need $1.6 million per week to be happy. Isaac

Published: June 23, 2001
Editor: stacy