American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 92 This hatred will never end

"Oh—I knew Eminem was crazy—"

"Eminem is a mad dog! A mad dog that bites anyone it sees!"

"This guy got furious as soon as he realized his true colors had been exposed? Hey! Hey! Hey! If I remember correctly, all these years when he dissed others, he always told them not to take it seriously!"

"Oh my God! This kind of person doesn't deserve to be a star?"

"Eminem isn't a star at all! He's just a clown who makes a living by insulting people! People who like him are just love-starved kids! Their parents didn't take them to the circus when they were kids, so they're trying to find their childhood memories in clowns!"

"Isabella is so unlucky to have been targeted by this scumbag!"

"So Miss Beaver was bitten by a dog? I really suggest she get a rabies shot!"

"..."

Since Barry Mayer and Robert Iger had made thorough preparations beforehand, they had people stake out Eminem before the press conference, hoping to catch him in a bad mood afterward.

Therefore, after obtaining 'explosive news', it is inevitable to put it on the front page.

That very evening, ABC and other paid broadcasters like CBS and NBC aired footage of Eminem's 'interview' after watching the press conference.

The狰狞 ​​face, the raging voice, the howling roar brought the storm to a standstill.

Previously, people were questioning Isabella under the guidance of the media and the meddling of Eminem's fans.

Now, any normal person would hate Eminem and feel sympathy for Isabella.

There's no way around it; a person's spirit and energy are the first impression they leave on the outside world.
A person who is good-looking and energetic gives a good impression to the world.

Conversely, if a person is of average appearance and constantly acts crazy, then only a madman can empathize with another madman.

So, while Isabella was once known to the world as a cute and pretty little girl, as the scope of the controversy gradually narrowed, it became clear that ten Eminem couldn't beat one Isabella.

However, the individual victory is not the end of the matter.

Isabella's mini-discs are indeed expensive, and she is still labeled as a "money-grubber," which she cannot say goodbye to the world with that label on her, as it would affect her personal reputation.

Therefore, 24 hours later, the real period of the public opinion storm finally came.

On the morning of July 8, 2003, The Wall Street Journal published a news item:
Universal Music Chairman Doug Morris was taken away by the FBI for investigation.

The entire report, exceeding a thousand words, can be summarized into five key points:
1. According to sources, Doug Morris was taken away by Forbes because of his previous job.

Before joining Universal Music, he was the chairman of Warner Music.

Since last year, there have been reports that AOL Time Warner wanted to sell Warner Music, and at the beginning of this year, they did conduct a detailed assessment of Warner Music's overall assets, after which they seemed to discover some financial problems.

2. According to sources, Doug Morris left Warner Music because he lost an internal power struggle.

3. After joining Universal Music, Doug Morris's most notable achievement was discovering Eminem.

4. Currently, the person who wants to acquire Warner Music is Edgar Bronfman Jr., the vice chairman of Vivendi Universal.

5. Edgar Bronfman Jr. may obtain the funds to acquire Warner Music through the sale of Vivendi Universal shares.

When this news broke, North American media went into an uproar once again!

This is not only because Universal Music is one of the top five record labels, but the fact that its leader has been taken away for investigation is also explosive news!

Furthermore, the five points provided by The Wall Street Journal form a complete story—

"I think I know why Isabella's been all over the headlines for the past month—because her existence has affected Doug Morris, so Doug Morris wants to kill her! I even have evidence!"

"Everyone knows Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s passion for the entertainment industry. Doug Morris is one of his men; the acquisition of PolyGram and the formation of Universal Music Group were all things Doug Morris did for Bronfman Jr.."

'Since Doug Morris did so much for Bronfman Jr., he should have wanted to retire at Universal Music, but now Bronfman Jr. wants to sell his shares in Vivendi Universal and acquire Warner Music?'

'Oh—if you were Doug Morris, what would you think? I'd certainly be resentful! I might even consider stopping it! Because once Bronfman Jr. leaves, my contribution to the company will be gone!'

'Then, if Doug Morris wants to stop all of this, what should he do?'

'If Bronfman Jr. wants to acquire Warner Music, then he must be interested in Warner Music, right? If I were Doug Morris, I would find a way to make Bronfman Jr. lose interest in Warner, so the deal would fall through.'

"And who's Warner Music's biggest highlight right now? It's Miss Beaver! Isabella Heywood!"

'So, if we just ruin her, won't Warner Music lose its highlight?'

This is also why Isabella, who has been popular for several years, was suddenly attacked—

'She released a mini-album this year! She had never played music before! She posed no threat to anyone!'

This is also the key reason why Eminem suddenly bit Isabella—

'He's Doug Morris's man! It's normal for him to stick by his boss!'

'Furthermore, Doug Morris won't feel any psychological burden when attacking Warner Music—'

The Wall Street Journal said that Doug Morris left Warner Bros. because he lost an internal power struggle! Now, he's been taken in for investigation by the FBI, so we have reason to suspect that he might not have been clean back then! And that's why he failed!

'And once we connect all these events, everything that happened to Isabella makes sense!'

Why did the copyright issue surrounding the script of "The Voice of China" suddenly surface?

"Isn't it because Doug Morris wants to get rid of Isabella? Only someone of his caliber would get involved, and only Michael Arndt, who relinquished his screenwriting credits, would step in to accuse Isabella!"

Why is Isabella being accused of money laundering?

'That's because Doug Morris knows it's the most insidious accusation in the music industry!'

"Does anyone remember the state governments' investigations into the Big Five a few years ago? Who was the real culprit behind the skyrocketing record prices? Isabella is just a singer! Does she have the right to set her own mini-albums? The real power to set prices belongs to people like Doug Morris! But it was Isabella who got the blame!"

The moment the lengthy commentary was published, people who had been following Isabella and current public opinion were instantly excited.

"Oh! This analysis seems to make a lot of sense! Isabella has indeed been facing quite a few outrageous accusations lately!"

"Damn! So it was the capitalists trying to crush Isabella? No wonder Isabella gets on the front page so easily!"

"Yeah~Yeah~Yeah~ In the past, when other celebrities got into trouble, no matter how outrageous the incident was, they couldn't possibly get all the media attention right away. But what about Isabella now? Oh—this girl is so pitiful—"

"OMG—this guess is disgusting! I'm not saying I think the guess is wrong, but this guy named Doug Morris is just too despicable! Isabella is only a 13-year-old girl! Is it really necessary to target her like this?"

"Oh! Sxxt! That guy Doug Morris should go to hell!"

"Doug Morris deserves to die!"

"..."

game over.

That's right!

Although the issue of "making money" is a taboo subject in the record industry, when Isabella no longer has the power to set record prices, Warner Music could simply find someone to take the blame for "maliciously attacking Isabella behind the scenes," thus removing the "money-making" accusation from themselves without harming themselves.

Warner Bros. couldn't directly mention "making money" like Shaq did; they made money too.

Furthermore, if it were stated directly that Isabella's mini-discs are priced at market value, it would not only hurt the feelings of her fans—the law is only the minimum standard of morality, and the law regulating pre-made food does not mean you can sell pre-made food at the price of freshly made food; it would also anger her peers—this behavior is clearly dragging her peers down with her, which shows a very low level of emotional intelligence.

In this situation, wouldn't finding a capable person to take the blame be a way to solve the problem while also accommodating all parties involved?
So……

Doug Morris, chairman of Universal Music, then came into the view of Barry Mayer and Robert Iger.

The reason Mayer and Iger chose him as the scapegoat was simple.

This is not only because everyone is an enemy of each other—

Doug Morris is one of Bronfman Jr.'s men, so isn't it only natural for him to attack the enemy?
Furthermore, Doug Morris already had a deep connection with Warner Bros.

Doug Morris entered the music industry in the 60s, when he founded a music company called 'Big Tree'. In 1974, Warner's Atlantic Records acquired Big Tree, and Doug Morris became a member of the Warner Group, serving Warner ever since.

In 80, he became president of Atlantic Records.

This position is actually the president of Warner Music.

In Warner's early structure, music was merely a supplement to film. Warner made music because in the era of sound films, if they didn't own the music copyrights, adding music to films would have required paying a lot of copyright fees, so they made their own music.

Music has never been their main profession.

For a long time, Warner Music used the Atlantic label for external communication.

Then, in 90, Doug Morris was promoted to co-chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records.

In 91, in order to better merge with Time Inc., Warner reorganized its business segments and Warner Music Group was officially established. The first chairman was Steve Ross, while Doug Morris managed all the specific affairs within the group. With the passing of Steve Ross, Doug Morris, who had witnessed all the development of the group, naturally stepped into the pinnacle and became the chairman of Warner Music in 94.

then……

"Doug was killed, I killed him."

London time, evening of July 8, 2003.

Isabella then spoke on the phone with Maye and Egger.

Uh……

MSN Voice.

Maye's words startled the little girl for a moment. She blinked and asked, "Barry, what did you say?"

“I told you Dugger was killed,” Meyer repeated with a laugh. “I killed him.”

“Isa, you may think that Warner is united in fighting against Time Inc., Ted Turner, Steve Case and the like, but I want to say that this is not true.”

"Because we also have internal struggles, and quite significant ones at that."

"Because power is limited, and positions are limited."

"Doug Morris was once loyal to Mr. Ross, but... he stood in my way..."

When Steve Ross was alive, Warner Bros. was indeed a united front.

Because he was skilled at managing his subordinates.

Because he owns a sufficient number of shares.

Because his hands were truly stained with blood. But after he passed away…

Anyone who tries to climb the ladder has their own agenda.

People from the film company want to get ahead!

People in the music company want to make a name for themselves!

People from the TV company also want to get ahead!
Everyone wants to be the chairman of WarnerMedia!

what?
Some people say they are just employees, so why should they become chairmen?

Very simple -

Since Steve Ross died, there isn't a single capable person in the Ross family; all they have are shares!
The Ross family needs a good professional manager to run their businesses!
Therefore, if they win the fight, they can become the kings of Warner!
Don't underestimate the title 'King'.

Michael Eisner set his own salary at Disney.

He even offered himself equity incentives.

Why are the most outstanding professional managers called the "King of Employees"?
It's not that they get paid more!
Rather, they are capable of actually usurping someone else's place!

Therefore, after Steve Ross's death, the first to fight were actually among Warner's own people.

The first to be eliminated were people from the film company.

Because in the 80s, Warner Bros.' film performance was basically carried by Peter Goubert and Jon Peters.

These two went to Sony in the late 80s and early 90s.

At this point, Warner Bros. had no more capable people left.

The second person to be eliminated was someone from the music company.

That is, Doug Morris.

Currently, Warner's top executives are actually all people from the television department whom Steve Ross promoted back then.

It is precisely because Warner itself is constantly embroiled in internal strife that so many bad things happen within the group.

If they all stick together, not only will Time Inc. be unable to secretly sell their intellectual property, but they could also beat Ted Turner to a pulp! You have to understand, when Steve Ross bought Warner Bros., Warner Bros. only had a film business. Television, music, and all of these things were built from scratch by Steve Ross!

Unfortunately, they couldn't join the tour.

Because money and power are powerful forces that influence people's hearts.

"So this is the solution you mentioned you had already thought of?"

Isabella, leaning back in her chair listening to the story, felt she had discovered a key point.

"Yeah~ Sending Doug Morris in is the solution we came up with~"

Mayer stated bluntly, "The best way to resolve the current media storm is to have the capable and suitable people take responsibility. We know that Edgar Bronfman Jr. and his associates are the real culprits, but... we can't put him in jail, can we? So, putting his people in jail is our best option."

"Furthermore, they can't stop us, because if they do, we'll turn our guns on them, and neither Bronfman Jr. nor Eisner wants to be our target."

"Then, getting Doug Morris in is also a simple matter for us."

"His dirty deeds are all over my file."

"Just like the Weinstein brothers at Disney, right, Bob?"

“Oh—Barry, I don’t know what you’re talking about—” Robert Iger, who had been listening the whole time, pretended to be clueless.

It's okay to collect dirt on others, but you can't talk about it.

because……

"Oh my gosh—you two are so scary—"

Isabella laughed and said, "If one day I disagree with you, will you send me to jail too?"

"Then—wow—the whole world will be filled with press releases saying—who would have thought Hermione Granger was this kind of person!"

"Hahahaha—" The two burst into laughter.

This kind of thing can indeed happen.

Tom Cruise, for example, was targeted and criticized by Sumner Redstone.

but--

"Don't worry, Isa, you will always be our princess."

Robert Iger replied with a smile.

"Yeah~ Princess Hermione, even if you hear many secrets, we won't harm you, I swear~"

Barry Mayer echoed his sentiments.

Isabella simply hummed a few times and let it go.

This was not only because she knew that nothing in society was truly trustworthy, but also because she understood that once a side was chosen, it couldn't be changed, and no camp would truly accept someone who had defected.

The only way to maintain harmonious relations is to keep winning.

Since the hatred they were discussing spanned decades, Isabella didn't want to dwell on this pointless topic that only involved taking sides. With a slight smile, she changed her tone and said, "Okay, now that the 'money-grabbing accusation' is over, let's talk about something else? We shouldn't keep getting attacked, right?"

To be honest, Isabella was a little annoyed after being targeted twice by Michael Eisner and his gang.

She would like to fight back if she could.

And this...

“Isa, now that all the enemies have shown themselves, we certainly won’t just stand here and take the beating.”

Iger said, "But if by 'retaliation' you mean killing Michael Eisner... then I can't do that for now."

“Yeah, if your retaliation includes killing Ted Turner and Steve Case, then… that’s asking too much of me.” Before Iger could finish speaking, Maye chimed in.

"Oh—who told you two to kill them?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Can you guys be serious for once?"

Perhaps it's the satisfaction of a successful defensive play?
At this moment, Egger and Mayer were chatting and laughing non-stop.

Yes, in Isabella's eyes, what the two had just said was utter nonsense.

Because Michael Eisner, Ted Turner, and Steve Case are all true capitalists. Unless all their wealth collapses and their power crumbles, killing them would be a joke.

So even if Isabella wanted to retaliate, she wasn't referring to directly taking down Michael Eisner and his team, or even killing Edgar Bronfman Jr. and Rupert Murdoch, but rather...

"Oh, by the way, how are the Weinstein brothers you just mentioned doing?" Isabella asked with a smile.

The two people on the other end of the voice call smiled knowingly.

The Weinstein brothers have already been formally arrested. The actual trial will take some time, but it's certain they'll be imprisoned.

Because capital is far more effective at manipulating people than social movements.

What use is talking in a social movement in the capitalist world?

There is no freedom of speech in the capitalist world. If you criticize Saint Charles, you'll lose your job; if you criticize him twice, you'll be in jail.

In North America, the words of the tax authorities are law!
Not convinced?

First, pull a Dongfeng 5C out of your crotch.

Therefore, when Robert Iger refused to settle and Michael Eisner couldn't bail out the Weinstein brothers, they had to find another way to get out, and the best way was actually medical parole.

When Isabella brought them up, the meaning became clear.

Even if they can't kill the enemy right away, they can't let the enemy think they're easy to bully...

"Their situation is not good."

Barry Mayer understood what Isabella meant and said, "But, Isabella... do you really want to hear about our actions?"

"Do not want to."

Isabella replied, "I'm just a 13-year-old girl, I don't understand what you're saying."

"hahahaha——"

Isabella's words made Maye and Aiger laugh loudly.

And then the call ended...

On July 9, 2003, Robert Thomson, editor of The Times, announced his resignation.

According to sources, Robert Thomson was promoted to editor-in-chief just last year.

The reason for his resignation was related to an unverified report published in The Times on July 6, 2003.

As for what the news is?

On July 9, The Times published an apology letter on its front page.

The Times apologized to Isabella Heywood, stating that its previously published article contained inaccurate information...

Then, on July 11, 2003, DreamWorks officially notified Universal Pictures that with the ten-year contract coming to an end, they would no longer seek further cooperation with Universal Pictures, and the friendship that had lasted for more than three thousand days was coming to an end.

Then, on July 14, 2003, The Washington Post reported that AOL Time Warner was preparing to propose a name change at its upcoming shareholders' meeting, and that they might officially remove 'AOL' from 'AOL Time Warner'.

Finally, on July 19, 2003, the Los Angeles Times reported that Roy Disney Jr., head of the animation division of the Disney Group, had submitted his resignation to the company, and his ally, Stanley Gold, a member of the board of directors of the Disney Group, was also planning to retire.

Even a clay figure has a bit of fire in it!

Isabella hates being hit?

How could Aiger and Meyer, who both aspired to be kings, possibly accept being attacked willingly?
Don't you want us to have an easy time?
Then let's just give up on living like this!

(End of this chapter)