I guess we’ve now gotten to the point where Nikki Finke is going to desperately try to spin her gossip blog into a new source. As usual, her spin is self-referential and utterly self-serving. And as it is so often… a load of crap.
At least, partially.
And this is how the truly great liars make their lies seem truthful.
Today, Nikki explains
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
So…how do you REALLY feel about Nikki?
Ay, that’s the rub.
No matter how many facts you throw, all anyone ever notices is the mud.
Who really cares about this petty shit? Finke is a loathsome cunt with a keyboard. We get it. She gets all the heat. You are jealous of it but feel warm by basking in moral high ground.
DP when I read these Finke slapdowns I imagine a high pitched whine escaping your pursed lips. Be happy that you’re liked and respected in certain circles. If you want to get heat – be Davez Hilton and draw fucking white scribbles on photos of the new hollywood babylonians.
::applauds::
Well said.
I’ve been reading this blog (and The Hot Button, and everything on the old TNT website…) for years and finally decided to sign up. My main reason: I actually went to Nikki Finke’s blog for the first time two days ago. Long story short, I thought I stumbled onto something straight from “The Onion” at first.
If I can figure out how truly ridiculous her page is at first glance (and I am far from an industry expert, “casual observer” would describe it best) it puzzles me how anyone could consider anything on Nikki’s page even remotely close to journalism.
What I’m left wondering: does she actually truly believe that what she does on her blog has any journalistic value? I’d rather go with the idea that she’s trying to play a giant practical joke on everyone she suckers into believing she’s providing “news”…
JBD… assign whatever crap you like to me.
I feel compelled to speak the truth. People know it. People look past it.
Like you say, if I wanted the kind of heat Nikki gets, I would do some of that dumb shit. Any of the people she mentioned and many others could.
I know you don’t care about the degrading of this profession… but I do.
Might I suggest that all you listen for is high pitched whines… prefer them… are amused by them…
Someone has to say these things. I’ve been doing it for a long time… what respect I have doesn’t come from hiding from real issues… and the destruction of journalistic standards is dead on real. Sorry… but it is.
If you want to see an important discussion of this, get your hands on Costas Now from HBO, which discusses this all, not just about the web, but about all areas of media… in that case, sports media. Everything said there is true of movie journalism… only there is no Costas.
A sting operation, no Dave? Everyone appreciates your reportage, keep up the good fight, so they and we keep on our toes.
I read that blog post that contained the CAA agent’s rant. All I have to add is that like another poster in that comment thread I loved Stardust. Saw it on video and thought it was one of the top movies I saw last year. I’m noticing an increasing trend that these companies couldn’t cut a trailer to save their lives.. Uhh how about telling us what the movie is about and mentioning the elements. I had no desire to see Speedracer but I dare you tell me what it was about from the trailer. Stardust was the same although it was poor casting not to have someone more recognizable as the male lead.