The actions of Sony Pictures this week can be described as nothing less that cowardly. More importantly, this sends a clear message to everyone how easy they and others like them can be manipulated.
Surprise, surprise, surprise
Sure, I’m not the one who has to make the decisions and maybe I don’t have all the information, but let’s take a look at what happened. Sony is a victim of internet hacking and has “sensitive” information uploaded to the public. They cry and complain then have the balls to threat the media about the coverage. Then all of a sudden someone makes a threat as it pertains to their movie release and they decide to cancel the opening for that movie. The actors are now all of sudden a little skittish for their safety and everyone is acting surprised.
There is no single person in charge
It should come as no surprise the actions of a movie company are anything but courageous. I mean what where they thinking in the first place. It is not like this happened overnight, it’s not like thousands of people didn’t have a say in what happened and everyone went along with it complicit in their actions because they were making a buck. We were laughing the other day at my gym while we were looking at some crazy stuff merchandise available for purchase at various Walmart’s. What got us laughing was the decision to carry the product wasn’t made by one person, there are literally dozens of people who had a hand in that decision and they all either were derelict in their duty or incompent to perform their duties, but to blame one person is false. It is endemic of the entire organization.
The blind leading the blind
Same thing here, it took a while to develop a script, cast the actors, set the stage, edit the movie and then finally market and launch. I love how “holier-than-though” Hollywood can be at times. Nobody during this period stopped to think, hey maybe we shouldn’t do this. Most of the time they are not too “sensitive” to anyone’s feelings, they really don’t give a damn…it’s in the interest of art. Let’s face it, if you turn to Hollywood or the majority of it’s actors for moral guidance you are just as screwed up as they are, probably worse.
Lack of leadership
The real problem I have is the precedent they have set and how that can effect our future in many fields. It is not difficult to see what our future holds. First, we have a president who dishonors decades old practices of not negotiating with terrorists. To me, this was the beginning, he sent a very clear message to the world we are weak. So, it should come as no surprise that a community that supported him or gave tons of money to his cause would not also show weakness. After all birds of a feather flock together. This dangerous precedence needs to be addressed, not swept under the carpet. More companies are going to have to work harder to keep things in line because of the absolute poor leadership we saw from our government and now the cowardly act we see from Sony.
Now we are left to pick up the pieces and try to ensure our future is secure. There is so much wrong with our country these days, lack of leadership is only a part, lack of courage is the real problem.
"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor." Aristotle, Greek Philosoper
