The Hollywood Commission–which works in partnership with 26 leading companies, unions and guilds, academies, and talent agencies to end discrimination, harassment, bullying, and abuse in the entertainment industry–has launched its second Entertainment Survey, designed to give a voice to entertainment industry workers while providing the community with crucial insight surrounding the progress made in the past five years towards meaningful systemic change. The survey is now live here, and the Hollywood Commission encourages all members of the community to participate in the anonymous questionnaire.
Chaired by Anita Hill and founded by board members Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw, the Hollywood Commission was formed in 2017 to bring together entertainment executives, independent experts, and advisors to take the necessary collective steps towards tackling the culture of abuse and power disparity in the industry.
The second survey, which is seeking responses from members of the community through November 27, 2022, builds on the results of that groundbreaking work. As the Commission and partner companies offer new resources, initiatives, and training in workplaces throughout the entertainment community, this second survey is a temperature check to specifically identify what progress has been made and where work still needs to be done.
With a goal of 20,000 responses–more than double the participation of the first survey–the new survey will include expanded demographics to ensure representation across all communities; an added focus on employees working in the gaming sector; new questions that measure and assess whether and in what ways people experience colorism; and questions focusing on survivor support and the resources needed for victims of retaliation to get back into the industry. The survey is open to entertainment workers in television and film, commercials, live theater, music, broadcast news, talent representation, public relations, corporate settings, and the gaming sector, from countries including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and countries throughout Asia, Oceania, and the South Pacific.
When the results are tabulated, the Hollywood Commission expects to learn where systems can be improved. Survey responses will focus the Commission’s efforts over the next several years–informing the issues that it will elevate for the community and pinpointing where the organization will prioritize its resources.
“As we seek to determine what systemic progress we have made over the past several years, the second Hollywood Commission Entertainment Survey is more important and in many ways consequential than our first,” said Hill. “With this new edition, we hope to double the participation of the first survey, which will help provide us with the insight we need as we continue to focus our efforts on our next phase of work. The key to that will be participation–we need to hear directly from all workers about their experiences. We look forward to working with our partners to encourage everyone in the industry to respond and participate, safely and anonymously.”
The first-of-its-kind survey, published in 2020, received responses from 9,630 entertainment workers, resulting in eye-opening responses, including:
65% of respondents didn’t believe that a powerful individual, such as a producer or director, would be held accountable for harassing someone with less power
Only 28% of respondents who had experienced an incident of gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, or sexual coercion reported it to employers–because they think they won’t be believed, nothing will happen, or they’ll be retaliated against.
While men and women reported gender harassment (demeaning jokes or comments based on gender; sexually crude terms and insults) at similar rates (62% of men, 67% of women), females experience unwanted sexual attention (42%), sexual coercion (20%) and sexual assault (5%) approximately twice as often as males (22%, 9% and 2%, respectively).
The results of the new Hollywood Commission survey are expected to be completed and released in early 2023.
Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with 2 Swift-inspired films airing this season
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More