the meter and sorcery of the new World

So I'm listening to NPR, I think KCRW, the show, All Things Considered maybe, and they were discussing the bankability of certain American actors worldwide, worldwide compared to domestic and why. The segment began with the assertion that the domestic box office receipts, measured in USD, is not nearly as important anymore compared with worldwide markets, now measured in Euros or the Chinese Yuan. They cited a recent movie, Prince of Persia which made $90M and cost around $200M. "A flop, right?" I guess not. Worldwide box office receipts totalled $230M; remember that's after the $90M it made in the U.S. So some quick first grade equals a total count of $340M at the end of the day. That's pretty freaking dope. So now, the new movie calculus becomes what movie stars have the best worldwide bankability. There is a scale that measures this, of course, and the program's host interviewed the scale's architect who called the scale the stock market of movie star's worth. So the top ten highest bankable stars in the World wide. The two shocks?, Will Smith was number 1 (not so much a shock because he is superdope) and there was only one woman, Reese Witherspoon! The middling bunches consisted of the usual Hollwood fair and fluff; Pitt, Cruise, John and Pat, Phil B. Lah and then blah bla.... So I suspect a decoupling of the U.S.'s influence, both economic and aesthetically, with the rest of the World's taste. There are far too many other big countries commanding significant sums of money and culture gravitas to the point of shifting economic dynamics. And what is often the case, an economic transformation necessarily births a shift in a culture's sensibilities, the culture itself becomes pregnant with new efficient information and bulges, writhes and such, music and writing and painting, photography and all sorts of human endeavor reflect the meter and sorcery of the new World.

The Cult shifts with it's city and it's World. In the Cult of Los Angeles, there is an ever effect of flux and danger, polished edges and round, endless delicious summers. The city's ever fast beating heart, fast on paradise and ambition and other things as well...the reflection of my love and lust. My sincerest affection for NPR...will outlive the radio.

"I don't pretend to be perfect, I am! Cocaine from Heaven, Son of Sam..."