An immodest proposal

Had a convo with a friend at the weekend. He asked my opinion about Scarlet Johansson suing Marvel-Disney over their decision to release the Spider Woman blockbuster to Disney’s streaming channel concurrently with its theatrical opening. Well, I haven’t read beyond the headlines on the story, but of course that doesn’t preclude me from having an opinion.

Which is: if Johansson gets screwed out of any income to which she’s contractually entitled, I’m all for her sticking it to the production company. It’s the same issue over which writers, directors and performers have gone on strike since about the 80s; content creators are entitled to full proceeds of their labor.

Well, my friend said, but Johansson is getting millions already…

So? Twenty thousand or twenty million, she’s entitled to get all the proceeds which her contract permits.

But she’s not even all that talented…

Well, she’s what Disney/Marvel figured would be box-office draw; they hired her and she delivered. They owe her.

Then the argument pivoted. My friend has an issue with people making mega millions and not sharing with the greater community. He hasn’t heard of Johansson being any kind of philanthropist…

Well, okay—different complaint. And while I agree that the obscenely wealthy have a moral obligation to give back to the communities that enabled their wealth (see yesterday’s post about labor), there’s currently no legal mechanism for encouraging them to do so.

Oh, but wait—what if the über wealthy got taxed? I mean, if they really got taxed on those squillions of dollars? At the federal and state levels? And the government(s) used that tax income to do things like training people for better jobs, educating their children, providing universal healthcare, building affordable housing and like that? What if Johansson and Disney paid equitable taxes on the bazillions they make on Spider Woman and all the other blockbuster mind-drivel they produce? They can still live la vita dolce on what they have left, and the folks who pay to see the movies (in theatres or in their homes) could benefit, too.

I have a feeling there’s some kind of glitch in my theory, but I’ll think about it. And I’ll bring it up the next time my friend and I chat.