Desperation

The cover of the latest Entertainment Weekly is about "the new politics of Hollywood." It's the sort of trendmongering you expect when they don't have a real story. The article pretends the fairly safe (implicitly anti-Bush and anti-Iraq) politics one sees in some recent Hollywood product is brave. (How do we know it's brave? Because George Clooney says it is.)

Is this a meaningful trend? Is it even a trend? I doubt it. But this is a cover feature, so the writer better try to make the case:

Hollywood now believes there's money to be made from making serious and thoughtful films about politics. And they may be right. Good Night, and Good Luck, which cost only $7 million, has so far grossed more than $16 million.

If EW wants to rest its case on one small film that makes a meager, if decent amount, they really are desperate.