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January 12, 2006
Sundance Swag Cannot Cripple Kaufman's Conscience
I caught up on some overdue Sundance reading this morning, from my colleague Ray Pride's carefully cultivated list of film trailers to Jonathan Bing's foray into the merciless corporate culture ensnaring the festival in its web. This latter point was reinforced yesterday by NYC film writer Anthony Kaufman, whose blog elaborated on last year's well-documented woe with an even more earnest indictment for 2006:
Crass commercialism is a way of American life, but no where is the situation more egregious than the run-up to the Sundance Film Festival. ... (H)ere are a few of my favorite gross, materialistic marketing tactics that continue to chip away at the integrity of the films at the festival. Those crimes perpetrated by the Sundance Film Festival itself are marked with an asterisk. And this year, I thought, why not avoid giving them any more publicity than they richly don't deserve. Comments in [italics] are mine. ...
-- This year celebrities will indulge in the most decadent lounge in Park City. Celebrities and select press will enjoy an open bar while being pampered by famed skin care specialist XXXX XXXXXXX with oxygen facials and services. Then get lavished with over $25,000 in high-end gifts from XXXXXX, XXX, XXXXX, XXXX & XXXX, XXX XXXX and much more. [Now, why, please tell me, do celebrities need $25,000 in high-end gifts? Why not give $25,000 in gifts to some of the 94,000 children living in poverty in the state of Utah?] ...
* XXXXXX Canine Cuisine, one of Masterfoods USA's leading brands, announces the first ever XXXX Spa at the Sundance Film Festival taking place in Utah this January. In the XXXXX Spa, small dogs and their celebrity owners will get pampered and primped for the Sundance premieres, parties and entertainment. ... [My God, is this what we've come to as a culture?]
Short answer, Anthony: Yes. But do not despair. You have an ally in me, who had planned to take along an empty suitcase just to fill with free swag from my first trip to Sundance. But after a change of heart, I have decided instead to pack up one of Utah's 92,000 impoverished children for the return to New York. I know I will probably have to check a bag that size at the airport, but whatever--for once, I am doing the right thing, and it never felt better. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by stvanairsdale at January 12, 2006 08:21 AM
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