RE: Patt Morrison schedule for Friday, March 30, 2012

 

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, March 30, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:07 – 1:41:00 OPEN

 

1:41-1:53

Haircuts, quick sandwiches, and bare knees – all proof that the economy is on the rise?

Before you get upset about twiddling your thumbs for a while at a place like Subway, consider this: that long wait for your sandwich might just mean the economy is picking up. According to some economists, when times are bad, skilled workers take just about any job, and that includes spreading condiments and flipping burgers. Just like a groundhog supposedly knows that winter will last longer based on its shadow, the world of economics is full of macroeconomic indicators located where science meets intuition (or superstition). Besides sandwiches, more haircuts and more spending on men’s underwear means things are looking up – Alan Greenspan famously believes that extra boxers and briefs are one of the first places where men cut back during a recession. Then there is the Hemline Indicator, proposed by University of Pennsylvania Wharton School professor George Taylor and tested this year by Business Insider magazine. (In case you’re wondering, BI reported that hemlines are on the rise, and thus the economy should be, too.) Of course, if you really want to know how the nation is recovering, there’s always Google.  How many searches for “unemployment benefits” do you think its search engine has seen since 2008?

 

Guest:

Justin Wolfers, visiting professor of Economics, Princeton University and Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy, The Wharton School

 

2:08 – 2:22

SAG and AFTRA – together at last?

After a long, contentious and very public battle, members of two entertainment labor unions have settled the question of whether or not to merge into one.  While the majority of the 70,000 members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are in favor of the merger, the Screen Actors Guild, which represents over 125,000 actors, has split into two factions, one in favor and one vehemently opposed to joining forces with AFTRA.  Opponents to the merger, who are in the minority, cite concerns that it will result in decreased health benefits and pensions.  In fact, a group of high-profile members, including Martin Sheen, Ed Asner, Valerie Harper and Ed Harris, filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent the vote.  After a district court judge denied the injunction yesterday, the unions announced that the tally would proceed and results of the vote would be made public today [Friday].  The merger vote needs 60 percent approval of the combined memberships to pass, which would effectively immediately merge the two unions into one.  A recent study in the Hollywood Reporter reveals that SAG’s primetime series market share has plummeted from 93 percent in 2006 to 20 percent today.  AFTRA’s share increased accordingly in that period, from less than 10 percent to around 80 percent.  Are you a member of SAG or AFTRA?  Are you happy with the results of the vote? 

 

PRO-MERGER

Ned Vaughn, spokesman for Unite for Strength

 

ANTI-MERGER

Anne-Marie Johnson, actor and member of the National Board for SAG

 

2:29-2:39 OPEN

 

2:44-2:53

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner takes us back in time
The 60’s period drama Mad Men returned for its fifth season after an unusual 18-month hiatus on Sunday, March 25^th. The long break was replete with contract disputes and some typical off-screen Hollywood drama, but it didn’t cool the slow burn of the show’s steamy plot or quell any fan interest. Sunday’s season premiere drew 3.5 million viewers - the largest audience for the show to-date. This growing popularity has made Mad Men’s creator, Matthew Weiner, one of the hottest names in the business. Weiner wrote the original draft for Mad Men in 2000, and the script led to his first success as a writer and producer on the wildly popular HBO mob drama, The Sopranos. He eventually pitched Mad Men to AMC when the network began to produce original programming. The show first aired in 2007 and has gone on to win four Emmy awards for best drama series. The critically acclaimed drama centers on a fictional Madison Avenue advertising agency and uses its characters to reflect the radical cultural shifts of America in the 1960’s. Weiner has plans for another two seasons of Mad Men and is set to begin production on his feature film directorial debut, “You Are Here,” in May, 2012. What is your favorite aspect of Mad Men? The costumes? The pillow talk? The historical references? The scotch?

Guest:
Matthew Weiner (WYE-ner), television writer, director and producer; creator of Mad Men