Study shows G-rated fare more profitable

A new study set to be released Tuesday shows that family-friendly movies are more profitable than R-rated films, throwing more fuel onto the fire of the long-running debate over sex and violence in entertainment -- and whether it sells...

In a follow-up to a 10-year study commissioned by the foundation in 1999 -- which found that between 1988-97 the average G-rated film made eight times the profit of an R-rated picture -- an extension of that study found that trend continuing and expanding...

"While the movie industry produced nearly 12 times more R-rated films than G-rated films from 1989-2003, the average G-rated film produced 11 times greater profit than its R-rated counterpart," said Dick Rolfe, the group's founder and chairman...

Rolfe said the foundation does not seek to eradicate R-rated films, and has endorsed select movies that have a redemptive message, including "Saving Private Ryan," "Schindler's List," "Amistad" and "The Passion of the Christ."

"Dove is not suggesting that Hollywood produce only G and PG movies," he said. "We just think the proportionality is out of balance, given the relatively few, highly profitable family-friendly movies released each year. Our study reveals that Hollywood is not serving the most prolific audience segment in the entertainment marketplace: the family..."

Do the chickens have large talons?

Headline: Spelling Bee contestant does a Napoleon Dynamite impression

"...One of the funniest moments of the National Spelling Bee yesterday (it was on ESPN) was when contestant Dominic Ranz Ebarle Errazo, before spelling his word, blurted out in his best Napoleon Dynamite voice: "Do the chickens have large talons?" The knowing kids in the audience laughed, but the adults were puzzled. The TV commentator said something like, "I wonder if he's giving some kind of code."

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Hilarious.

United Airlines to Offer Internet Access

Figures. They won't have this on our plane, but wouldn't that be cool? ;-)

Small is the new big

From Seth Godin's blog:

Big used to matter. Big meant economies of scale. (You never hear about “economies of tiny” do you?) People, usually guys, often ex-Marines, wanted to be CEO of a big company. The Fortune 500 is where people went to make… a fortune...

And then small happened...

Read the rest.