Back in the day (1975), Michael Korda, then editor in chief at Simon & Schuster, wrote a cheeky self-help book "Power!: How to Get It, How to Use It," which offered advice on everything from what power color to wear (blue) to how to avoid unsightly facial tics (apply Xylocaine anesthetic ointment before an important meeting).
Despite a chorus of derisive reviews, "Power!" became an instant bestseller and caused an uproar in the publishing world because, well, it was so vulgar and tasteless. Back then, one didn't boast about the unbridled pursuit of corner offices or glorify the weaselly art of brown-nosing one's superiors. As it turned out, Korda wasn't just a philistine--he was a philistine ahead of his time. Today, no one bats an eye at the naked quest for power.
Corporate overlords like Jack Welch and Sumner Redstone pen self-serving memoirs about their ascension to tycoon-hood, while Barry Diller and Richard Parsons are lionized in the business press as master synergists and empire builders. The ultimate symbol of our obsession with these media barons has taken the form of the Power List. Pioneered by Premiere, which just published its 13th in its May issue, some version of the Power List is now a staple at such media outlets as Entertainment Weekly and Vanity Fair.
The Power List's appeal is obvious: It offers us lowly peons a voyeuristic peek into the lofty aeries of the high-powered kingpins. We see who's moved up or slipped a notch, what strengths or weaknesses they have, concluding with a nugget of insider info (known at Premiere as "Yes, It's True"). Thus we learn that Barry Diller, ranked No. 3 this year, likes his shirts to match the office orchids.
What depresses me about this is that the media and moviegoers routinely complain that nobody makes good films anymore, but when it comes time to put the spotlight on Hollywood insiders, the focus is always on power, not who has a passion for film. Like so many of the other titans at the top of the Power List, Rupert Murdoch (No. 4 on the Premiere list) is a deal maker--he's no more enamored of movies than whoever's running Kmart these days.
So without further ado, here's my first Anti-Power List, exalting a few artists and industry-ites who provide the movie business with a touch of quality and class. (Longevity counts--everyone on this alphabetical list needed a five-movie resume to qualify--but the only power that counts here is the commitment to make good movies).
