On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that movie and television productions, which have increasingly viewed the Peach State as an ideal place to conduct business, spent $4.4 billion in the state in the 2022 fiscal year. All told, Georgia hosted 32 film productions and 269 television productions despite its efforts to restrict voting access and squash abortion rights—moves that clearly run afoul of traditionally liberal “Hollywood values.”
California wants those productions back in Tinseltown. Or at the very least, back in the Golden State. Anywhere but Pig Iron Land, where people of color are expected to stand in voting lines for hours without water or snacks and women are seen as birthing vessels first, demure housewives second, and human beings third—if there’s still time to think of them at all.
Progressive Georgians are naturally exempt from the “pig iron” slur. As is the land itself. And 92.7% of the peaches. And, hey, y’all elected two Democratic senators, so maybe that was a bit harsh. But fair warning, Georgians: If you send Herschel Walker to the Senate in November, “Pig Iron Land” will be by far your best option.
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed a bill that would extend the state’s film and TV tax credit program through 2030. The bill would provide $1.65 billion ($330 million per year) to content creators who work in the state. The proposal coincides with a new push Newsom is making to retain more of the productions that, in previous years, would likely have called California home.
On the same day Newsom endorsed the bill, he also made the following appeal to TV and movie producers, calling on them to examine their values in the wake of the Georgia state government’s increasingly rightward tilt.
The full text of the ad:
HOLLYWOOD: YOUR VALUES, YOUR CHOICE
California is the best place in America to create.
For 100 years, we’ve been the home for storytelling and storytellers.
Together, we built a creative community that includes unrivaled casts, crews, craftspeople, infrastructure and technology. Robust tax credits and other incentives. The best culture.
Most importantly, we share your values. So now, it’s time to choose.
Over the past several years, the legislatures of states like Georgia and Oklahoma have waged a cruel assault on essential rights. Now, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s abhorrent decision overturning Roe v. Wade, those same states are quickly moving to strip reproductive freedom.
As you know, their attacks are not occurring in secret, and the harm they inflict is not the result of mere carelessness. On the contrary, they are carrying out these attacks brazenly and with the intent to cause pain in the communities they target—many of whom are essential to the success of your industry. Today more than ever, you have a responsibility to take stock of your values—and those of your employees—when doing business in those states.
California is a freedom state: Freedom to tell your stories. Freedom to access the health services you need, including abortion care. Freedom to love who you love and to ensure that your LGBTQ friends, family and colleagues can proudly be who they are. Freedom from repressive state governments that want to tell you what to believe and threaten you with felonies if you don’t toe their line.
So to those in power to make decisions about where to film, where to hire, where to open new offices, we in California say: Walk the walk.
Choose freedom. Choose creativity. Choose California.
In a separate statement, Newsom said, “As other states roll back people’s rights, California will continue to protect fundamental freedoms for all and welcome businesses that stand up for their employees. Extending this program will help ensure California’s world-renowned entertainment industry continues to drive economic growth with good jobs and a diverse, inclusive workforce.”
This isn’t the first time Newsom—who may just be eyeing a presidential run in 2024 or beyond—has called out other state governments for their hard-right policies. Over the July 4 weekend, Newsom aired an ad on Fox News that took aim squarely at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his state’s attacks on abortion, free speech, and voting rights. Later, Newsom ran full-page ads in Texas that took Gov. Greg Abbott to task over his state’s positions on abortion and gun control. “If Texas can ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives,” the ad read. “If Governor Abbott truly wants to protect the right to life, we urge him to follow California’s lead.”
It would be nice if everyone followed California’s lead—at least when it comes to basic human rights. But until they do, the least Hollywood can do is embrace its own ethos.
Pulling out of ass-backwards backwaters would be a fine start.
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