I don’t get mad easily. I might get irritated, frustrated, and even exasperated, but actual mad? I have a very long, slow fuse and because of this, I don’t tend to get mad very often. I tend to get over things pretty easily (mostly — I have been known to harbor a grudge or two) and typically even forget why I was bothered about whatever it is five minutes after it happens.
I can even remember the last time I was as mad as today, if that shows you how rare it is. It was when a group of determined individuals went and attacked a good man because of perceived slights. I wrote about it here. I was enraged at that time. Today? I’m merely pissed by what happened to Gina Carano, pissed enough that I went and canceled my DisneyPlus subscription. And anyone who knows me will tell you I have always been a HUGE fan of the House of Mouse.
I’m a fan of Gina Carano. Can she act? Eh, it’s debatable. I don’t think she’s ever going to win an Oscar, if that’s what you’re asking. Is she correct in her statements about the “cancel culture” which seems to run rampant (and hypocritically) throughout social media and Hollywood? Until yesterday, I would have simply said “eh… maybe?” Until yesterday the mob turned their attention back onto her and succeeded in making Disney bend the knee and kowtowing to their heady demands, and LucasFilms fired Gina Carano.
Believe it or not, that wasn’t what made me mad. Oh no, studios fire people all the time. It was kind of a running joke back in the day to see how many studios would fire Robert Downey, Jr. during his alcohol and drug abuse days. No, what infuriated me was that less than an hour after LucasFilm fired her, Ms. Carano’s talent agency UTA dropped her as well.
THAT REEKS OF COLLUSION.
Let me back up and explain. You see, United Talent Agency represents some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, stars who have been in jail for a multitude of sins ranging from drugs and alcohol to tax evasion to spousal abuse to assault & battery. UTA still represents these individuals in spite all of this, and is considered by some industry insiders to be the most powerful talent agency broker in Hollywood. They represent comedians, actors, actors, esports teams (I was surprised to find this out, actually), and athletes. They are movers and shakers.
So when one of their talent is fired from the most popular TV show by the largest production company out there right now, you would think UTA would go to bat for their client and tell the studio “Whoa now, hang on there, we’re huge supporters of the #MeToo movement and women’s rights. You can’t treat one of our most popular talents in such a manner.” You would think that, yet UTA rolled over submissively and decided to can a divisive, budding potential superstar all because a small group with dozens of fake accounts demanded it on Twitter.
This is why you never base your business decisions on the actions of those on any social media platform. You will never appease them. And to paraphrase someone else, NEVER APOLOGIZE.
Anyway, the reason I think there is collusion involved is because Ms. Carano kind of comes off as a conservative to some people (believe it or not, I think she’s more small-l Libertarian than a Conservative, but that’s even scarier to people who need labels in order to feel safe) and UTA is probably seen as a leader for the liberal elite running Hollywood, always at the forefront of equality and love (except for when they’re not — see their client Johnny Depp, for example). They’ve also donated millions to politicians (I’ll let you figure out who most — if not all — of their money went to).
No, watching Ms. Carano get kicked to the curb by her agency enraged me to no end. It also made me wonder which other client of UTA did LucasFilms promised to cast in return for UTA’s dropping of Ms. Carano. That’s the question I’m asking, and if I had a way to ask UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer, that’d be the first question I’d ask. The interview would probably be ended right then and there (agents hate hard and pointed questions like that) and my number and email would subsequently be blocked, but at least I could say with honesty that I asked. But because nobody seems to care about women’s rights or equality except when it’s convenient or makes a great marketing pitch, we might never know.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to support Gina Carano. Young girls need powerful and positive women role models in their lives.
Jason Córdova 
I try and keep out of some of the fine dividing lines in USA arguments being a Brit who gets equally incensed when someone outside of our shores starts lecturing us on something local (Like our NHS).
I had to reply on this one because oddly enough just about two hours ago I was reading the Wikipedia entry on Gina Carano and this came up.
Now from my political standpoint (That’s UK socialist, which would take the equivalent of two A4 pages to explain) there is probably a lot I wouldn’t agree with her on, however this does seem like she was caught in the political / cultural crossfire which is doing a lot of harm in the USA and distresses me since it’s been for 60+ years my go-to cultural home.
I’ll just say there are a number of folk I would point a finger at for the unhappy and dangerous times you are going through but I would not say Gina Carano is one of them.
The trouble is, this happens when the political pressure gets hot, you can make a statement about the weather the wrong way and get as much flak as if you’d suggested a ‘National Let’s Drown a Kitten’ Day.
I enjoy a good old fashion political howling match as much as the next one, but only when the target is big, professional politico and deserves it for saying something irresponsible.
She’s a casualty
A needless casualty. There are much bigger issues in this world.
Very true.
I’ve seen parallels happen in the UK, they might make you wince, ‘tut’ or shake your head but then you move on.
Of course Internet social media is a hothouse with folk just looking to be offended.
Paul McCartney made a pretty stupid statement over Ulster in a music paper back in the early 1970s ….I doubt if anyone remembers now…heck I doubt if many noticed at the time, it had a poor circulation.
What kind of a world is being built when a difference of opinion results in such an outcome? I worry about the kind of society my kids and grandkids will have to live in if this keeps going down the path it’s on.
As much as I wanted children of my own, the potential road we’re on as a society makes me glad I never had kids.
I’m with your other commentators. (Commenters? Language is changing in that regard.) I don’t understand this action, and I think it’s very stupid of the talent agency to fire Ms. Carano, to put it mildly. I hope she has a good lawyer, because if you’re right that this is collusion (and it sure looks that way), she could be able to get some sort of restitution/damages.
And I don’t know about you, Jason, but I do know that when I watch a movie, I don’t think twice about someone’s comments on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook or whatever. I just watch the movie.
The actors are who they are. I don’t think they should have to muzzle themselves just to get work. And as I said at your other post on this subject, actions speak louder than words. (Johnny Depp’s actions according to Amber Heard, his ex-wife, certainly speak much louder than any mere words spoken by just about anyone in Hollywood. And there are some damnfool people out there, just as there are unfortunately a whole lot of damnfool people elsewhere.)