Arts and Culture Should Trump Political Correctness on Campus

University campuses are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas. Unfortunately, in today’s hyper-partisan and ideological world, there are those who want to close the marketplace to all but their own brands. Much attention has focused on UCLA in recent weeks as four members of a student council raised questions over whether it would be a […]

Univerisites Are California’s Best Investment

Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Cosby and Yo-yo Ma have something in common. They have all appeared on the stage at UCLA’s Royce Hall.   Over the past 85 years, Royce Hall has been a focal point for culture and intelligent discourse in Southern California. Royce has hosted virtuoso performers from Barbara Streisand and Stevie Wonder […]

Reforming Campaign Finance-Let the Sunshine in

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down another campaign limitation—the cumulative amount an individual can give to campaigns.  So what else is new? Money and politics go together like the birds and the bees.  Despite the almost universal disgust at the way campaign money distorts the democratic process, the reality is that it would be […]

Film Is Monument To American Values

There are pictures like 12 Years a Slave and Schindler’s List that bring to the screen the stark reality of some of the darkest moments of in our history and the history of the world.  Then, there are films like George Clooney’s The Monuments Men that use a much lighter touch to illuminate another important episode in the battle against intolerance and […]

Art For The Economy’s Sake

Creativity is California’s not-so-secret weapon.   Seemingly against all odds, the Golden State’s economy has made a big comeback from the depths of the worst recession since the Great Depression.  Employment has rebounded, the State’s fiscal picture has brightened and entrepreneurship is thriving.  Creativity and innovation have been the driving forces behind much of this newly […]

The Politics of the Arts

The arts rarely are mentioned in the context of political or economic coverage, unless it is the opening of a glitzy new venue or a kerfuffle over a Mapplethorpe exhibit or some other over the top cultural expression.  Public arts funding has been squeezed hard by the fiscal crises at every level of government.   Nonetheless, […]

The Hollywood Mystique Only Goes So Far

There is an old saying in real estate that there are only three things that count–location, location and location.  Well, in today’s entertainment business, there are only three things that count–the bottom line, the bottom line and the bottom line.   This reality goes a long way in explaining why Southern California has lost its edge […]