When an independent expenditure committee to support Los Angeles city controller Wendy Greuel in her bid for mayor was announced earlier this month, organizers said that it would be financed by union and entertainment money.

With reports being filed with the city of Los Angeles Ethics Commission, some of the donors are being disclosed. Norman Lear has given $5,000 to the independent expenditure committee, Working Californians, which is planning a media campaign to support her candidacy. Lear and his wife, Lyn, already have donated the maximum $1,300 that they can give directly to Greuel's campaign.

Lear is among the industry's most prominent political activists, having founded People for the American Way and pushed for years for progressive causes.

Organized by political consultants Sean Clegg and Ace Smith, Working Californians has the backing of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18.

Greuel's chief competitor, Eric Garcetti, has been critical of the outside spending. When plans were announced earlier this month for Working Californians, senior strategist Bill Carrick wrote to supporters that "a few people with a vested interest in the election, spending unlimited amounts of money to keep change from coming to City Hall is not what we need in Los Angeles."

Rose Kapolczynski, Greuel's campaign director, said after the independent expenditure committee was announced that "entertainment industry leaders and working families support Wendy Greuel because she means business when it comes to job creation."

 

The 9/11 Family Group is coming to the defense of "Zero Dark Thirty," issuing a statement thatcalls into question the motives of some of the movie's critics, who claim that it overstates the role that torture played in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

"We are greatly concerned that a few pundits, 'film critics' and elected officials are badmouthing this movie because of the waterboarding scenes and because this film directly confronts the enduring terrorist threat," the group said in a statement released Thursday.

As Variety's Justin Kroll writes, the group went on to describe criticisms and political outcry as "censorship": "The use of the term 'torture' by elected officials in hopes of dissuading people to endorse or view this film is antithetical to what our government should be all about."

Last week, director Kathryn Bigelow appeared on the cover of Time and has defended the movie in a Los Angeles Times op-ed, a shift in P.R. strategy which had earlier let the movie speak for itself. But that started to change when senators Dianne Feinstein, Carl Levin and John McCain blasted the movie, called for Sony to make changes and then launched an investigation of just how much cooperation the CIA gave to Bigelow and writer Mark Boal. Yet their actions also have had a backlash, with some creatives in Hollywood questioning why elected officials in D.C. were essentially trying to dictate the content of a movie.

"Nobody wants to think that if they make a work of art they have to answer for it before a government committee," Boal said on the red carpet at the Golden Globe awards.

Bradley Cooper, nominated for best actor in this year's Oscar race, is in Washington where he will attend a press conference with former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy about removing the stigma of mental illness.

Cooper and Kennedy will be joined at the Center for American Progress press conference by Barbara Van Dahlen, president of the nonprofit Give an Hour; and Andrew Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The movie, which is also nominated for best picture, is about a man living with bipolar disorder, which affects about 5.7 million adults in the U.S.

Give an Hour is hosting  a screening of the movie in D.C. tonight at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, followed by a Q&A with Cooper.

A number of movies have held screenings in D.C. during awards season, not only drawing attention to the films but to messages they convey. Steven Spielberg screened "Lincoln" at the White House and on Capitol Hill, while "Zero Dark Thirty" had a screening at the Newseum (in addition to sparking a renewed debate over torture).

The mystery of whether Beyonce lip-synched the National Anthem at President Obama's inauguration is solved: She said today that she sang to a pre-recorded track.

Calling herself a "perfectionist" at a press conference tied to her appearance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, she said that she decided to sing to a prerecorded track becasue "I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra. It was a live television show, and a very very emotional show for me, one of my proudest moments, and due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk. It was about the president and the inauguration and I wanted to make him and my country proud."

She said that the use of a prerecorded track is "very common in the music industry" and that she was still "very proud of my performance."

In an ingenious way of tempering any criticism, Beyonce started the press conference by asking the reporters to stand up, and she belted out the "Star Spangled Banner," for real. Video below.

The leading contenders in the race for Los Angeles mayor --- city councilman Eric Garcetti and city controller Wendy Greuel --- are in a battle of perception over who has momentum leading to the March 5 vote. A big part of that is endorsements from the entertainment business, and each candidate has been aggressively courting industry donors for more than a year now.

Garcetti put out a video earlier this week featuring Salma Hayek, who talked about his skills as a dancer, among other things, and has slated a Feb. 7 event at the Henry Fonda Theater with Moby, Will Ferrell and Jimmy Kimmel among the headliners. Greuel has a Feb. 11 fundraiser at the Soho House featuring Kate Hudson, Tobey Maguire, J.J. Abrams. Bryan Lourd and Sarah Silverman among the cohosts, according to the LA Weekly.

Today the Garcetti campaign went a step further, releasing a list of 200 supporters from the entertainment business, along with quotes from Michael Eisner, Ken Ziffen and David Nevins.

Eisner said, in a statement from the campaign: "I strongly support Eric Garcetti. He is exactly what Los Angeles needs from our new Mayor. I have known Eric since he was in high school, on through college, a Rhodes Scholar, and City Council president. If anybody knows LA and how it runs and how to run it, Eric does.”

Greuel unveiled her campaign's first advertising spot on Tuesday, and it began running this week. But she also has the support of an independent group, Working Californians, with support from unions and entertainment sources. Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen endorsed Greuel, a former Dreamworks executive, in the fall of 2012, and there is some expectation that they may be involved in donating to the independent committee as well.

The full list of "entertainment leaders for Garcetti," which also includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Spacey, Michael Ovitz and Tom Sherak, is below.

"I'm not a debater. And everybody has their own opinion about this." Jim Nabors, 82, to Hawaii News Now, on marrying his partner of 38 years last month in Washington. Although reticent to enter the debate over same-sex marriage, he said that "when you've been together 38 years, I think something's got to happen there, you've got to solidify something."

On "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, the late-night host suggested that Al Gore was "enabling" the continued use of fossil fuels by selling Current TV to Al Jazeera, financed by an emirate that reaps a windfall from oil and gas.

But Gore said that Qatar has "ambitious plans" for developing renewable resources, and praised Al Jazeera's news coverage and its stories on climate change.

Letterman's questioning was similar to that of Matt Lauer, who grilled Gore on "Today" earlier this week about the sale of Current, reportedly for $500 million.

Letterman highlighted a problem that Current had all along with the cable lineup: "I never could find it."

"It turns out to be very difficult for an independent network to compete in a world of conglomerates," Gore said.

A video of the interview is below.

MPAA chairman Chris Dodd will be the keynote speaker at the National Press Club's speakers luncheon on Feb. 15.

The MPAA notes that the appearance is just a week before the Oscars on Feb. 24. While the focus is on the impact of Hollywood on the American economy, there's a good chance that the issue of violence in the media will come up in the media forum.

Former Secretary of State James Baker and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) wrote a joint op-ed published in the New York Times today that suggests that the National Rifle Assn. and the entertainment industry have to ease up on their defense of the status quo via the protection of the Second and First Amendments, respectively.

They write, "Absent wide support, any laws passed now might well be rescinded once the partisan balance of power inevitably shifts. A broad-based approach could also help guarantee that any legislation would survive a constitutional challenge. That means that both gun-rights activists and the entertainment industry will have to moderate their positions."

Baker and Dingell share their experiences as hunters, but they question whether society needs high capacity magazines or armor piercing bullets. But they also reference violent movies, TV shows and videogames and suggest further study on the long-term impact on children.

President Obama called for a $10 million study of videogames and media images, to be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, in his plan to reduce gun violence.

Los Angeles city controller Wendy Greuel this morning unveiled the first campaign ad in the Los Angeles mayor's race, a spot that pledges that she will represent "all of L.A." It's a pretty generic message, but the well-produced spot also is an introduction to voters, many of whom undoubtedly haven't paid much attention to the race even with voting five weeks ago.

The LA Weekly reports that the Greuel campaign "spent at least $125,000 on its initial week-long buy with KABC, with an additional, unspecified buy at KNBC." Greuel's spot will get aired during local news as well as Jimmy Kimmel's show, which, as the Weekly points out, is interesting because Kimmel has endorsed Greuel's chief rival, Eric Garcetti.

The complete ad is below:

Mary Matalin and James Carville will be ending their longtime gigs as pundits on CNN.

Carville told Politico that the news network wanted its contributors to be more readily available --- i.e. in D.C. --- but he and his wife live in New Orleans.

Jeff Zucker officially started on the job last week, and today he put into play a big change with the hiring of Chris Cuomo, expected to have a major role in the morning hours. Last month, Jake Tapper also left ABC News for CNN, with plans for an afternoon show.

 

Tonight's debate of five Los Angeles mayoral candidates was free of attack lines and zingers that are part of the national stage, but it also was also largely of that big captivating idea.

With five weeks to go, there have been many. many forums already, but the event on Monday at UCLA that was broadcast in the early evening on NBC 4, ensuring a larger audience. The theme was jobs and the economy, and moderator Conan Nolan put that in stark relief by showing a chart of the city's rising deficit as well as its climbing pension liability, rising to more than a quarter of the general fund by 2016.

While all of the candidates agreed on the need for pension reform, perhaps most surprising was that Kevin James, the former radio host and Republican on the non-partisan ballot, wasn't the rhetorical flame thrower to match the tone of a recently released pro-James SuperPAC ad. He cast himself as a candidate free of special interests when it came to dealing with public sector unions, and talked of freeing business tax calculations from gross receipt formulas. But otherwise seemed to agree with the other candidates on other issues, like the need to support green energy development or to undertake large-scale infrastructure projects.

Instead, most of the criticism of the other candidates came from Emanuel Pleitez, a tech executive and the underdog of the field, who seemed to start just about every answer with the phrase, "I am the only one up here who (fill in the blank)" Didn't Mitt Romney use that line?

A memorable moment for Wendy Greuel came when she announced that, as city controller, she identified $165 million in cuts --- the old adage "waste, fraud and abuse" --- including $7 million for fuel, the mystery being fuel for what?

City councilwoman Jan Perry suggested tying development agreements to job creation, such as setting aside employment for lower-skilled workers.

City councilman Eric Garcetti talked about the turnaround of Hollywood since he's held his seat, one of the few (albeit fleeting) references to the entertainment industry during the debate.

Somehow, though, these things always seem to come down to an issue universal to all, traffic. One of Garcetti's lines drew a rare moment of applause and laughter: "Traffic is strangling our economy and ruining our lives."

These are the remaining weeks of the first round of the race for mayor of Los Angeles, with voters going to the polls on March 4, with a good chance there will be a runoff of the top two vote-getters in June.

But even as the presidential election took away attention and resources, the candidates were aggressively raising money and collecting endorsements. The latest is Salma Hayek, who endorsed Eric Garcetti in a video that the campaign released today. The campaign also has slated a Feb. 7 fundraiser at the Henry Fonda Theater headlined by Jimmy Kimmel, Will Ferrell and Moby.

Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel was endorsed by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen back in 2011. Jan Perry has the endorsement of Dick Van Dyke, who co-hosted a fundraiser for her in November, citing her work in addressing the problem of the homeless downtown. And Kevin James hopes to break through in part with his notoriety as a radio talk host.

The candidates will be at UCLA this evening for a debate that will be moderated by Conan Nolan and aired on NBC 4.

Update: Hayek's spot is below. It is a bit unusual for a celebrity endorsement spot --- she calls him "this guy Eric Garcetti," and notes that he is a chef, gardener, professor, former military officer and an "amazing dancer" --- but irreverence seems to be the point.

Political consultant and ad maker Fred Davis, who is leading a SuperPAC supporting Los Angeles mayoral candidate Kevin James, the right of center alternative in the race, debuted a new web video today that casts his opponents as foxes guarding the henhouse.

Davis is perhaps most notorious for creating Carly Fiorina's "demon sheep" against Barbara Boxer in the 2010 Senate race, but his reputation is for producing spots heavy in imagery, sometimes outlandish and often memorable.

This spot takes on Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry as unable to stand up to employees' unions at the expense of fixing roads and boosting employment. It ends with a shadow of a fox looming over Los Angeles City Hall.

When Sarah Palin was announced as a Fox News contributor in 2010, it was greeted with great fanfare. She had recently resigned as governor of Alaska, published a best-selling book and was widely believed to be a contender for the 2012 presidential nomination. The network even tried her out as a talk show host.

Those plans did not transpire, and now she is ending her gig as a Fox News paid contributor.

Today, Fox News confirmed that they had parted ways with Palin, although it was unclear what exactly led to her departure.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed our association with Governor Palin," Fox News' exec VP of programming, Bill Shine, said in a statement. "We wish her the best in her future endeavors."

During the Republican National Convention, Palin went public with apparent frustration that Fox news had cancelled her appearances on the night that John McCain was to speak.

Real Clear Politics, citing an unnamed source, reported that Palin was offered a contract but turned it down. Robert Barnett, her attorney representing her in the Fox News deal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This post was corrected to reflect that Palin's signing with Fox News was announced in January, 2010.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) on Thursday reintroduced legislation authorizing a National Academy of Sciences study of the effect of violent videogames and video programming on minors.

The legislation is similar to a bill he introduced last month, shortly after the Newtown tragedy, but there was not enough time to advance before the end of the last Congress.

The new bill has four original co-sponsors: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

In a statement, Rockefeller said that he has been "working closely with Senate leadership and my colleagues to make sure that research like this is a priority, and I'm glad the president's plan includes additional research into the link between violent content and children's behavior."

President Obama's proposals to curb gun violence, unveiled last week, include authorizing $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control to conduct a study of violent content.

"The reality is we are living in an increasingly violent culture which, when coupled with mental illness, can create a very dangerous situation," Heller said in a statement.

Johanns said, "This legislation will allow us to study what, if any, impact this exposure has on our youth, and if it encourages or desensitizes our children to the real-life consequences of violence."

The legislation, the Violent Content Research Act of 2013, would examine whether violent video games and programming cause kids to act aggressively or have other harmful effects, and whether that effect is distinguishable from other types of media.  It also would look at the direct and long-lasting impact of violent content on a child’s well-being.

The NAS would be requried to submit a report within 15 months to Congress, as well as to the FCC, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The legislation cites violent "video programming," which could apply to TV but perhaps to web video and other new technology. In an interview with Variety, Rockefeller said that he was concerned that alternate distribution methods online make content more easily accessible to children with "limited parental control."

 

Vice President Joseph Biden, appearing today at a Google+ 'hangout" on gun violence, said that there was a need for more comprehensive research on the impact of violent videogames.

President Obama's set of gun policy proposals unveiled last week focused primarily on firearms, but it also made mention of media violence, including a $10-million study of videogames and, more generally, "media images."

Biden compared the potential benefit of such research to that of highway safety, including studies that showed the need to for seat restraints to prevent drivers from being impaled by the steering column.

"There is part of the interest group population out there that are afraid of facts," Biden said. "Let the facts lead where they will, and let the research be done, and that is one of the things that the president and I believe very strongly. Let the facts work, including with regards to the entertainment industry."

He added, "There is no hard data as to whether these excessively violent videogames in fact cause people to engage in behavior that is antisocial, including using guns. There is one study done --- the American Academy of Pediatrics --- they said if you watch three to six hours of videogames, a lot of kids do that, can lead to aggressive behavior. They didn’t make the next connection, that leads to violent behavior, but there’s no studies done. So I recommended to the president that we do siginificant research. Let the [Centers for Disease Control], let the National Institutes of Heatlh. Let these people go out and look at the pathology that behind this, if there is a pathology related to gun violence. We shouldn t be afraid of the facts."

 

 

 

 

Kathryn Bigelow, snubbed for an Oscar nomination, nevertheless can celebrate the movie's box office success as well as make a further publicity blitz for Oscar votes, as the pic is up for best picture, screenplay and other categories. She appears on the cover of Time today, and earlier this week was on "The Colbert Report." It is a different strategy than letting the film speak for itself, something that may not be possible when a movie is the target of Senators' furor and criticism from other well-regarded national security journalists.

“This territory has been controversial since the early part of the decade, so I knew that the film was going to be controversial, though perhaps I didn’t anticipate this kind of volume," she tells Time. "... I feel we got it right. I’m proud of the movie, and I stand behind it completely. I think that it’s a deeply moral movie that questions the use of force. It questions what was done in the name of finding bin Laden.”

Although Bigelow says that "there's ambiguity in the film," screenwriter Mark Boal defends its depiction of the use of torture as "true."

"If the general impression you get from this movie is that torture played a role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, that’s because that’s true. That’s a fact. It doesn’t mean they had to torture people or that torture is necessary or torture is morally right."

Time's Jessica Winter quotes some critics, including Robert McFadden, a former Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agent in charge and a senior vice president at the Soufan Group, a strategic consultancy, who challenges that enhanced interrogation techiques "were critical to putting together the mosaic that led to Osama bin Laden." Then again, that notion seems to be contradicted by CIA director Leon Panetta, who wrote to John McCain in 2011 that some detainees subjected to enhanced interrogation "provided useful information" about the courier that eventually led to bin Laden.

The complete story is here.

The U.S. Marine Band now is backtracking on an earlier statement that Beyonce lip synched "The Star Spangled Banner" to prerecorded music.

Now they are saying only that its portion of the National Anthem was pre-recorded, but as for Beyonce's singing, "No one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded," according to a statement from the Marine Corps, per the AP.

The statement indicated that the band did not have a chance to rehearse with Beyonce beforehand so "it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high profile event."

It is a bit surprising that they couldn't rehearse, given that this wasn't just any old concert or award show. So a guessing game continues, just as people are parsing the performance itself, wondering why she took out her earpiece midway through.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

So Beyonce's rousing rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" was a lip sync. No wonder some in the crowd I talked to thought that she didn't quite have the vocal force they expected, at least not like Whitney Houston.

But according to Entertainment Weekly, Houston's 1991 version also was pre-recorded. Perhaps this latest dose of reality will open a whole Pandora's Box of national treasured moments that aren't quite what they seem. Actually, given all of the coverage and excitement around Monday's inaugural, it was easy to lose sight of the fact that the swearing in was not really a swearing in. That was done the day before in the private quarters of the White House.

The same mini-controversy happened in 2009, when reporters quickly discovered that cellist Yo Yo Ma's performance was prerecorded, as organizers feared that the cold weather would freeze up his fingers. There is no such explanation this time around, as the weather was slightly warmer, and other performers like Kelly Clarkson apparently performed live. I'll admit that I didn't notice anything amiss from where I sat, although reporters standing off to the side of the Marine Band said that they could notice that sound wasn't coming out of the instruments.

A real inaugural performance may be when an artist is forced to improvise. Poet Robert Frost composed a new work for John F. Kennedy's inaugural in 1961, but the glare at the lectern was so great that he couldn't read the words, and he instead recite "The Gift Outright" from memory.

So perhaps that ought to be the threshold for future performers at inaugurals. The new president invites them to attend and then, after the swearing in, makes his request to sing a favorite on the spot.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

There was not a more elegant moment last night when President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama danced to Jennifer Hudson's serenade of "Let's Stay Together."

First it was at the Commander-in-Chiefs Ball, and then it was at the Inaugural Ball. The latter was a massive Super Ball, essentially combining eight of the elegant affairs into two, drawing tens of thousands to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

If you think it had the makings of an Andrew Jackson-era mob scene, you are wrong. Very few of the ball goers were dressed down: very many were dressed to the nines. It many have not been Jason Wu, who designed the First Lady's inaugural gown, but to the many who flowed in through the security, it was obviously their best.

On TV, this Inaugural Ball, with star filled performances, lived up to the themes, classy and inclusive. But to actually be there was to look around, beyond a makeshift stage, and a two-football field sized hall, just slightly decorated, that was pretty dreary, what with exposed concrete and all the charm of an assembly line.

Outside, thousands waited to pass through a security perimeter, many women having made blocks-long walks down Sixth Street in their high heels before reaching a block long line. Then it was another line for coat check. And once finally in, yet another for drink tickets. There were no lines for the food: Cocktail pretzels and Cheez Its.

The saving grace may have been the brief appearance of the Obamas, or top notch entertainment from Alicia Keys, Smokey Robinson, Jamie Foxx and Brad Paisley. In one of her appearance, Keys talked about "this historic moment we are living in, where nothing can stop us, no one can get in our way."

For many there, it may have felt a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By the time they got out, their thoughts were surely on the "once."

Elsewhere, much smaller and less logistically challenging events were spread out across town. Cyndi Lauper entertained at a Human Rights Campaign ball at the Mayflower Hotel, exclaiming to the crowd, "He said 'gay.' Bitch right." It reflected an upbeat atmosphere in the ballroom, primarily because Obama mentioned gay rights for the first time in an inaugural address, as well as put the movement's key moments like Stonewall in the context of Selma and the civil rights battles of the 50s and 60s. Richard Blanco, the inaugural poet, was surrounded as he repeated, again and again, the feeling of being on the Capitol Hill platform and reciting a work before some 700,000 to 800,000. (Official estimates have yet to come in.)

Across town, at the 9:30 Club on V Street, Ke$sha and DJ Jazzy Jeff performed at an event for Musicians on Call and the Recording Industry Assn. of America. It was past midnight. Inauguration Day was over, and they broke through the staid elements of earlier events. Guests were showered in gold glitter.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

WASHINGTON President Obama's inaugural address included a call to end the bitter "spectacle of politics," but on Monday, he still embraced all its pageantry and pomp.

James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson had star turns on the Capitol Hill platform, and Beyonce gave such a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that, at least among those inaugural goers up close, she invited comparisons to Whitney Houston.

But as Obama launches a second term amid plenty of jubilation here, there is a question of just how much he will continue to tap Hollywood. His many trips to Los Angeles were to raise money, by many accounts a ritual he hardly craves but does out of necessity. Compared to his Democratic predecessor, Bill Clinton, Obama has been somewhat detached: Little late-night courting and conversation. A recent dinner in the private quarters with the team behind "Lincoln" was an unusual gesture during his off time.

But many of his supporters say he will continue to draw on ties to the entertainment industry, even as he is freed from the demands of fundraising for another term.

His inaugural address signaled a renewed commitment to tackling climate change and immigration reform, an unprecedented mention of gay rights and a repeat of his vow to push a major new initiative on gun control.

All are certain to engage many industry activists, with the recent announcement that the campaign apparatus will continue as Organizing for Action perhaps a signal that showbiz figures will be used to rally grassroots support around issues in the same way they were deployed for his reelection.

Bruce Roberts, who along with Eric Ortner led the Entertainment Advisory Council for the campaign, said that the president would "absolutely" continue to engage show biz. Their org helped organize industry figures, such a campaign surrogates, including a meeting with Obama in the fall of 2011.
He said they are now talking about next steps.

"He appreciates what we have done, and of course he will be" tapping show biz, said Roberts from the steps of the Capitol before the swearing in, as the U.S. Marine Band played John Phillip Sousa. "Everything is being planned right now. Everything is being sorted out right now. We have a lot of different things going on. We are really going to push. ...Now we are just going to twist things around and see what we can do."

He added, "Hollywood and Washington are really two different animals, and they don't really speak the same language half the time, but they have the same focus."

In the immediate term, the administration is likely to continue to work with entertainment lobbying groups on gun violence, although Vice President Joseph Biden's recent meetings signalled that it may not have the extensive focus that media mayhem had in the Clinton years. Going forward, a lot of the attention is expected to be on enhancing or promoting voluntary ratings for parents.

But in the long term, Obama's engagement with the industry is expected to continue to reflect the multiracial and multicultural coalition that were critical to his reelection.

The lineup of musical talent for the inauguration --- from Alicia Keys to Far East Movement to the cast of "Glee" --- signals a desire to spotlight diversity, particularly in the arts. The Obamas have revived PBS' "In Performance at the White House," and have appointed many industry figures to an arts policy committee. The choice of one of the inaugural co-chairs, Eva Longoria, was a recognition of the importance of a well-recognized figure who is forging a new role as a Latino activist.

Obama's inaugural address invoked, in an indirect way, the role that the media can play in politics. In doing so he eluded, as he has before, to the discourse on cable news and talk radio.

"We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate," Obama said.

Some veteran Washington figures who have been pushing for compromise --- yet have seen the town descend into even more gridlock --- saw Obama's inaugural address infused with the message that even if post-partisanship fell short, in many ways change didn't.

"He knows he can't force the Republicans to do things, but he is going to try and he is going to use the power of this office, which is considerable, to move them in that direction," said Matt Bennett, VP of public affairs and co-founder of Third Way, a centrist Democratic org. "But mentioning Stonewall, and mentioning gay equality that explicitly twice in an inaugural address and it marks a sea change in American politics where these things went from being the fringes to literally in the center of what an inaugurated president was talking about in his address."

Bennett was at the Old Ebbitt Grill, where his org, along with WHC Insider and Huffington Post co-hosted a party in full view of the parade route.

As revelers hovered around windows to wait for Obama's motorcade, he added, "Things have changed massively. I think that because we live in this hyperfast information age where everyone believes they know everything will be quite different from the judgment of history."

That sense of history is what drove many to DC four years ago; this time around, the mood was different, a mixture of jubilation and even a sense of relief.

Many of the media --- accustomed to being placed toward the back --- found themselves in the front row for the swearing in. In fact, it was movie-theater close, in that the view forced them to crane their heads and the lack of cell service prevented them from Tweeting. If there were complaints, they were a bit sheepish.

There was a bit of a sensation when Katy Perry and John Mayer, bundled up, arrived at the Capitol, stopped a bit in the media area and, still hounded by cameras, left for apparently better seats.
Nevertheless, it was nothing like it was four years ago, when telephoto lenses aimed at the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi to catch candid paparrazi shots worthy of Us.

Logistics were easier.

"I was here four years ago, only I was in the purple tunnel of doom. We never got in," said Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Catholic social justice lobby Network and head of Nuns on the Bus, referring to the hundreds if not thousands who were trapped in a tunnel trying to get in, part of a security snafu.

This time around, she was up toward center front.

"Four years ago, it was like, whoooo. this is great. This is exciting. We did it. Something happened. Now this year I think we realize what hard work we face, how we have got to come together as a nation, none of us can quit. In some ways the election was the easy work, and we have to do policy. And it is way more difficult, but all of us need to come together to do that."

The proceedings went almost flawlessly. A protester shouted from a tree during much of the ceremony, and when Obama spoke, the sound of a train engine could be heard.

That was a far cry from four years ago, when the spirited moment was contrasted with the negative hand gestures and boos aimed at former President George W. Bush's helicopter as it flew off across the Mall.

Elaine Greene brought eight members of her ministry org Sisters With Purpose, having arrived by bus from Brooklyn, N.Y. at 3 a.m. on Monday to make it in time. She was here in 2009, but didn't want to miss this history: The second inauguration of an African American president.

"The first one was even more people, and they got emotional about the inauguration," said Greene, the chair of the org, who along with friend Angela Roper was bundled up in a long fur coat. "This one is rejoicing, and glad to see he won. Before it was tears everywhere around. Now it is rejoicing and happy and glad, hoping that we are going to go forward doing better."

And what did she think of the ceremony the second time around? "I kind of think it went on a little too long," she said, laughing.

Maybe that's the difference between spectacle, and all of Monday's pomp and circumstance. The former is fleeting; with the latter, it takes a bit of time to get to the final act.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

A colorful and nearly flawless inauguration, with a dash of musical performances, greets President Obama's second term. Even though he no longer has to make the trek to LA to fundraise, some of his supporters are hopeful that he will continue to draw on the industry for support. Watch the above video to see him take the Oath of Office.

WASHINGTON Here on Capitol Hill, the gods in charge of seating arrangements do something that you don't get often: They put the press up front, albeit the kind of crane-your-neck movie theater close.

So when President Obama delivered his second inaugural address, Beyonce sang the National Anthem and Myrlie Evers Williams read a spirited inaugural poem, you really were forced to pay attention and put away the tweets. The lack of any cell phone service made sure that will happen.

I'll have more later, but today's ceremony was everything that is promised with inaugural pomp and circumstance. There were few gaffes -- Chief Justice John Roberts seem to have practiced repeatedly to get the words just right --- and the crowds, stretching down the mall, actually looked larger than expected. The weather was just slightly warmer than in 2009.

As for Obama's address, a call for unity and an effort to reinvigorate a new sense of citizenship, only time will tell whether it survives to the history books. The age of instantaneous media has made that ever more difficult to determine the words that will endure. He did, however, disparage the "spectacle of politics," meaning pundit driven division, not what is certainly on display today.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

WASHINGTON As President Obama took the oath of office on Sunday, a couple miles away in Georgetown was a quintessential scene of the D.C. Beltway.

At Cafe Milano, a famed eatery for the city's establishment, cabinet secretaries and Capitol Hill lawmakers mixed with media pundits, a smattering of Hollywood celebrities and other industry types.

Yet despite a crush at this Newsweek-The Daily Beast brunch to get down a short red carpet and to the main dining room, there was still an unmistakable difference in the mood of this inaugural weekend from four years ago. In 2009, there were more people, more parties, more events, but also an obvious historic importance to the swearing in of the new occupant of the White House.

This time around, the sequel is sometimes straining, sometimes sobering in living up to the original.

That is not to say there isn't a lot of media attention around this inaugural. Networks are planning extensive coverage throughout Monday, and are using the day to show off the occasional innovation or twist.

On the National Mall, CNN has erected an elaborate, well-heated stage set, where Wolf Blitzer anchored a special edition of "The Situation Room" on Saturday night as about 100 people watched from behind a fence, sometimes even chanting his name, with a lit Capitol grounds in the backdrop. Much of the hour was to cut away to a Kids Inaugural Concert going on right then. Among the topics: Usher's performance.

It may not be history, but it is what most inaugurals are, pomp and circumstance. At the events surrounding this inaugural, the urgency of being there for a great new chapter for the country has given way to a much more pragmatic need to see and be seen. Gone is the huge branding presence, like a Pepsi campaign that seemed to go hand and hand with hope and change. There is still huge merchandising, the usual T-shirts and caps, but also a framed print that one shop near the White House was selling for $395 called "Callin the Red" featuring Obama playing pool against Lyndon Johnson, with Andrew Jackson, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt and other deceased predecessors looking on. Legacy takes strange turns.

"Four years ago it was a singular event," said David Axelrod, the former White House senior adviser, said as well wishers shook hands with him at the Georgetown event. "Everybody's feet were a few inches off the ground. But it is still wonderful."

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said, "It is like being at a wedding and then a fifth anniversary. It is wonderful, and you are glad things worked out so well."

The industry presence is here --- but not what it was like in 2009, when plenty of entertainment figures, like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Lucas, showed up just for the sake of being an eyewitness to history. Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of Obama's biggest fundraisers and donors to his SuperPAC, didn't plan to make it this time around, nor did Steven Spielberg. He dined at the White House recently at the family private quarters along with "Lincoln" screenwriter Tony Kushner and Daniel Day Lewis. Few show biz names were on a recent list of inaugural donors.

Instead, many of the boldfaced names here this time around have a defined role: James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce are here to perform at the swearing in at the Capitol on Monday. In addition to Usher, Katy Perry and members of the "Glee" cast were among the headliners at a Kids Inaugural Concert on Saturday. Will.i.am, Common and John Legend played in the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday at an event for twentysomething empowerment org Our Time.

On Monday, some of the performers at the two official inaugural balls include  
Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Chris Cornell, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Marc Anthony.

And co-hosting a number of events is Eva Longoria, who was an Obama campaign co-chair, and has established herself as an activist for Latino causes.

Others who are here, like Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon, co-chair of Obama's Southern California finance team, were heavily involved in the campaign. Many members of the finance team, including a group from California, were treated to a weekend of events that included a candlelight dinner, briefings by senior advisers and an event at the White House on Friday where they mingled with Vice President Joseph Biden, as well as choice accommodations like the Hay-Adams Hotel.

Also present is Harvey Weinstein, among the co-hosts of the Newsweek-Daily Beast event, who also raised extensively for Obama.

Speaking on a makeshift stage at Cafe Milano, he put in personal terms of why he worked for the campaign, noting that he grew up in the city projects in rent controlled housing.

"I am a successful product of a government that cares," he said.

The theme of the brunch --- bipartisanship --- was perhaps indicative of one of Obama's high hopes that hasn't come to fruition. some of the talk was a performance by Usher. There were conservatives there, like Grover Norquist, who chatted with MPAA chairman Chris Dodd until Longoria joined them, gave Norquist a hug and posed for pictures.

Quipping about the mix of personalities, Daily Beast editor Tina Brown quipped to the crowd, "All that is missing is Clint Eastwood. He's having a conversation with a park bench."

Others present included current and up-and-coming administration figures Valerie Jarrett, Gene Sperling, John Kerry and Shaun Donavan.

Some expressed hopes that the divisions in Congress are beginning to soften, although the recent fiscal cliff fight and coming debt ceiling battle seem to have pointed to a slog ahead.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, the Republican who nevertheless endorsed Obama twice, tried to get through the crowd without being slowed by extensive conversation.

As a group of reporters rushed to him to get a quote, he said, "I am not doing interviews." Then he gave away his reason for the rush, a buffet line at the restaurant's rear.

"Look at the food," he said.

Washington D.C. this weekend will be full of entertainment industry figures, the spotlight of of national and international media and very intense security, but the accepted conventional wisdom is that President Obama's second inaugural will be a far cry from the first.

It may be a good thing, what with the crush of as many as 2 million people on and around the National Mall four years ago, when traffic so choked that taxi drivers refused crosstown fares and it was so bitterly cold that musicians playing at a Lincoln Memorial concert had trouble triking chords because of frozen fingers.

This time around, temperatures are expected to be in the 40s, and fewer people are expected, although no one knows for sure whether D.C. will catch a logistical break. The swearing in at the Capitol on Monday, which will feature James Taylor, Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, isn't even the historic event, but a ceremonial one. Whenever Jan. 20 falls on a Sunday, the Capitol event is moved a day later but the real swearing in, required in the Constitution, still takes place, this time at the White House with limited press coverage.

Yet even as inaugural planners have scaled back their events -- there are two official inaugural balls, down from 10 in 2009, and no concert at the Lincoln Memorial -- news networks and other media outlets are still heavily invested in all of the pageantry, pomp and circumstance.

The broadcast networks will have their lead anchors leading coverage on Sunday and Monday, sweetened with second-screen social media or online streaming of Obama's inaugural address and other events. Here's what they're planning:

CBS News: Coverage, anchored by Scott Pelley, will include Bob Schieffer and Norah O'Donnell, as well as "CBS This Morning" from the National Mall in an extended three-hour edition on Monday.

NBC: Lester Holt will anchor NBC News coverage on Sunday, and Brian Williams will lead coverage on Monday, with historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Michael Beschloss among those offering analysis. NBC News.com will include a 180-degree panoramic view of the Monday ceremony.

ABC: Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos anchor ABC News coverage of the swearing in on Sunday, and will be based at the Newseum for coverage on Monday, with plans for an interview with former Secretary of State Colin Powell. ABC News and Yahoo! are jointly producing live-streamed coverage across a number of web platforms, with Dan Harris and Olivier Knox anchoring. ABC News and Yahoo! News also will stream a post-inaugural show on Tuesday, "After: The Second Inauguration of President Barack Obama."

Fox: Fox News' Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly will anchor coverage of the private ceremony on Sunday and public event and parade on Monday, with Brit Hume, Chris Wallace and "The Five" co-hosts Bob Beckel, Dana Perino and Juan Williams offering analysis along with contributors Charles Krauthammer, Stephen Hayes, Kirsten Powers, Karl Rove and Joe Trippi. Jon Scott and Jenna Lee will anchor from New York after Sunday's official swearing-in, while several shows will be live from Lafayette Park on Monday, including "America's Newsroom" anchors Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum; Shepard Smith; and "Your World" host Neil Cavuto.

CNN: CNN has built a large broadcast platform at the National Mall, with an emphasis on putting its lead anchors in the middle of the activity. Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper anchor on Sunday, with a primetime special that evening along with special editions of "Piers Morgan Tonight" and "Anderson Cooper 360." On Monday, Blitzer will be live from the Capitol, and Cooper will be on the National Mall along with the network's team of correspondents and analysts. "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" will be live from Lafayette Park on Monday afternoon, and Cooper will anchor coverage from the Mall that evening, with Morgan and Erin Burnett inside the Inaugural Balls. Author David Maraniss and historian Goodwin will offer perspective. The network also has teamed up with Facebook and Instagram to capture spectators' views and stories.

MSNBC: Chuck Todd will anchor coverage of the Sunday swearing-in on MSNBC, followed by Alex Witt at 12:30 p.m. On Monday, "Way Too Early" and "Morning Joe" will be live from The Dubliner in D.C., with the broadcast open to the public. Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews anchor coverage of the Capitol Hill ceremony and parade, with Lawrence O'Donnell, Ed Schultz and Rev. Al Sharpton, along with a long lineup of contributors and analysts. "Way Too Early" and "Morning Joe" return to The Dubliner on Tuesday morning.

The gun debate is one in which the National Rifle Assn. and other gun rights advocates have actively blamed entertainment for producing a culture of violence, and there may be reason for the org to make Hollywood a punching bag.

According to a new poll frm NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, a plurality of the public has a negative impression of the entertainment industry, while they give higher marks to the NRA.

In the survey, 23% had a "somewhat negative" and another 23% had a "very negative" impression of the entertainment business. Just 23% had a "very positive" or "somewhat positive" impression. The survey showed that 28% were neutral on the question, and 3% were not sure.

By contrast, 24% had a "very positive" impression of the NRA and 17% had a "somewhat positive" view, greater than the 34% who said that they had a "somewhat negative" or "very negative" view of the org. The survey showed that 20% were neutral, while 5% had no response.

Pro-gun control orgs, including Mayors Against Illegal Guns, have featured such celebrities as Beyonce Knowles, Jessica Alba, Jon Hamm and Chris Rock in public service campaigns, and some gun rights advocates have claimed hypocrisy. A YouTube video that intersperses shots from celebrities calling for gun control with others in which they engage in gunplay in violent TV shows and movies.

But some gun control advocates say that while violent content should be part of the national conversation, the entertainment industry should not be scapegoated at the expense of taking action on serious firearms legislation.

In fact, the same NBC News/WSJ poll showed that 56% believe that laws governing the sale of firearms should be more strict, with 35% saying they should be kept as now and 7% saying they should be more strict.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said that he plans to reintroduce legislation next week calling for a National Academy of Sciences study of the impact of violent content on children's behavior.

In a statement praising President Obama's plan to address gun violence, Rockefeller said that such a study would encompass video games and "violent video programming." Although the initial version of his legislation, introduced in the last Congress, did not specify a type of video programming, the term could refer to both TV and the Internet.

In a statement, Rockefeller said, “I think everyone can agree that the impact of violent content on our kids’ wellbeing is an important issue, and I’m glad this new plan will take a close look at it.  I am working hard in the Senate to make sure this type of research – which I have strongly backed throughout my career – is available to inform our work on gun violence.  Next week, I plan to reintroduce my bill to have the National Academy of Sciences study the link between violent content and children’s behavior."

Rockefeller's proposal calls for the NAS to "examine whether violent video games/programming cause kids to act aggressively or otherwise hurt their wellbeing, and whether that effect is distinguishable from other types of media.  It also would look at the direct and long-lasting impact of violent content on a child’s well-being." It calls for a report to be submitted to Congress in 18 months, as well as to the FTC and the FCC.

Rockefeller's complete statement below:

President Obama's proposal for a Centers for Disease Control study of videogame violence also cites "media images," seemingly leaving the door open for further examination of movie and TV mayhem.

The MPAA, National Assn. of Broadcasters, the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. and the Independent Film & Television Alliance issued a statement in response, saying that they "welcome further academic examination."

The full statement: "We support the President's goal of reducing gun violence in this country. It is a complex problem, and as we have said, we stand ready to be part of the conversation and welcome further academic examination and consideration on these issues as the President has proposed."

The National Assn. of Theater Owners and the Directors Guild of America, which took part in a joint statement last week after Vice President Joseph Biden's meeting, were not part of today's release.

The Entertainment Software Assn., which represents videogame firms, reacted to President Obama's call for a study of the impact of videogame violence on youth by reiterating that scientific and crime data shows that "entertainment does not cause violence behavior in the real world."

The videogame industry has been singled out by lawmakers, and Vice President Joseph Biden scheduled a separate meeting with company reps last week from one he held with reps for movie and TV.

Nevertheless, in its statement, cited studies of the impact of violence in  entertainment in general. It also noted that other countries watch the same content, yet the gun violence is "unique to our country."

Their full statement: “ESA appreciates President Obama‟s and Vice President Biden‟s leadership and the thoughtful, comprehensive process of the White House Gun Violence Commission. We concur with President Obama‟s call today for all Americans to do their part, and agree with the report‟s conclusion that 'the entertainment and video game industries have a responsibility to give parents tools and choices about the movies and programs their children watch and the games their children play.

“The same entertainment is enjoyed across all cultures and nations, but tragic levels of gun violence remain unique to our country. Scientific research and international and domestic crime data all point toward the same conclusion: entertainment does not cause violent behavior in the real world.

“We will embrace a constructive role in the important national dialogue around gun violence in the United States, and continue to collaborate with the Administration and Congress as they examine the facts that inform meaningful solutions.”

 

 

President Obama outlined a series of gun control proposals, including a renewed ban on assault weapons, universal background checks on gun buyers and limits to high capacity magazines, that also included a proposal to study the impact of violent videogames and other media on minors.

In an appearance at the White House today, Obama also signed 23 executive orders designed to address the issue of gun violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shooting rampage. The executive orders delve extensively into improving background checks and mental health.

Obama's series of steps includes asking Congress to provide $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control to "conduct further research, including investigating the relationship between videogames, media images and violence," according to the text of the White House proposals. Although the wording seems to leave room for study movie and TV violence, and even the Internet, Obama singled out videogames in his appearance on Wednesday.

Obama said that, in addition to the CDC study on gun violence, "Congress should fund research into the effects that violent video games have on young minds.  We don't benefit from ignorance.  We don't benefit from not knowing the science of this epidemic of violence."

Nevertheless, the set of recommendations do make mention of the entire industry, concluding that entertainment and videogame firms "have a responsibility to give parents tools and choices about the movies and programs their children watch and the games their children play." During Vice President Joseph Biden's meetings with representatives from the industry last week, extensive time was spent on voluntary content ratings systems, which some parents orgs say need improvement.

An executive order that Obama signed frees the CDC to conduct research on the "causes and prevention of gun violence," even though Congress has barred the scientific agency from using funds to "advocate or promote gun control." The administration, however, says that the research is not advocacy but public health research.

Obama also cited last summer's shooting rampage in an Aurora, Colo. multiplex, when he made the case for a renewal of the assault weapons ban by saying, "Weapons designed for war have no place in a movie theater."

The videogame industry has said that existing research has shown no causal link between virtual violence and real-life violence, and the Supreme Court in 2011 even cited the lack of evidence when a majority struck down a California law banning the sale of violent videogames to minors.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, already has called for a study of the impact of videogame and video violence, but his proposed legislation, which was introduced in the waning days of the last Congress, specifies that the study would be done by the National Academy of Sciences.

James Steyer, the CEO of Common Sense Media, a parents' advocacy org that focuses on the media, praised the proposals in a statement. "By calling on Congress to direct $10 million to the Centers for Disease Control for the research on the possible linkage between violent video games and other media images and acts of violence, our country is taking an important first step towards protecting the most vulnerable among us."

The White House plan is here.

Obama and Biden's complete remarks are below:

Kathryn Bigelow writes an op ed in today's Los Angeles Times, calling herself a "pacifist" and, once again noting that "depiction is not endorsement."

She writes, "I do wonder if some of the sentiments alternately expressed about the film might be more appropriately directed at those who instituted and ordered these U.S. policies, as opposed to a motion picture that brings the story to the screen."

Some Capitol Hill lawmakers claim that the movie depicts torture as yielding valuable information that led to Osama bin Laden, but Bigelow says that "Zero Dark Thirty" puts the use of enhanced interrogation techniques into context. The movie also shows torture as leading to misinformation and dead ends.

"Experts disagree sharply on the facts and particulars of the intelligence hunt, and doubtlessly that debate will continue. As for what I personally believe, which has been the subject of inquiries, accusations and speculation, I think Osama bin Laden was found due to ingenious detective work. Torture was, however, as we all know, employed in the early years of the hunt. That doesn't mean it was the key to finding Bin Laden. It means it is a part of the story we couldn't ignore. War, obviously, isn't pretty, and we were not interested in portraying this military action as free of moral consequences."

Variety's Jon Weisman reacts: "If Bigelow and Boal finessed some facts, or if they were duped, if you will, into making torture a larger factor than it was (because let's be clear – they believe in their movie), then that's to their discredit if it was done irresponsibly rather than for a greater good, cinematically or culturally. In that respect, it's no different than "Moneyball" getting some of its facts about the Oakland A's wrong for no good reason – and, despite the apparent preposterousness of the comparison, about as likely to have an impact on our society going forward. 

"My conclusion, however, is that the strengths of "Zero" far outweigh its weaknesses, and that the level of controversy surrounding the film has been unfair."

President Obama will be officially sworn in for a second term on Sunday, but the public ceremony will take place a day later.

So his inaugural committee has made Sunday a "national day of service," with a lineup of performers slated for a "service summit" at the National Mall.

Speaking or performing at the event will be Chelsea Clinton, the honorary co-chair of the event; Eva Longoria, who is co-chair of the inaugural committee; singer Ben Folds: Delaware's Attorney General Beau Biden; Star Jones; Angela Bassett; Yolanda Adams; Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.); Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and the Washington Children's Choir. Radio host Tommy McFly emcees.

Although there are far fewer inaugural events than four years ago, the inaugural committee has scheduled two inaugural balls for the evening of Jan. 21, including a massive one at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center that is expected to draw about 40,000 people, according to press reports. A number of other orgs are planning events during the weekend, including the voting org Our Time, the Creative Coalition and the Human Rights Campaign.

Jodie Foster's stream-of-consciousness Golden Globes speech at once was an exercise in coming out and at the same time defiant in seeming to make the case that public figures have every right not to do so.

She talked of "coming out about a thousand years ago back in the Stone Age," but to friends and family and co-workers, then mocked the celebrity tendency to "honor the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a prime-time reality show."

Make no doubt about it: She did come out, before an estimated audience of 20 million, even if it was not in the "Yep, I'm Gay" way of old. Instead she thanked her "ex-partner in love" Cyndey Bernard and said how proud she was "of our modern family."

Undoubtedly, it is a far different environment for a major celebrity to come out now than it was 15 or so years ago. The moment that once earned the cover of Time has given way to a subtler means of coming out that at once announces it yet does not make a big deal about it. Anderson Cooper, Matthew Bomer and Zachary Quinto are just a few of the recent examples. Cooper came out in an email to columnist and blogger Andrew Sullivan that, like Foster, noted that friends and family had long known he was gay but he also sought privacy. But even though he said he was reticent for private and professional reasons, Cooper wrote, "I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand."

By contrast, Foster's speech seemed to rub more than a few people the wrong way, and it didn't help that Mel Gibson, a polarizing figure in Hollywood on a number of fronts, was part of her lifetime achievement celebration. Where Cooper's e-mail was clear and direct, acknowledging the political and sociological importance of coming out, Foster's was at times gracious, at times irreverent and at times mocking of celebrity culture.

Karen Ocamb writes at LGBT POV  that "for me, 'privacy' is the very excuse so many hide behind to avoid the consequences of coming out – consequences such as losing family and friends, shame, depression and suicide – consequences gay kids know too well, consequences her best friend Randy Stone was trying to help prevent by co-founding the Trevor Project. To me, “privacy” is something Mel Gibson calls for after getting caught in another tirade – not something Randy Stone would tell suffering LGBT youth to claim as a tactic to endure bullying."

Andrew Sullivan writes about Foster's comments about privacy. "How beautiful it once was"? When gay people were put in jail, or mental institutions, or thrown out of their families - all because of the "beauty" of privacy for Hollywood royalty like Foster? And she honestly believes it's courageous to come out in a retirement speech? Well I guess we should be relieved she didn't leave it for her obit."

Michelangelo Signorile writes at Huffington Post that "whatever you thought of last night, you'd have to agree that it was another indication of how it's becoming harder and harder for anyone in public life to have any real credibility and still be living in the closet. Personally, I don't care if people like Jodie Foster are bitter or annoyed at activists. It's the job of activists to challenge people and, yes, to annoy people. What I care about is that the repressive and suffocating gay closet not be seen as a good place even if it is still the only safe choice for many."

Sam Leith at the Guardian heaps praise on the speech: "It's a considerable thing to deliver a speech that is at once artfully put together and emotionally affecting. At the Golden Globes – where in accepting the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement, she made the first public acknowledgement of her sexuality --- Jodie managed both. What's striking is not what the speech gave away, but the control and delicacy with which it delivered its payload."

 

The Parents Television Council is chiding ABC for an episode of "Scandal" that featured a graphic torture scene, which the org says points to "the needed action to end the hypocrisy and disregard by TV networks for the impacts of media violence."

The PTC is a longtime and familiar TV watchdog, but they have singled out "Scandal" not just for its content but because it was aired on the same evening last week when Vice President Joseph Biden was meeting with TV and movie representatives as he draws up a list of recommendations on reducing gun violence.

The PTC noted that the network issued an advisory at the beginning of the program, but "they should have rated it as TV-MA."

"It is sickening just how quickly the entertainment industry was able to move past the tragedy of Newtown and get back to business as usual," said PTC president Tim Winter. "Every television network has publicly defended their programming while refusing to accept one iota of responsibility for contributing to a media culture soaked in violence." He added that they "continue to hide behind a failed content rating system that currently proclaims every series on the public airwaves to be appropriate for a 14-year-old child."

He described the scene as"a man struggling to breathe while being waterboarded, his nose being broken and his face beaten into a bloody mess, blood spattering on the walls, and being kicked and beaten into submission."

The chiefs of the networks each addressed the issue of violence at the Television Critics Assn. press tour last week, but Winter also said it amounted to passing the buck.

Winter said, "NBC’s Bob Greenblatt defends his content by pointing his finger at crime procedurals on CBS.  CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler defends her network’s violent content, saying it is intended for adults, yet she is rating those shows as being appropriate for children.  Fox chief Kevin Reilly claims his broadcast doesn’t influence a behavior change for the viewer.  Is that what he tells his advertisers, who pay him billions of dollars every year solely for the purpose of influencing the behavior of his viewers?"

Biden still has not unveiled his proposals, or whether any will touch upon media violence. But at his 2 1/2 hour session with the entertainment industry on Thursday, executives at the table spent much of the time explaining what they have done to date, including voluntary ratings system and public service announcements, sources say.

 

 

 

"Nobody wants to think that if they make a work of art they have to answer for it before a government committee." "Zero Dark Thirty" screenwriter Mark Boal, to Variety's Cynthia Littleton, on the Senate Intelligence Committee's probe of CIA cooperation in the making of the movie.

Updated

"Argo" was the upset winner for best picture at the Golden Globes, but the biggest surprise was who introduced the movie that it beat out, "Lincoln." Former President Bill Clinton walked out onstage to a standing ovation, and tied the movie's message of principle and compromise to today's political environment.

Dominic Patten reports at Deadline Hollywood that Steven Spielberg arranged for Clinton to appear, and it was successfully kept under wraps. Spielberg has long ties to Clinton, but the movie already has earned the approval of President Obama and Senate leaders. Dreamworks has positioned the movie's present day relevance with screenings at the White House and the Capitol. As such, they've been trying to elevate "Lincoln" as something more than just a movie, or even another Oscar nominee, but as an important commentary for the country.

Whether this matters in the final stretch of award season remains to be seen. The win of "Argo" may shake up the race and even the conventional wisdom that best picture Oscar nominees stand worse chances when their directors don't earn nods as well.

By the way, as surprising as Clinton's appearance was, it is not unprecedented for a sitting or former president to take appear at a kudocast. Franklin Roosevelt addressed the Oscars by radio in the early 1940s. Ronald Reagan appeared on the Academy Awards in a taped appearance in 1981. Just a few months out of office, Gerald Ford presented the final award at the People's Choice Awards in 1977.

Updated: Backstage, Daniel Day-Lewis was asked whether Spielberg arranged the Clinton appearance.

"I know they are friends, and their friendship goes back quite a long way. I have no doubt conversations led to that" he said.

He added, "I haven’t had a chance to find a corner somewhere and just reflect on that moment when [Clinton] spoke about our film. I was very honored to have a conversation with him afterward to hear his thoughts about the man, his achievements and about …I wouldn’t wish to try to put that in a sentence or two, but yes, it was an incredible privilege to have him, a Lincolnian scholar in his own right, speak about the film that way."

 

The Entertainment Software Assn. issued a statement describing Vice President Joseph Biden's meeting today with representatives of the videogame industry, as his task force prepares a list of recommendations on gun violence for President Obama.

The industry statement said that they would work with Biden on "meaningful solutions," and that should be the focus. But they also pointed out to Biden that research found "no causal connection" between videogames and real-life violence.

The ESA statement said, “The video game industry had a productive and candid conversation with Vice President Biden and his Gun Violence Commission today. We thank the President and Vice President for their leadership, and including in their discussions a diverse array of stakeholders and perspectives. We look forward to working with the Vice President on meaningful solutions to the issue of gun violence.

"We expressed in the meeting that the United States Supreme Court recently affirmed that the independent, scientific research conducted to date has found no causal connection between video games and real-life violence. We also recognized that gun violence is a serious problem in our country. We are saddened by the recent tragic events, and as an industry integral to the social and cultural fabric of America, we look forward to continuing our engagement with government officials and policymakers focused on meaningful solutions."

Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal's statement chiding actor David Clennon came in response to a comment he made in a press advisory sent out by Interfaith Communities United for Peace and Justice, which put together an anti-torture demonstration today at the federal building in downtown Los Angeles.

In an e-mail to Variety, Clennon wrote that "it would be tragic and stupid if this little dust-up distracts us from THE issue." He included a link to an article he wrote for Truthout.org. posted earlier this week, in which he said, "I'm a member of Hollywood's Motion Picture Academy. At the risk of being expelled for disclosing my intentions, I will not be voting for "'Zero Dark Thirty' ---  in any Academy Awards category."

He added, "Everyone who contributes skill and energy to a motion picture - including actors - shares responsibility for the impressions the picture makes and the ideas it expresses. If I had played the role that was offered to me on Fox's '24' (Season 7), I would have been guilty of promoting torture, and I couldn't have evaded my own responsibility by blaming the writers and directors. So Jessica Chastain won't get my vote for Best Actress. With her beauty and her tough-but-vulnerable posturing, she almost succeeds in making extreme brutality look weirdly heroic."

The complete op-ed is here.

He also wrote in the op-ed, "If, in fact, torture is a crime (a mortal sin, if you will) - a signal of a nation's descent into depravity - then it doesn't matter whether it "works" or not. 'Zero Dark Thirty'  condones torture. Not a single character involved in "The Greatest Manhunt in History" expresses any regret about the CIA's use of torture. Maya/Chastain gets her man (code named "Geronimo!") and that's all that counts. The end justifies the vicious means.

The op-ed, Clennon said, "clearly states my beliefs about 'Zero' and my responsibility as an American citizen and a member of the Academy."

Update: Clennon adds, via e-mail, that he does not "object to 'Zero''s depictions of torture?  I object to the depiction of torturers like Chastain's Maya as heroes.  

"I haven't the least interest in censoring this picture.  I want thepeople who see it to avoid the movie's manipulations and decide for themselves whether Dan & Maya should be admired or prosecuted for thuggish criminal behavior."

Updated

On the day that "Zero Dark Thirty" hits theaters nationwide, Sony Pictures Entertainment issued a statement defending the movie after an Academy member said that he would not vote for the movie because he says it advocates the acceptance of torture.

Sony took the unusual step of issuing a statement from SPE co-chair Amy Pascal, in what it characterized as a response to public comments made by an Academy member, actor David Clennon, that he would not vote for the movie because he felt it promoted the acceptance of the use of torture in the war on terror.

In her statement, Pascal said that the movie "does not advocate torture," and criticized Clennon, for using his "voting status in AMPAS as a platform to advance their own political agenda."

A representative for Clennon was seeking comment from his client.

The movie already has sparked a furor among some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who claim that it wrongly depicts waterboarding as beneficial to extracting valuable information in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Bigelow and Boal have defended the movie. Although it scored Oscar nominations on Thursday for best picture and for its screenplay, the surprise was that Bigelow was excluded from the nominees for director.

Pascal said, " 'Zero Dark Thirty' does not advocate torture. To not include that part of history would have been irresponsible and inaccurate. We fully support Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal and stand behind this extraordinary movie. We are outraged that any responsible member of the Academy would use their voting status in AMPAS as a platform to advance their own political agenda. This film should be judged free of partisanship. To punish an Artist's right of expression is abhorrent.

She added, "This community, more than any other, should know how reprehensible that is. While we fully respect everyone's right to express their opinion, this activity is really an affront to the Academy and artistic creative freedom. This attempt to censure one of the great films of our time should be opposed. As Kathryn Bigelow so appropriately said earlier this week, 'depiction is not endorsement, and if it was, no artist could ever portray inhumane practices; no author could ever write about them; and no filmmaker could ever delve into the knotty subjects of our time.' We believe members of the Academy will judge the film on its true merits and will tune out the wrongful and misdirected rhetoric."

Clennon played Miles Drentell on "Thirtysomething," and more recently appeared in "The Mentalist" and "J. Edgar." Several weeks ago, a man identifying himself as Dave Clennon commented on a New Yorker story about the protest waged against the film by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan.).

Vice President Joseph Biden said on Friday that reps from the TV and movie business offered "some very constructive ideas on how they could help," referring to his task force that will deliver recommendations to President Obama next week on reducing gun violence.

Biden made the comment at a brief press availability before he held a separate meeting with representatives from the videogame business. He called his Thursday evening session with reps from industry trade associations in Washington, as well as other lobbyists, "very productive."

So far, Biden has left little indication that the major focus of his recommendations will be anything other than restrictions on guns and background checks.

Here's video, via CBS News, of today's meeting with the vidgame business.

Washington DC officials have announced that "Meet the Press" host will not be charged with possession of a high capacity gun magazine, shown in a post-Newtown interview with the NRA's Wayne LaPierre last month, even though it was an apparent violation of city law.

According to the Associated Press, D.C. attorney general Irvin Nathan wrote that "influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States, especially while this subject was foremost in the minds of the public."

Nathan, however, said that it was a "very close decision" not to bring charges, but also admonished the show and suggested that their point could have been made in other ways.

According to the AP,  D.C. police say NBC asked for permission to use the clip during a segment and was advised that it would be illegal, though NBC has said it received conflicting guidance from other law enforcement sources.

Police began investigating after the program aired and recently referred its findings to the attorney general's office.

"Meet the Press" issued a statement Friday that said: "We displayed the empty magazine solely for journalistic purposes to help illuminate an important issue for our viewers. We accept the District of Columbia Attorney General's admonishment, respect his decision and will have no further comment on this matter."

Updated

Vice President Joseph Biden is about to start his second meeting with entertainment industry officials to talk about gun violence in the media, this time focusing on the videogame business.

His office released a list of participants in the session, including representatives from major vidgame firms as well as university experts on the impact of virtual violence on behavior.

The list includes reps from Activision Blizzard, Inc.; Electronic Arts; E-Line Media; Entertainment Software Association's Mike Gallagher; the Entertainment Software Ratings Board; Epic Games; GameStop; the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop; Take-Two Interactive; Texas A&M; the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Zenimax Media. Also participating will be a consultant for the video game industry and the leader of a government-funded study on the effects of video games on young teenagers.

What is telling is that Biden singled out the videogame industry for a separate meeting today, having met with representatives from the movie and TV business on Thursday evening. It's an indication that the administration treats videogames, with its interactivity, differently, and the presense of researchers in today's meeting certainly will make the discussion different. The National Rifle Assn., in their initial press appearance following the Newtown, Conn., blamed media and violent videogames for the mayhem, even as the industry itself pointed to research showing that the impact of such violence is either inconclusive or not supported by evidence. In the 2011 Supreme Court decision striking down California's violent videogame law, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing the majority opinion, dismissed and even mocked the research that has been done alleging a causal relationship between virtual and real-life violence.

Update: Per CBS News' Mark Knoller, Biden told the videogame industry reps that they were "not being singled out by his task force on gun violence." He also said that he is "anxious to hear their ideas."

Second update: Biden said that there was not a "silver bullet" to solve the issue of gun violence.

In a press availability with the videogame makers, Biden said at the start, "I come to this meeting with no judgment. You all know the judgment other people have made."

He suggested that he would be listening to their ideas.

 He also raised the question of whether there was a "coarsening of our culture," and then said, "I do not know the answer to that question."

Biden sat next to John Riccitiello of Electronic Arts and Michael Gallagher, President & CEO, Entertainment Software Association. Also at the table were Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, in addition to other industry reps.

Third update: One org that was not represented at Friday’s meeting was the Entertainment Merchants Assn., which challenged California’s videogame law. But the org’s interim president, Mark Fisher, sent Biden a four-page letter ealier this week, in which he said that “blaming movies and video games is an attempt to distract the attention of the public and the media from meaningful action that will keep our children safer.” He defended the effectiveness of the voluntary videogame ratings system, citing a recent FTC report, and pointed to the Supreme Court decision as a reason why “it seems clear that government restrictions on the dissemination of depictions of violence are impermissible.”

He also said that a “multitude of previous studies” had shown that “depictions of violence have a de minimus impact on real-world violence,” and government probes over the past decade have not identified media sources among the factors in causing shooting rampages at schools.

A copy of Fisher's complete letter to Biden is here.

 

President Obama's inaugural committee unveiled a talent lineup for a series of inaugural balls on Jan. 19 and Jan. 21, including Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, the cast of "Glee," Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson.

Also on the bill are Far East Movement, fun., John Legend, Marc Anthony, Mindless Behavior, Nick Cannon, Soul Children of Chicago and Usher. More performers are to be announced.

The officially sanctioned inaugural events include a Kids' Inaugural concert on Jan. 19, with a focus on military families, and two balls on the evening of Obama's official swearing in on Jan. 21. The include the Commander-in-Chief's Ball for members of the military, and The Inaugural Ball, billed as a unified celebration that will encompass every hall in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Updated

Vice President Joseph Biden met with entertainment industry representatives on Thursday evening as he prepares to give President Obama a set of policy proposals on gun violence early next week.

Few details immediately emerged from the 2 1/2 hour meeting, which was closed to the press, although some industry sources said it was their understanding that it was a session to gather ideas or to listen to what Biden had to say about violence in movies and TV shows. Many of the trade orgs were reluctant to say much about the meeting, and have issued just a few short statements since the shootings in Newtown, Conn., have generated calls not just for stricter gun laws and improved mental health screening, but a look at childhood exposure to images of gun violence.

The meeting was to include MPAA chairman Chris Dodd; Comcast Corp. executive vice president David Cohen; National Assn. of Theatre Owners CEO John Fithian; National Assn. of Broadcasters CEO Gordon Smith; National Cable and Telecommunications Assn. CEO Michael Powell, DGA national executive director Jay Roth and Independent Film & Television Alliance CEO Jean Prewitt, in addition to a rep from Branded Entertainment. Also present was CBS Corp. exec VP Martin Franks.

Six of the organizations, including the DGA, MPAA, IFTA, NAB, NATO and the NCTA, issued a statement after the meeting.

"The entertainment community appreciates being included in the dialogue around the Administration’s efforts to confront the complex challenge of gun violence in America. This industry has a longstanding commitment to provide parents the tools necessary to make the right viewing decisions for their families. We welcome the opportunity to share that history and look forward to doing our part to seek meaningful solutions."

On Friday, Biden will meet with reps from the videogame industry, which was given a meeting separate from other parts of the entertainment business. Expected to attend is Mike Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Assn.

Biden and other cabinet members have been meeting with an array of other groups, including gun control advocates, mental health officials, faith leaders and gun owners orgs, such as the National Rifle Assn. Biden said that he will present recommendations to Obama by Tuesday, and in a brief appearance before the press today, he indicated that his focus would be on “the ones that relate primarily to gun ownership, and the type of weapons we own.” He said that includes proposals for universal background checks and limits on the availability of high-capacity magazines.”

Although the meeting with entertainment industry representatives was closed to the press, in a brief appearance before the media on Thursday afternoon, Biden cited the videogame industry in talking about the need to do research on the issue of gun violence.

Biden related an expression that his late Senate collegue Pat Moynihan, made in the 1980s during debate over a crime bill that Biden sponsored in the 1980s.

Biden said that Moynihan “used the example of the assassination of a mob boss in 1936… making the front page of every paper in America. And then he stood on the Senate floor and he held up the New York Times and on page 54, he picked it up, at the very back of the paper, where an entire family, including grandmother, mother, father, children, were basically assassinated in their apartment, thinking it may have been about a drug deal, and it made page 54. And he said, ‘We’ve defined deviancy down.’”

Nevertheless, any White House action may be limited to the use of the bully pulpit, as President Bill Clinton did several times in the 1990s when he focused on violence in TV, movies and music. Industry associations are likely to resist government attempts to limit violent content as a threat to free speech, and their position is bolstered by a 2011 Supreme Court decision that struck down California’s ban on the sale of violent videogames to minors. A majority of the court made it clear that they would be skeptical of future legislative attempts to limit media violence, largely because it has been so difficult to define where the line would be drawn in a way that survives First Amendment scrutiny.

The parents org Common Sense Media sent a letter to Biden, as well as to the chairmen of the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission, that outlined a series of proposals, including a voluntary moratorium on all advertising for violent videogames and violent movie trailers during programming when children are watching. Common Sense CEO James Steyer also is calling for legislation that would give the FCC authority to restrict the marketing of violent videogames, movies trailers and promotions when children are watching, as well as a more prominent display of movie, TV and videogame ratings on marketing materials. Another proposal calls for the Federal Trade Commission to require that the gun industry reveal all product placements and tie-ins with the videogame industry.

White House Photo: Biden listens to NAB president Gordon Smith at a meeting with entertainment industry representatives in Washington on Thursday evening. Pictured, from left to right, Biden, John Fithian, Martin Franks, David Cohen, Jean Prewitt and Gordon Smith.

To congratulate the actor for his Oscar nomination, White House official photographer Pete Souza today tweeted this photo he took in November of Daniel Day-Lewis viewing the Gettysburg Address, after a screening of "Lincoln" at the White House Family Theater.

Souza writes, "We had just watched the movie 'Lincoln' in the White House theatre with the director, screenwriter and many of the actors attending. Later, the President invited Daniel Day-Lewis upstairs to see the Lincoln Bedroom in the private residence. Here is Day-Lewis, who had just come to life as Abraham Lincoln, viewing the Gettysburg Address."

The movie was screened on Nov. 15, with Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and other cast members present. In December, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, hosted a screening of the movie at the Capitol, again with members of the cast and crew present.

The biggest surprise of this morning's Oscar nominations was that Kathryn Bigelow was not nominated for best director, raising some speculation that all of the controversy surrounding "Zero Dark Thirty" hurt its chances.

But if that were the case, it doesn't explain the movie's best picture nomination and, more importantly, the nomination for screenwriter Mark Boal, who has been just as prominent as Bigelow in criticism of the movie and responding to it.

There's the prospect that this year's early voting may have tempered the nominations for movies released late in the year, as also snubbed was Tom Hooper, director of "Les Miserables." We will never really know, save for a next-to-impossible poll of Oscar voters, or even a release of the vote totals, which the Motion Picture Academy does not do.

Also not nominated was Ben Affleck for "Argo," which earned rave reviews and has not had the same level of criticism of "Zero Dark Thirty," even though it also takes license in telling the story of how six Americans were smuggled out of Iran in the midst of the hostage crisis.

And as usual, the documentary feature category had its own share of movies that surprised in not making the final cut, including Lee Hirsch's "Bully," Eugene Jarecki's "The House I Live In," Alison Klayman's "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," and Alex Gibney's "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God." Instead, voters selected Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War," David France's "How to Survive a Plague," Dror Moreh's "The Gatekeepers," Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi's "5 Broken Cameras" and Malik Bendjelloul's "Searching for Sugar Man."

 

 

Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio has back out of delivering the benediction at President Obama's swearing-in ceremony, as controversy focused on past anti-gay comments he made in a sermon posted online.

Per the Washington Post, he said, “It is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda a focal point of the inauguration. Though the president and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms.”

The Presidential Inaugural Committee issued a statement, saying, “We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this Inaugural. Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part for his leadership in combating human trafficking around the world. As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.“

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, said, "It was the right decision. Participants in the Inaugural festivities should unite rather than divide. Choosing an affirming and fair-minded voice as his replacement would be in keeping with the tone the president wants to set for his Inaugural."

Reps from major industry trade associations will attending this evening's meeting with Vice President Joseph Biden to discuss violence in entertainment.

Per a pool report, reps from Branded Entertainment, Comcast Corp., the DGA, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, the MPAA, the National Assn. of Broadcasters, the National Assn. of Theater Owners and the National Cable and Telecommunications Assn.

Sources say that individuals attending include Comcast's David Cohen, the DGA's Jay Roth, the IFTA's Jean Prewitt, the MPAA's Chris Dodd, the NAB's Gordon Smith, NATO's John Fithian and the NCTA's Michael Powell.

A new survey conducted in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting rampage shows that parents overwhelmingly believe that violence in TV, movies and videogames contributes to violence overall, with a majority saying that the prevalance of mayhem in the media making it difficult to shieled their children from such images.

The survey, conducted by SurveryUSA on behalf of Common Sense Media and the Center for American Progress, showed that parents were split on the question of whether violence in videogames is a “major” or “minor” problem. Although parents said that the current voluntary movie and videogame ratings allowed them to make informed decisions about violent content, they also were in favor of limiting when ads for graphic videogames and movies can air and be shown in theaters.

The survey, conducted from Jan. 4 to 5, was of 1,050 parents who have a child under the age of 18 living at home.

Respondents were asked whether a series of items “contributes to violence in the United States.” Topping the list was “lack of supervision of children,” with 93%, followed by bullying, 92%; “crime in day to day life,” 86%; violence in TV and movies, 77%; “easy access to guns,’ 75%; “violence in videogames,” 75%; and violent toys, 64%.

The survey showed that 75% of parents found shielding their children from violence “difficult.” After shown an ad for the videogame “Hitman: Absolution,” 84% of parents found that it was “not appropriate” to air the spot when children were watching TV. Some 63% said the same when shown a trailer for “Gangster Squad.”

Common Sense Media, an parental advocacy org, cited the survey results in a letter to Vice President Joseph Biden, who is scheduled to meet on Thursday evening with representatives from entertainment and later in the week with representatives from the videogame business.

Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer used the results to bolster their call for limits on marketing of violent material. He outlined a series of proposals in his letter, including a voluntary moratorium on all advertising for violent videogames and violent movie trailers during programming when children are watching. He also is calling for legislation that wo9uld give the FCC authority to restrict the marketing of violent videogames, movies trailers and promotions when children are watching, as well as a more prominent display of movie, TV and videogame ratings on marketing materials. Another proposal calls for the Federal Trade Commission to require that the gun industry revela all product placements and tie-ins with the videogame industry.

A recent survey done by Penn Schoen Berland and the Hollywood Reporter showed that 70% of respondents over 30 felt there was too much violence in advertising for movies and TV shows, with 34% supporting greater restrictions. But 75% said it was not the role of the White House or Congress to pressure the industry to tone it down.

The complete results of the SurveyUSA poll are below: