Putney Swope was a 1969 cult movie about a black guy who took over a Madison Avenue advertising agency. To make that happen the plot had the CEO drop dead in the middle of a meeting with the executive board so the board members could set about electing a new chairman. Each of the board members wanted the job, but the rules said no one could vote for himself. They thought Putney Swope, the music director and token black dude on the board, couldn't win, so they voted for him. To their surprise and the audiences delight, he won.
The rules were basically cast aside at that point, and Mr. Swope proceeded to fire most of the white people and replace them with guys from the hood, called "militant brothers" back then. And being the progressive that he was, he dropped tobacco companies and toy gun makers as clients. And any work the company did was to be paid for with bags of cash.
All the cash was put into a large glass container which Mr. Swope planned to distribute in equal shares to the employees -- what a guy. But unfortunately, a disgruntled employee blows up the cash. The end.
The movie was really quite lame, but it was a big hit on college campuses as it exemplified the prevailing view that businessmen were bad people. If only some cool black dude could come along and straighten things out, get tough with those mean old bosses and make them share the wealth. Then everyone could live in peace and harmony and make love, not war, in the age of Aquarius.
The attitude still lives. President Obama was an impressionable eight year old when the movie came out although he was probably schooling abroad at the time. But it's obvious that somewhere along the line he was exposed to that philosophy. I don't recall ever hearing what Mr. Obama's favorite movies are, but I would expect to see "Putney Swope" on that list before I would expect to see "High Noon."
The entire movie is in nine parts on Youtube. As of now Part 1 has had 1,724 views, and the last segment, part 9 has had 336 views which suggests it takes some real dedication to watch the whole thing.
Considering cases such as the Dupont factory out east that has to clean up their old zinc plant and pay damages to nearby residents (to the tune of 230 million) when the goo they left behind is now flowing into the rivers and water shed, I think the concept that big business is in it mainly for the profit is dead spot on target. The question is how far they are willing to cut corners for their profit. And judging from their track record, I'd have to say they would sell their own grand mother to make a dollar. So, it is not that big business can not be trusted, they SHOULDN'T be trusted.
Posted by: stu pidasso | July 30, 2009 at 04:05 PM
Stu, some corporations are better neighbors than others. It depends on the people who work there.
Posted by: Geo | July 30, 2009 at 04:18 PM