Whereas Tuesday could have been the largest information day in years within the U.S. (and arguably the world), visitors on the American Film Market in Las Vegas might be forgiven in the event that they did not know the presidential election was really occurring.
Although Nevada is a swing state, the screens within the metropolis’s on line casino lobbies and bars have been nearly completely occupied with sporting occasions on Tuesday evening – and confused guests struggled to search out anyplace to look at the outcomes. Vegas inhabitants a mile: they have been the one ones glued to their telephones, trying confused as purple began filling the map of the USA.
“I doubt any bar will present the election as a result of we don’t need issues to get political and heated — as a result of politics is the surest approach to begin a combat,” one bartender famous. Inside seconds, she proved her level—one drinker began yelling that she did not like Kamala Harris on the mere point out of the election.
In truth, it was the worry of a combat that saved many executives from the U.S. and overseas away from this yr’s AFM, particularly considerations concerning the potential for violent uprisings if Harris wins. When Trump misplaced in 2020, his supporters attacked the U.S. capital on January 6, 2021.
This time, that was not a problem: Trump gained the election in a landslide.
“You may say now that you just have been in Vegas when the largest change introduced American democracy to a screeching halt,” one AFM customer mentioned, echoing the melancholy felt all through the movie market the following morning. (“Fuck it,” appears to be a typical chorus.)
One US seller mentioned he watched the election with a gaggle of worldwide senior executives and will sense the general disappointment.
“As we mentioned final evening, it was very clear that America has lengthy culturally represented the beliefs of many various elements of the world,” he mentioned. Whereas Europe has been shifting towards the far proper for greater than a decade, with Italy, Poland, France and extra nations witnessing the rise of populist events, the USA is seen as a secure haven from political turmoil. Till Trump gained the election for the primary time in 2016.
“Folks used to return to the USA for a distinct expertise within the land of milk and honey, however that’s not the case. The challenges confronted by the remainder of the world aren’t any totally different in the USA. It’s not concerning the mountains anymore. The lighthouse.
One other AFM attendee added: “It is a actuality examine. The truth that Republicans gained the favored vote and the Electoral School exhibits that that is the course the nation needs to go.
However how will Trump’s second time period influence popular culture?
One distribution government mentioned this doubtless would not have an effect on the impartial, specialty sector, whose movies do not essentially attraction to Trump supporters. The identical can’t be mentioned for studio movies. “They want the entire nation to answer their film when it is on 4,000 screens.”
Though Republicans gained the election and the Senate, there’s a sense that Hollywood and different predominantly left-leaning leisure industries won’t surrender advocating for social justice and progressive beliefs.
“Tradition change would not simply come from legal guidelines and laws,” mentioned one impartial studio proprietor. “Media and leisure are one of the highly effective forces in establishing the established order and the social norms we want. In an period of instability the place bigoted hate-mongers are in a position to lay down the regulation, the media has a robust duty to speak equality, illustration and acceptance. data.
He added: “We should search methods to normalize lots of the social points that he used to divide us so this by no means occurs once more.”
At a time when the movie and tv trade is present process large-scale consolidation, individuals within the leisure trade are additionally fascinated by the influence of Trump’s victory on mergers and acquisitions.
“Trump, as a Republican, favors deregulation and needs extra open market actions so he can create extra potential enterprise,” a U.S. purchaser mentioned.
As Republicans regain management of the U.S. Senate, different scorching subjects associated to leisure embrace synthetic intelligence laws and copyright legal guidelines.
In France, President Macron instructed sort Extra lately, he has labored to create a framework to control the tasks of gamers distributing synthetic intelligence and outline guidelines for distinguishing fact from fiction. “What is for certain is that Republican lawmakers won’t spare no effort to cross laws to guard creators or fight on-line hate speech and disinformation. Particularly contemplating the affect of X boss Musk on Trump’s victory,” mentioned one at Stated a French trade government who has lived in the USA for twenty years.
(sort Journalists finally managed to discover a place to look at the election – an Irish pub the place the one individuals have been vacationers and Trump’s victory was soundtracked by a person singing a Bob Marley cowl music.
