Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Judge halts California AB 1687 Law on age discrimination with IMDB

Age discrimination in Hollywood is a reality when you pass your youth. The California AB 1687 Law took affect on Jan. 1, 2017. It requires entertainment websites such as the "Internet Movie Database" (IMDB) to not post a performer's "age" if requested by an actor or actress. IMDB did not comply with the law and filed an injunction to reverse it in San Francisco, CA. A judge halted AB 1687 on Feb. 22, 2017 until further notice...,

SAG-AFTRA supported AB 1687 because of age discrimination in Hollywood. They also supported Asian actress, Huong Hoang, who sued IMDB back in 2011 for revealing her age on their website. She claims she lost entertainment jobs because she was no longer youthful in age. A 9th circuit judge ruled in favor of IMDB in 2013.

During the Hollywood studio system (1930's-50's). Actresses were considered "old broads" after age 35. Many were under contract to those studios and could be dropped if they weren't "box office" material. Studios groomed movie stars for international acclaim. Hedy Lamarr made her movie splash in the 1933 German film, "Ecstasy." She was put under contract by MGM studios in 1938 and became a bonafide film-star. She turned a young 38 years in 1953 and was considered washed up. Her star then faded..., 

Click photo of Hedy Lamarr for SAG-AFTRA statement on AB 1687.
http://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-imdb-injunction-0
(Restored 1940 MGM studio portrait from the website doctormacro.com)

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