Is Trump Trying To Kill Hollywood?

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In episode 145: US President Donald Trump has turned his tariff agenda towards the movie business by promising 100% tariffs on films made outside America.
Is this going to save Hollywood or only hasten tinsel town’s demise?
Irish hip hop trio Kneecap have found themselves in hot water after a string of controversial statements shared at their gigs have been unearthed. They are now facing an investigation from the Metropolitan Police’s counter terror unit.
Richard and Marina explore the arguments for, and against, silencing the musicians.
Assistant Producers: Aaliyah Akude
Video Editor: Charlie Rodwell + Teo Ayodeji-Ansell Producer: Joey McCarthy
Senior Producer: Neil Fearn
Head of Content: Tom Whiter
Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport
Download ‘Is Trump Trying To Kill Hollywood?’ as an MP3

Inside This Episode

Trump’s Tariff Proposal

• The hosts discuss Donald Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs on movies made overseas. Trump claims the American movie industry “is dying a very fast death” and that he wants “movies made in America again”. The tariffs would significantly impact film production economics, as many studios film overseas due to tax incentives from foreign governments.
• Impact on Film Industry: The proposed tariffs create uncertainty in an already “beleaguered” industry. When production costs are high in the US but international production becomes subject to heavy tariffs, it puts studios in a position where “they can’t fund or finance anything” anywhere. This could lead to increased use of AI to cut costs and “absolutely decimate the industry”.
• UK Film Industry Concerns: The hosts express concern for the UK film industry, which benefits significantly from American productions filming at studios like Pinewood and Leavesden. If these tariffs extend to television (which wasn’t mentioned in Trump’s announcement), it would be particularly devastating as “most of the big studios over here are expanding” and a loss of US productions could leave them as “enormous empty buildings”.

Irish Rap Band Kneecap:

• The hosts discuss the Irish-language rap group Kneecap who have become embroiled in controversy after making anti-Conservative Party remarks and leading anti-Thatcher chants at Coachella. Additional footage emerged of the band saying phrases like “kill your MP” at previous performances, leading to criticism from the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and David Amess.
• Context and Response: The hosts discuss how Kneecap claim their comments were “taken out of context” but note that this isn’t accurate in the traditional sense. Instead, they meant the remarks were made “to an audience who understood everything that was signified” in a specific cultural context. The band later issued an apology stating “Kneecap’s message has always been and remains one of love, inclusion, and hope”.
• Political Reaction: The hosts criticise politicians for their response to the controversy, including a debate in the House of Commons. They note the irony of Conservative politicians who defended controversial remarks by donors now condemning similar behaviour from artists. The discussion highlights how these “tiny cultural skirmishes” distract from “much bigger things” happening in the world.

Media Mentions

Movies

• Kneecap (2023 film about the band)
• To Catch a Thief (1955)
• The Remains of the Day (1993)
• Avengers: Doomsday (mentioned as being filmed in the UK)
• Hostel
• Cabin Fever

Television Shows

• The White Lotus
• The Day Today (referenced regarding Steve Coogan’s sketches about Sinn Féin)
• The Assembly (recommended by Richard Osman)
• Groomed: A National Scandal (Channel 4 documentary)
• Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kid Influencing (Netflix documentary)
• Monty Python (mentioned for upcoming discussion about 50th anniversary)

Music

• Kneecap (Irish rap group)
• Prince (mentioned regarding “Darling Nikki”)
• The Sex Pistols (referenced regarding “God Save the Queen”)
• Rage Against the Machine (referenced regarding “Killing in the Name”)
• The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks, mentioned regarding cancellation after criticising George Bush)
• Public Enemy (referenced regarding political messaging)

Events

• Coachella (music festival)
• Glastonbury (music festival, compared to Coachella)
• The Eden Project (venue that cancelled Kneecap performance)

Organisations

• Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC, founded by Tipper Gore)
• Hamas (mentioned regarding Kneecap controversies)
• Hezbollah (mentioned regarding Kneecap controversies)
• IRA (referenced regarding Kneecap’s name and imagery)
• Sinn Féin (mentioned regarding historical media coverage)

Hot Takes

• “He hates Hollywood.”
• “If he is serious about that, then the repercussions will be felt in the UK industry immediately. Projects will be cancelled immediately. Studios will be left empty immediately.”
• “The most cringeworthy thing in lots of ways about this is all the politicians who’ve got involved.”
• “Any politician who spends one nanosecond more of their time on the public purse discussing this in any way is wasting the public’s money and has charges to answer themselves.”
• “The world is in a very, very difficult place. And I honestly think if you retreat into these tiny cultural skirmishes, then you’re admitting defeat on the much bigger stuff.”
• “I imagine there’d be a huge amount of them who’ve screamed along to ‘killing in the name fuck you. I won’t do what you tell me’ and now work for Goldman Sachs.”
• Coachella is “like a sort of mega corporate kind of turbo capitalist version of some hippie dream.”
• Their apology “could literally be apologising for anything… just take that and put it in your back pocket.”

Who’s Who

• Donald Trump – former and future US President mentioned for his tariff proposal
• Margaret Thatcher – former UK Prime Minister who was the subject of anti-Thatcher chants
• Sylvester Stallone – actor appointed as one of Trump’s “czars” for Hollywood
• Jon Voight – actor appointed as one of Trump’s “czars” for Hollywood
• Mel Gibson – actor appointed as one of Trump’s “czars” for Hollywood
• Gavin Newsom – California governor mentioned regarding incentives for filming in LA
• Sharon Osbourne – got involved in the Kneecap controversy
• Jo Cox – murdered MP whose family criticised Kneecap
• David Amess – murdered MP whose family criticised Kneecap
• Brendan Cox – Jo Cox’s widower who commented on the Kneecap controversy
• Tipper Gore – created the Parents Music Resource Center regarding explicit lyrics
• Al Gore – mentioned as Tipper Gore’s husband
• Prince – musician whose song “Darling Nikki” prompted Tipper Gore’s campaign
• George Bush – former US President whom The Chicks were “cancelled” for criticising
• Frank Hester – Tory donor mentioned regarding comments about Diane Abbott
• Diane Abbott – MP who was the subject of controversial comments by Frank Hester
• Kemi Badenoch – Conservative politician mentioned for her response to Kneecap controversy
• Mark Francois – politician who commented on Kneecap’s Glastonbury appearance
• Dan Jarvis – security minister who commented on the Kneecap controversy
• Steve Coogan – comedian mentioned for his satirical portrayal of Sinn Féin politicians
• Adam Curtis – documentarian mentioned regarding his upcoming work “Shifty”
• Viktor Orbán – Hungarian Prime Minister referenced as Trump’s “friend”
• David Tennant – actor who appeared on “The Assembly”
• Jade Thirlwall – appeared on “The Assembly” (spelling needs verification)
• Gary Lineker – mentioned as upcoming guest on “The Assembly”
• Anna Hall – documentarian behind “Groomed: A National Scandal”
• Piper Rockelle – child YouTuber featured in “Bad Influence” documentary
• Eli Roth – filmmaker mentioned for upcoming discussion about film financing

Notable Numbers

• 100% – The tariff percentage Trump announced for movies made overseas
• 22 billion dollars – Amount the US film industry produced in exports (2023)
• 15 billion dollars – Surplus generated by the US film industry
• 40% – Decline in US film production over the last decade
• 300 million dollars – Hypothetical cost of Avengers movie that would become 600 million with tariffs
• 15% – Increase in Kneecap’s streams over the past four weeks
• 50 years – Anniversary of Monty Python being discussed in upcoming bonus episode