Let's dig a little deeper.

The common thread connecting all of these disturbing stories of exploitation, toxic work environments etc. is the fundamental nature of the entertainment business. Exploitation is a symptom, not the disease. The actual disease is characterized by two major elements.

First, and foremost, the economic engine of entertainment is driven by celebrity worship. Individuals who, by a combination of talent, charisma, self-promotion and often most importantly, luck, rise to the top of a huge heap to attract media attention, audiences, fans and finally, advertising and sponsor dollars.

Second, the overwhelming imbalance between the supply of people who want to be in the business, and the number of people the business demands.

For example, pre Covid-19 the effective annual unemployment rate for members of the professional Actor's Union (AEA) was about 85%, Worse yet, for those who did work, the median annual income from working in the profession was about $7,500. Most other occupations in the industry follow the same pattern. The result is an industry built to limit supply while, at the same time, encouraging those elements of popular culture that stimulate it. The perfect formula for a dramatic imbalance in power bringing out the worst in human behavior.

Fans fuel the industry, celebrities are the hot burning flames, and all the people and structures in between (agents, managers, casting directors, unions, etc.) try to make the candle last while selecting and preparing the one to take it's place out of the other thousands in the box.

Until that fundamental imbalance is addressed any attempt at improving the situation won't result in meaningful change.

Because of Covid-19, much of the industry, especially the live performance side of things, has collapsed. It will be interesting to see how society reshuffles the deck. Perhaps, centers of gravity like Broadway will slowly come back in its familiar form. Perhaps it will be replaced by a business that's more distributed and balanced. Perhaps the pandemic having forced us to limit the frequency and distance of travel will make us appreciate sources of local entertainment and develop a more balanced, geographically diverse business where artists no longer have to travel to one of a half dozen locales in order to have a shot. Time will tell.