Hollywood: From Razzie to Legend

"So what you're saying is that today's news media interpret news through their own lens and abandon the truth of the news for economic gain?"

Brad wasn't willing to lose just like that; he was still trying hard to go head-to-head with Hugo. Although he wasn't being aggressive, the righteous indignation blazing in his eyes made his once unruly appearance seem somewhat like a messenger of justice.

Hugo felt the aura of Brad's direct confrontation, and he couldn't help but restrain his smile, locking eyes with Brad without yielding.

"Yes!"

Hugo didn't deliberately raise his voice, but his words were firm and powerful. Even though Hugo didn't wear a look of solemn righteousness, the confidence and determination radiating from his core were clearly conveyed through his voice.

"I think both you and I know very well that news reports can never include all the details of the truth; they can only come close to it or present a selective version of the facts. In the process of news reporting, every media outlet has its own standard for selecting facts, which is why different media outlets offer different takes."

Although Hugo wasn't a professional, living in the highly developed news environment of the twenty-first-century internet age, even ordinary people had their own understanding of such things, and Hugo was no exception.

"From a theoretical standpoint, yes, objectivity and truth are core principles that any media outlet should uphold. But what you're ignoring is that in a highly commercialized society, even the media must consider market trends. This inevitably affects their standard for choosing which facts to report."

Hugo's words echoed in Brad's ears like distant bells, reverberating again and again.

"To increase ratings, to beat competitors in a fierce market, media outlets must emphasize the sensational and dramatic nature of news. For stories with so-called 'market value,' they'll provide detailed coverage and exaggerated headlines."

Brad wanted to interrupt and rebut, but Hugo didn't give him the chance. The force in Hugo's eyes suppressed Brad, leaving his words stuck in his throat, completely unable to come out. His mind was also forced to follow Hugo's line of thinking he couldn't find a single gap to insert his own thoughts.

Even though Hugo didn't raise his voice or slam the table, the intimidating momentum made Brad completely unable to mount a proper rebuttal.

The feeling was terrible!

"Oftentimes, the content of the news doesn't matter, nor do the consequences of the news. The only thing that matters is capturing readers and viewers with sensational vacation headlines. Isn't that what front-page news is?"

At this moment, there was no other sound at the dining table. Even Martin, whose aura was usually quite overwhelming, had fallen silent.

Only Hugo continued to speak in his warm but resolute tone, shaking everyone's beliefs.

"Take the Rodney King incident, for example. Police officers beating a resisting parolee isn't exactly groundbreaking news. But white officers brutally beating an innocent black man for no reason that becomes front-page news."

"From the standpoint of KTLA Television, they merely selected a version of the facts that suited them. They didn't anticipate the consequences would be this serious. Or perhaps they did and when comparing the fate of four white police officers to the future of their station, they chose the station.

It's all about interest-based decisions plain and simple."

Hugo's words sent a chill down everyone's spine. Even those who lived in the chaotic world of showbiz couldn't help but feel like their own lives were hanging by a thread.

They were like grasshoppers in the palm of the media's hand, completely powerless to resist.

"But…" Brad finally found his voice, squeezing out a single word from his dry throat but he no longer carried that righteous energy from earlier.

It sounded more like a dying gasp.

"But what about the truth of the news? What about the media's ethics?"

"Truth? Are you saying KTLA didn't report the truth? No, they did report the truth, because everything in the video was real.

They simply chose to report that part of the truth while ignoring the origins of that truth.

That's all."

Many times, the media doesn't distort the facts they simply select the angle that best serves their interests.

In the Rodney King incident, the media chose their own interests, sacrificed the four white police officers, incited racial conflict, and even, in a sense, sheltered Rodney King, the criminal.

This is the reality of society cold and ruthless.

This time, Brad could no longer say a word.

He sat dejectedly in his chair. Though his back was still straight, the righteous spirit between his brows had completely dissipated.

Rob looked at Brad and Hugo facing off against each other. Brad's approach was more aggressive, standing on the moral high ground and pressuring Hugo.

Meanwhile, Hugo remained composed and methodical, countering with facts in a calm and steady manner.

Even when pushed, he never lost his footing.

This debate might have had little actual impact on the Rodney King case after all, neither of them was part of Hollywood's elite, let alone influential opinion leaders. Their words carried little weight.

But this reminded Rob of the courtroom debate in A Few Good Men, where the protagonist Daniel had to face numerous obstacles, peel back layers of deception, and confront established facts to finally achieve true justice.

Strictly speaking, both Brad and Hugo would be good choices to play Daniel.

Otherwise, Rob wouldn't have arranged their auditions.

Though Brad was at a disadvantage just now, his unwavering attitude throughout the debate remained impressive.

But Hugo's performance was striking his thoughts clear, logic tight, presence commanding he completely overshadowed several seasoned veterans present.

The two had distinct styles, but either could take over from Tom Cruise to play Daniel without any issues.

Rob had initially brought up the Rodney King case just to see how Brad and Hugo would express their personal views, but unexpectedly, it turned into a full-blown debate and yielded unexpected gains.

But looking at Brad's discouraged expression, Rob knew things shouldn't go too far. After all, they weren't lawyers or jury members there was no need to dwell too much on this issue.

Seeing that Martin was about to speak, Rob knew the always-controlling Martin wanted to step in and defuse the situation.

But Rob stopped him with a glance.

He didn't want the agent to interfere too much in today's audition it would affect his judgment of the actors.

"Brad, why do you want to be in this film?"

This was the standard audition question, one every actor would prepare for.

Hugo was already composing his answer in his head, but quickly gave up.

Who knew if Rob would even ask him the same thing?

It would be better to respond spontaneously than rely on rehearsed lines.

"Just as Martin said earlier, I've always admired your work. When I heard you were directing this project, I was immediately drawn in.

Getting the chance to audition was already a huge honor."

Brad was indeed a fighter. He quickly recovered from the blow just now and temporarily set aside his thoughts on the Rodney King case, pulling himself together and returning to the audition.

"I believe working with you on a film would be a very rare and valuable experience."

Brad's answer was standard and respectful he even praised Rob.

It was clear this had Martin's fingerprints on it.

As a seasoned agent, Martin had a deep understanding of industry dynamics.

By contrast, Joseph hadn't told Hugo anything.

He had just let Hugo act freely.

Rob smiled after hearing Brad's answer.

"I'm feeling quite a bit of pressure myself. I've been worried about this film ever since before shooting began."

Robert and Brad were going back and forth, chatting happily, while Hugo was naturally left out. But Hugo wasn't in a hurry. He had already had a long stretch of screen time just now. If he kept pushing his advantage now, it would be unnecessary. Anyway, Robert surely had his own plans in mind.

Sure enough, after about three minutes, Robert asked seemingly casually, "Hugo, what about you? What expectations do you have for this film?" The question was slightly altered.

Hugo was in the middle of finishing off his last chicken wing. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to put the wing down or keep eating, and ended up zoning out a little. This moment of hesitation made Robert laugh. Hugo sheepishly set down the fork that was skewering the chicken wing. "I think I don't have any expectations. I just needed a job, so I came to audition."

Hugo's honest answer was unexpected not just for Robert, but even Joseph looked over in surprise, let alone Brad and Martin. Hugo knew that today's competition wasn't just Brad, but also Tom, who hadn't shown up. In terms of seniority, popularity, box office success, previous works, and public image, Hugo currently didn't stand a chance. So rather than scheming and playing mind games, it was better to be honest. That might just win him a sliver of opportunity.

"Honestly, I only got the audition call this afternoon. I have no idea about the script or the movie aside from the title, I don't know anything about the film." This was true, though inwardly Hugo scoffed at himself: you clearly know all about the film. But on the surface, Hugo remained calm and continued speaking.

"Of course, with my current situation, it's not easy to get a job opportunity knocking at my door." That self-deprecating line immediately made both Robert and Martin smile. Brad, on the other hand, glared at Martin in discontent, clearly unhappy that Martin would actually root for Hugo. But Hugo remained unaffected and went on, "Also, getting to work with Jack, getting to work with you, Robert well, I don't think I have anything to complain about, right? So, I showed up, waiting for you to nitpick me."

That last sincere line made Robert unable to hold back and he finally let out a hearty laugh.

.....

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