America 1987

Chapter 19 Openness and Conservatism

Contrary to the expectations of most Chinese people, the United States has never been an open country, at least not on the surface, especially in the United States of this era.

In 1981, after taking office, President Reagan launched the "Reagan Revolution".

The so-called "Ligen Revolution" was mainly aimed at suppressing the counterculture movements that arose in the 60s and 70s, such as sexual liberation, feminism, and anti-war sentiments, in an attempt to restore the "traditional order."

It was equivalent to a Renaissance, or it could be seen as an intellectual revolution in the Eastern Continent, a "restoration of rites" and a "return to Confucian culture."

The relatively open and free social atmosphere of the 70s gradually disappeared, replaced by more conservative traditional values.

As the forefront and propaganda center of the American national cultural industry, Hollywood should naturally respond actively to policy calls and set a good example.

Moreover, there are similar rules in Hollywood's historical tradition.

After the Film Production Code was promulgated in 1930, one of its provisions stated that "actors are required to adhere to strict moral standards, and any act of adultery may be considered a breach of contract."

The term "adultery" in the context of that time included cohabitation outside of marriage, that is, cohabitation without marriage.

Therefore, Hollywood actresses of that era were truly miserable, their personal lives completely controlled by the studios, with no freedom whatsoever.

By the late 80s, this code had certainly been abolished, but due to adjustments in national policy, some of its provisions were naturally reinstated.

At this point, female celebrities living together without marriage can be seen as a scandal to some extent, and they are easily labeled by the media as "promiscuous" and "immoral in their private lives."

Not to mention, they settled in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is the heart of Hollywood, with a high density of paparazzi, entertainment reporters, and industry personnel. The flow of information and the density of surveillance are naturally higher, and the probability of celebrities being spotted by "insiders" and having their activities leaked is far greater in Los Angeles than in other cities.

Moreover, many people working in property management, security, housekeeping, and restaurant services in Los Angeles are also connected to the entertainment industry.

To maintain secrecy, Weinstein hired a "team" to investigate and silence nearly a hundred people. This illustrates just how intricate Hollywood's information network is—a relationship like cohabitation, which requires daily maintenance, can hardly completely escape this ecosystem.

Therefore, Hollywood stars of this era often maintain their relationships by secretly living in separate residences.

This means that both parties maintain their own nominal residences, but actually meet at a third-party location, or take turns staying overnight. This method avoids the fixed pattern of "joining the same residence," reducing the risk of being stalked by paparazzi.

However, Catherine clearly cannot understand David's good intentions yet, after all, she has not yet experienced the power of paparazzi.

And speaking of paparazzi, we have to mention...

"Sean Penn sentenced to 60 days in jail for assaulting a paparazzi?"

Catherine put down the New York Daily News newspaper in her hand and asked with a frown.

“Yes,” Tony brought over three cups of coffee and sat down next to David. “Oh right, I almost forgot that Cathy is British and doesn’t pay much attention to our gossip news. You can ask David; he knows more about it and subscribes to newspapers about it every day.”

David Ovitz was puzzled because he didn't know how he had upset Catherine. After work, he invited her for coffee as usual, but she politely declined.

Luckily, Tony was nearby and quickly stepped in to save the day, saying he would invite both of them to join him, which resolved the awkward situation.

The three of them are now in a coffee shop near the hotel. Tony noticed that the two seemed to be at odds, so he bought two entertainment tabloids on his way here to give them something to talk about.

Although David Ovitz was a little annoyed, he still seized on the topic brought up by his good friend Tony and started talking.

"That's right, Cathy, Sean Penn's love for paparazzi is probably the most famous celebrity gossip in Hollywood these past two years."

"When he married Madonna two years ago, paparazzi flew a helicopter to the wedding to take pictures, and he just pulled out a shotgun and fired at the helicopter."

Catherine, who had just brought her coffee to her lips, was clearly choked by the explosive news and quickly turned her head away to cough.

After setting down her cup, Catherine wiped her mouth with a napkin, forcing a smile to hide her embarrassment. "Isn't he afraid of causing a death?"

"I don't know," David shrugged. The unexpected incident had actually broken down the barrier between them, and he was in a good mood, so he smiled and said, "But actually, this isn't the craziest thing he's ever done to paparazzi."

Yes, pointing a shotgun at paparazzi on a helicopter isn't even the most outrageous thing this guy has done.

In 1986, while he and his wife Madonna were filming "Shanghai Surprise" in Macau, on their way back to their hotel room, a man suddenly lunged at them and was thrown off the balcony by Sean Penn, hanging outside. He was on the 9th floor at the time.

Only after confirming that the other person was just a reporter did he pull him up.

Later, someone reported the incident to the police, and Sean Penn was arrested by the Macau police on charges of "attempted murder."

Then he escaped from prison, and he succeeded. The Portuguese government, not wanting to cause any more trouble, granted the Hollywood newcomer a pardon.

It's legendary. Even without this reporter, the filming of this movie itself is legendary.

The combination of a rising Hollywood star and a pop diva going to Macau in 1986 to film a movie set in 1937 Shanghai is just too much.

However, aside from Madonna being very beautiful at the time and somewhat resembling Scarlett Johansson, there's not much to say about the movie itself.

Catherine Zeta-Jones had never heard of such a bizarre story before, and quickly forgot about the unpleasantness from before thanks to David Ovitz's entertainment gossip explanation.

"So, this Sean Penn you're talking about, is there something wrong with him?" Catherine lowered her voice considerably when she said the last part of her sentence, and pointed to her temple.

David and Tony looked at each other and then laughed together.

"No, no," Tony waved his hand, picking up the thread to make his presence felt, "He just has a bad temper and is prone to fighting at the slightest provocation."

“That’s right, especially after he married Madonna,” David Ovitz continued. “He’s incredibly jealous. Once, a friend of his kissed Mrs. Penn out of courtesy, and Sean beat him up for no reason. In the end, not only did they lose their friendship, but he was also given a year of probation.”