What do they do with it all?

[alleyyooper]

Katie Couric made 65 million for 5 years with CBS news.
Matt Lauer makes 17 million a year under his new contract with NBC's today show.
Brian Williams makes 13 million doing the NBC evening news.

I sort of see the point sports stars earning so much per year after all you can only play so many years and some don't even make it that long.

What do they do with it all.


Al

[Justin Thyme]

It's not so much what do they do with it as why do they get it in the first place.

I think they get it so that there are examples for young, up and coming "journalists" to see and note that it is "liberal, progressive" journalists who are pulling down these enormous salaries. They couldn't, can't, be worth it because the viewership doesn't correlate >They aren't drawing that amount of viewers for sponsors to be willing to pay for them.

They are, more or less, stalking horses for the industry. Leading the way of "proper" journalism for young, and photogenic, hopefuls.

[fishhead]

I read about an annual yacht get together where the really rich came to impress and compete for attention. The winner came on a 400' private yacht complete with a leather upholstered and gold inlaid private submarine ($200,000,000). They obviously work much much harder than the single mom with 2 jobs and a beater car. We should lower their taxes.

[Justin Thyme]

Originally Posted by fishhead

I read about an annual yacht get together where the really rich came to impress and compete for attention. The winner came on a 400' private yacht complete with a leather upholstered and gold inlaid private submarine ($200,000,000). They obviously work much much harder than the single mom with 2 jobs and a beater car. We should lower their taxes.

Did Katie or Matt or Brian do a "special report"? What is/How does this relate to the theme of the thread.

[Curtis B]

Originally Posted by Justin Thyme

It's not so much what do they do with it as why do they get it in the first place.

I think they get it so that there are examples for young, up and coming "journalists" to see and note that it is "liberal, progressive" journalists who are pulling down these enormous salaries. They couldn't, can't, be worth it because the viewership doesn't correlate >They aren't drawing that amount of viewers for sponsors to be willing to pay for them.

They are, more or less, stalking horses for the industry. Leading the way of "proper" journalism for young, and photogenic, hopefuls.

Bill o'Reily makes 10 million. He is farrrrrr from liberal or progressive.

[joseph97297]

Originally Posted by Justin Thyme

I think they get it so that there are examples for young, up and coming "journalists" to see and note that it is "liberal, progressive" journalists who are pulling down these enormous salaries.

So how does O'Reilly fit into this scheme?

[Justin Thyme]

Originally Posted by Curtis B

Bill o'Reily makes 10 million. He is farrrrrr from liberal or progressive.

Originally Posted by joseph97297

So how does O'Reilly fit into this scheme?

He doesn't. I blame any flaws in my theory on "deniers" and "Bush."

[mnn2501]

They bring viewers into their networks and viewers equal ratings and ratings raise advertising dollars collectedd.

Do you know how much it costs to live in NY? or CA? Trust me Katie and Matt are not living in a 600 sq ft efficency and taking the Subway to work.

[joseph97297]

Originally Posted by Justin Thyme

He doesn't. I blame any flaws in my theory on "deniers" and "Bush."

So you have gone over to the 'dark' side?

Seriously, while I agree that I wouldn't recognize half of these folks if I passed them on the street, they are in the same boat as sports stars. If they put people in the stands, or in this case in front of the tube, they are doing their part to earn their money.

To me, this is like those people complaining about CEO's and their pay, and whooeee, they get heckled here for stating that, so will we see any heckling?

[SquashNut]

I don't think it is our business. If you don't like them don't watch.

[Justin Thyme]

Originally Posted by mnn2501

They bring viewers into their networks and viewers equal ratings and ratings raise advertising dollars collectedd.

Do you know how much it costs to live in NY? or CA? Trust me Katie and Matt are not living in a 600 sq ft efficency and taking the Subway to work.

Have you seen the viewership numbers they are racking-up? Not worthy.... they are NOT worthy. P.S. I have lived in both states, btw.

Originally Posted by joseph97297

So you have gone over to the 'dark' side?

BWA HA HA. Ooops. You've found me out. The emperor will not be pleased....

[Fowler]

Originally Posted by alleyyooper

Katie Couric made 65 million for 5 years with CBS news.
Matt Lauer makes 17 million a year under his new contract with NBC's today show.
Brian Williams makes 13 million doing the NBC evening news.

I sort of see the point sports stars earning so much per year after all you can only play so many years and some don't even make it that long.

What do they do with it all.


Al

First they support charities
Then they pay a heaping lot of taxes.
I'm sure they support BMW makers which in turns supports tire manufactors...etc..etc
Along with furniture makers, designers, etc..etc
The finest clothing and jewelry stores, you know they gotta a family to support too.
Maids, they too must make a living
Pool cleaners
Yard workers

I am sure their money supports many households.

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by Justin Thyme

[B][SIZE="2"]Have you seen the viewership numbers they are racking-up? Not worthy.... they are NOT worthy

If they were not worthy of it, the network wouldn't be paying it year after year.

[JuliaAnn]

Dare I say it? Dare I say it?? It's right there in front of everyone, dangling, waiting for someone to say it........

I don't care how much they make. They are hired to do a job, their employers agree to pay them what they demand. No different than any other employee. A really good grocery store cashier can earn what, $13.00 an hour in a large store? Not too shabby, considering the nature of the work. Physicians can earn hundreds of thousands a year or more.

So what? There isn't a single one of us here or anywhere else who would turn down the highest wage in our chosen field if it was offered to us. Last job I had, I earned about $21.00 an hour. For the job, it was a *very* good wage, and in line with my experience. Those who worked there who earned less than I did sometimes begrudged me my salary, but then I felt zero inclination to say "Hey, I'm earning more than those other guys, so I'll agree to work for $10.00 an hour instead because they are mad at me for earning more than them". Sorry, ain't gonna happen.

I don't know if the opening post is an attempt at class envy, but that's how it appears on the surface. People are free to earn whatever they can, doesn't matter if they're conservatives or liberals or completely apolitical.

Now what do they do with it? Well, I certainly hope they spend a lot of it, because when they spend money, it helps to support JOBS at all imaginable retailers, restaurants, yacht builders, yacht mechanics and repairmen, marinas via slip fees and fueling, maintenance people for their homes and properties.... I could go on and on. Also consider that when wealthy people buy things, they not only help support jobs, they are paying TAXES on everything they buy---all those yachts, clothes, restaurants, vacations, cars, helicopter trips.......

[Curtis B]

It is almost unfathomable though. Katie makes more per hour (if she worked a 40 hr week) than my wife, a teacher, makes in a year. Think about it, Katie could work one week, and make more that most teachers make in a lifetime.

[JuliaAnn]

Yes, and one of the tenents of communism is that every citizen is made equal in terms of what they earn and what they are allowed to own. The problem is that in such constructs, everyone ends up equally impoverished, and the only ones who have any manner of wealth or property at all are those handful of people at the top who control everything. Look at the former Soviet Union.... doctors didn't earn much, if any, more than the store clerk, mine worker, or secretary, living in concrete block projects where an entire floor of apartments would share one bathroom. Been there, seen it firsthand years ago. But the few at the top, the president and his cronies, KGB officials, had 'dachas' outside town, lavish estates where they entertained in grand style.

It's human nature to want to grow, to make one's situation better. When an imposed, rigid ideology is keeping you from putting food into your children's mouths to the point that they are sunken eyed, slat ribbed, and their hair is thin... sorry, it doesn't work.

People are (still, at this time at least) free to pursue whatever career they want, and to demand whatever pay employers agree to pay them.

FWIW, if your wife is a teacher, I guarantee she earns a lot more than I do. But I'm not questioning how it is that your wife earns far more than I do. I could say that it would probably take me two years to earn what your wife does. But then, it's not my business what your wife, or anyone else, makes.

[FeralFemale]

Originally Posted by JuliaAnn

Dare I say it? Dare I say it?? It's right there in front of everyone, dangling, waiting for someone to say it........

I don't care how much they make. They are hired to do a job, their employers agree to pay them what they demand. No different than any other employee. A really good grocery store cashier can earn what, $13.00 an hour in a large store? Not too shabby, considering the nature of the work. Physicians can earn hundreds of thousands a year or more.

So what? There isn't a single one of us here or anywhere else who would turn down the highest wage in our chosen field if it was offered to us. Last job I had, I earned about $21.00 an hour. For the job, it was a *very* good wage, and in line with my experience. Those who worked there who earned less than I did sometimes begrudged me my salary, but then I felt zero inclination to say "Hey, I'm earning more than those other guys, so I'll agree to work for $10.00 an hour instead because they are mad at me for earning more than them". Sorry, ain't gonna happen.

I don't know if the opening post is an attempt at class envy, but that's how it appears on the surface. People are free to earn whatever they can, doesn't matter if they're conservatives or liberals or completely apolitical.

Now what do they do with it? Well, I certainly hope they spend a lot of it, because when they spend money, it helps to support JOBS at all imaginable retailers, restaurants, yacht builders, yacht mechanics and repairmen, marinas via slip fees and fueling, maintenance people for their homes and properties.... I could go on and on. Also consider that when wealthy people buy things, they not only help support jobs, they are paying TAXES on everything they buy---all those yachts, clothes, restaurants, vacations, cars, helicopter trips.......

This.

...

I'm reminded of my sophomore year university art history class whenever people start talking about the outlandish salaries of sports and entertainment folk.

I had a big text book with a bunch of pictures of paintings. I never understood why all those artists were considered so great. All the paintings seemed to be of the same skill and caliber. What made them so special? Why were they called masters?

Then I went to the National Art Gallery as part of an assignment for that AH class. I entered one of the rooms of paintings and looked around. Painting....painting...painting...eh...wait....wha t is THAT??? The painting got my attention from way across the room. It stood out above all others. Not because it was especially big or was behind some velvet rope....it was just THAT good. It drew you to it and you stood in front of it mesmerized by the technique and use of color and composition that was far and away above any of the other paintings in the room. And it made you *feel* stuff, like the awe of the universe and the heartbreak of the soul.

I looked at the little placard next to the painting and, yep, it was by one of those 'masters' in my big picture book of paintings. The rest of the paintings were by talented artists but no one I had ever heard of. It seems there really was a reason why all of those artists we studied in my AH class were called 'masters.' They truly were better than everyone else. I just didn't realize it because all of the greatest masters and their greatest paintings were all together in one place so none of them seemed more special than the next.

That's how I see those sports and entertainment folk. They truly are better than everyone else in their field and deserve the fame and fortune they are getting. We just don't see or understand why because they all seem the same to us. We don't see all the scrubs attempting to make the team or get the plum acting or tv jobs.

Yeah, some of them might have been lucky, but most got where they are through talent and hard work. They get paid what they do because their abilities are rare enough and their work earns enough money to warrant the salary. I believe this applies to nearly any field of work where people are making big bank.

I don't begrudge them a thing. And I would hope that they are taking all that money and helping the economy by employing people and purchasing lots and lots of goods and services.

[Justin Thyme]

All you people who don't begrudge the enormous salaries these entertainers receive.
Well
Well You
You're
You're all just
just You're all just a bunch of, of ANTI-COMMUNISTS....
That's what you are
Just a bunch of danged anti-communists.

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by alleyyooper

Katie Couric made 65 million for 5 years with CBS news.
Matt Lauer makes 17 million a year under his new contract with NBC's today show.
Brian Williams makes 13 million doing the NBC evening news.

I sort of see the point sports stars earning so much per year after all you can only play so many years and some don't even make it that long.

What do they do with it all.


Al

I'll bet they just put it all in a huge pile of cash, in the middle of their huge living room floor and just roll around in it.

That's what I'd do.

[copperkid3]

Originally Posted by alleyyooper

Katie Couric made 65 million for 5 years with CBS news.
Matt Lauer makes 17 million a year under his new contract with NBC's today show.
Brian Williams makes 13 million doing the NBC evening news.

I sort of see the point sports stars earning so much per year after all you can only play so many years and some don't even make it that long.

What do they do with it all.
Al

************************
believe that a good portion of it is stashed in some off-shore accounts in the Cayman Islands......