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Burn It Down

Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

  • LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER

    An NPR Best Book of the Year

    In this spectacular, newsmaking exposé that has the entertainment industry abuzz and on its heels, Vanity Fair's Maureen Ryan blows the lid off patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms under way, and the labor and activist revolutions that recent scandals have ignited.

    It is never just One Bad Man.

    Abuse and exploitation of workers is baked into the very foundations of the entertainment industry. To break the cycle and make change that sticks, it's important to stop looking at headline-making stories as individual events. Instead, one must look closely at the bigger picture, to see how abusers are created, fed, rewarded, allowed to persist, and, with the right tools, how they can be excised.

    In Burn It Down, veteran reporter Maureen Ryan does just that. She draws on decades of experience to connect the dots and illuminate the deeper forces sustaining Hollywood's corrosive culture. Fresh reporting sheds light on problematic situations at companies like Lucasfilm and shows like Lost, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow, Curb Your Enthusiasm and more.

    Interviews with actors and famous creatives like Evan Rachel Wood, Harold Perrineau, Damon Lindelof, and Orlando Jones abound. Ryan dismantles, one by one, the myths that the entertainment industry promotes about itself, which have allowed abusers to thrive and the industry to avoid accountability—myths about Hollywood as a meritocracy, what it takes to be creative, the value of human dignity, and more.

    Weaving together insights from industry insiders, historical context, and pop-culture analysis, Burn It Down paints a groundbreaking and urgently necessary portrait of what's gone wrong in the entertainment world—and how we can fix it.

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      • Publisher's Weekly

        May 15, 2023
        Film and television critic Ryan debuts with a scathing critique of the “self-serving myths Hollywood believes about itself.” Arguing against the view that “difficult” actors are the price of good art, Ryan contends that Jared Leto’s insistence on keeping his character’s exaggerated limp in between takes on the set of Morbius wasted his colleagues’ time and insulted disabled people. She also excoriates the tendency to view abusive bosses as tough guys who “get things done,” discussing how Scott Rudin’s high-profile defenders allowed the producer to get away with screaming at employees. Asserting that the industry has failed women and people of color, Ryan notes that Lost actor Harold Perrineau was written off the show after complaining he was being sidelined in favor of his white costars, and that “with one exception... HBO has not aired an original one-hour drama series created by a woman.” Success stories demonstrate the benefits of cultivating a healthy workplace: Nancy Drew showrunner Melinda Hsu Taylor’s commitment to respecting writers’ work/life balance once convinced a coveted writer to choose the show over better-paying opportunities. Filled with revealing behind-the-scenes stories and blistering analyses of the industry’s failings, this makes a convincing case for rebooting Hollywood.

      • Library Journal

        Starred review from October 1, 2023

        Television critic, reporter, and Vanity Fair contributing editor Ryan explores the corrosive power dynamics that underpin the entertainment industry. Her critique addresses the impact of harmful behaviors on the media viewers consume and the people involved in its creation. High-profile cases like those of Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin are covered, along with many others. Ryan's meticulous research and plentiful interviews with actors, writers, and directors expose the myths Hollywood tells itself about whose voices deserve to be heard and what behavior is acceptable in pursuit of artistic excellence. Narrator Samara Naeymi's tone when representing Ryan is authoritative yet conversational, feeling more like a chat than a seminar. Naeymi shines in capturing the heartfelt emotion and thoughtful consideration of the interview subjects. Their triumphs and disillusionment both resonate clearly. Published on the cusp of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA workers' strikes, this gripping title is a timely foray into a difficult but necessary conversation. VERDICT Highly recommended for listeners interested in social justice and entertainment equity. Offer to those who have devoured Kantor and Twohey's She Said or Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill.--Natalie Marshall

        Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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