Abenaa S.

Ampratwum
Professor Hunt
Marketing W360
February 21 2002
September 11 2001 an! t"e #ntertainment $n!ustry
%efore September 11 2001 Ameri&ans were engage! in a wor'! w"ere
entertainment ser(e! as a nationa' topi& of &"oi&e w"ere weeken! bo) offi&e re&eipts
*+ ratings an! ,rammy &ontro(ersies seeme! o matter but t"e &rimes &ommitte! on t"at
!ay "a! a profoun! effe&t on t"e entertainment in!ustry an! t"e &onsumers w"o buy it.
As a &'ou! of !ust an! as" smo'!ere! from w"at use! to be t"e Wor'! *ra!e
-enter amusements !i! not seem near'y as important as before. *"e Ameri&an peop'e
&onsi!ere! t"emse'(es at war. Presi!ent %us" an! members of -ongress sai! t"e &ountry
was at war. F'ags f'ew at "a'f.staff. Airports ta'' bui'!ings t"e sto&k market an!
&ourtrooms were s"ut !own / in some &ases for !ays.
Pub'i& 'eisure an! entertainment were 'ess a(ai'ab'e imme!iate'y after t"e atta&ks
an! t"ere was noti&eab'y 'ess !eman! for t"em. After a'' w"en terrorism t"reatens being
in a &row! of peop'e mig"t make one an attra&ti(e target. More important'y to many it
!i! not fee' rig"t to be "a(ing fun "owe(er inno&ent w"i'e res&ue workers were sti''
!igging bo!ies out of t"e rubb'e in 0ew 1ork an! Was"ington. 2n t"e streets &iti3ens
were 'ooking for ways to s"ow t"eir patriotism / gi(ing b'oo! !onating foo! an!
&'ot"ing buying Ameri&an f'ags an! re!.w"ite.an!.b'ue streamers in re&or! numbers.
2rienta' *ra!ing a "uge pri3e mer&"an!ise supp'ier to t"e re!emption in!ustry an! ot"er
markets ran out of f'ags 4ust !ays after t"e atta&ks. %eyon! t"at t"e fee'ing was often
e)presse! t"at 5*"is is a time to stay "ome "ug your ki!s an! be wit" your fami'y.6
Ha(ing fun in pub'i& (enues mo(e! way !own on t"e 'ist. $n some &ases it !i!n7t make
t"e 'ist.
8ebate fo&use! on t"e irony of t"e entertainment in!ustry7s a&tions in t"e wake of t"e
atta&ks. For years t"e entertainment in!ustry "as been un!er atta&k for (io'en&e
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(u'garity se)ua' immora'ity &ru!ities an! parti&u'ar'y t"eir re'ate! effe&ts on &"i'!ren
but "as fai'e! to &"ange. Su!!en'y perspe&ti(es &"ange! t"e in!ustry was trying to
reposition itse'f an! its image an! -o'umbia Pi&tures "ea! Amy Pas&a' to'! t"e 9os
Ange'es *imes t"at 5&'ear'y some of w"at we t"oug"t was entertaining yester!ay isn7t
to!ay an! won7t be tomorrow.6 -e'ebrities from musi& to fi'm to *+ !onne! Ameri&an
f'ag *.s"irt7s an! took part in benefit &on&erts an! te'et"ons in t"e name of raising fun!s
to "e'p (i&tims of September 11.
:ea'ity s"ows su&" as 5Sur(i(or6 seeme! unrea' an! 'ost t"eir "eat in ratings t"e
g'it3y #mmys were postpone! twi&e !ue to se&urity &on&erns *+ e)e&uti(es pus"e! ba&k
t"eir fa'' 'ineups some networks &ut out any referen&es to t"e Wor'! *ra!e -enter or
terrorism an! some networks !e(e'ope! s&ripts in rea&tion to t"e atta&ks an! mo(ie
stu!ios re&onsi!ere! t"eir a&tion.a!(enture fi'ms su&" as 5-o''atera' 8amage6.
Ho''ywoo! postpone! t"e re'ease of terrorist.t"eme! mo(ies. :a!io stations
&ir&u'ate! 'ists of songs t"at !is& 4o&keys s"ou'! a(oi! p'aying from 5,reat %a''s of
Fire6 to 59ea(ing on a ;et P'ane.6 2n t"e &onsumer (i!eo game front Mi&rosoft remo(e!
t"e Wor'! *ra!e -enter from t"e &o(er of its f'ig"t simu'ator software. *"e Asso&iate!
Press reporte! 5+i!eo game makers "a(e !e&i!e! to purge images of !estru&tion
in(o'(ing 0ew 1ork from new re'eases fo''owing t"e terrorist atta&ks at t"e Wor'! *ra!e
-enter. Mi&rosoft a'so sai! t"ey wou'! postpone t"e !ebut of terrorism.t"eme!
a!(entures.
*"e #ntertainment $n!ustry "a! fina''y rea'i3e! its ro'e in so&iety. A!(ertisements
were geare! towar!s patrioti& messages an! fami'y (a'ues< mo(ie goers were treate! to a
series of patrioti& an! fami'y oriente! mo(ies su&" as %'a&k Hawk 8own A'i %e"in!
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#nemy 9ines Monsters $n&. ;immy 0eutron Prin&ess 8iaries 2&ean7s #'e(en an!
Harry Potter to name a few. 2n t"e musi& front &e'ebrities &ame toget"er to re&or! 5Song
for Ameri&a6 5W"at7s going on6 an! 5Ameri&a= A *ribute to Heroes6.
Wit" t"e &"anging fa&e of t"e in!ustry &ame profits an! 'osses. More peop'e went
to t"e mo(ies an! atten!an&e rose >.> per&ent from 'ast year an! ti&ket pri&es rose 4ust
un!er ? per&ent t"e &ombination pus"ing gross re&eipts to a re&or! @A bi''ion by
-"ristmas !ay. -"ristian an! ,ospe' Musi& Sa'es were up at -'ose of *"ir! Buarter an!
&ontinue! in&reasing in Aftermat" of September 11. A&&or!ing to Soun!S&an t"e t"ree
weeks fo''owing t"e atta&ks of September 11 saw week'y in&reases of 26 23 an! 20
per&ent in -"ristian musi& sa'es o(er t"e same time perio! 'ast year. *"ese in&reases
fa&tore! into t"e in!ustryCs year.to.!ate nine per&ent in&rease in sa'es.
*"e rest of t"e re&or! in!ustry7s performan&e was !isma'. 2001 sa'es were !own
from 2000 t"e first su&" !rop sin&e 0ew 1ork.base! Soun!S&an began keeping tabs on
statisti&s in 1DD1. 2(era'' a'bum sa'es in 2001 were about E62.A mi''ion 3 per&ent off
from t"e re&or! EA>.1 mi''ion so'! in 2000. 9ast'y t"ere was a !rop.off in a!(ertising
spen!ing a&&e'erate! !uring t"e t"ir! Fuarter wit" network te'e(ision an! nationa'
newspapers &'ear'y fee'ing t"e effe&ts of t"e Sept. 11 atta&ks.
*"e most important 'esson 'earne! inferring from t"ese e)amp'es was t"at t"e
entertainment in!ustry "a! &"ange! wit" t"e Ameri&an popu'ation in t"e wake of
September 11 2001.3

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