We all have been working very hard. We all have been dealing with an unprecedented economy. We all have been reading negative news stories. We all have been trying to sort out new programs and guidelines. We all need a break.
That is what summer is all about; let's kick back and relax with the latest offerings from the entertainment industry.
Let's look at "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Here is an episode from Las Vegas. The plot features a mysteriously deceased real estate agent and her husband, who happens to be a mortgage broker. What else do we know about the mortgage broker husband? He drinks a lot and is the suspected killer.
Hmm... Not exactly the uplifting story I was looking for and not really an escape from the negative stories surrounding the mortgage industry, so let's move on.
Sam Raimi has a new flick out. He directed the Spider Man movies, and since I like Spider Man, I'm going to check out his new movie. It is called "Drag Me to Hell." According to the New York Times, "It's a morality tale about an ambitious young woman, a loan officer at a bank eager for promotion, who turns down an elderly Hungarian woman for a mortgage extension. Big mistake." The movie then details the torment heaped upon the loan officer who acted out of greed.
"Drag Me to Hell." A feel good flick? Not so much.
Dominic Savage is putting together a new television movie about the current economic struggles. He likes to research his topic by talking with real people. "Savage moved down the chain and met with mortgage brokers. He was particularly interested in door-to-door salesmen who sold dodgy mortgages to families who couldn't afford them," noted The Observer. The film follows an icy-hearted and dysfunctional banker who is high on deals and a loan officer who sells dreams to the poor who cannot afford them.
Wow.
The TV show "Flashpoint" started this season and now is in summer reruns. There is an episode called "Business as Usual," where a mortgage executive gets a $22 million dollar bonus as his company forecloses on hundreds of homes. He gets taken hostage by his foreclosed-upon victims.
Could it get any worse? Yes, it can.
South Park, the adult cartoon that lampoons everything and finds nothing sacred, spends an entire episode dedicated to the credit crunch and TARP. (Editor's note: I am not a big South Park fan and do not watch the show, but when I heard about this episode, I watched and it was rather funny.)
The final stake in the heart.
Rob Schneider is coming out with a new movie called "Big Stan." You remember Rob Schneider, right? He was the "making copies" guy from "Saturday Night Live." He also always tends to play the dumb guy in Adam Sandler movies. No that is not a misprint - the dumb guy in Adam Sandler movies. He is Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo. That guy.
In "Big Stan," Schneider plays a rogue real estate agent and insists that the role is not based on his father (who is a real estate broker). Yes, Rob Schneider is making fun of our industry and trying to distance himself from it at the same time.
So, there you have it. Freddy Krueger is no longer striking terror, Leatherface has put down the chainsaw and Jason has returned to the woods. There is a new boogeyman in town - the mortgage professional.
It's becoming clear that perception is reality, and we need to do everything we can to change our image. Thoughts?
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