Martini Shot

The only thing that really matters in the entertainment business isn't how much money an entertainment company has, but how long it's going to last. 

How to make a lot of money investing in the one thing that all humans have in common, the one thing that draws us all together: we're kind of lazy.

Discovering an organizational technique that the Executive Producer of World War II, Dwight Eisenhower, used when he was showrunning that multi-season action series.

Compare the brilliant business moves of Beyoncé to the not-so-brilliant moves of Justin Bieber, but of course both of them are paying attention to the end of the Hollywood monopoly, so both are making money.

How easy it is, apparently, to spend tens of millions of dollars on weird stuff and end up almost broke, and it's nice to know how easy it is to do something Rob can't afford to do.

What happened when Roger Moore died a few weeks ago and set off a firestorm of debate.

Rob talks about a 30-year-old movie and somehow makes it relevant, because the movie is relevant, because the movie makers re-shot the ending.

Rob flies all the way to Cuba to learn, or really, relearn, a lesson about show business.

Why we all wish we could kick people out of our dressing rooms, and also why it would be really great if we all had dressing rooms in the first place.

Rob's reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time, and it's a very long book, but not as long as a lot of these TV shows people keep talking about, and at least in the book, stuff happens on every page.

Rob pays money to sit in a Broadway theater to see a musical version of a movie he paid money to see in the movie theater without music or dancing a few years ago.

The complicated rituals involved when one writer steals another writer's material. 

Although he doesn't succeed in explaining all of the issues involved in the current contract negotiations between the Writers Guild and the producers, Rob does identify the key issue: it's all about the calendar

Rob checks Twitter during a live appearance and reads what people are saying about him.  And then he makes mid-course adjustments.  Not proud of it, but he does.

Rob tries to connect with the kids by having a bunch of meetings and coming up with a truly terrible idea. Just like Pepsi

This is Rob Long and on today's Martini Shot I actually do deliver today's Martini Shot. I've been gone for a bit. Please tell me you noticed. You did, right?

Rob comes up with alternative theories about hit movies and television shows, because that's how you know you've got a hit TV show or movie, because audiences insist on rewriting it totally.

Rob offers a depressing, comparison between being the executive producer of a television show, being an executive producer of a television show, and being president of the United States.

Rob offers a soothing way to ring in 2017.

Rob take a break from complaining about everything and worrying about stuff he can't change and does something meaningful and concrete -- and then goes right back to the complaining and worrying.