The Wolf of Los Angeles-Chapter 376: A Great Victory

[Chapter 376: A Great Victory]

Just after eight in the morning, the media capital of Burbank was already bustling.

Edward drove the business car, gradually approaching Warner Bros. Studios.

Tom Cruise looked toward a gathering crowd and remarked, "These people are more enthusiastic than at work."

Hawke was also gazing in the same direction, his eyes sweeping over the sign for Million Dollar Baby, and he said, "Work is often just a necessity to pay the bills under capital pressure, while protesting here is about claiming their rights. It's not surprising at all."

Seeing that another group of main characters had yet to arrive, Tom Cruise asked, "How much have we spent this time? Make sure you give me a number when this is over."

"Sure," Hawke acknowledged, spotting several buses pulling up and added, "The feminists are here."

...

Members of the LGBTQ community from the Mattachine Society had just unveiled their posters and banners when those buses squealed to a stop on the roadside.

Hundreds of women disembarked.

With a fierce demeanor, they quickly raised their own banners and signs, which were filled with messages disparaging LGBTQ rights and supporting Million Dollar Baby.

The two opposing groups, both vying for power, clashed head-on, never to admire each other, but always to contest fiercely, becoming sworn enemies.

Both sides were primarily composed of women. At first, the confrontation escalated into a barrage of insults, and nobody knew who threw the first bottle at an opposing woman's head, which seemed to spark the chaos.

Verbal attacks quickly turned into physical confrontations -- spitting, hair-pulling, and tugging at clothing were all fair game.

These people were far more intense than the average crowd, wishing nothing less than to obliterate their opponents.

In the fray, four women found themselves in a particularly brutal scramble; two had their shirts ripped off while the other two lost their pants. They ignored modesty and just grabbed each other's long hair, bending over in the street, like four insects bowing low, unable to straighten up.

In such a moment, their leader, Jenna, didn't have the luxury of avoiding conflict any longer.

The passionate women took over, and nobody could intervene. Feminism was anything but subtle in its striving for rights. Each individual believed they were superior; once tempers flared, no leader could keep them in check.

The LGBTQ crowd was equally incendiary; being marginalized had made them sensitive, and they were like fireworks, ready to explode.

...

Burbank was already notoriously crowded with media reporters.

Soon, a cluster of reporters gathered to capture the thrilling melee.

A female boxer found herself held around the chest by a male LGBTQ member. In a moment of panic, she shouted, "Let go of me, you bastard! You're sexually harassing me!"

The flamboyant man shot back, "Hey, how could you say that? I am like your sister!"

...

At that point, police sirens blared from a distance as two LAPD patrol cars approached and parked on the side of the road.

As four LAPD officers got out and assessed the scene before them, they immediately called for backup.

A few months earlier, a similar brawl had erupted in Los Angeles's City Hall, though it had been a group of Black women overpowering White women.

This time, the two groups were equally matched in terms of numbers.

...

Edward, sitting diagonal from the chaos, tapped the steering wheel and said, "This is fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"

Tom Cruise, eyeing a woman from a local airplane factory, criticized the opposing women and commented, "Women fighting is far more visually appealing than men."

Hawke, the mastermind behind this spectacle, proclaimed, "The LGBTQ and feminism are enemies."

"Even if they didn't used to be, they will be now," Tom Cruise responded, stating, "This is the first time I've seen them attack one another like this."

Hawke chuckled, "They'll become bitter rivals from now on."

...

Although two police cars had arrived, the fighting grew even more intense. A gust of wind blew, sending torn strands of hair flying about like colorful feathers.

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More police sirens signaled reinforcements, but they couldn't disperse these women in a frenzy just yet.

When a tactical unit's armored vehicle rolled in, the LAPD had no choice but to use tear gas to calm the situation.

...

Seeing the crowd begin to thin out, Hawke said to Edward, "Let's go."

Edward started the car, turning it around to head back toward Los Angeles.

On the way, they passed near Universal Studios, with Hawke specifically asking Edward to drive that way.

Approaching the studio's office area, Hawke noticed a massive crowd of women blocking the entrance of Focus Features, protesting against the discrimination of women in the production of Brokeback Mountain.

The excuses and justifications were easily found, given that the previous demonstrations had already set the precedent.

Edward drove a bit closer.

Hawke had sharp eyesight; even from a distance, he could see Michelle, the leader of the FMF, passionately participating in an interview with reporters.

The car didn't stop and soon drove past.

...

Tom Cruise exclaimed, "Hollywood's LGBTQ community may be discreet, but the feminists are overt; they're definitely going to support the FMF. That's a force to reckon with."

In a jovial mood, Hawke smiled and said, "Don't forget about the old white men; they've always had a bias against these types of films."

Tom Cruise responded, "Clint Eastwood's connections built over decades are not something James Schamus or Ang Lee can compete with."

He then thought of another competitor, "Plus, Jamie Foxx has two women currently suing him for alleged sexual misconduct, given societal biases against Black men. He'll be lucky to even get a nomination, let alone win."

Hawke had already taken out two of the biggest potential competitors, but still wasn't entirely at ease: he cautioned, "You need to watch out for Leonardo DiCaprio."

"I get it. Originally, Leonardo wasn't a major concern, and he might not invest heavily in this, but given the current situation, it's hard to say for sure," Tom Cruise sincerely asked, "What should I do?"

Hawke thought for a moment, "You have a professional PR team at your disposal; let them create a buzz around Leonardo as if he's on a path to win. Play up the awards chase."

Tom Cruise immediately grasped it: "You mean, say outright that they aim to win awards? That The Aviator was made specifically for the Oscars?"

"Exactly," Hawke confirmed. "I've analyzed past cases, and the core judges really dislike that attitude."

Having pursued Oscars for years, Tom Cruise understood: "You're right. Those people can't seem to avoid being hypocritical while still claiming to be virtuous."

Hawke recalled that it had been manageable for the last couple of years; in a few years, the Oscars would undoubtedly lay bare their contradictions.

The Black community was also challenging; specifically in recent years, perhaps due to societal and political needs, Black individuals had frequently been awarded at the Oscars.

Amidst all this, another victim emerged, which, by Hawke's deduction, was likely inflicted by two other productions.

Hollywood stars typically weren't shy about pursuing matters like this. Similar situations certainly occurred regularly.

Hawke further instructed Tom Cruise, "You should get the media to publicize Alice Carson's story, so people know that her civil lawsuit is seeking $5 million in damages. Then have some so-called legal experts analyze the situation, claiming she could conservatively get around $2 million in compensation."

Initially, Tom Cruise was a bit dazed, but quickly grasped the key point: "There's bound to be a number of low-income actresses who have been approached by Jamie Foxx in similar ways. Seeing someone like Alice as an example of a potential payout of a million dollars will surely entice some to come forward with accusations against him."

Hawke affirmed, "Exactly, he has no chance of recovering during awards season now."

"This runs contrary to Hollywood's usual way of handling problems," Tom Cruise expressed some concerns, but not excessively so, saying, "For me, it's just a small issue."

Hawke dropped Tom Cruise off in downtown Los Angeles and then instructed Edward to head toward Twitter.

---

In the lead-up to the New Year in 2005, the calm in Los Angeles, which had not lasted long, erupted into huge waves of public opinion and street protests.

As Alice's civil lawsuit details went public and several media outlets featured experts analyzing them, the allure of a million-dollar payout prompted seven more actresses to come forward to the LAPD, claiming they had been victims of Jamie Foxx's sexual coercion.

Jamie Foxx found himself overwhelmed and rapidly exited from the situation.

...

On the other hand, the LGBTQ community and feminist organizations engaged in heated battles over Brokeback Mountain and Million Dollar Baby.

The two groups launched six rounds of opposing protests.

In all six confrontations, physical altercations ensued, leading to multiple arrests.

Due to their connections with the LAPD, the sisters swiftly bailed out and, as a part of the Sister March, Fiona quickly rose to be one of the organization's core members.

...

Additionally, a pair of Mexican sisters joined the Mattachine Society, gaining mid-level management positions with their strong performances and the sponsorship funds they brought in.

Amid the chaos, Hawke successfully penetrated these two major organizations.

With subsequent financial advantages, he began to turn feminism and LGBTQ advocacy into ferocious watchdogs.

Of course, for now, both sides were only biting at each other, and it was turning out to be especially thrilling.

In this era, feminism could definitely be regarded as the mainstream movement in society, while LGBTQ advocacy remained a marginalized group, and the latter inevitably fell behind.

---

As public opinion seemed to spiral out of control, the Oscars faced the risk of being tainted. In late January 2005, the Academy prematurely announced the nominees for the 77th Oscars.

Hawke and Brian traveled to Washington, D.C., for George Walker Bush's second inauguration ceremony, hardly paying attention to the nominees' luncheon.

However, Tom Cruise subsequently called Hawke.

The nomination list released by the Academy included a Best Director nomination for Ray, while missing from the Best Picture and Best Actor nominations.

This meant that Jamie Foxx did not receive a nomination for Best Actor for that year's Oscars, eliminating any chance of winning.

Compared to Ray, Brokeback Mountain fared even worse.

None of the major nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, or Best Picture featuring the film's name.

Million Dollar Baby held strong, as it aligned with Hollywood's mainstream feminism, and given that, through both public opinion and street confrontations, feminism had prevailed over LGBTQ advocacy, it didn't suffer much detriment; it garnered seven nominations, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Tom Cruise's starring role alongside Eric Emerson's direction of Nightcrawler achieved its intended targets, securing nominations for Best Actor, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.

*****

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