John Gibson (Fox News) wrote this article following Chris Martin's outburst at shareholders, calling them the greatest evil on earth. Here is what Mr Gibson said in return:
A Rush of Blood to the Head?
Thursday, May 19, 2005
By John Gibson
This is a little monologue Thursday on how good it is to be rich. And maybe how good it is to be young, rich and famous.
Take the singer Chris Martin (search) from the pop music band Coldplay (search). He's also the husband of Gwyneth Paltrow — everybody's idea of perfect beauty these days — and the father of the baby Paltrow just gave birth to, the darling little Apple.
So Chris Martin and his band have a new record coming out, and he's getting pressure from the company to deliver the thing on time. And when it turned out to be late, the company's stock price went down. That caused even more screaming and more pressure on the gentle psyches of the otherwise pampered rock band.
So Chris Martin said — get this — "Shareholders are the greatest evil on Earth."
Now you youngish people who are pouring your salary into 401(k) (search) plans so you can take care of yourself in your old age, and depending on your status as a shareholder in stocks or mutual funds or bond funds or real estate investment trusts — your singing idol says you are the "greatest evil on Earth."
Think he's not serious? Sure, he is. He's talking about shareholders demanding profits from oil companies, from financial institutions, from wood products companies, from power companies. All of which he is certain, evidently, cause further damage to the planet where his little Apple is going to grow up.
Shareholders are bad because they want and demand profit, and they put pressure on managers and the managers go put pressure on the guy drilling for oil or the guy trying to make another rock 'n' roll hit.
Evil, evil, evil, evil shareholders. All of you — evil.
It's nice not to worry about your stock and mutual fund accounts, right? Your accountant calls every few days to say the record company has sent along another few million. Enjoy life. Don't feel the pressure of shareholders. Just enjoy life and tell all your fans who are shareholders that they are scum.
Oh sorry, not scum. Evil.
Coldplay's new record retails for about $20. Wanna give him some of your money now?
I didn't think so. That's My Word.
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