Today on AirTalk we analyze the vice presidential debate, investigate the potential opening of a 99 Cents Only store in Beverly Hills, invite our KPCC film critics on for another round of FilmWeek, and take a look at the rise of Netflix.
Paul Ryan and Joe Biden duke it out in the VP debate
Vice presidential debates don’t usually move the needle much during election seasons but the stakes were higher than usual for last night’s verbal spar between sitting Democrat Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. Democrats were looking to change the narrative of the election and put a halt to plummeting poll numbers for the Obama campaign after the president’s lackluster performance in last week’s first debate.
Last night, Biden seemed to relish the role of the attacker as he went on the offensive early and often with a mocking laugh and a dismissive, interrupting style that appeared to be aimed at belittling Ryan, and by proxy, his running mate Mitt Romney. For his part, Paul Ryan managed to weather Biden’s interruptions and accusations with a calm demeanor, and slight smirk, that maintained solidarity with Mitt Romney’s message. Overall, viewers gave both candidates high marks for digging into issues and talking to each other.
So who won? Early debate polls have been split and the pundits have been filling airtime with the usual spin in counter rotating directions leaving the few remaining swing voters to decide for themselves.
Which candidate best represented their boss’ ticket? Was Biden’s demeanor rude or some much needed verve for the Democrats? How will it affect the polls until Obama and Romney face each other again next week?
Guest:
Eugene Kiely, deputy director, FactCheck.org, a project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center FactCheck.org
Jonathan Wilcox, republican strategist; former speechwriter for Governor Pete Wilson
Darry A. Sragow, attorney and longtime democratic strategist
Beverly Hills penny pinchers rejoice! 99 Cents Only store on Rodeo Drive?
Beverly Hills has a reputation as having most upscale shopping in Southern California, which puts it high in the running for some of the best shopping in the world. But high-dollar shoppers may soon see an unfamiliar retailer among the big name, big ticket shops like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada.
Eric Schiffer, the CEO of the discount chain 99 Cents Only, announced recently that they have plans to open a location in Beverly Hills' exclusive shopping district citing that the best-performing store in the entire chain is the location on Wilshire Boulevard closest to Beverly Hills.
"That store does an incredible volume, it does more than twice average store in our chain," said Schiffer. "We know many customers are driving from Beverly Hills to shop at 99, and they have been saying 'Please open a location in Beverly Hills."
But there has been pushback from the city, which believes that a discount retailer like 99 Cents Only simply wouldn't fit in among the glamour and cachet of Rodeo Drive.
"What we're talking about here is, is there a landlord on Rodeo Dr. who would lease to a 99 Cent Store amongst Dior, amongst Prada, amongst Chanel, amongst Cariter, and I think strongly the answer is probably not," said Brian Rpsenstein, vice chair of the Beverly Hills planning commission. "At the same time, that's not to say that the 99 Cent Store isn't appropriate for Beverly Hills….but Rodeo Drive is known for its luxury and elegance…I just don't think that 99 Cent Store fits in there."
Weigh In
How can discount stores attract customers in exclusive locales like Beverly Hills? How can 'discount' and 'exclusive' strike a balance for wealthy bargain shoppers?
Guests:
Eric Schiffer, CEO, 99 Cents Only Stores
Brian Rosenstein, vice chair of the Beverly Hills planning commission, candidate for Beverly Hills city council
FilmWeek: Argo, Here Comes the Boom, Seven Psychopaths and more
Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein to review the week’s new films, including Argo, Here Comes the Boom, Seven Psychopaths and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Box Office Magazine
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain
The rise of Netflix and the remaking of home entertainment
According to the Urban Dictionary, “Netflixing” means “watching any TV show, movie, documentary, etc. on NetFlix via instant streaming.” Getting “Netflixed,” however, has a less benign meaning: “to screw the consumer over viciously by jacking the rates of whatever service you provide.”
In her new book “Netflixed,” financial and media writer Gina Keating details the story of how one company transformed the movie-watching habits of a generation, and gave Americans even more reason to stay home on Saturday nights. Hard to imagine that there could be much drama, intrigue and page-turning narrative in the saga of home entertainment, but Keating has churned it into what one reviewer called a “lively, canny business potboiler.”
Urban legend has it that the idea for Netflix was born when founder Reed Hastings was slapped with a $40 fine for an overdue copy of Apollo 13; in interviews with key players like co-founder Marc Randolph, Keating debunks that and other rumors, getting to a truth she says was “more fascinating than I imagined.”
The book dishes deep dirt surrounding Netflix’ dizzying rise to the top against massive odds: its long-standing rivalry with rental giant Blockbuster, its taking on and more-or-less vanquishing of both the videocassette and the brick-and-mortar rental outlet, and Hastings’ disastrous decision last year to raise subscription prices by as much as 60%, resulting in fierce consumer backlash - and that not-so-flattering Urban Dictionary definition.
Who won the battle for your famly’s eyeballs? Did home DVD delivery change your movie-watching habits? Have you been “Netflixed?”
Gina Keating discusses and signs "Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs on Monday, October 15th, 7:00 p.m. at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. For more information, visit http://www.vromansbookstore.com/gina-keating
Guest:
Gina Keating, author of “Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs” (Portfolio/Penguin) and former staff writer for Reuters and United Press International