My famous boss is a nightmare
Dear Rémy,
Imagine my excitement earlier this year when I was hired by a famous actress to be president of her television and film label.
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was how horrible my new boss’s ideas would be! You’d think someone who’d been in the industry since scrunchies were acceptable would have developed good instincts. No chance. She seems determined to tell stories from her own life – that even a Benedictine monk would find banal – and to rehash plots that seem straight out of the 2000s. Last week, I’m not kidding, she started offering me a musical comedy centered on a high school choir. It was like Joy never happened.
But when I express doubts about the commercial viability of a proposed project, she takes it personally. She’s had hissy fits that remind me of my two-year-old daughter’s tantrums – and not just because they both tend to dress in tutus. I think thirty years of surroundings allowing her to follow her every whim have made her impossible to reason with. It’s like I’m the first and only person to ever defy her.
Rémy, if we left my two-year-old daughter surrounded by people who always said yes to her, we would create a monster, and yet we wrap our celebrities in bubble wrap as if they were fragile stars from a bygone era. Do you think this culture will ever change?
I joined this company because I believed this top founder would be able to open doors. And she can, but then I have to walk through those doors with an iPad full of stinkers. What advice would you give to someone in my situation? Is this a lost cause or can I correct the power imbalance?
Sincerely,
Tangled tutu
Dear Tutu Tangled,
Welcome to the glamorous nightmare of talent-led production companies: like giving a child the keys to a candy store and wondering why there’s chocolate everywhere.
Let’s address your boss’ tantrums. Fame distorts reality, making constructive criticism a personal attack. But all is not lost.
Are your personal frustrations clouding your professional judgment? There’s something in your writing that tells me you just don’t like this woman – but the professional world requires you to put that aside. The emotional toll may be high, but remember why you took this job. Fame opens doors; your job is to make sure what comes through those doors is worth watching.
Here is my advice. Balance adapting to this environment and promoting change. Only politely push back when absolutely necessary and perhaps suggest market research or test audiences to validate your concerns without making them personal.
Have a weekly development meeting with your boss to give him the space to express his ideas. Listen, take notes, and make them feel heard. Incorporate some of their ideas into more pitchable ideas while giving them credit and…
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