Sony's Cowardice

I took this photo of Rudy Giuliani projected onto the Metropolitan Opera September 22, 2001, just days after the horrible attacks of 9/11. I had worked at the Met for several years before 2001, and after 9/11, I volunteered with friends to work sound for this special benefit show. The show sold out fast and the Met decided to offer this special audio/video relay to the public in the Lincoln Center plaza (if I recall correctly, this was the first "Plazacast", now a regular feature). It was a remarkable night because several thousand people met together, in public, and collectively defied the terrorists, showing them that we would not cower in fear, even after they successfully attacked us only a couple miles from where we were sitting. For me, that inspirational night was a great example of the role art and performance can play in our culture, and the leadership it can offer in difficult times. (More here).

I would never have gone out to see a stupid comedy featuring two actors I find insufferable, but I was planning to go to see The Interview exactly because threats had been made against it.  Now that's not possible, because Sony, who brought this whole mess on themselves through their inept network security, has caved to some vague and (as far as I can tell) empty threats, and cancelled the release of the movie. Unless there is some credible, meaningful threat of which we have not yet been made aware, then I say to the executives at Sony and all the associated exhibitor chains: You are cowards.