differences,” Hutt said, “and practically, I’m afraid they diminish every day.”
“I’m interested in theory,” Archer said. “I’m a very theoretical man.”
“It’s a luxury I wish I could afford,” Hutt whispered. He smiled agreeably up at Archer, standing before his desk. “Unfortunately, I am in a position in which I can only afford to be interested in results. In a way, Archer, I find your defense of these people admirable. No. …” he waved his hand as though to dismiss Archer’s remonstrances, “I really am. It springs out of two admirable qualities, loyalty to your friends and an abstract sense of justice. If you want to know the truth, I’m a little ashamed of myself that I cannot indulge fully in those qualities. There are certain classes of people, who for one reason or another, find themselves, in certain situations, indefensible. That’s harsh—but it does no good to pretend otherwise. Actors, radio actors especially, are members of that class. They are like the old gladiators in the Roman circus. If they please the public and the emperor by their performance, they are spared when the sword is at their throat. Thumbs up. But if they, for any reason whatsoever,” Hutt said deliberately, “displease the public and the emperor—thumbs down. I understand O’Neill explained this to you.”
“O’Neill explained it,” Archer said flatly. “Without the classical allusions.”
“Now, actors are terribly vulnerable,” Hutt went on evenly, “because their art is personal. It is their bodies and their voices and their personalities that they must make agreeable to their public, directly. So, if I were an actor, I would be most careful to remain politically neutral at all times. That is,” Hutt smiled thinly, “if I intended to pursue my career fully. I would realize that I could not afford to antagonize any section of my audience. Each man must look realistically around him and mark out the limitations of his personality and profession, and content himself with working within them. If he doesn’t …” Hutt shrugged. “He must not be surprised when he is hurt. Like crime, unreality does not pay. And actors, for another reason, should be discouraged by their friends from entering the political arena. Actors, almost by necessity, must be rather childish, undeveloped, emotional, unstable, irrational …” Hutt looked obliquely up at Archer to see how he was taking this. “And politics demand reason, stability, coldness of outlook. You can almost be certain that any actor who engages in politics, on any side, is going to wind up by behaving like a damn fool. At other times, when the general atmosphere was more relaxed, they could be forgiven. Today, we are too pressed to be in a forgiving mood. Today, Archer, and please remember this, because you will finally have to make certain choices yourself, we are living in a fearful, vindictive, unforgiving time. The rules of the game are being changed. One strike and out.”
“Don’t you think the players should have been warned about the new rules,” Archer asked, “before they got up to bat?”
“Perhaps,” Hutt said carelessly. “But that isn’t the way it works. In this field, the rules are always made behind closed doors and on the spur of the moment. And you’re likely to find out that they’ve really been in existence, secretly, for ten years, and that your side has actually been retired a long time ago, although you’ve been permitted to go through the motions of competition again and again.”
“That’s horrible.”
“We live,” Hutt said gaily, “in a horrible world. Now—I’m going to ask you—just once—and without trying to apply any pressure—to waive your two weeks and release those people immediately.”
“No,” said Archer. “I can’t do it.”
“Just exactly what do you hope to accomplish?” Hutt asked.
“On my terms,” Archer said, sitting down again, because he felt it would help him
“I’m interested in theory,” Archer said. “I’m a very theoretical man.”
“It’s a luxury I wish I could afford,” Hutt whispered. He smiled agreeably up at Archer, standing before his desk. “Unfortunately, I am in a position in which I can only afford to be interested in results. In a way, Archer, I find your defense of these people admirable. No. …” he waved his hand as though to dismiss Archer’s remonstrances, “I really am. It springs out of two admirable qualities, loyalty to your friends and an abstract sense of justice. If you want to know the truth, I’m a little ashamed of myself that I cannot indulge fully in those qualities. There are certain classes of people, who for one reason or another, find themselves, in certain situations, indefensible. That’s harsh—but it does no good to pretend otherwise. Actors, radio actors especially, are members of that class. They are like the old gladiators in the Roman circus. If they please the public and the emperor by their performance, they are spared when the sword is at their throat. Thumbs up. But if they, for any reason whatsoever,” Hutt said deliberately, “displease the public and the emperor—thumbs down. I understand O’Neill explained this to you.”
“O’Neill explained it,” Archer said flatly. “Without the classical allusions.”
“Now, actors are terribly vulnerable,” Hutt went on evenly, “because their art is personal. It is their bodies and their voices and their personalities that they must make agreeable to their public, directly. So, if I were an actor, I would be most careful to remain politically neutral at all times. That is,” Hutt smiled thinly, “if I intended to pursue my career fully. I would realize that I could not afford to antagonize any section of my audience. Each man must look realistically around him and mark out the limitations of his personality and profession, and content himself with working within them. If he doesn’t …” Hutt shrugged. “He must not be surprised when he is hurt. Like crime, unreality does not pay. And actors, for another reason, should be discouraged by their friends from entering the political arena. Actors, almost by necessity, must be rather childish, undeveloped, emotional, unstable, irrational …” Hutt looked obliquely up at Archer to see how he was taking this. “And politics demand reason, stability, coldness of outlook. You can almost be certain that any actor who engages in politics, on any side, is going to wind up by behaving like a damn fool. At other times, when the general atmosphere was more relaxed, they could be forgiven. Today, we are too pressed to be in a forgiving mood. Today, Archer, and please remember this, because you will finally have to make certain choices yourself, we are living in a fearful, vindictive, unforgiving time. The rules of the game are being changed. One strike and out.”
“Don’t you think the players should have been warned about the new rules,” Archer asked, “before they got up to bat?”
“Perhaps,” Hutt said carelessly. “But that isn’t the way it works. In this field, the rules are always made behind closed doors and on the spur of the moment. And you’re likely to find out that they’ve really been in existence, secretly, for ten years, and that your side has actually been retired a long time ago, although you’ve been permitted to go through the motions of competition again and again.”
“That’s horrible.”
“We live,” Hutt said gaily, “in a horrible world. Now—I’m going to ask you—just once—and without trying to apply any pressure—to waive your two weeks and release those people immediately.”
“No,” said Archer. “I can’t do it.”
“Just exactly what do you hope to accomplish?” Hutt asked.
“On my terms,” Archer said, sitting down again, because he felt it would help him
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