I am Hollywood

Chapter 958: Chapter 960: Method Acting

Chapter 956: Chapter 958: The Rising Popularity

Chapter 954: Chapter 956: One Point Five Percent

Chapter 952: Chapter 954: Issues of Power

Chapter 950: Chapter 952: Virgin Records

Chapter 948: Chapter 950: Write It Down

Chapter 946: Chapter 948: The Ace Up the Sleeve

Chapter 944: Chapter 946: Gore Verbinski

Chapter 942: Chapter 944: Only Losers Get Mocked

Chapter 940: Chapter 942: It's Time to Spit It Out

Chapter 938: Chapter 940: Bringing Out the Big Guns

Chapter 936: Chapter 938: You Can't Eat That, Right?



[Chapter 938: You Can't Eat That, Right?]

"It's an interview about the influence of the Victoria's Secret Angels," Emily said. "When it's broadcast on TV, I plan to insert a segment featuring interviews spanning from executives to the Angels themselves based on this list of their income."

Eric understood; at the heart of it was the publicity surrounding the Angels' annual earnings, aimed at garnering more attention for the Victoria's Secret brand.

He pointed to Edward Razek, who had recently been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer of Victoria's Secret, and joked, "You guys can say a few words. But do you really want me to come out and praise how much the Angels made this year? You think that's appropriate? I reckon the audience will be more curious about how much Eric Williams earned this year."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Don't worry; I won't let them think about that. You're the founder of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and you have the most authority on this topic. Just think about what to say while I call in the photographer."

"Is it really that urgent?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Who knows where you'll run off to in the next few days?" Emily shot back, quickly walking away.

As Eric pondered on what to say, Emily returned with a photographer, signaling for him to follow her to a quieter office nearby.

...

Sitting on the office sofa, with the photographer setting up the camera, Emily noticed that Eric still didn't seem ready. Realizing the topic came up unexpectedly, she guided him by saying, "So, why don't you tell the fundamental reason behind the income growth of the Angels?"

By asking this, Emily hoped Eric would shift the discussion to the brand's support for the supermodels. All she needed was for him to say a few relevant things, and then she could choose some appropriate quotes to insert into the interview excerpts.

However, this time Eric didn't catch onto Emily's intention. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "The fundamental reason, I think, should be the actual manifestation of the attention economy."

"Attention economy?" Emily asked with a hint of confusion.

Sensing her confusion, Eric recognized that the term "attention economy" probably became popular only after the rise of the internet. He explained, "The attention economy refers to economic activities where economic benefits are derived from capturing public attention. Traditionally, it's about TV ratings or newspaper circulation -- at the end of the day, you need sufficient eyeballs to reach a certain level. The Victoria's Secret Angels are no different; thousands of girls work as models worldwide, yet this group has drawn most of the public's attention to modeling."

Emily seemed to be confused by Eric's explanation and countered, "Just because their visibility increases doesn't mean their personal income should dramatically rise. That doesn't seem logical."

"Of course, in many news events, some ordinary people suddenly garner significant attention, yet that doesn't translate into actual economic benefits for them," Eric agreed. "It also involves the issue of monetization channels. The Angels gained more visibility through Victoria's Secret fashion shows, and they have a complete management team behind them to help monetize that attention. Those fashion brands are willing to pay higher than ever to hire supermodels who have come from Victoria's Secret as their brand ambassadors. Ultimately, their income has increased substantially. I remember Linda once said she wouldn't get out of bed for less than ten thousand dollars a day. But now, attempting to book her for a show could cost upwards of one hundred thousand dollars; this is because she generates much more 'attention' than before."

Emily rested her chin on her hand, contemplated, and nodded. "You're right; I didn't think you had so many interesting theories. This attention economy seems quite fitting for today's internet industry."

"Indeed, whether it's a portal website or e-commerce, one needs to gain enough attention to succeed. If you're following Amazon's half-year results utilizing Fireflyer's hunger marketing, you'd grasp this better. Wall Street valued Amazon at only two billion dollars earlier this year, but now it has surged to four and a half billion dollars. You could say that the economic impact of the attention generated through hunger marketing brought Amazon a staggering two and a half billion dollars in book revenue. Yahoo has to maintain its rapid development, and their future marketing strategies must also firmly grasp the concept of the attention economy. I actually wrote a memo to the upper management at Yahoo regarding this matter. If you're interested, I can let you take a look."

Emily nodded, intrigued, then realized the photographer next to them wore an interested expression. She shot Eric a playful glare and stated, "You totally derailed the topic! We're supposed to be discussing the Victoria's Secret Angels!"

The fashion show continued outside, and Emily didn't want to risk missing any sudden events. So, instead of asking vague questions, she straightforwardly prompted Eric to say some nice things about the Angels, thus ending the recording.

...

Although it was the fourth show, both the LTD executives and the participating supermodels remained quite nervous before each event.

While management worried about unexpected occurrences during the show, the Angels fretted about possibly tripping on the runway. Years earlier, Diane Kruger unexpectedly gained fame for her 'Cinderella moment' when she mishandled a shoe during the inaugural Victoria's Secret show. Yet, in the years since, no supermodel dared to do anything similar intentionally; all the Angels hoped for was to complete their runway appearances without a hitch.

Fortunately, after a tense and hectic sixty minutes, the show concluded successfully.

After the bows, guests in the front row began to leave, while the forty-three Victoria's Secret Angels congregated backstage once more. Once the promotional group photo was done, they would head to a nearby Gramercy Park hotel for an after-party.

...

Eric ignored the commotion from a group of excited girls taking pictures and chatted with Elton John, the evening's guest performer. He attempted to persuade the legendary British singer to join the Yahoo music store when Cindy and Linda dashed over from the crowd, dragging Eric away for the group photo.

Looking at their thigh-high strapped heels, Eric shook his head resolutely. "No way, I'm not taking a photo with you fairies; it would ruin my ruggedly handsome image!"

The average height of the Angels was already nearly six feet, and on that day most were wearing various styles of high heels. Although Eric wasn't short, standing among this group would undoubtedly look out of place.

Linda, unhappy, tugged at Eric's hand. "You can sit! We'll get you a chair."

Eric playfully patted the loveseat he shared with Elton John. "If you move this over there, I'll

do it."

"Hah, you think we can't manage that?" Cindy yelled to the nearby crowd, and without hesitation, a group of ecstatic girls from the runway rushed over to help.

Elton John chuckled and quickly stood up, while Eric got to his feet. "Alright, alright, no need

to move it, I'll come over."

The delighted Angels ignored Eric's protests. Amid laughter from their teasing, seven or eight girls effortlessly moved the loveseat toward the photo area.

Linda watched as her friends placed the loveseat in front of the backdrop, glancing triumphantly at Eric before pulling him over. She promptly pushed him into the center of the loveseat and sat beside him without leaving.

With Linda taking the lead, the other Angels joined in; Cindy easily snagged a spot on Eric's right, while the armrests of the loveseat were swiftly occupied. Eric felt a waft of perfume from behind, and he could sense a few hands -- whether intentional or not -- trying to inch

toward him.

Russell James, the Victoria's Secret photographer, seemed eager to make the scene even livelier. He waved his hand. "Mr. Williams, can you kick up a leg? And can someone come to

the front?"

Since they'd already pulled him in, Eric obliged and propped up a leg, all the while thinking that this photo absolutely couldn't see the light of day; otherwise, countless males would sketch little circles around him.

Being a newcomer, Qusie Gauff, squeezed to the edge, heard Russell's call and swiftly made her way to the front of the loveseat.

As a top model, striking poses came as second nature to Qusie Gauff. She seamlessly nestled next to Eric, curling her long legs slightly, with her arm casually draped over his knee. On the other side, Helena Christensen, still in her sexy angel getup, leaned gently against Eric's leg. Russell directed a few supermodels to change poses, and all forty-three beauties formed a tight circle around Eric. Finally, he raised his camera and called out, "OK, three, two, one!"

"Yeah!"

...

In the banquet hall of the Gramercy Garden Hotel, all the Angels had changed into stunning gowns.

After dancing a number with Cindy, Eric had just stepped out of the dance floor when he was intercepted by Stephanie Seymour, who was with her husband, Peter Grant.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Stephanie entered the topic directly. "Eric, I heard MGM

is producing a TV series you conceived for the newly acquired Bravo Channel. Do you think I

could try out for a role?"

The TV series Stephanie referred to was Desperate Housewives, and casting was already

underway, with plans to air in the spring.

Eric knew this would be Stephanie's last Victoria's Secret show despite her being under thirty. Her husband, publishing mogul Peter Grant, clearly didn't want his wife gracing the Victoria's Secret runway anymore; he even alerted Emily about it privately.

Eric wouldn't reveal these behind-the-scenes moves; after all, he would probably do the same. Glancing at Peter Grant, who maintained a forced smile but looked resigned, Eric expressed regret. "Sorry, Stephanie, among the four lead roles in the plan, three are aged around forty. Although the fourth one may match your age, I'd prefer a Latina for that role, you know, we need to have some minority representation."

After all, Stephanie Seymour was only twenty-nine, fitting perfectly for the character based on Eva Longoria's retired model in the original Desperate Housewives. If it weren't for the 'politically correct' angle, she would have been a prime candidate. Eric didn't care about Peter

Grant's opinions.

Despite the setting of the idyllic suburban community where the story took place, predominantly a wealthy, middle-class white neighborhood, if ABC cast all four lead roles as white, in the event the series became successful, it would likely face accusations of racial discrimination. Having a Latina character in the mix at least quelled some potential criticism. Stephanie didn't seem discouraged and looked like she might say something more. Peter Grant, standing beside her, finally couldn't hold back. "Honey, let's not pressure Eric. I think it's best you focus on the kids for these next few years." Now nearing retirement, Stephanie Seymour, over the last few years, had been eager to marry Peter Grant. However, the past few Victoria's Secret shows unexpectedly revitalized her career. As an ambitious woman, she now felt a twinge of regret. Next year she would be stepping away from the Victoria's Secret stage, and she knew if she didn't act soon, her recently revived career would fade back into obscurity. That's why she sought an opportunity from Eric for a role in his TV series.

Given that the main cast of the show was making waves in the fashion industry, Stephanie

wasn't too skeptical about how landing a role could help her career maintain longevity. However, upon hearing her husband, Stephanie understood she couldn't humiliate him in front of Eric and Cindy. She reluctantly nodded and chatted a bit longer with Eric before

leaving with Peter Grant.

...

Cindy watched as Stephanie and Peter drifted away, smirking with a hint of schadenfreude.

"See? Stephanie must be regretting her choice deeply. Marriage isn't just the grave of love; it's the grave of careers as well."

Eric chuckled, "If it weren't for Victoria's Secret, I think you would be in that 'grave' too,

right?" "Yeah, I guess so. I might marry a guy who's a little less accomplished than me but not too far behind; that way, I can live freely without being shackled by family ties, unlike Stephanie."

Noticing Emily a short distance away, Eric walked over with Cindy and asked, "What about now?" "Right now..." Cindy's gaze turned a bit uncertain, and she shook her head. "Right now, the kind of man I wanted is hard to find. If he's too far beneath me, it won't work. If he's at my

level or a bit above, they might think I'm too domineering, which probably wouldn't work out

either."

"Then why not date a woman? I think Linda would be a good match. Haha, then you could adopt a child together," Eric jokingly suggested, not realizing the expression on Cindy's face

shifted.

He approached Emily, bringing up the earlier group photo moment. "Just make sure that

picture doesn't get out; I really don't want to walk down the street getting eggs thrown at me

out of envy." Emily shot Eric a look. "I thought you'd be proud of it."

"What's there to be proud of? You can only look but not eat!"

Emily glanced at Cindy, saying with a smirk, "I think it's not that you can't indulge; you just

can't handle it, right? That's forty-three of them, after all!"

Eric instantly felt offended. "Hey, are you looking down on me?"

"Alright, I'm done arguing with you. I won't let anyone else see that picture, so don't worry,"

Emily reassured. She exchanged friendly words with the still contemplative Cindy before

laughing and heading towards a guest not far away.

*****

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