a large dark room with booths. I went to the wet bar in the left of the room. Drinks were on the house, but everyone was leaving five-dollar tips in the tip jar. Against the back wall there was a stage where a disc-spinner was fronted by a revolving cadre of strippers that went all the way to topless.
The topless women didn’t go too well with this media crowd. The media folk looked too old to be titillated with such teenager type stuff. But they didn’t disregard the strippers. They weren’t shocked and outraged. They just tried to look disinterested. I suppose the odd blending of elderly and youthful thrills is now a part of our youth-worshiping culture. The media men not showing enjoyment made them appear bizarre and antiquated.
Not having anyone with me, I scanned the crowd. One guy stood out. He was tall angular, thick and dark. He had a bad-guy dartiness in his eyes and spoke to no one all night. It might have been due to my focusing on him as a character, but he appeared to take crowd pictures too often. Once or twice I actually felt my privacy was violated as he seemed to be taking pictures of me.
I was going to confront him when I noticed that there was an outside. Just how special the place I had the privilege to be in became immediately apparent as I first viewed the rooftop patio. It sported another bar and a full buffet. But beyond this it had a view to die for - a view of all the lights of Los Angeles.
Twenty-four floors below I looked down upon the jammed cars that cruised the strip. They thought that they were hot. And I realized I was in the hotspot they were dreaming of. Damn! This was it. I was in where the in-crowd was.
Looking down from this fantastic height actually put me in the mind of achieving final glamour by jumping. Now that I was finally fulfilled I didn’t need to continue. The glass wall that lined the roof likely made the temptation of jumping a repeating subconscious theme to all. But it was so tall that our fulfillment would have to wait.
And there, precariously perched on a riser was Quentin. The riser was so high that it lifted him above the glass partition. Behind him shone all the lights of the city. In front of him was a small table with a pitcher of water and a glass on it.
I think he must have been waiting for me. Because as soon as he saw me and gave me an uncharacteristic thumbs-up he launched into his presentation.
“Ladies and gentlemen I am ready to proceed. If I may have your attention I’d like to start by thanking you for coming here this evening. I hope you’ve had a good time thus far. And again, thank you for coming.
“Ladies and gentleman, what you are about to hear about may disturb you. It may excite you. It may make you think that I am a madman. But it will happen.
“What I am about to announce will be the single most important development in the history of media. I am not joking or exaggerating. Take me seriously. The contracts have been signed. The legalities have been checked. We are set to go in approximately three months.
“Please hold your questions until the end of my announcement. But know that Prison Wars are for real. ESPN has already bought the broadcast rights.
“Prison Wars are what they sound like. Gladiator style games using prisoners as gladiators. We will have various battles in the courtyards of prisons. These battles will result in injury and perhaps death for some of the participants. The fascinating essence of all sport will be shown raw in Prison Wars.
“Each battle will have different rules. They will be creative in costume and setting. Each contest will be a different spectacle. Each will require intense athletic training and ability. And, as it will be a real battle to the death, you won’t be able to turn away from it whether you want to or not.”
Murmurs among the journalists were getting loud. And several journalists started to vie for his attention. “Mr. Longus, Mr. Longus”
“Please no questions until the end of my announcement. I believe my presentation will answer many of the questions you have. And if you have others at the end of my presentation, I will answer them then.” He smiled with an imperial sense of self-satisfaction that quieted the crowd.
“You may be wondering how we can get away with such a brutal spectacle. We are employing the same legal contracts that are used in other sports. Fights in hockey and other sporting events aren’t punished criminally. Such altercations are within the jurisdiction of the sponsoring league. We have used the same business model. Our contracts require that participants waive their rights to prosecute those that inflict injuries upon them.
“The league is responsible for penalizing inappropriate behaviors. But we won’t.” Quentin chortled with his mouth close for a moment.
“Giving the spectator everything he wants, without restrictions, is our mission. We plan to do so in a way that cannot be surpassed. We will not pull punches.”
Quentin sat even taller and continued.
“Legal objections aside, some folks may object to Prison Wars on moral grounds. We have taken two actions that will hopefully qualm the ethical concerns you might have.
“First of all, all games will be preceded by disclaimers, the full text of which will be available after the press conference. In addition to the usual warning that the material is inappropriate for children, the lengthy statement will note that the participants are in prison because of their brutality. The disclaimer makes the very valid point that the desperation of the participants is proof that crime doesn’t pay. The best way to avoid such violence is to stay out of prison. I have every expectation that Prison Wars will be a deterrent to crime.
“Secondly, we will be donating twenty percent of the proceeds, before taxes but after expenses, to the State’s general fund. In addition, ten percent of the profits shall be put aside for payment of the contest participants themselves. In consultation with the Governor of our great State of California, we have arranged for forty percent of the proceeds going to the State to be earmarked for education. Fifteen percent of the State’s funds will help the State Penal System.
“Prison Wars will be what we call a win-win-win-win situation. Prisoners will win. The Attorney General’s office has agreed to adjust the terms of the participant’s sentencing conditions in recognition of their positive and valiant contributions to society. The winners will also receive considerable revenues.
“Children will win. The projected income will allow a reduction in the teacher-to-student ratio in our State. This will serve to keep kids out of prison and increase their ability to lead our State out of its current economic decline.
“Society will win. Contributing to the General Fund and covering some of the costs of the Penal System will go a long way to alleviating our State’s perennial budget crisis. The prisoners will be paying their debt to society by paying societies’ debts. Who knows? We may even live to see it resulting in a tax cut.”
Quentin laughed silently and a couple of drunks in the audience laughed out loud.
“Society will also win morally as this will be a deterrent to crime.”
“And we the viewers will win. I promise you a show that will create an unprecedented buzz. I promise you a spectacle that will be more gripping than anything you have ever seen before. This will be reality television for the modern era.”
Quentin paused to survey the assembled audience. They all looked somewhat ridiculous. Their faces showed a combination of distorted reactions. Simultaneously, surprise, disbelief, continued nervous laughter from a few, confusion, and excitement occupied the viewers’ faces. They wanted
