4/30: 59 Candles

It’s an annual tradition at The Marist Institute for Public Opinion.  To commemorate the director’s birthday, we ask the nation if they think Dr. Lee M. Miringoff’s age is young, middle-aged, or old.  How did our fearless leader do this year?

The age is 59, and Miringoff escapes, again!  72% of U.S. residents think 59 years old is “middle-aged.”  15% believe the age is “young,” and 13% report it’s “old.”

Needless to say, age affects perceptions on this question.  The older Americans are, the more likely they are to say 59 years old is “young.”  The younger the residents, the more inclined they are to say the age is “old.”

Table: How Old Is 59?

Marist Poll Methodology

MIPO Director Lee Miringoff on the perception of age:

4/28: Tribeca Film Festival Viewed as Exciting, But …

The Tribeca Film Festival is underway, and there’s positive news for its organizers.  71% of New York City residents think it’s an exciting thing for the city.  9% say it’s a hassle, and one-fifth are unsure.

Borough of residence affects opinions about the film festival.  Those who live in Manhattan are more likely to call it “exciting” than New Yorkers living in the outer boroughs.  79% in Manhattan, 72% in Queens and Staten Island, 69% in the Bronx, and 67% in Brooklyn say the event is advantageous.

The downside for the film festival is just 21% of New York City residents report they will attend, at least, some of its events.  This includes 19% who plan to attend some of them.  79%, however, don’t plan to check out any of the scheduled films, panels, or other events.

Is this expected turnout the norm?  86% of New York City residents report they have never attended the film festival while 14% say they have.  However, nearly one-quarter of Manhattan dwellers — 24% — have been to the Tribeca Film Festival.  13% of those in Queens and Staten Island, 11% in Brooklyn, and 7% in the Bronx say the same.

Perhaps, most New Yorkers have not attended the film festival, because they don’t know about it.  65% have heard only a little or nothing at all about it.  This includes 34% who have heard nothing at all and 31% who have not heard very much about the festival.  In contrast, 35% are aware of the event including 22% who know a good amount and 13% who describe themselves as well versed on the annual event.

Is the film festival New York-centric?  A plurality of residents — 43% — say so.  34%, however, think it is geared more toward people from out of town.  23% are unsure.

Table: Tribeca Film Festival Exciting or a Hassle?
Table: 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Attendance
Table: Previous Tribeca Film Festival Attendance
Table: Knowledge of Tribeca Film Festival
Table: Target Audience of Tribeca Film Festival

Marist Poll Methodology

4/28: The Tribeca Film Festival’s Identity Crisis

We’re already at the halfway point for the ninth session of the Tribeca Film Festival, yet unless you live downtown, it’s hard to notice. The festival isn’t exactly a hot topic around the water cooler.

That’s not an indictment against the quality of films.

Documentaries, a traditionally strong category at Tribeca, have made a strong impression, thanks to the eco-warning “Climate of Change,” the Shea Stadium love letter “Last Play at Shea” and the festival’s most talked-about entry, the work-in-progress about New York’s disgraced ex-governor “Untitled Eliot Spitzer Project.” Several features, like “Legacy” and “Spork,” have also earned strong reviews.

Still, there doesn’t seem to be much electricity around town for TFF. A new poll by Marist indicates 79% of New Yorkers have no intention of attending a single TFF event. That’s a staggering number.

The star-studded premiere parties and the countless sponsor events are still making it into Page Six. How is that different than any other night in Manhattan? There is nothing approaching the buzz that turns Park City, Utah, into mini-Hollywood every January for Sundance, or the excitement in Toronto as likely Oscar contenders are screened there in the fall.

It’s not exactly fair to compare Tribeca to Sundance or Toronto or Cannes, for that matter. Those festivals are established events with longer histories. They also benefit from better placement on the calendar (Sundance in January, Cannes in May, Toronto in September). And you can’t ignore the fact that the options for entertainment in Manhattan are slightly more plentiful than Park City or Toronto.

For all these reasons and more, Tribeca has been forced to dig a little deeper than other festivals to find quality pictures.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great independent movies out there. And TFF has shown a knack for finding gems in the foreign markets, with “Buried Land,” “Dog Pound” and “My Brothers” being good examples this year.

It’s not like the festival isn’t drawing crowds. Last year, nearly 350,000 people attended. They can’t all be out-of-towners, can they? But attendance figures can’t explain Tribeca’s lack of cultural cachet.

You can go ahead and blame the festival’s one-size-fits-all approach to programming for that. Co-founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro have embraced mainstream popcorn pictures such as “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” and “Spider-Man 3″ since the festival began in 2002, as a way to drum up publicity. But kicking off a film festival with “Shrek Forever After” – this year’s Opening Night movie – isn’t the way to gain street cred on the film festival circuit.

By striving for national attention with splashy red-carpet premieres of upcoming summer blockbusters, Tribeca sabotaged its own efforts to position itself as a central player in independent film.

But it may not be too late to fix that.

Festival organizers have drastically scaled back the number of feature films they screen, from 176 in 2005 to a more manageable 85 this year. Yes, they did premiere with “Shrek 4,” but at least it was a 3D movie. The recent explosion in 3D moviemaking goes hand-in-hand with TFF’s mission to embrace new film technology.

For the first time, Tribeca has made festival movies such as Ed Burns’ “Nice Guy Johnny” available for viewing online. In addition, TFF struck deals with several cable companies to offer movies through Video On Demand. Those films will become available at the same time they premiere at the festival.

The old independent film business model is undergoing drastic change. People are watching movies online and on their iPhone, when they want to watch. TFF is embracing these new platforms as a means to finding new ways to expose independent films to wider audiences. By doing so, the Tribeca Film Festival may have finally figured out a solution to its longtime identity crisis.

Who knows? Maybe New Yorkers will finally get jazzed about Tribeca if they know they can see the films without having to take the A train downtown.

This article is written by Michael Avila, a television producer and pop culture writer.

4/27: Taxi Time in NYC

Have you ever wondered how many New York City residents tune in to the televisions found in New York City taxi cabs?  Find out the answer in a Marist Poll conducted exclusively for The Wall Street Journal.  To read the full Wall Street Journal article click here.

Tables for The Marist Poll Conducted Exclusively for The Wall Street Journal:

Taxi Riders
Watch TV in Taxi
Taxi TV: Annoying or Entertaining
Taxi TV: Informative?

Marist Poll Methodology

4/27: Rebound On Wall Street But Not In Public Image

President Obama wants tougher regulations for Wall Street, but do New York City residents think “their backyard” needs reform?

A majority — 56% — say Wall Street is more of the problem when it comes to the city’s economy while 24% think it is part of the solution.  A notable one-fifth are unsure how to characterize its impact on the local economy.

“Wall Street may be part of New York City’s economic engine, but even here, New Yorkers point to its pitfalls,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist Institute for Public Opinion.  “It doesn’t boost Wall Street to be New York City’s ‘Main Street.’”

65% of those residing in the Bronx report Wall Street should be blamed.  61% in Queens and Staten Island, 51% in Brooklyn, and 49% in Manhattan share this view.

Table: Wall Street a Problem for NYC Economy?

Fewer See City As Moving in the Right Direction

41% of registered voters think the Big Apple is moving on the right path, and 48% believe it is moving in the wrong direction.  11% are unsure.  When Marist last asked this question in its April 13th survey, voters were more divided.  At that time, while 47% thought its trajectory was on target.  45% believed the city needed to be redirected, and 8% were unsure.

Table: NYC Direction
Table: NYC Direction Over Time

Marist Poll Methodology

Michael Avila

Michael Avila has spent an inordinate amount of his life absorbing and exploring as much of the Pop Culture-verse as possible.

As a veteran TV producer, he’s covered everything from the Sundance Film Festival to the San Diego Comic Con. As a pop culture contributor for msnbc.com, mtv.com and newsarama.com, he’s managed not to embarrass himself in interviews with George Clooney, Will Ferrell, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Harrison Ford and other A-listers. Michael has also recently launched his own production company, AviLand Productions, specializing in broadcast and digital media content.

From the Shire to the Promised Land, Michael’s wide range of interests works well in tandem with his ADD personality. Besides his beloved Florida State Seminoles, he worships at the altar of Bruce Springsteen and as a lifelong comics fan, he hopes to convert all the world’s children into fanboys (or fangirls).

Michael lives in Manhattan with his wife Cindi, daughter Alexia, and their two dogs, Bernice & Serena.

4/22: Making Change with the 50 Dollar Bill

A Republican congressman from North Carolina has proposed legislation that would replace the image of President Ulysses S. Grant on the fifty dollar bill with that of President Ronald Reagan. Do Americans want this change to occur?

Most do not.  79% think this suggestion is a bad idea while 12% say it’s a good one.  9% are unsure.

Reagan is the modern day hero of many Republicans, but even more than seven in ten members of the nation’s GOP — 71% — believe the switch is a bad idea.  83% of Democrats and 79% of independents agree.

Table: Reagan on the Fifty Dollar Bill

Marist Poll Methodology

4/20: Internet Affects Views on Plagiarism

Has the Internet made it more or less acceptable for a person to use and claim another person’s work as his or her own?

Most Americans believe the Internet has had an impact on the way they view the practice of plagiarism.  According to the latest national Marist Poll, half of residents say the technology makes it less acceptable while 35% believe it makes it more acceptable.  Just 8% think the Internet has had no impact on the acceptability of plagiarism, and 7% are unsure.

There is a slight generation gap on this question.  A majority of Americans under the age of 45 — 52% — think the Internet makes it less acceptable to claim another person’s work as his or her own.  48% of those 45 and older agree.

Table: Internet’s Effect on Views Toward Plagiarism

Marist Poll Methodology

4/20: Tug-of-War: Technology’s Impact on Plagiarism

I don’t care what you call it.  Using another writer’s words and claiming them as your own is wrong.  And, yes, there is a common word associated with the practice — stealing.

Don’t take my word for it.  According to Merriam-Webster.com, to “plagiarize” someone’s work is:

“to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own : use  (another’s production) without crediting the source.”

But, is the outrage over plagiarism outdated?  If you were to ask a highly lauded 17-year-old author from Germany, the answer is, “Yes.”  Helene Hegemann is the “author” of Axolotl Roadkill in which she lifted passages from unattributed sources.

According to a recent New York Times article, Hegemann did not offer an apology for what many, including myself, would call plagiarism.  Rather, she offered a mea culpa for not being “more open about her sources,” and said that she is “representative of a different generation” which “mixes” information from both new and old media.

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this?  First of all, words are property just like a car or a piece of jewelry.  Would we excuse Ms. Hegemann’s behavior if she walked into a department store and walked out with a “free” bracelet, using the excuse that the vast variety of products on the market allows her to freely take the accessory to mix and match with her own?

Perhaps, equally disturbing is that Ms. Hegemann was not disqualified from the Leipzig Book Fair where she was chosen as a finalist.  In fact, the panel of jurors knew Ms. Hegemann was accused of plagiarism before the finalists were even chosen!

There is, though, a bright spot of hope for the future of literature. According to the latest national Marist Poll, half of U.S. residents think the Internet has made it less acceptable to practice plagiarism. To the 35% who say it makes the act more acceptable, I pose this question, “How would you feel if your hard work went uncredited?”

Literature, like any art form, has the ability to both reflect and define a generation.  And, there are some who say what Ms. Hegemann is doing is an offshoot of today’s culture where technology breaks down barriers and bombards us with limitless information.  In fact, that New York Times article describes Ms. Hegemann as being in the middle of Germany’s established literary community and Berlin’s youth who “breathe creativity into old forms.”

Does this mean that the future of literature will be nothing but a regurgitation of others’ creativity?  How will this help societies advance?  Will original thought be replaced by copy and paste commands?

If Ms. Hegemann simply cited her sources, perhaps, she would have been praised universally for creating a new literary genre — one which mashes different fictional works together to create a new piece of prose.  She could have been hailed as innovator who created a new fictional template mirroring today’s technological advancements. Instead, Ms. Hegemann finds herself in the eye of the storm called, “controversy,” and in a tug of war between new and old media.

4/14: A Political Comeback for Spitzer?

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s sock-clad sexcapades earned him a place in New York political infamy.  But, can he reform himself in the eyes of New York State voters and resurrect his political career?

Click Here for Complete April 14, 2010 NYS Poll Release and Tables

Nearly six in ten registered voters in New York State — 58% — do not want Spitzer to run for statewide office this year.  30%, however, do want him to re-enter the political scene for the upcoming New York State elections, and 12% are unsure.

New York State voters may not have short memories, but fewer members of the electorate, compared with those seven months ago, are now opposed to a Spitzer political comeback.  It’s not that many more voters have warmed up to the idea of “Candidate Spitzer.”  It’s that more are just unsure.  In Marist’s September 2009 survey, 69% did not want Spitzer to run in 2010 compared with 27% who did, and 4% who were unsure.

“Eliot Spitzer’s political scars remain, although for some New Yorkers, they may have faded a bit,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “Eventually, voters may go for the idea of Spitzer running for office but not yet.”

Although a majority of voters do not want the former governor to run for office this year, the electorate isn’t ruling out a political return for Spitzer in the future.  When asked if he should ever run for New York State office again, voters divide. 45% think he should hit the campaign trail again while 48% think his political career is over.  7% are unsure.

But, advocating a Spitzer comeback doesn’t necessarily mean voters like the former governor.  Only 28% of voters have a favorable impression of Spitzer compared with 50% who have an unfavorable view of him.  22% are unsure.

Table: Spitzer to Run for Statewide Office?
Table: Spitzer to Run for Future Statewide Office?
Table: Spitzer Favorability

Public vs. Private: The Spitzer Sex Scandal

If Eliot Spitzer runs for public office, should his previous sex scandal be a matter for public debate or left as a private issue?  Voters statewide divide. 49% think it should be a public matter while 48% say it should be a private one. 3% are unsure.

Table: Spitzer Sex Scandal Public or Private Matter

It’s a Blank Slate

If Spitzer were to make a bid for public office in New York State this year, voters are all over the map when it comes to which office he should seek.  22% say Spitzer should make a bid for New York State Comptroller.  21% think he should attempt to reclaim his gubernatorial post.  A fifth of voters would prefer to see him run for an office with which he is very familiar, New York State Attorney General, and 14% believe he should run for U.S. Senate in New York.  23% are unsure.

Table: Public Office for Which Spitzer Should Run

NYC Voters to Spitzer, “Don’t Spoil the Big Apple”

Nearly two-thirds of voters in New York City — 66% — do not want Spitzer to enter New York City politics and run for mayor in 2013.  24%, however, think a bid for mayor would be a good idea.  10% are unsure.

Table: Spitzer/NYC Mayoralty Bid

Marist Poll Methodology

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