# Lindsay Lohan gets a letter - Apparenly when money is involved there are some limits
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 28, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427 "2006-07-28T17:57:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/1 "2006-07-28T17:57:19Z")
[Hollywood Big Blasts Lohan](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0728061lohan1.html)
Kind of amusing.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/2 "2006-07-28T18:01:18Z")
What’s a “letter”?
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/3 "2006-07-28T18:04:26Z")
> [@garygnu](#):
>
> What’s a “letter”?
It’s what she got from the pissed off head of the production company. Did you click on the link and read the letter?
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### Author:  [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/4 "2006-07-28T18:05:46Z")
It’s a document meant to convey a message from one person or party to another.
It’s not like she can act. Being completely absent would be plus, in my book. I can see the appeal in slapping her hard for her behavior all the same, plus a bit of public humiliation for good measure. The “quality” of any picture is compromise by her mere participation, though, so the sincerity or sanity of her employers is open to question.
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### Author:  [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/5 "2006-07-28T18:15:38Z")
It’s like an email, but on paper and delivered by physical people.
I don’t know much about the movie business, but if I showed up like that to work I would be fired. If I had a special skill that would be difficult to replace, I think I would be reprimanded in person, and not by letter. I mean I would be pretty pissed to get a written reprimand.
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/6 "2006-07-28T18:19:08Z")
That’s funny. They cc’ed a “D. Lohan”, probably her mom or something.
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### Author:  [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/7 "2006-07-28T18:19:54Z")
> [@Loopydude](#):
>
> It’s not like she can act. Being completely absent would be plus, in my book. I can see the appeal in slapping her hard for her behavior all the same, plus a bit of public humiliation for good measure. The “quality” of any picture is compromise by her mere participation, though, so the sincerity or sanity of her employers is open to question.
How many of her movies have you seen? I think she is quite a fine actress, especially compared to some of the other lauded “teen queens.” She was great in “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,” and I heard she did a good job in “Prairie Home Companion” too (though I didn’t see it).
Provided its accusations are accurate, I give the letter an enthusiastic thumbs-up. I would hope that the studio honcho has first-hand corroboration of her “hard partying,” and is not simply taking tabloid reports at face value. If indeed she is out late and skipping work, she should be taken to task. This letter does so directly and concisely. And if she doesn’t comply, I hope they follow through and fire her ass. Hollywood doesn’t need any more prima donnas.
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### Author:  [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/8 "2006-07-28T18:22:48Z")
> [@Darth Vader's Little Pal](#):
>
> “Prairie Home Companion” too (though I didn’t see it).
I did see it, and I thought her performance sucked sweaty taint.
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### Author:  [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/9 "2006-07-28T18:23:56Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#):
>
> If I had a special skill that would be difficult to replace, I think I would be reprimanded in person, and not by letter. I mean I would be pretty pissed to get a written reprimand.
Well, maybe she did get a scolding in person by someone on set before this, but more than likely her “bosses” aren’t on hand where she is (especially since she’s not showing up for work), and certainly a studio boss isn’t going to hump it down to the Chateau Marmot to haul a hungover actress out of bed and give her a stern talking-to.
This letter establishes a paper trail and, if further action is taken, proves that she’s been suitably warned of the consequences of her actions.
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### Author:  [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/10 "2006-07-28T18:25:53Z")
> [@Loopydude](#):
>
> I did see it, and I thought her performance sucked sweaty taint.
Yeah, well, different strokes.
The general consensus among the Hollywood hoi polloi is that she’s a decent actress and a box-office draw. The latter likely being of higher importance than the former.
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### Author:  [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/11 "2006-07-28T18:31:13Z")
> [@Darth Vader's Little Pal](#):
>
> How many of her movies have you seen? I think she is quite a fine actress, especially compared to some of the other lauded “teen queens.” She was great in “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,” and I heard she did a good job in “Prairie Home Companion” too (though I didn’t see it).
I think she has - and has always had - a hell of a lot of talent. And its a crying shame that a girl who says on “The Parent Trap” extras at nine that she wants to be like Jodie Foster has decided that she really wants to be Tara Reid. But, push comes to shove, there are THOUSANDS of women her age out there with talent and all the talent in the world doesn’t help if you don’t show up to film - or show up in such a state that you can’t use your talent.
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### Author:  [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/12 "2006-07-28T19:00:48Z")
I wish more actors would get taken to task like this. I think part of the reason for the cult of celebrity is that the actors are treated like gods and catered to, giving them every reason to believe they deserve said treatment. If they were treated like employees whose skills are valued but not irreplaceable\*, I think everything would work better.
\*Even if it means scrapping the production and charging the actor the monetary damages, like Lohan is being threatened with.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/13 "2006-07-28T19:11:31Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#):
>
> I wish more actors would get taken to task like this. I think part of the reason for the cult of celebrity is that the actors are treated like gods and catered to, giving them every reason to believe they deserve said treatment. If they were treated like employees whose skills are valued but not irreplaceable\*, I think everything would work better.
>
> \*Even if it means scrapping the production and charging the actor the monetary damages, like Lohan is being threatened with.
From a cartoon–
> [@](#):
>
> **Dad** : Honey, you know how I feel about ‘show people’.
> **Mom** : They’re just like you and me. Except they’re wealthy, beautiful and live by no recognizable moral code!
😃
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### Author:  [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/14 "2006-07-28T19:12:13Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#):
>
> \*Even if it means scrapping the production and charging the actor the monetary damages, like Lohan is being threatened with.
I could see scrapping a production, replacing her OR charging her monetary damages, but not both. If they can’t replace her, they can eat the cost of starting the project. If they finish the project with a million dollar budget overage coming from the location shoot, then they can take it out of her pay (or demand that she return that amount if she has already been paid).
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/15 "2006-07-28T19:12:13Z")
I like that he used “bogus” to describe her excuses. I am attempting to get ‘bogus’ a resurgence in popular usage.
Lohan is pretty and a decent enough actress. I liked the monster boobs version from Herbie and Mean Girls over this skank that parades around nowadays. Hopefully she isn’t a lot cause.
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/16 "2006-07-28T19:13:12Z")
> [@Trunk](#):
>
> That’s funny. They cc’ed a “D. Lohan”, probably her mom or something.
Most likely Dina Lohan, - yes, her mother.
I find her acting in \*Mean Girls \* and \*Freaky Friday \* appealing and pretty good. She has a very expressive face.
I haven’t seen _Prairie Companion_, but I’m looking forward to that and _Bobby_. I’ve been waiting for her to star in something that has the possibility of showcasing her talents.
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### Author:  [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/17 "2006-07-28T19:19:44Z")
> [@Darth Vader's Little Pal](#):
>
> How many of her movies have you seen? I think she is quite a fine actress, especially compared to some of the other lauded “teen queens.” She was great in “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,”
I was going to say the same thing. Judging by _The Parent Trap_, _Freaky Friday_, and _Mean Girls_, she’s a charming and quite capable actress. I haven’t seen her newer movies because they all looked crappy. Maybe she only does good work when she has a good script to work from.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/18 "2006-07-28T19:21:51Z")
> [@Push You Down](#):
>
> I like that he used “bogus” to describe her excuses. I am attempting to get ‘bogus’ a resurgence in popular usage.
That’s the part that didn’t ring true to me. What kind of 70-year-old uses an 80s teen term?
And I think her mom is her manager, so that cc makes sense.
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### Author:  [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/19 "2006-07-28T19:22:24Z")
Oh man. _Oh man_. I know this is off-topic, but I just _have_ to add . . .
> [@garygnu](#):
>
> What’s a “letter”?
> [@Loopydude](#):
>
> It’s a document meant to convey a message from one person or party to another.
> [@FlightlessBird](#):
>
> It’s like an email, but on paper and delivered by physical people.
Putting it another way, a letter is like one of those plain text-only web pages from the 1990s, without JavaScript or Flash or anything. Plus, access is usually intended for only one viewer.
No, wait. Letters are like text messaging, but with an absurdly long delay time between SENDs. We’re talking _days_ here, if you can imagine it.
No wait, I’ve got it. Do you remember fax machines? Kind of? Well back in the day, somebody would want to send you a “fax”, but maybe you didn’t have a machine to receive it. Not everyone had them. So, the federal government used to maintain a service — called the _Postal Service_ — for delivering pre-rendered faxes to whomever you wanted, if you knew their name and “street address”. This was like an email address, only longer, and it was unfortunately tied to a particular site. (But not a website. I mean a real, physical site.)
Hmmm. I’m not sure I’m getting through. But remind Grandpa to tell you kids sometime what “tape players” were. Now those were the _cat’s pajamas_.
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### Author:  [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427/20 "2006-07-28T19:41:53Z")
Not to defend Linsday in particular or irresponsibility in general, but if I were her and I received this letter – assuming the guy hasn’t bothered to talk to me in person before, which the letter doesn’t indicate he had – I would be hard-pressed not to respond by telling him to go fuck himself, and the production company he rode in on.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-lohan-gets-a-letter-apparenly-when-money-is-involved-there-are-some-limits/366427.md?page=2)