Curing Sony’s Aches
Sony’s recent $2.7-billion write-down of its Hollywood studio has raised the issue of whether the Japanese electronics giant and its top U.S. executive, Michael P. Schulhof, have been too hands-off in managing Sony’s Hollywood investment.
Not to worry. A brochure circulating last week among employees at Sony Pictures shows that things have become very much hands-on, at least in one area.
The brochure touts “body focus” massage services offered at the Sony Pictures Athletic Club in the studio’s TriStar Building. Prices range from $30 for a half-hour to $120 for a two-hour full-body massage.
Included is a section on “How to Receive a Massage.” Among the tips:
* “The best way to receive a massage is with the body completely unclothed. Your therapist is sensitive to the need for privacy and will keep your body covered except for the area being massaged. If this arrangement is not comfortable, you may wear underwear.”
* “Very often, as the body releases tension during a massage, the mind will release emotion. If you suddenly feel sad, angry or joyful, do not be alarmed. Allow yourself to express these feelings by crying or laughing. At the very least, feel free to sigh with relaxation or hum with pleasure.”
* “Be limp, like a rag doll, and do not try to help move your arms, legs or head. Your therapist is a trained professional who will not do anything to hurt you. However, feel free to speak up if anything they do is too painful or ticklish or uncomfortable in any way.”
* “Many people fall asleep during a massage, an indication that the body and mind are releasing stress and tension. Your therapist will gently wake you when it’s time to turn over or end the massage.”
No Money-Back Guarantee
Shopping channel QVC may be a shoppers’ paradise, but the company hasn’t had much luck so far when it comes to buying into joint ventures.
In Securities and Exchange Commission documents, the company says it recorded a $350,000 loss backing a media company formed by former Wall Street Journal Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine. The firm, Friday Holdings, is being dismantled now that Pearlstine is joining Time Warner as editor-in-chief.
Another loss stemmed from a venture to produce and distribute the Joan Rivers program “Can We Shop?” The documents say QVC’s share of the operating loss on the joint venture with Tribune Entertainment and Regal Communications totaled $831,000.
Briefly. . .
Tribune, owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, says the baseball strike hurt its third-quarter earnings by about $5.3 million. . . . Buy low, sell high: Newport Beach investment manager Norman Yu suggests the best market strategy is “to sell the losers and keep the winners” . . . . Fun facts: The $1.5-billion investment loss suffered by Orange County works out to about $582 per person in the county. . . . Some 20% of sports executives polled by International Sport Summit said figure skating would benefit from the current labor strife in professional baseball and hockey.
