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Opinion L.A.

Opinion: Pop culture and populism

By Michael McGough
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A standby of the populist critique of huge executive pay packages -- and one that long predated the government bailout of Wall Street -- is the inverse relationship between the big shots’ pay and that of the working stiffs who make those obscene paychecks possible.

It’s interesting that we’re not hearing much righteous indignation about a dramatic disparity between what Conan O’Brien is getting from NBC and what’s being paid to his employees: $33 million for CoCo, $12 million to be spread among the O’Brien-era ‘Tonight Show’s’ 190 staffers. Even if O’Brien reaches into his pocket to sweeten the deal for his team, the disproportion is mind-blowing.

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Why do populists rage against astronomical salaries for CEOs but not for TV stars, sports legends and demagogues on the radio? Discuss among yourselves.

--Michael McGough

Opinion L.A.
Michael McGough

Michael McGough is the Los Angeles Times’ former senior editorial writer, based in Washington, D.C. He wrote editorials for The Times from 2006 to 2021. Before that, McGough worked for 30 years for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a reporter, editorial writer, editorial page editor and Washington correspondent. He wrote about law, national security, politics, foreign policy and religion. McGough is a graduate of Allegheny College and also attended the University of Kent at Canterbury in England and Yale Law School, where he received a master of studies in law degree.

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