Tariffs, and the One with Jon Voight's Car

Seriously, what are we doing?

It’s a classic Seinfeld episode – as if there are any that aren’t.

But in this one, “The Mom and Pop Store,” the eighth episode of the sixth season, George Costanza sets out to buy a used car. He has his famously frugal eye on a 1989 Volvo sedan, but, being weak and impressionable, is talked into buying a 1989 LeBaron convertible…because, he’s told, it once belonged to Jon Voight, the actor.

Excited to be the new owner of Jon Voight’s car, he takes Jerry for a spin, only for Jerry to find a chewed pencil and an owners manual with the name “John Voight” on it — with an “H.” George spends the rest of the episode trying to prove it did in fact belong to the actor, but much to his dismay, dentist Tim Whatley informs him it belonged to Dr. John Voight – the periodontist.

It’s a perfect episode, but how it came together is a great story, too. Inspired by actual events, writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross were arguing over Gammill’s newly bought LeBaron, which Gammill was told had belonged to Voight. Seinfeld told them to turn it into an episode, and most of the dialogue between George and Jerry ended up in it, quoting Gammill and Pross’s argument almost verbatim. Even the owner’s manual, with “John Voight”’s name on it, had happened in real life. Gammill’s actual car and keys were used in the episode.

It’s all proof that truth is better than fiction, which is almost always true.

Hollywood knows this maxim as well as anyone, but Tinseltown probably wished the news this week out of Washington was scripted and fictional.

Over the weekend, President Trump made a surprise announcement via social media, that he was “authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.”

“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” he wrote. “Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the USA are being devastated.”

Let’s put aside questions about whether the idea has any merit. You can read what Hollywood insiders have to say about it here, and – surprise – they don’t like it:

Hollywood is Shaken by Trump’s Tariff Plan for the Movie Industry

Trump’s Hollywood Tariff Threat Greeted by Skepticism

Hollywood’s Reaction to Trump’s Movie Tariffs Idea: Confusion, Dread, and a Little Hope

But the most insane part of this is how the idea came to Trump: Jon Voight, the actor.

Voight, who was tapped by Trump in January to be “special ambassador” to the entertainment industry, says he suggested the idea for tariffs on films made in other countries. Because, why not?

“After meeting with many of the entertainment leaders, I have brought forward recommendations to the President for certain tax provisions that can help the industry — some provisions that could be extended and others that could be revived or instituted,” Voight said in a video statement Monday evening.

“This would help the movie and television production and our beloved theaters that are so important to the American family experience,” he added.

“(Trump)’s a great businessman, a leader and a caring person that will always do the right thing for this country, the people and our beloved entertainment industry,” Voight said.

The White House has since walked back Trump’s declaration and now says it’s an idea they are merely “exploring.”

But it’s hard to wrap your mind around the notion that the President of the United States would be making economic policy based on what Jon Voight – the actor – had to say.

This isn’t merely an initiative to increase funding for the arts, or even change union practices in Hollywood. It’s a major economic shift that would affect a trillion dollar global industry.

In the US, that’s around 856,000 direct jobs, or 2.3 million jobs when you factor in supporting workers. The industry has a trade surplus of $15.3 billion, making it a very profitable one, despite recent slumps. It pays out $229 billion in total wages, according to the Motion Picture Association.

So Jon Voight’s tariff idea isn’t a movie concept – it’s a wrecking ball that could blow up millions of US jobs, profits, and trade. Surely something this substantial and disruptive should generate or at least siphon through economists and analysts, instead of enjoying a direct pipeline from the Midnight Cowboy to the President’s social media.

Alas, we’re living in the stupidest of times, when the American President and George Costanza share in common that they both made huge decisions with significant financial ramifications based on the one-time allure of Ben Gates’ dad in National Treasure.

You truly couldn’t script this.