On today’s NOTICE News: Members of Congress grilled the executives of Ticketmaster this week over their handling of Taylor Swift tickets, and their possible monopoly on live entertainment. Plus: Are we getting close to doomsday? Here’s a transcript of today’s show.
Discussion Questions
- What made the Ticketmaster site crash in November when Taylor Swift tickets went on sale?
- Why are critics angry about the role Ticketmaster and Live Nation have in the entertainment industry?
- Why is a monopoly able to exploit or take advantage of others in a given industry?
- Why might the scientists who developed the first nuclear weapons have formed the Doomsday Clock? Why might their work have influenced them to create such a thing?
- Why might the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union have represented the furthest away the Doomsday clock has been from midnight?
Writing Prompts
- While there is legislation attempting to prevent monopolies in the United States, some argue that a single company can become dominant because it is simply the best. What are some advantages and disadvantages of a single company—like Ticketmaster—dominating a particular industry?
- The last time the U.S. government forced a monopoly to break up was in the early 1980s. Much of this is due to deregulation, or the loosening of government control over American companies, but some might argue that it’s part of the American character to have companies experience continual growth. What about the American identity relates to a company being unbound by restrictions?
- Is the concept of the Doomsday clock something that should be taken seriously by the world’s population? What about world leaders? What advantages and disadvantages could there be to referring to something theoretical like that?
Further Reading
- Ticketmaster gets grilled: 6 takeaways from hearing over Taylor Swift concert fiasco from CNN
- Break it down further: What is a monopoly? A guide from Study.com
- Top international news: Biden announces plan to send tanks to Ukraine, so does Germany (Reuters)
- What is the Doomsday Clock? (Reuters)