Why has the iconic MGM lion logo, recently seen in 'The Rescue Plan,' become so rare in movies?
The episode begins with host Meng Yi introducing the day's topics: Alibaba's AI adjustments, Starbucks' changes in China, and a listener query about MGM's lion logo. The first half covers business news: Alibaba formed a technology committee and upgraded its Tongyi lab to a business unit, aiming to resolve internal resource conflicts. Meta released its first AI model, MuseSpark, from its super-intelligence lab, with plans to deploy it on social media and Ray-Ban smart glasses, though it lags behind competitors in programming. Starbucks China announced a 'Thousand Stores, Thousand Faces' strategy with Boyu Capital, expanding to 1,500 county-level regions in three years and allowing store customization. Disney plans to lay off about 1,000 employees, mostly in marketing, amid streaming profitability issues. The host then promotes an interview tips series on Xiaohongshu. The 'Coffee Bean' segment responds to listener Poppy's question about MGM's lion logo, seen in the film 'The Rescue Plan.' It explains MGM's founding in 1924 through a merger of Metro, Goldwyn, and Mayer, leveraging resources like theaters and studios. MGM thrived in Hollywood's golden age, with stars like Clark Gable and profits reaching $4.7 million in its first year. The 1948 Paramount Act forced studios to divest theaters, ending MGM's monopoly and burdening it with high costs. Television's rise in 1949 further hurt MGM, as it resisted TV production while rivals adapted. In 1969, real estate mogul Kirk Kerkorian bought MGM, focusing on brand value over art, selling assets like theaters and hosting auctions of film props. He opened the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas in 1973, using the lion logo but separating film and hotel assets. MGM struggled with ownership changes and lost talent. Amazon acquired MGM in 2022 for $8.5 billion to access IPs like James Bond, with plans to produce 14 films annually, though its success is uncertain. The episode ends with questions for listeners about lion logo films and movie-watching preferences.
