Chris Dodd: I knew nothing about movie business before becoming MPAA director!

Former Democratic Senator Chris Dodd became head of the MPAA last year. It was a little weird for everyone in Washington because he swore he wouldn't become a lobbyist after leaving Congress. But it's also weird that he now admits he didn't really have a clue as to how the movie industry works when he signed on for the gig.

“The first year has been a little chaotic,” says Dodd. “There’s been a steep learning curve. I bought into the notion that this was a red-carpet, Oscar-night kind of business. Over 2.2 million Americans are employed by the industry. Most of them are in blue-collar jobs, involving the people who drive the trucks and set up the lights. I didn’t know that when I started.”

Dodd talks like one of the dummies at my alma mater who chose to major in news broadcasting, not realizing that "news broadcasting" doesn't mean you learn how to become a TV host.