Most of the crew of Ugly Betty, losing their jobs by the show’s relocation to New York, are placing a full-page ad in Variety, asking state and Los Angeles officials to take action to ensure more productions are filmed locally. According to Nikki Finke at DeadlineHollywood.com, not only are the crew buying the ad, but also several dozen vendors to the show.

This is exactly where the blame should lie, IMHO. As I said in the comments here yesterday, there is now little difference between the entertainment industry and the sports world in this regard. Cities and states are played against each other to extract the absolute highest perks for producers/owners. And cities can complain all they want, but the hard,cold truth is that if localities don’t play the game, another city or state will.

Los Angeles used to be at an extreme advantage because it had the infrastructure for TV/Movie production. But New York was never really far behind, and every locality in the country seems to have a film commission now. It’s a new world, and CA cannot arrogantly sit back and say, “We’re California!” and think that’s enough anymore.

Text of the full-page ad after the jump:

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Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams hosted the Lincoln Center’s annual Spring Gala last night, April 9 at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. (By the way, wouldn’t you love to have ust a portion of Williams’ frequent flyer miles?). The event honored Disney Company president Robert A. Iger.

Image details: Lincoln Center’s Annual Spring Gala Honors Robert A. Iger served by picapp.com

It was an ABC/Disney-riffic night. Dianne Sawyer presented Iger with the Lincoln Center Laureate Award. Many songs from Disney’s history were sung, but my absolute favorite has to be Michael Bolton singing “Go The Distance” from Hercules. Micheal Bolton. If MB is there, it’s a party.

Williams was a classy beauty in this green number. The green matches her eyes, she always looks great wearing it.

More pics (including a few with the dynamic Mr Bolton) after the jump.

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America Ferrera is becoming a phenomenon:

Even before America Ferrera arrived at the Washington Convention Center on Tuesday, she was all over the place. Fans of her hit show, “Ugly Betty,” had donned masks of the nerdy character to await her appearance.

(As an aside, I would have sworn Disney would go out of their way this year to make Ugly Betty Halloween costumes…) 

Ferrera took a few hours away from taping the show’s next season to receive a Latina Leaders Award from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

The diminutive actress, clad in a gray suit and heels, promised to continue to use her fame for the betterment of the “wider community,” emphasizing that she doesn’t take her success for granted.

Of course, she was speaking before members of the US Congress, so you knew there were some that didn’t have a clue:

Missing the point a bit was Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., chairman of the caucus, who said: “She’s beautiful. Who says she’s ugly? They should have named it ‘Beautiful Latina.’ ”

Oh well.

In the same vein, did you know that Ferrera was listed in the Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics? 

Actress America Ferrera, the star of the hit television show ‘Ugly Betty’ is on Hispanic Business Magazine’s 2007 list of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics.

Ferrera, 23, was recognised this year with an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for best actress in a comedy for her role in ABC’s English-language version of Colombian soap opera ‘Betty la fea.’

If her meteoric rise continues, Disney is going to have to make her (or at least Betty) one of their marketing-cash-cow princesses.  Seriously, wouldn’t it be cool to meet Betty at Disney World?

Sources: Examiner.com, Malaysia Sun