The reason Martin chose to film Brokeback Mountain was not just for the awards but also for the political value this film could bring him.
Just like how Hollywood would soon see an overflow of films featuring black protagonists and feminist narratives.
Hollywood is a place where political correctness reigns supreme!
And "political correctness" is a valuable "halo" for actors, producers, and film companies alike!
For example, now, Martin and Leonardo had become the most popular male stars among the LGBTQ+ community, far surpassing their former spokesperson—David Geffen (one of the three giants of DreamWorks, a top billionaire with a net worth of $6.5 billion).
Of course, Martin and Leonardo were not gay, while David Geffen truly was!
As a group that all future political candidates would need to please, Martin had won their hearts with just one movie!
...
Brokeback Mountain was doing incredibly well, and hitting $100 million at the North American box office was no problem.
In the original timeline, the two lead actors—Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal—didn't have the same star power as Martin and Leonardo.
So, even though the production cost had risen from the original $14 million to $57 million, Martin and Leonardo's influence helped drive the box office for the film.
Martin estimated that the final box office would be at least $100 million higher than in the original timeline.
(PS: The original timeline's box office for Brokeback Mountain was $177 million.)
...
At this moment, it was close to 11:30 AM.
However, it seemed that everyone's attention wasn't on their lunch sandwiches or coffee but instead frequently shifting toward a particular corner booth in the café.
There sat two people—one black, one white. One was a handsome black man, and the other was an incredibly handsome white man.
"Equality, I believe the next decade, maybe even twenty years, will be dominated by the topic of equality in American politics," Martin said, seemingly oblivious to the curious glances directed at him as he spoke confidently to Barack Obama sitting across from him.
"Black ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ communities, women's rights groups, and even animal rights—these will all be winning points in future campaigns. Believe me, although these groups are minorities, their influence is spreading. Family members, friends, lovers, sympathizers—this will form an immensely huge voting base!!!"
Barack Obama looked at the young man speaking passionately in front of him, deeply moved.
He knew that the eyes of those around them were all focused on Martin, not on him, a federal senator.
In fact, when Barack Obama had come to meet Martin at Harvard, he had arranged for his subordinates to conduct a survey on Martin. He envied the terrifying fan base behind this young man.
Martin's fans not only numbered many but were also extremely loyal.
On the internet, Martin's fan organizations, such as the Myers Family and the Myers Gang, were incredibly powerful, widely regarded as a group you didn't want to provoke.
Barack Obama couldn't help but envy. If only he had such support, he could have ousted Bush in 2004. Well, 2004... okay, let's forget about that. That mess should have been cleaned up by Bush himself...
"So, you believe equality will be a valuable asset in political campaigns?" Barack Obama asked.
"Yes, aside from that, there's also peace. Little Bush, this war monger, dragged America into the war mire during his time in office—whether it was Afghanistan or Iraq, neither was resolved as neatly as he promised before the wars started. The taxpayer's money went into these two bottomless pits."
Upon hearing this, Barack Obama couldn't help but chuckle.
He wasn't laughing at Martin but at Little Bush.
The wars he had worked so hard to start ended up tarnishing his own reputation, while the benefits went to his opponents. After the international lawsuit ended, the Texas Oil Group gave Little Bush a hard time—his political donations even went down!
"Also, stopping tax cuts and expanding health insurance are also good campaign slogans," Martin continued.
"The tax cuts were proposed by Little Bush, but cutting taxes for wealthy individuals making over $250,000 a year is a joke. It's nothing more than a blatant act of pandering to the rich. But in America, the majority of people are those earning under $25,000 a year."
"And health insurance, that's something the common people care about. However, healthcare reform is no easy feat. It will touch the interests of too many people. I suggest you only touch on the surface, don't get into the core. It makes for a great campaign slogan, but when it comes to practical implementation, it's as difficult as climbing Mount Everest!"
(PS: In the original timeline, Barack Obama's healthcare reform failed. Or rather, he already knew it would fail, but still proposed it during his campaign to gain votes. In office, he only dabbled with it, never touching the core interests. After all, with trillions of dollars at stake every year, who dares to touch it!? Whoever does is finished!)
Martin was very good at conversation (thanks to his charm).
His ability to read people and understand their thoughts through his powerful seductive magic allowed him to figure out what Barack Obama wanted to hear in just a few sentences.
For example, as their conversation deepened, Barack Obama gradually found himself attracted to Martin's views, as many of them aligned with his own political ideologies. Like-minded politics made them natural allies, and Martin was also a member of the 377 group, his junior in the political world.
He even considered recruiting this young man into his campaign committee.
But there was no rush; it was still early.
Barack Obama's enthusiasm for the conversation was sparked by Martin. The two of them would occasionally discuss, occasionally debate, just like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.
When it was time to say goodbye, Barack Obama even felt a bit reluctant.
He patted Martin on the shoulder and said, "Martin, you're a great guy. I hope we can cooperate in the future."
Martin smiled faintly and replied, "Why wait for the future? I have a foundation that focuses on charity. I hope Mr. Obama can be an advisor there."
Of course, the so-called "advisor" would not have to do any work. All they had to do was take the money.
This was a common way in America to provide political donations to politicians.
Just giving money directly would be too low-key!
...
After the meeting with Barack Obama ended, Martin arranged another meeting with the dean of Harvard Law School.
After a friendly and warm exchange, Martin left a gift— a donation check to Harvard Law School.
In return, he got the freedom to choose his class schedule. As long as he attended the exams and passed, he wouldn't have to worry about missing classes and losing credits.