Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Pet Peeves: Adjusting Rankings For Inflation

TW: One of my peeves are folks who talk about current stats without adjusting for inflation. Hence, the headlines of the latest movie setting box office records, the latest contract being the highest in baseball history, or that home sales price set a market record etc. I realize "biggest opening ever" or "largest contract in history" make for more interesting headlines than "15th biggest opening ever on an inflation-adjusted basis" but still.

For movies at least a site adjusts the box office receipts to give a more relevant view of "all-time" performance. The list shows how recent movies generally have a long way to go before achieving true historical box office receipt stature. Go to the actual site for the $ figures.

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. The Sound of Music (1965)
4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
6. Titanic (1997)
7. Jaws (1975)
8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
9. The Exorcist (1973)
10.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

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