Martin Kaplan is a research professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, where he is the inaugural holder of the Norman Lear Chair in Entertainment, Media & Society. Kaplan directs the Norman Lear Center, which studies the impact of entertainment on society. Before coming to USC, Kaplan was at Disney for twelve years, where he was a vice president of motion picture production and a screenwriter; his feature credits include The Distinguished Gentleman (writer and executive producer) and Noises Off (an adaptation of Michael Frayn’s play). Prior to his Hollywood incarnation, he was chief speechwriter for Vice President Walter F. Mondale and deputy campaign manager for Mr. Mondale’s 1984 presidential campaign.