Arthur S. De Vany (born August 29, 1937) is an American economist who has studied the Hollywood film industry and developed theories of evolutionary fitness focusing on nutrition and exercise in the paleo (caveman) manner.
[citation needed] In 1991, along with Ross Eckert, he published his Paramount Antitrust paper,[3] an economic analysis of the landmark United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. decision, in which he found historical and economic reasons for the practices that were challenged by the Department of Justice, and in which most of his key ideas were expressed far before he confirmed them statistically.
In an article co-authored with W. David Walls and published in Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, he also coined the phrase "superstar's curse" to describe the dilemma film producers face in hiring movie stars.
[citation needed] De Vany has worked on the concept of evolutionary fitness (similar to the Paleolithic lifestyle).
He outlines his approach in The New Evolution Diet: What Our Paleolithic Ancestors Can Teach Us about Weight Loss, Fitness, and Aging (December 2010).