11/27/2007

So This Strike Thing Is All Over, Right?

Gosh, I don't know. Do you?

I've been asked many times if the strike is going to end this week. Nikki Finke posted a very optimistic report from an insider yesterday morning, and that has set off a wave of enthusiasm. "Fire up the margarita machine!" you say.

Well, not so fast. First of all, it's November, and who drinks margaritas in November?

What if this round of negotiations falls apart? Personally, I didn't think it would come to a strike in the first place. It seemed inconceivable that the conglomerates would stand by a platform that was so -- no other word for it -- evil. But they did. And we went on strike. Had the AMPTP proposal been only 60% evil, who knows what would have happened. As Craig Mazin recently wrote,

"Either they dared us to strike to see if we had the balls (dumb, because their deal was so ridiculous, who would possibly agree to take it?), or they forced us to strike in order to….
…well, hell, Nick Counter, buy me a drink one day and explain that to me if it’s the case. It certainly seemed like the AMPTP forced a strike, but to what end?"
As usual, Craig says it best and says it first. Given that history, am I optimistic we'll have a fair deal by the end of the week? Nope. I'd love one. But I'm afraid after how the companies have behaved so far, I'll feel enthusiastic when there's a joint announcement about a deal and not a moment sooner.

So what do we do until that happy email lands in our inboxes? We keep up the pressure. And to demonstrate resolve, we continue to blog in italics. Part of me, the paranoid part, worries these optimistic rumors are deliberately intended to lull us into a false sense of security. We start to slack off, let the pickets go, stop the bloggity blogging, and then, BAM! Nick Counter cackles, "Gotcha, sucker!" as he zooms up the chimney with my Christmas tree.

I think it's safe to say that this strike didn't go the way the companies thought it would. Let's keep it that way. Check out the article by Brooks Barnes that ran in today's New York Times. Brooks has been no mouthpiece for the Guild. (He started out rather hostile!) My favorite quote:
“Wow,” said Leo Reed, the gruff secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399 and director of its motion picture division. “You are acting like a militant union.”
Surprise! Turns out you act militant when someone tries to steal the future -- not just your future, but the future of everyone you work with above and below the line.

So let's hope we can all get together for those margaritas, and well before summertime. But don't book the back room at El Coyote yet.

68 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think the talks went well today. Don't tell Nikki.

Anonymous said...

Strike won't end until a force majeure can be proved in court. Studios ain't gonna eat the costs.

Anonymous said...

That and some of the demands the WGA is making not related to internet.

Anonymous said...

Are we scooping Nikki?

Anonymous said...

I drink margaritas in November.

Jake Hollywood said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Craig Mazin said it best?!!?

You mean Neville Chamberlain?

Are you high?

If Craig had won the WGA elections we would have the crappiest deal of all time...

Please Aboud, get your act together. You don't know what you're talking about.

Anonymous said...

I sincerely hope the talks went well. I hope the WGA gets a fair deal. I hope this is not just posturing by AMPTP. But, if AMPTP decides to pull out again and try to blame the WGA, please know that the fans will still be with you. We will still be supporting you. Best of luck.

Anonymous said...

John, I agree completely. This is the same AMPTP that told the WGA that the negotiations could move forward only if the Guild took DVD's off the table. After DVD's we're taken out of the Writer's proposal, the AMPTP said, "Just kidding! Gotcha!". Then, after their laughter subsided and they had wiped away their tears of mirth, they said,"No, really. We've got some more roll-backs for you to look at. We were just kidding about making a deal"

I think today's meeting is about the AMPTP trying to appeal to the consumers. I think they got a bit nervous about the many e-mails, posts, and blogs from fans eager to help the Writers. The fans have been suggesting boycotting the buying of DVD's and downloading this Christmas.

I think some of the CEO's didn't like that.

John Aboud said...

I like Craig. But more importantly, I respect the guy. I know he is a controversial figure. And yes, unfortunately, he did give Nick Counter his first talking points of the strike with the ArtfulWriter post about the strike authorization ballots. With that one exception, I think he has been a reasonable voice about negotiations and a very valuable (and funny) skeptic of the WGA leadership. I was ripshit about the ballots post, but I've cooled down. He's definitely no Chamberlain. He's from Brooklyn! He's gotta throw some elbows now and then.

Anonymous said...

The WGA came to the table with reasonable proposals. So, they must stand strong now.

I've only been a guild member for a few months, but I am willing to sacrifice almost everything I have now to make sure that we get a good deal for the future.

If there's one thing I've learned about the AMPTP so fare it is: Proceed with caution!

I don't want to find out a year from now that we unknowingly signed away our rights in the digital age.

Stay strong, guild. Stay strong.

Anonymous said...

Keep on keepin' on?


Yeah I have my suspicions that this is an attempt to setup for a PR maneuver, but, here's hoping that it's not. My script is cold and lonely.

Anonymous said...

Just a spectator here, wanting to tell you everyone I know believes in the strike and wishes you well! Best of luck and stay strong!

Unknown said...

so now might be a god time to send those pencils? what IS happening with that?
i was under the impression it was going to be jeircho style, with daily deliveries. but no news of one happening, or any kind of indiciation of when to expect one

Anonymous said...

What would happen if our major television showrunners started their own internet network right now?

As we know, television sets, VHS and DVDs are dinosaurs on the verge of extintion. The virtual age is upon us. Why are we begging for crumbs of future internet profit when we could bake our own damn cake?

Remember YouTube didn't even exist three years ago. Together, the showrunners and talent--with support from the Guilds-- could found a little start-up and cut out the multiconglomerates altogether. Turn the tables around and usher in a new television golden age where the talent is at the helm, sharing in the fruits of their labors.

A little anarchy might be fun after all this.

John Aboud said...

We'll have some Pencils2MediaMoguls news soon. We've got a lot of pencils on order, but I think we can do even better. Not trying to be coy, just can't reveal the news quite yet.

Anonymous said...

Oh, God, is this gonna turn into another blog where the contributor kisses Mazin's considerable a$$? Say it ain't so, UH. Instead of paying attention to his prognostication, get your tea leaves read by a real writer who's actually picketing instead of this director in sheep's clothing.

I do NOT understand why real writers listen to this guy. I agree with the PP who noted that Mazin would've gotten us the crappiest deal in history if he had any power in the dealings. He needs to shut up now.

Anonymous said...

A union song to keep the fires burning:

"We Are the Writers"
by Jill Sobule

http://www.jillsobule.com/media/WeAreTheWriters.mp3

Anonymous said...

You people are delusional if you think the masses are gonna watch TV on their Ipods or Computers. Kids, yeah maybe, but adults aren't gonna do that. You have inflated the value of the Internet for your own greedy cause. I have never seen a "labor" movement so smug, so self-righteous, so greedy. And the first poster on here is right - the talks are not going well. Talks can't go well when the WGA is acting like petulant little children. It will take the Directors Guild to act mature and get a deal and then WGA will be forced to sign it.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there. Hope this is over soon, we miss you. Hope you've been brewing up great ideas for which you'll be fairly and fully paid.

Anonymous said...

Re: the anonymous post from 7:04
AM - Nick Counter, is that you posting a comment? Come on, own up to it...

Anonymous said...

i really hope that this is going to be over with soon. What the WGA is doing is great, with out you guys there would be no shows...and is going to be no show. The AMPTP better step up quick of they are going to lose a lot of money. I for sure am not going to be watching no stinking reruns. GO WRITERS!

Wendy Stackhouse said...

First of all, Anonymous, adults WILL be watching TV or whatever on the net because the net will be wired to your TV/home theater/whatever very soon. It won't be sitting at the computer monitor much longer.

Second, yesterday I read something that made me go "hmm." As long as Stewart and Colbert and Leno and Letterman, et al. are not shooting, no one is making fun of the administration. Since the press/stenographers are useless, these were the only places to see any kind of cultural accountability. Who does that serve? The corporations? Ding-ding-ding! You win the car!

Anonymous said...

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME....IS IT FINALLY OVER? i have been wondering and pondering and even becoming a bit curious as to whether or not the stike will be over before the new year? Any thoughts??

Anonymous said...

When the strike ends, does anyone know what shows will go back into production, and if so, how many more episodes they will do? I know it all depends. It seems like they would have time to get a few more episodes out, say if the strike was over by January. But then regular production would collide with pilot season. So I figure someone out there must be working on some scenarios. Does anyone have theories on this?

Anonymous said...

Hey Anonymous 7.04 - how depressed will you be if there is a resolution to this? Or will you just go spew your pointless drivel at someone else's cause? And in case you hadn't noticed, there's this annoying thing called 'time' where 'kids' grow up into 'adults' and become the next generation of consumers.

Anonymous said...

I will believe the strike is over when the WGA says it's over and that the writers got a fair deal. KEEP UP THE PRESSURE.

This whole 'media blackout for the talks but there's this leak that says things look positive' smacks of tactical maneuvering. I'd guess that the studios are hoping some good news will cue people to relax, and that the strike will be forgotten about by the general population and the fans over the holiday season. Keep up the pressure, and if the AMPTP sucks up any trees, menorahs or other seasonal iconic decorative items, may they be festively choked by them.

Go get 'em, writers.

Anonymous said...

Mr./Ms 7:04:

You could not be more wrong.

I already watch TV and movies through downloaded means: I get a lot of stuff through Comcast's On Demand service. And I happen to know, thanks to being employed in the tech industry, that that sort of direct-delivery of entertainment to TVs, but through the Internet is not only the wave of the future, but a burgeoning trend of the present.

I also already stream shows from network sites, when/if my DVR didn't catch them or if I'm not home to get the recording. And I definitely watch plenty of YouTube.

At 36, I am hardly a "kid." My generation is the one that developed computers, thank you very much. We're hardly afraid of them. And you certainly have spent plenty of time catering to the needs of Generation Y--goodness knows how much dreck content out there is aimed at them--so please don't insult us by saying you no longer care what they do.

Sure, you may have a harder time getting the 50+ crowd to adopt streaming, on demand content, but they're not your target demo. As ALWAYS, the higher disposable incomes of the under-40 crowd are where your marketing is aimed. You don't get to deny that now.

Besides, even older folks already watch movies on cable and rent DVDs. It's not exactly a big leap for them to, instead of pick a channel to watch, on the channel's schedule pick a film/show to watch, on their schedule. Not even seniors--hi, active Baby Boomers: remember them?--are just sitting at home in front of the tube, patiently waiting for what you guys choose to show them.

Why else do you think box office reciepts are down? Because people want their entertainment on their terms; on their time. That necessitates the Internet. Broadcast and "appointment" entertainment are rapidly becoming dinosaurs. Why else would the studios care so much about online piracy? If the Net is no big deal to entertainment, why spend a fortune suing Kazaa and Grokster?

But somehow, I suspect the studios--and you--know all this anyway and are just playing ignorant. We already know that the studios have been working with companies like Microsoft to develop streaming content. You don't get to play coy now that that cat is not only well out of the bag, but down the street getting ready to have kittens.

Anonymous said...

I'm forty and watch plenty of TV online. I was planning on catching the entire season of Office online this year since my DVR is already too busy on Thursdays. Hell, my 65 year old mother watches Desperate Housewives online if she misses it or if her antiquated VCR doesn't record properly.

Who are these idiot luddite "adults" who haven't yet figured out the Internet?

Lord Horatio said...

writers rule.

Anonymous said...

Great posts, last two

Anonymous said...

Please stay on strike and don't come back - want to destroy an industry? Have it run by a union - the government, the airlines, the U.S. automakers, manufacturing etc., all going bankrupt because the greedy unions are running them into the ground - so much so that it's not even profitable to do business anymore and jobs are being shipped overseas. Hollywood is next on the list. There was a time for unions and that time is over - so go ahead, drag it out for a long time. The scab writers are going to break the WGA's back! George Lucas told the SGA to go screw themselves, it's just a matter of time before the Studios does the same to the WGA...

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:04 - the future is here, wake up. Internet TV is already a reality in Germany and will likely be the norm in Europe in a year or two. The US market is lagging, but I watch stuff online all the time. The only annoying thing is all the embedded ads frankly. Those same ads that the writers and actors don't get a dime from. All that needs to happen now for the market to expand is for the screens to get bigger. The transmission of the product is what is in contention. There will always be a need for the talent. You're calling labor "smug" because they know their worth and want to be compensated? That isn't selfish hon, that's business. I get paid when I work, so should they.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to point out that ANY time of year is a good time for margaritas. I got mine waiting and chilled for this strike to be over and an equitable deal to be reached for all parties.

Unknown said...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3pmZANQJyZk

Funny video showing how much we need writers. Titled "Leaked 24 Season 7 Trailer" it deals with what would happen if the writers' worth wasn't valued, and they were haphazardly replaced. Ironic, funny, but not preachy.

SUPPORT WRITERS!

Anonymous said...

Oh grow up, anon 10:30. You are free to never watch TV or movies again, as the people who write them having the courage to demand payment offends you so very much.

Unions are very much on the comback, as corporate greed is destroying this country. Just ask the vanishing US middle class. Enjoy your vacation time, maternity leve, sick leave and 40 hour work week? - thank the unions who fought for those things you take for granted. Now go back under your bridge.

Anonymous said...

Well actually, anonymous doomsayer at 10:33 who thinks unions are destroying all industry, manufacturing in the US was destroyed by big corporations like walmart who moved manufacturing over to China etc....Because slave and child labor is much much cheaper than paying people fairly. Gotta look out for those shareholders, even if the toys you buy this Christmas are full of lead. Are you saying that the unions should allow child and slave labor in the US to remain competitive? Wow.

Anonymous said...

Shanna is right! If you drink enough margaritas it will seem warm anyhow.

C'mon Nick, show them the money

El Rebobinador said...

Dont give up guys,,,
You have to win this...
Congratulations again...You are making history,,,

Anonymous said...

I didn't say unions are destroying ALL industry - just industries with unions as their labor component. WalMart is non-union and successful, that's why you hate them so much. they pay a fair wage for the time worked based on what the market will bear. The WGA is asking for DOUBLE the payment for the same amount of work - when that's not enough, you'll ask for triple - then quadruple...when does it end? Why don't you ask for all the profit? After all without union writers there would be no shows right? ..like I said - there was a time for unions but that time is over....

Anonymous said...

"You people are delusional if you think the masses are gonna watch TV on their Ipods or Computers."

People won't watch on a computer, they'll watch on their TV via a box connected to the internet.

I already watch more shows via download than via broadcast.

And for the record, your post reeks of studio plant. Get some fresh talking points.

Anonymous said...

I hope the writers can sleep well at night while those who have lost their jobs due to this silly strike work three jobs to pay the rent.

It's hard to support a cause when the people on the picket lines are sporting the latest iPhones and laughing with their peers. I wish I had something to laugh about.

Anonymous said...

"The WGA is asking for DOUBLE the payment for the same amount of work"

Not true at all.

On internet streaming, they currently get ZERO (same goes for actors, directors, and crew).

On DVD, they get a fifth of what they got previously for reruns, they're just asking to bring it back up to two fifths.

What it boils down to is that it's agreed upon in the industry that talent should get back end payments on reuse. But the studio is weaseling out of paying talent what they deserve just because the screen someone watches on is a computer and not a TV.

And walmart is a horrible comparison, their average wage is below the poverty level. They're a perfect example of why unions are necessary.

Anonymous said...

"I hope the writers can sleep well at night while those who have lost their jobs due to this silly strike work three jobs to pay the rent."

Considering that the result of this strike has the potential to set a precedent that will get union crew members residuals they aren't currently getting...yeah, I bet they mostly sleep well at night. Assuming they aren't working three jobs themselves, don't forget that the writers aren't working now either.

Anonymous said...

Everybody is talking about youtube and such but forgets that "Big Media" has been buying up most of these outlets.

Either way your going to have to deal with them sooner or later and if you don't get a basic structure in before "Big Media" set the terms you might not get the best deal.

Sure some will make it, the good ol "divide and conquer" drill but the rest will have it worse then before.

See the musician struggle about new media...they are just now getting something and the framework was set by Apple and now "Big Media."

Jump in early and make sure you leave all your option open for a back-up plan.

Anonymous said...

Gotta say, if some of the commenters here are trolls paid to argue the studios' side of the story, the studios should ask for their money back. The likes of 'anonymous' at 11.09 are more likely to push the casual observer into the writers' camp. Please, 11.09, continue to keep regurgitating ignorant crap you think you read somewhere or heard someone say, rather than the actual facts. It only helps unite us and bring others on our side.

Anonymous said...

'The WGA is asking for DOUBLE the payment for the same amount of work - when that's not enough, you'll ask for triple - then quadruple...when does it end?'

Stockpile tinned food! Run to the bunker! Get the shotgun ready! THE WRITERS ARE COMING!

Have you ever even SEEN a writer? Believe me, we're not exactly in the top ten million of threats to civilization.

Riki said...

The majority of fans are on the writer's side. Those of us who have taken the time to inform ourselves of the issues understand what's being asked of the corporations. When the studios are making big money on the internet using content created by writers, actors, and other talent, there is no reason why those who created it should not be compensated for their work. Promotional content is a crock, especially when what is being shown is the complete product. As a fan, and (hopefully) future writer, I'm totally behind the cause, and will serve the margaritas when this is all over.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't mattter if the AMPTP give writers residuals from new media - the writers won't get any of the residuals because the companies will be able to do some creative accounting to say they are not making any money from the Internet. And if there are any IATSE memebers out there, do not fall for the line that you will get residuals from what the WGA is doing here. It's a load of crap. When writers do get back to work, they will be shunned even more than before because of all the lost wages the crew members had to endure while they throw their hissy fit.

Anonymous said...

I love how every now and then someone accuses picketers or the WGA members in general of having too much fun with the strike. Yes, people are laughing and chatting on the picket lines - they are walking together for hours everyday. Should they do it in silence? These are people in the entertainment business, therefor being entertaining is a part of who they are.

It's like I can't go to a birthday party in this town without someone harmonizing the singing when the cake comes out...

This is HOLLYWOOD, we all love/hate this town for a number of reasons. Personally, I love that the members of the WGA are striking in their own fashion. It doesn't lessen the cause or mean that people aren't aware of the seriousness of the job/wage losses.

Also, anyone who is bitter because artists want to be paid appropriately for their work should evaluate what their lives and this world would be like if no one could afford to be a creative professional or devote significant portions of their time and energy to artistic pursuits...

Keep it up WGA! Stay strong on the picket lines. And a many thanks from us actors for being the front line.

DJ said...

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I think a troll is hanging out under the bridge. Check out the hate-spewing rhetoric of Anonymous at 7:04am, 10:30am, and 11:45am. Don't get me wrong, we can't keep the trolls out, but with all due respect this one's a bit of a one-note beast. I thought the point of being a troll is 'pretending' to be just one of the group, otherwise who's going to listen to the garbage. 'Must be a thin troll, 'cause he probably doesn't surprise any innocents.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 12:45.

Royalties and residuals tend to be calculated on gross revenue and not net profit so that makes the whole "hiding the money" thing much harder. And do you really think that anyone in their right mind would sign a deal without allowing for audits? Seriously?

And where are writer's shunned? In my world they are rock stars.

Anonymous said...

all going bankrupt because the greedy unions are running them into the ground - so much so that it's not even profitable to do business anymore and jobs are being shipped overseas.

Are you on drugs? Or perhaps should you be?

Last I checked, profits for businesses that screw over workers (by outsourcing, stagnating wages, downsizing, increasing insurance costs, etc.) were doing just fine. In fact, CEO pay has outpaced the pay of average workers by an astonishing amount.

Profits are the same--or better--as always, across nearly every industry. It's just that those profits are nearly all going to execs and shareholders instead of being reinvested in company infrastructure.

That right there is a recipe for economic disaster, by the way. Workers are consumers, and if you don't pay your workers, they can't buy your products. Entertainment is one of the few American exports that we dominate, but even it would fail if Americans' disposable income started dropping. After all, entertainment budgets are the first thing to go when belts need tightening.

Wealth is being concentrated in an ever-smaller percentage of the population. One needs only to look to the economy of Mexico to see the disaster this trend will eventually incur.

Even if one views labor as yet another cost of doing business, instead of human beings with human needs, it still makes no business sense to not pay workers what they're worth. If you make widgets with cheap components, they fall apart and no one wants to buy them. If you make entertainment with cheap labor, it sucks and no one wants to buy it.

Just as a producer of widget components has an industry group to set the prices for its products, so too does labor have its groups. Unions are nothing more than a collective way to negotiate for the price of a commodity.

If you refuse to pay Joe's Widget Components what their products are worth, you don't get to buy their components. If you refuse to pay Joe Writer what he's worth, you don't get his writing. It's really that simple.

Anonymous said...

Dear 'Anonymous' (10.30) - yeah, right. Hollywood's suddenly in dire trouble because of an evil union that's been around for 70 years! Could you please point me to the grinding poverty in Bel-Air and the soup kitchens in Beverly Hills that have presumably sprouted up over decades thanks to our supposed greed? What are you talking about? The writers are in a fight to maintain the residuals and benefits they fought for and gained a very long time ago. These benefits failed to cripple Hollywood in the past - so why should they now? I'm British - and I got used to the likes of you arguing against the introduction of a minimum wage for workers because it would 'cripple business'. And what happened? Our economy's stronger than ever! Please, when and if you come back with more of your ignorant garbage, strive for some a little hard evidence to back it up. (And yeah, before you say it, yeah, yeah, I'm a yellow-toothed tea-sippin' limey who should keep his nose outta American business and should probably go back to my crappy little island. But I'm also WGA and proud of it.)

Anonymous said...

Uh, anonymous 11:09 AM, people hate Walmart because it discriminates and doesn't pay enough to have it's workers get benefits. That's why cities like LA try to keep Walmart out. Check out the LA Times coverage of the devastation that Walmart has caused US based industry, both unionized and non-union, coast to coast. They won a Pulitzer for it. The former textile industry in the South has no love for Walmart, unionized or not. Check out the lawsuits pending and won against Walmart. They are not the good guys.

Anonymous said...

That right there is a recipe for economic disaster, by the way. "Workers are consumers, and if you don't pay your workers, they can't buy your products. Entertainment is one of the few American exports that we dominate, but even it would fail if Americans' disposable income started dropping. After all, entertainment budgets are the first thing to go when belts need tightening."

THANK YOU! Finally, some sense. The rich don't keep a company or country strong. Never have. The middle class does. And they are who is getting squeezed here. Whether people believe it or not, the WGA is mostly middle class. They are not the $20 million a movie actors. Some members make millions, most don't. That's the truth.

Anonymous said...

"it still makes no business sense to not pay workers what they're worth....If you make entertainment with cheap labor, it sucks and no one wants to buy it."

Too true.

Just like those cheaply made toys in China coated with lead that no one wants anymore, that the companies lost money on.

Why are the corporations trying to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? If I was a shareholder, I would wonder.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe this hasn't been resolved. The industry is losing millions of dollars, not to mention networks, such as ABC have already had ratings drop last season for LOST and now there is talk of a shorter season, which will probably spell doom for that show. Fox is losing 24 for a season, not to mention all the late night shows. You'd think that the AMPTP would put their greed aside to settle this dispute in a timely fashion. Have they not learned from their past mistakes? I want my Daily Show, I want my Colbert Report...

Anonymous said...

So what exactly did happen in the meeting? Has any kind of deal been reached for sure?

I'm really lost - I can't belive that nobody can say anything truthful yet!

Anonymous said...

I am a writer. I am not in the union yet. I still have to work whatever jobs I need to to kep rent paid and have money for 'expendables' (food). I still support the Guild. Anyone should who is not at the upper eschelon and making multi-millions.

Walmart and other of the Mega-Corps are the ones who are screwing the populace, getting them to accept lower and lower wage jobs (the minimum wage being a joke anyway), and getting them to accept dollar stores and Walmarts as their shopping of choice.

As to the shipping of jobs to Third World soil--this is to keep quality in products? Another joke, and the health and well being of the nation are the punch lines.

The CEO's of this land are the culprits here, not the workers and not the consumers. This Sludge being fed us as 'unbiased' opinions is just that--sludge reports to muddy and pollute the water.

Oh, and the making millions for our scripts? It took me almost twenty years to write my first really good script. When I should get to the point of making decent money from my vocation, it will only serve to deliver payment on the 'interest' from my 'investment' of time, energy, devotion, and sacrifice for my craft over the last thirty years.

How much time and investment does it take to have a non-creative job where you merely show up every day and be directed what to work on by others? And yes, I know this sounds crass, but what kind of work do you think has been paying for my time off to write?

Anonymous said...

Nobody can say much because they have a media blackout about the negotiations, they're not announcing anything until a deal is done.

It actually makes sense, a deal in progress could get killed if incomplete details were released and given the expected spin from both sides. They'll go public when they have something both sides are happy with.

Anonymous said...

First we win in Iraq! Then we win the writers strike!

Most writers want to get back to work. Stop screwing around!!

Anonymous said...

El Coyote? Seriously?

JimBob said...

We should all try to stop referring to the strike as "The WGA Strike" and/or "The Writers Strike." Ownership needs to be shifted onto those whose greedy and unreasonable behavior has necessitated the walkout. Here are some suggestions that are out there already, but feel free to float others -- until something sticks.
"The Media Companies' Strike."
"The Media Conglomerate Lockout."
"The Internet Strike" (that one fails to shift blame, but perhaps it will catch on -- the most important goal being to stop having the writers be attached, all by themselves, to the negative baggage of the word "strike".)

Kelley said...

Brooks Barnes is an ass. He wrote a very negative page-one feature about fan campaigns back in May of 2006 (when "Veronica Mars" fans flew a plane over the network and donated DVDs to public libraries). His article was filled with inaccuracies about how much money we spent and what the banner we flew over UPN and The CW said. When we emailed him to give him the correct info he was rude and dismissive. We forwarded his response to his editor with a complaint. Brooke sent us an apology and the Wall Street Journal printed a correction and amplification.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/MakalovestheTV/WSJcorrection.jpg

Anonymous said...

I wish these money obsessed hacks would stop moaning and get back to work after all they should be happy they have got a job at all

Jake Hollywood said...

Anonymous 2:15pm

File this under If Wishing Made It So.

And since my Fairy Godmother just said I could make three wishes, here they are:

1. I wish the AMPTP would give the WGA a fair and reasonable contract - I'd like to get the two films I had in development (at Paramount and Focus Films, respectively) moving forward again. I really could use the money to feed my family.

2. I wish that whenever I needed a place to park (at the mall, at the movies, at a restaurant, etc.), I'd get the spot I wanted without looking for it. It would make my life sooooooo much easier (I also wouldn't mind having an unlimited Starbucks account)...

and 3. I wish anonymous commentators would stop talking out of their ass, it's really starting to smell up the place.

Hopefully at least two of these wishes come true soon.

Miss M said...

I know this doesn't mean much to those of you on the front lines but speaking as just an average entertainment consumer in the heartland (or more accurately WalMartland) this has been a huge educational experience about how the entertainment industry works. I just wish more people understood what your fighting for.

That sound you hear is one woman in Cleveland playing "Fight Tha Power" as loud as she can and thinking of you.

Respect.