11/16/2007

Pencils2MediaMoguls

Here's what's being done by fans for the WGA strike: "Now is the time to save ALL our shows. MAIL PENCILS pencils to the AMPTP and to any studios whose shows you enjoy...
Maybe we can help the studios see just how much support the WGA has. And maybe, just maybe, we can give them a graceful way out (not because they're buckling under the writers' demands, but because they care so much about their audience. Us. And isn't that supposed to be their job?"
-- Nikki Finke, 11/12/07


PLEASE NOTE: As of 12/31/07, the campaign is closed.
Total Pencils Sold: 650,026!
THANK YOU, FANS!


Okay, what is Pencils2MediaMoguls?
We’re asking people to use our site to buy pencils to send to the six media moguls who run the six corporate conglomerates.

Why pencils?
A lot of different fan sites were suggesting that people send pencils to networks and studios. United Hollywood and Strike Points met with some of the television showrunners, and together we decided to follow the fans’ lead.

Pencils have become the symbol of our cause: We are putting them down until we get a fair deal.

Symbolism, whatever. Let’s face it -- isn’t this kind of a waste of pencils?
We were worried about that too, so we found a vendor who makes environmentally sensitive product: California Republic Stationers. Their pencils are made from sustainably harvested wood, which means they don’t deforest.

We’ll also send the media moguls suggestions about where they can donate the pencils to non-profits that teach kids how to write. After all, the CEOs aren’t writers. It’s not like they can use them.

What happens to the money from the pencils?
Anything we have left over from our costs will go into the Union Solidarity Fund, which was created to help non-WGA members affected by the strike.

So who are these “media moguls”?
They are the six men who run the multi-media conglomerates, the companies that control almost everything you see on tv or in the movies. These individual CEOs have the power and influence to make a fair deal and end the strike, if they choose.

Leslie Moonves, President, CEO
CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
www.cbscorporation.com

Jeffrey Immelt, CEO
General Electric (NBC/Universal)
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
www.nbcuni.com

Rupert Murdoch, Chairman, CEO
News Corporation (Fox)
1211 Avenue of the Americas
8th floor
New York, NY 10036
www.newscorp.com

Jeffrey L. Bewkes, President, COO
Time Warner Inc. (Warner Brothers)
1 Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019
www.timewarner.com

Robert Iger, President, CEO
Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
corporate.disney.go.com

Sumner Redstone, Chairman
Viacom
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
www.viacom.com

Why can’t I just buy some pencils and mail them myself?
You can! We just wanted to take our fans' great idea and make it easier. We’re taking a leaf from the Jericho campaign in which fans contracted with one vendor who could pool all their purchases together. That way, instead of individual bags of nuts, fans sent truckloads of nuts to CBS.

We’ve contracted with a single vendor to buy all the pencils for the same reason. We can deliver all of them in bulk, a truckload at a time, so the impact will be (we hope) greater.

You can mail pencils yourself if you want to, but joining together seems to have a better chance of getting noticed. It’s worked in the past.

If you do decide to mail pencils yourself, just make sure they’re not sharpened. And please be polite. (We know how hard that is. Trust us.)

How come it’s a buck a box?
That price covers purchase and delivery of 12 pencils. (They’ll probably be packed by pallets instead of in individual boxes.)

And did we mention the “sustainably forested” thing?

All right, responsible pencils, I get it. But in the end, what are you trying to accomplish here?

We want the media moguls to start negotiating in good faith. We want the strike to end with a fair deal for both sides.

If we get a fair deal, it helps the actors, the directors, and the below-the-line crew members. Their deals are directly tied to ours.

Click to send a message to the moguls: It’s time to make a fair deal. We’re all on the same page.

192 comments:

Kate Purdy said...

Just sent my pencils.

Anonymous said...

20 boxes to support my favorites. Hang in there from a BIG fan of what you all do!

Anonymous said...

If you really want to get their attention, there's a better use of fundraising + all of your temporarily unemployed, genius minds. Come on guys. Really; come on.

Anonymous said...

Send them to the ADVERTISERS, guys!

Inverted Morality said...

Where can I buy one of your strike/union T-Shirts?
Also, just as a silly idea, what would it take to start a new guild-run studio? Eh, forget I asked that one.

Anonymous said...

Bought a few dozen too. Great idea. How do you guys come uo with thi stuff?

Skyfleur said...

Inverted Morality : those t-shirts are given freely on picket lines. Don't buy any on picket lines. On Alex Epstein's Blog there's a thing to buy different t-shirts all the funds will be donated. I'm not sure how trustworthy it is but you never know. I don't think Alex would give out a link to buy t-shirts it was phony.

Kelley said...

10 for now. More later. But will donate some time to spreading the word.

Ziggy said...

Here's to proving that even a dead-broke student like myself can afford to spare a buck for the cause..
Good luck, you guys. I'm not a huge television watcher, but even so I've called my cable provider to suspend my service until the networks are willing to provide me with quality programming. My thoughts are with you all.

Anonymous said...

Take your pencils and shove them up your ass!

Anonymous said...

My american dollar doesn't go very far here in London but I will gladly give up some cash for the cause.

Anonymous said...

Okay, this is getting ridiculous now. Stunts like this make me question supporting the writers. (Which I have done from when I first heard about the potential strikes months ago.)

Rather than waste money on pencils, send it to a GOOD cause. Supporting the writers is one thing, but wasting money on stunts like this? For such creative types, that's a pretty retarded idea.

Of course while I've supported the writers, I don't actually care if the few current shows I like come back.

My sympathy for the writers is starting to wear very very thin. This doesn't mean I am starting to side with the media companies. I'm not. I'm starting to not side with ANY of them.

Charlie Parker said...

Dayna: "I've called my cable provider to suspend my service until the networks are willing to provide me with quality programming."

You're going to have a very long wait, even if they went back to work today. I've just dumped cable due to a complete lack of quality programming. Has nothing to do with the WGA and everything to do with the utter wasteland that is TV.

And I'd like to just state, for the record, that anyone who writes for "According to Jim", they have absolutely no support AT ALL from me for the dross they spew from that atrocity of a TV show. The one benefit of the strike is crap like that won't be made.

Every cloud has a silver lining...

Anonymous said...

Not to be all Rainy von Paradenstrudle, but I think this might be more effective if WGA had nothing to do with this campaign. A concerted fan effort is certainly a good idea, and it will hopefully show them who really has the public support. But since it comes from unitedhollywood.com it will be easier for them to dismiss it as writer-driven.

Don't get me wrong, I'm about to buy a few boxes. I guess I'm wondering if you plan to include personal information with the delivery... like "Real person's name from Mississippi sent you 4 boxes." I think that definitely should be included so they know the sentiment comes clearly from the fans.

Anonymous said...

There's no need to get all bent out of shape over this little stunt. Some of you talk like this huge windfall spent on pencils should be diverted to something else. Do you really think a huge sum of cash will be dumped into something like this?

As the post said, it's just symbolic, it's an attention-grabber. Imagine if you were a studio exec and someone came in and said a truckload of pencils was just delivered by a coalition of writers to protest the strike? You'd surely feel a bit uncomfortable, and you'd be reminded of it for many weeks to come every time you heard a pencil sharpener whirring.

Anonymous said...

Gee there are some negative people out there. What's with you guys? What's the big deal with sending a symbolic box of pencils? (Will send my order in later today)

I called CBS, ABC and Fox the other day. There is nothing like the sound of a ringing phone on a busy person's desk. It's very grating on the nerves. Doesn't take long either.

Don't like the pencils 2 moguls campaign? Don't do it. DO something else.

Skyfleur said...

Hi, I've been looking at the WGA website and I cannot find any link to donate money to the help fund. I wonder if giving the address so that people can donate money to help you guys and other workers if they're fired would be such a bad idea. Some of us might think that doing the pencils campaign is fun but is not supportive enough.

David Grenier said...

I'm still waiting to hear back from the WGA about how to donate to the strike and solidarity funds. I know their busy, so I ain't complaining. But I'd rather put my money directly into the strike fund than into pencils.

Still, given that union staff are generally overworked at the best of times, it might be a while before I hear back from them. So maybe I'll buy some pencils after I get back from my wedding tonight.

Anyway, regarding a few points...

Anonymous - In a labor struggle, there is NO SUCH THING as "not siding with any of them." Like the lady said, "They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there. You'll either be a union man or a thug for J.H. Blair." Neutrality is AUTOMATICALLY support for the status quo.

Timothy Barrington-Smythe: You may think According to Jim is a steaming pile of garbage (and I may agree with you, but I've never seen it). But that's not the point. Saying you don't support the writers who make that show means that you want the execs who put it on the air to make EVEN MORE money off of it. The money is coming in, the question is only how it should be divided.

Anonymous said...

Don't get me wrong. I do think this is a well intentioned, very respectable idea. I "bought" 6 boxes. If nothing else, it will help cement mine and others' appreciation in the union members' minds.
My post was more centered around logistical information. I want this campaign to be as effective as possible, and I think that being able to show Big Media proof that these come from the fans would help.
Of course, that's predicated on the idea that the people you are dealing with (AMPTP) are rational.. and I'm not too sure that's the case here.

Regardless, good idea. It really helps to at least think I can make some tiny bit of difference for your cause.

Jackson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

While I concur with those folks who say "please, let us paypal a few bucks into the 'keep a striking writer eating' fund", I bought my box as well; hopefully, y'all can arrange some news coverage when the trucks roll up. :-)

My comments on the purchase screen:

===
We're pleased to see that you're returning to the table, Variety's mischaracterizations of why notwithstanding.

But we love our writers, and we don't want to see you shaft them. Again. And we buy the advertisers' products; don't think we won't remind *them* next.
===

Anonymous said...

The Jericho Fans + TheFanUnion.com actually started the Empty Pen Campaign which led to the pencils FYI.

Anonymous said...

I ordered 6 boxes, one for each media mogul. I think it's a great idea, thank you! 100% behind you!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I thought it was just writers who overthought everything. This is just a stunt. And guess what? Stunts like this work in Hollywood. You can donate to the Actors Fund if you don't want to do this. It helps everyone. But really, so does this. It all goes to the same end. The end of the strike, that is.

Anonymous said...

I think this is brilliant!

Love the idea of this S#%@-load of pencils showing up to their office!

Anonymous said...

I wanted to let yall know that the college student communties support yall.

I have setup a facebook group, working on trying to get membership up - its only at about 100 right now, but i graduated from a small school in Alabama so my net work is a little tight.

Ill post a linke if any writers are on facebook to try and spread the word

Eric

Anonymous said...

While I like the idea at first glance, I have a few questions that were not covered in this post's FAQ.

(1) Does anyone think the Moguls will actually donate these pencils to charity? ;-) And on a related note . . .

(2) What's to stop the companies from simply refusing delivery when a truck rolls up to their gates? (OTOH, I guess if they do refuse, you can donate the pencils yourselves.)

(2) If the WGA (or an unofficial group of its members like United Hollywood) orders the pencils in bulk and has them delivered, how does this give the companies any sense of public support for the writers? The pencils will have come from WGA or United Hollywood and since they will all arive together, there will be no impression of thousands (hopefully) of Americans caring enough to give the time, effort, and money for this symbolic gesture.

I saw the field for us to indicate which show we were supporting, but does that mean every box of pencils is going to have a note that says something like "Paid for by a fan of L&O:SVU"?

(3) Now on the more practical side, I'd like to know where you will be sending these truckloads of pencils. One to each company? To the various studios? I feel like we're missing some of the finer details of this plan.

I'd really appreciate answers to these questions!

I want to support the writers and I think symbolic gestures of support are great, but I want to know that the gesture has been well-planned enough to potentially have the desired impact on the companies (I say "potentially" because I have my doubts about whether the companies or the men in charge care one iota about what any of their viewers think).

What they do care about is profit--obviously. So how can we hit them were it hurts? Why is the WGA (or its unofficial-but-affiliated groups) not calling on fans to stop buying DVDs and downloading programs until a new contract is agreed upon and signed?

Thanks for your time and stay strong. All love to the writers and their supporters!

Anonymous said...

To be honest, this should be more creative. What you should be sending them are pencils that have erasers at both ends...ya know, cause you can't write with it. Kind of a whole Greed Erases Creativity thing. That's my two cents anyway. I'll still buy the pencils none the less.

HannColl said...

Is there an alternate way to donate? I want to help, but I can't use Paypal to do it.

Anonymous said...

"Greed Erases Creativity"

(image: a pencil with an eraser at both ends)



Brilliant! Somebody go make the t-shirts!

Me said...

My pencils are on their way

Anonymous said...

What about Sony? Aren't the involved in this, too?

Catherine Butterfield said...

I agree with the guys who said send them to the advertisers. And the newspapers, they might actually use them.

Anonymous said...

Inverted Morality -

The site Alex Epstein links to is strikeswag.com. I'm the WGA member who started it. I'm selling bracelets and t-shirts. I had some of the shirts made. The WGA is letting me sell the others for them, including the gray strike shirts.

All profits from these sales are going to the WGA Union Solidarity Fund.

United Hollywood links to the site.

If you have other questions, visit strikeswag.com or email me at strikeswag@gmail.com.

Thanks.

Tom Smuts

Anonymous said...

Here's an article listing direct phone numbers and email addresses of studio executives and a list of talking points:

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/take-action/campaigns/support-the-writers-strike-call-studio-executives.html

Anonymous said...

How about labeling that box up there, "Writer or Show"? Many of us are fans of certain writers rather than just shows. Since this is about supporting writers, let us express our support for you individually as well as your shows.

Anonymous said...

Buy pencils and use your own !

Hang pencils from bumpers.

Pencils from bushes.

Pencils in your hair.

Pencils everywhere !

Dana said...

Done and done.

Come on moguls! We know you have some kind of sense, somewhere, somehow. Get back to the table and make a fair deal.

SupComTabz said...

sent in mine!

Anonymous said...

Donated! And I'm also posting about this in my LiveJournal.

I hope y'all will keep us updated about the number of boxes donated. I think that will help to encourage more fans to donate. Plus, it'll be fun watching the numbers climbing and climbing!

lexigeek said...

Since there was no guerilla-friendly graphic for this besides the pencil, I created one to use on the fans4writers site. Feel free to use it, and link to UnitedHollywood.

Icon: http://www.fans4writers.com/images/pencils-200x120.jpg
Link: http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/2007/11/pencils2mediamoguls.html

Anonymous said...

David Grenier: Neutrality is NOT support for the status quo.

Neutrality in the issue means they can ALL go to hell. Don't pull your grade school political crap on me mate.

Unknown said...

I think it's a pretty good idea and it's a good symbolic gesture because it's something the studios can recognize as fan-driven because other campaigns have been similar.

I also want to point out, for the complainers, that I find it suspect that all these anonymous people have posted about how the WGA DOESN'T support the below-the-line workers but when the WGA makes a concerted effort like this to pool money at one source for the Solidarity Fund we have the same complaints. I guess there's no pleasing a bunch of corporate talking heads.

Simply Kimberly said...

I sent in 24 boxes in support of 24.

Anonymous said...

I sent $5. I am hoping it helps. I want to see the Dollhouse on the screem soon. Hurry up Moguls and give these writers what they deserve.

Anonymous said...

I'm a writer but not yet a WGA member. I think this is an awesome idea and have contributed and passed on the link on myspace. However, I agree with people wondering about the details of the plan. I added the following message with mine to really kick the studios where it hurts: "In support of the writers , I will not buy any DVDs, watch any reruns or internet programming until the strike is over. Please, be fair!"

Will that message be passed on to all six moguls? And I do agree that there should be some sort of list of the names and cities of all the people who contributed so that it is clear how much of it is from the PUBLIC all across the country (and world in some cases) and not just from writers/WGA members.

Anonymous said...

I just sent 6 boxes, one for each mogul.

It would be great if there were a tally on UnitedHollywood.com that kept track of how many boxes of pencils were purchased.

Or if they could post a video of them being delivered on youtube.

I can picture it now, instead of a polite delivery guy going back and forth with his dolley-loads, it should be Sopranos style. Like, hundreds of thousands of pencils in the back of a dump-truck, that just dumps them on the front steps to the building. That would make me very happy.

Unknown said...

JERICHO fans are in action first batch of pencils on the way $150 worth

Anonymous said...

Thomas Cunningham, you're right.
They should list where everyone is from. I'm from Bangor, Maine.

The online petition will serve that purpose, too, though.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Followed Doris Egan's blog here, and made my donation, then posted the link on my own blog.

Sending good thoughts your way.

Anonymous said...

I'm passing the word around via Livejournal, across fandoms. It's simple to do and allows fans - like myself - who actually are across the ocean to participate and show our support for the writers :)

Brilliant, and, if it were possible to know numbers, now and then (how many boxes/amount of donations/ possibly per show), that would encourage others to donate (and also stimulate fandom's self-pride too ;)

Jeffool said...

Hope it's not a problem if I list an old show amongst the rest. I mean, those are on DVD too, right?

Bran said...

Sent my 50 boxes for my shows... never could say no to Joss! :) No matter what, I hope the networks can understand where the majority of the fans side in this situation... we will do what we can to help our writers get a fair deal!!!!

Anonymous said...

This seems antagonistic and counterproductive. Please don't.

Anonymous said...

I just sent my pencils in support of Joss and Dollhouse !

Anonymous said...

Antagonistic? Sending pencils? You've got to be kidding. Whose sock puppet are you?

shansgrl said...

I just sent 7 boxes.

Hang in there and hope you get back to work soon!!

Anonymous said...

Just bought 10 boxes for the cause! Rock on, WGA!!

LillyKat said...

20 boxes sent.

Anonymous said...

All you people talking about how we should send our money to a better cause probably won't send a dime to ANY cause, will you?

I support the writers as a wannabe screenwriter myself and a fan of their work. Writers are keeping whatever art there is left in mainstream film/tv. Without it you'd have Big Brother After Dark 24/7. AWESOME.

Anonymous said...

I think this is a great idea, if anyone else doesn't - fine. But I am getting so sick of the negative nitpicking. If you don't like the gesture, don't do it. Simple. Pencils are easily used and donated, it's on the studios if they throw them out. It gives the fans a voice.

Anonymous said...

Feature writers are on strike too -- not just TV writers. I walk the picket lines 20 hours a week and am feeling a bit left out here. Can you please include an option to support feature writers in the pencil drive?
Sincerely,
a striking feature writer

Anonymous said...

I think THIS is a better idea.
And calling advertisers and asking them to put the heat on as well.


Dayna said...

Here's to proving that even a dead-broke student like myself can afford to spare a buck for the cause..
Good luck, you guys. I'm not a huge television watcher, but even so I've called my cable provider to suspend my service until the networks are willing to provide me with quality programming. My thoughts are with you all.

GrrrlRomeo said...

What is this "Union Solidarity Fund" and can I donate directly to it? (I already bought pencils by the way.)

Anonymous said...

Purchased my 7 boxes today (in support of Heroes, 24, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Lost, How I Met Your Mother and Brothers & Sisters) with the following comments:

We all know the Internet is the future. To expect writers not to have a share in your billions of new revenue is absolutely ridiculous. I love these shows and will be sad to see them off the air, but I support them for as long as it takes to get a fair deal. These are the people that make your living possible, please treat them accordingly.

Katie Caughill said...

Just sent my pencils. Wonderful idea!

Anonymous said...

What's amazing about this campaign and this site and fan-based pro-writer sites like fans4writers is this is how the writers are going to come out ahead.

This isn't the last strike. The writers and the fans of their shows and films are using the internet to get the public on their side. Not too hard to do. The writers now have a direct line to the public that loves their work. Who are they going to side with? Joss Whedon, James Gunn, Steve Carell... or Rupert Murdoch, Les Moonves?

That's the studios' achilles heel. They just think in terms of studios VS. writers. They're so arrogant that they don't even factor in the people that keep them in business. I think they're in for a rude awakening when the public they hold so little regard for turns on THEM when they have nothing but reruns and shitty reality TV to watch. When they refuse to watch and start telling studios and their advertisers that they're not going to watch, download or buy anything until the writers get a fair deal.

It's pretty hard to argue that the writers, actors and directors have a lot more respect for the public that keeps them in business than the studios do. And the public know that, so let's see who will be hurt more by the strike when the boycotts begin.

Anonymous said...

Personally I think the best idea of the entire strike was Tim Minear's "let's use blank picket signs" one :)

I ordered two boxes of pencils, with greetings from the U.K

Anonymous said...

Sent 10.. but where is the tally?you wanna take a leaf out of Jericho's book. get a running tally of how many pencils have been purchased.

and one commenter had a very fair point. it ould have been better to set this all up on F4W.com so it looks more like the fans are doing this, not the members themselves.

but to answer their other one, CBS never turned down our nuts, and i dont think the other networks turned down mars bars or tobasco sauce either. and they could have easily.

Criminal Minds Fan said...

I posted the link on the Criminal Minds Fanatic blog. I hope that it helps!

Anonymous said...

Umm... I'm seriously not saying this to be a dick but: "Anything we have left over from our costs will go into the Union Solidarity Fund, which was created to help non-WGA members affected by the strike."

I'm pretty sure it should be: EFFECTED by the strike. I wouldn't bother saying anything but... y'know, writers and all... don't wanna look bad here.

Anonymous said...

Nevermind my above comment. It is affected. You guys were right, I was wrong. My bad.

James said...

Pencils Sent. Notice posted on fansite!

http://dollhouseecho.com/

Thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

Hello, from a french TV Series fan. Up till now I seriously thought the writers, directors, and actors were making big bucks out of DVD sales, online streaming and iTunes downloads. I'm speechless to learn that you don't - although not entirely surprised that Hollywood Moguls don't want to share their profits. These CEOs don't care about their audience, they only care about the money they make out of their audience.

Sending my pencils now, in support of Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, NCIS, Jericho and Brothers & Sisters.

As some of the other comments pointed out, you should add a counter box on your site to show how many boxes (tons ?) have already been sent.

Anonymous said...

Excellent idea. :) I'm all the way down in Australia, unable to do much to help my fellow writers. :( This idea finally allows me to do something other than hope and pray things work out for everyone concerned.

sammychan said...

I want to support the shows Smallville supernatural ER The simpsons king of the hill family guy 24 Deal or No Deal please keep our favorite shows running thanks

Anonymous said...

Sent mine on in support of Supernatural and all of you writers. As someone in early childhood special education, I entirely understand. You guys do an amazing job and, aside from one reality show that I occasionally watch, I'll be more than willing to turn off the TV if they don't give you a fair shake. Who needs reality TV when all you have to do is step outside and look around?

Before there was television people actually went to the library for books to read. I guess if the Moguls don't get their act together and stop trying to keep the money all to themselves, they're just going to have to deal with the consequences.

Anonymous said...

Pencils sent! A running tally would be great guys!!!

HannColl said...

Suggestion: how about posting not just a running tally of boxes bought, but a breakdown of boxes by fandom? We fans are so competitive -- you know that would spur people to buy more boxes to increase their show's numbers.

Anonymous said...

my comments have been reproduced here


(oh and if you start a "feed the writers and laid-off studio support staff" fund,let me know)

Anonymous said...

I support Supernatural all the way, but I don't have credit card and you have only this option, so I can't sent any pencils.
Shame. I wanted to help.

However stay at last here my support to my favourite TV Show ever: Supernatural!

Anonymous said...

I want to support my wife who is a feature writer. How do I do that?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
English Dave said...

Ummmmmm how much of this - if any - goes to the strike fund?

Has this been cleared with the WGA?

Anonymous said...

10 boxes and I don't even watch TV.

Here's why. I am a writer. Print and Internet. I have always been a freelancer. I have never known the rights of employment or the protection of a union.

Over the last ten years, I have also seen rights creap eat away at my income and the potential to sell my pieces in multiple markets. As a result, I earn fewer peanuts every year.

I don't want writers in other industries see their own incomes eroded. I want to see them thrive and keep the dream alive.

One day, I am going to earn some decent coin, I can feel it. Even more, though, I know the money generated by my imagination is going to line someone else's pockets. All I want is a fair share. And I want all the other writers to get a fair share too.

I've designated Tuesday as my solidarity day. No blogging, no research, no interviewing, no writing.

Creative_Clan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sean Stubblefield said...

As a writer, I sympathize and encourage. pencils... away! WGA's cause is also supported by The Student Operated Press.

http://www.thesop.org/article.php?id=8367

http://www.thesop.org/article.php?id=8354

Anonymous said...

Four boxes sent for my four favorite features in the last year or so. Peter Morgan (The Queen), John Carney (Once), Patrick Marber (Notes on A Scandal), and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac).

Unknown said...

i sent some for heroes and some for joss whedon (i know that is not a show, obviously, but he's a writer and i want some dollhouse asap)!

Rishi said...

Hey, me and my friends just started a music blog.
It'll be really kool if you could check it out, leave some comments etc..
www.xplosive-mess.blogspot.com

thankss

x p l o s i v e m e s s =)

Anonymous said...

Sent my pencils as well. As an aspiring screenwriter/filmaker myself, I am very hopeful that everything turns out well and hopefully this will help!

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Strike supporter here. Signed the petition. Bought my t-shirt. Video on my blog. Sub'd my pic for a strike pic, etc. but can't support this.

Recipients will not feel particularly charitable upon the arrival of the pencils regardless how earth friendly the stunt is so strike captains should probably be prepared to receive equal amounts of broken pencils and shavings.

Seems to me like the revenues could go to a sure thing where there's no question the money won't go to waste. Doesn't WGA have a fund for strikers having trouble meeting their bills?

GrrrlRomeo said...

To people who think this is a waste of money that could otherwise be used elsewhere:

It's $1 for 12 pencils. It would cost almost as much for all of us to send postcards if not more if you consider the price of a stamp + the postcard.

By us giving United Hollywood a dollar, it's actually costing us less since we don't have to pay to ship it ourselves.

No matter what, campaigns like this cost money. Whether it's a letter writing campaign, postcards, web sites, printing flyers...it all costs us money.

Webhosting costs money, the price of color printer ink is astronomical and postcard paper isn't cheap either. But I don't see anyone complaining that those initiates are a waste of money.

It's only because we're all pooling our money together that it seems like more. But it isn't.

For example, if United Hollywood came up with a post card design and posted it for free for us to download and print, I would have to go buy printer ink for about $30 and $10 for a pack of 50 postcard sheets. If I were actually going to print the whole pack of postcards in color, I would probably have to buy 2 or 3 ink cartridges for $60 or $90. If I were only going to print one, I'd still have to buy the whole pack!

Anonymous said...

well i've counted 476 boxes minimum just from the numbers in comments posted. and from knowing a few people who have sent some.

im sure the numbers are much higher than that as anyone who just said "sent my pencils" or "donated" i counted as one box, and im sure some of them were more. that's 5712 pencils

still not a hugely impressive number. for an impressive deilvery you're looking at 2000 boxes minimum. but hey there could be that many. you'd think they would have set up a running tally, and been working on a fandom/tv show breakdown.

that was one thing nutsonline.com did. it automatically updated when you ordered some. and they set goals, and people were inspired to donate more to try to reach the goal. plus who doesnt want to see the numbers going up and up and up?

RUNNING TALLY ALREADY PEOPLE!!!

Leandro said...

Hi, I'm from a far, far away country named... Argentina.

I really hope you guys can get what you want from the studios and also... I WANT TONY ALMEIDA TO COME BACK IN JANUARY 2008!! NOT 2009!!

Anonymous said...

Dear Media Moguls: if you don't pay your writers/actors for downloads/streaming video, we shouldn't have to pay you anything either. I like the concept, please sign me up for the FREE!

GrrrlRomeo said...

tally-ho

errgh. While computer geeks can whip up tallying scripts on a bottle or two of Bawls (and consider it fun)...I don't really expect strike captains to have the skills or time to do so. (Not trying to be insulting. I can't write TV scripts afterall.)

I'm assuming, since they're keeping track, they'll just blog the numbers the old fashioned static way at some point.

Take it easy...

Ada said...

My friend and I wrote Office quotes on are pencils and are sending them tomorrow. It was fun :D

Teresa said...

Do you have any information on where people can send money to the Union Solidarity Fund directly if they would like to? I think people who might not be a fan of sending pencils along with a letter might still like to donate money to that particular cause. :)

- Teresa
User-Generated Content
viewingpublic.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Just sent 10 boxes using the form in the blog post.

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who's a writer in L.A., and I spoke with her at length about the strike. While everyone is trying to "support the writers", most of the writers have cashed in what funds they have available and are moving on to other things.

I also question why strike when the WGA took in a whopping $260 million last year? It was a record breaking amount. Plus, the shows these people are writing are utter crap. More people buy canceled shows on season set dvds than are watching what's currently offered. So, could it be they're not getting paid more because they're doing a slack job of writing?

Anonymous said...

What's your friend write? A column for a small newspaper?

Try this:

a) That $260 million is probably only twice as much as the major studio heads make in a year. If you don't get what I'm saying, I'm talking about 50% of $260 million going to 5 people as opposed to 100% of $260 million going to 12,000 people.


b) The writers aren't asking to be paid "more" they're asking to be paid "something". While you were speaking with your friend "at length" (assuming she doesn't write a column for a small newspaper) were you paying attention? Or were you imagining she was talking like Charlie Brown's teacher?

Anonymous said...

Anon :I have a friend who's a writer in L.A.,

Could you BE anymore of a plant? Please stop beating that same old horse, it died two weeks ago.

Anonymous said...

Plant indeed.


I don't care. Even if every show on television was the worst ever with zero (and I mean zero!) creativity to it... when the studios make billions off said crap, the makers of said crap deserve a cut.

English Dave said...

Dear blog admins

Can you remove this post
''English Dave said...
Ummmmmm how much of this - if any - goes to the strike fund?

Has this been cleared with the WGA?''

As it was in response to the scummy post you have have now removed and was nothing to do with pencils.

Oh, and this one too!

Anonymous said...

Cool! A pencil tally! 60,000 (at the time of writing this) is pretty impressive. But is that 60,000 BOXES of pencils or 5,000 boxes of 12 pencils?

Luckily, 60,000/12 is easy since, like a lot of writers, I suck at math! HA!

Keep on keepin' on!

Unknown said...

great idea! sent $10, plus i blogged about this idea on my blog.

also, as a member of sag, i walked the line at burbank on friday....also blogged about that, and took pix...saw the top of john edwards' head!

Anonymous said...

Okay so, now the tally is at 156,000. Which means either someone just bought a shitload of pencils in the last 10 mins or, more likely, I misread the tally. Either way, still wonder if it's 156,000 boxes or 13,000 boxes of 12.

Anonymous said...

I sent a box for each show in my TiVo's Season Pass list.
Go WGA!!!

Ivana said...

I sent 20... and will be posting a link to here on my blog.

Anonymous said...

I've donated one box for each of the scripted shows I have as a season pass on my DVR. That's 30 shows and 30 boxes of pencils. Hope it helps.

I've also added the Pencils2MediaMoguls widget on my website to encourage my readers to also donate to help support the efforts.

Best of luck, and thanks to United Hollywood for keeping us all informed!

Unknown said...

Really? This seems childish. I'm a big supporter of the fight. The cause. This website. All that. Now that you are sitting back the table do you this is very wise? Do you think one box of these will get past the mail room? Seems wasteful. Both of time and money. The viral YouTubes are far more effective and you can bet those have been seen by the major players AND have had impact on getting things rolling again. I would encourage you to rethink this plan.

Anonymous said...

I sent 3 boxed for the writers and The Office!

Would love to see a tally also. Good luck!

CellScribe said...

Boxes sent, renewable trees dead, saplings reaching for the sky.

Outside of Lee Valley and a round of Golf I can't remember the last time I used a wood pencil.

Just tried an experiment. If you grind just the slightest depression in the eraser you can use the pencil as a golf tee.

Given that the Media Moguls can do this with the pencils (OK the assistants can do this for them)they would be getting benefit from depression.

Par for the course.

Todd Vodka said...

This is a wonderful idea which I support wholeheartedly. Our society is already one which deplores intellectualism, creativity and self expression. Let us not allow this to extend to the very people who grace us with that, the very product of which we enjoy for endless hour upon hour.

Anonymous said...

a small gesture... 5 boxes out from me. 1 for each of my favorite shows!

Kelley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kelley said...

I see the tally now. No clue how I missed it before. Still would love clarification on whether or not we are talking boxes or individual pencils. (Though since 156,000 is divisible by 12 I am going to assume we are talking pencils not boxes.) Still very impressive!

Anonymous said...

g said... Really? This seems childish. (..) Do you think one box of these will get past the mail room?

I bet none of the nuts sent for the Save Jericho campaign made it out of mail room either, and yet within weeks CBS was begging fans to stop the deluge.

Besides, it's worth it only for the fun of throwing new things at Les Moonves (who cancelled Jericho). :-)

Anonymous said...

Yahoo search, as of november 19th, returns 3,030 web pages for the key words 'pencils to media moguls'. Not bad.

Anonymous said...

MAybe you could send some pencils to the crew members who are losing their jobs so they can save money buying school supplies for their children. Or maybe they can use them to sign their severance checks.This is not a game and real people are being hurt. Quit thinking of stupid stunts and get back to the table so people can have a good Christmas or Hannukah. You are not laborers and you never will be.

Holly said...

I sent mine in, in support of my favorite show...House.

Reality TV
Real Old
Real Fast

libraryabbie said...

I just tried to buy pencils, and PayPal said the store was not authorized (or some such). Tried multiple times, changing punctuation in my dedication (since commas can throw off some programs). Is this a Firefox thing? Or my employer's firewall? Um, I'm doing this at work...

Lisa T said...

Just sent 5 boxes in support of Heroes, Chuck, Grey's Anatomy, and Pushing Daisies, with the following message:

"You can no longer continue to underestimate the power and intelligence of television viewers! If you think we are going to side with the studios and networks on these issues just because our favorite shows are shutting down, you are sadly mistaken. We know the true issues of this strike and we support the writers' efforts in obtaining their share of your exploitation of their work in various digital media for your personal gain."

Anonymous said...

I bought twenty boxes, because I believe in good writing, and to get good writers, you need to feed them and keep them around. My shows are Heroes, Chuck, Pushing Dasies and anything by Joss Whedon. Keep up the spirit.
-cqt

Anonymous said...

The writers have my full support. Just sent my pencils for The Office in honor of their excellent webisodes (for which they received no compensation), and for Farscape, which was supposed to return after three years in the form of webisodes but is being delayed yet again because of the strike. Not paying writers for creating this kind of material for the internet is beyond shameful.

Opus said...

Lexigeek has provided a great service - but it would really behoove you to provide a cut-and-pastable link that people could use on their own blogs, myspaces, friendsbooks, facesters, and blogspaces. An all-in-one thing that provides a link and a space to make a donation - like the one you all have in your collumn to the right.

I put my own meager version on allnewyear.com, and sent in my own pencils, and hope that we can make it easy as possible for other people to do the same thing.

Anonymous said...

From the desk of Geotku:
Unions matter, solidarity matters even more. That being said, the big six media moguls need to remember that its quiet underrepresented masses that watch the most television, thus its commercials... Spend their meager wages via the inundation of those whom buy 30 second spots. It seems to me that you need to be reminded whom is actually the boss here and whom is the employee. So, I bought quite a few boxes to stave off any incidental social unrest... Let the muted multitudes view in peace.

Anonymous said...

As a TV fan (from the other end of the world) who has supported various similar campaigns, I can vouch that, stunt-or-not, Pencils2MediaMoguls will get the networks' attention. They may not like it, but they won't be able to ignore it.

Les Moonves gave our balloon delivery guys hell by shuttling them from door to door, intimidating them and stuffing our bright breezy balloons in the basement ... but I think next time he sees balloons, he'll definitely remember us CSI fans ;-)

CBS did donate the Jericho nuts and the Jorja Fox dollar bills sent in by fans to charity. So I'm sure if they have, say, half a million pencils lying around, they'd probably do the same.

And it's a dollar ... for 12 pencils. And it costs me nothing in shipping. I'd gladly donate to funds in support of workers affected by the strike, just as I donated to a charity of my favourite actress' choice in her honour.

But a dollar for pencils? I can spare that, too. In fact, I can spare six. So ... here's to all the hotshot media moguls. May you find your hearts this Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

you know you're just making life a living hell for mailroom people, right?

the moguls will never see the pencils, but you are making a ton of work for the regular staff of the place, people who really could do without some jackass making them deal with a thousand boxes of pencils showing up on his desk every day.

Anonymous said...

Try this instead:

Send a donation to the OTHER unions affected by the strike, so that all the prop guys, makeup people, etc. can eat while they're out of work as a result of the writers' strike. They're the only ones who are truly suffering here.

Anonymous said...

aegisknight said...
you know you're just making life a living hell for mailroom people, right?


Actually, the idea of ordering through United Hollywood is that the pencils will be delivered in one bulk delivery instead of thousands of individual packages. One large delivery of pencils will do very little to affect the mailroom.

Anonymous said...

I wish I had a buck to buy some with, but unfortunatly for me, I'm poor as a mouse. *chuckles*. I just want to say that you people need to buy loads of these things for Supernatural and Heroes. *nods* They are two of the best shows on the planet and deserve our support. The writer's do alot of hard work to keep up entertained.

Anonymous said...

Bought a few dozen and then blogged about the campaign.

Spreading the word!

Anonymous said...

So.... any idea of when these masses of pencils are being shipped out?

Anonymous said...

Sent ten boxes, will send more later.
For those of you who are posting comments saying how stupid this is, f*ck off. This is a way using symbolism to try and get the moguls to get the big picture and see how many people really support this, how it's not just the writers and a few other people.

Rock on.

Anonymous said...

Just sent ten boxes!!! Bombard them with pencils I say!!!

Anonymous said...

I like TV alot and think the writers deserve fair pay, but please people send your money to charities for...I don't know...WORLD HUNGER, etc.

Anonymous said...

There is nothing wrong with spending a few dollars to help a group that's being treated unfairly. This effects many more people than just the writers. Besides, once this gets solved, that's one less dispute in the world.

McNary & Company Realtors said...

Just bought my pencils! I will also be stopping by the dollar store to personally send more.

Anonymous said...

As a 'wanna-be' writer and a total fan of all writers- I have to let people know that as an executive assistant for the past six years, it was my job to screen everything. These pencils have a good chance of never even being seen let alone coming to the attention of the execs listed here. If you want to get them where they live, bombard their advertisers with letters. That's when they listen. How many times have shows been taken off the air because of a couple of loud complaints? You have to get their attention by tugging on their bottom line. Shareholders count, no one else does.
That said, I really do wish all the writers the best. They definitely deserve this upgrade.

Anonymous said...

I have a friend in Hollywood who is a writer, and he says "no, please. I don't want to get paid for my work. The joy I bring to the faces of media moguls everywhere is reward enough."

His landlord/mom disagrees and says he should get paid, but she's a commie fascist... mom... mom... get away from my keyboard... whekfkjf sdeotuireiforiodz joo zjioj!

Dammit!

Anonymous said...

This pencil campaign is a GREAT idea!! I just sent SIX boxes of pencils - one to each mogul - through your site. I support the WGA! Keep up the good work and don't give up! We write. They wrong!

Anonymous said...

I work for Jeffrey Immelt (NBC/Universal/GE) and his desk is clean as a whistle and his office is paper free. He has the mailroom, a clerk, a receptionist and then finally his assistant screen through all letters and packages and only business-to-business related documents are given to his assistant and maybe even not then he gets it. I work HIGH UP in Jeffrey Immelt's office and we have seen NO pencils or truckloads or anything. Sorry. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers. Your best bet, go to the advertisers. Trust me on this. Divert your shipments to the key advertisers.

Anonymous said...

to answer "an insider"...

i do not believe the pencils have been shipped yet, so of course nothings been seen yet. plus no media mogul has a desk "as clean as a whistle" as you put it. hell no one who does any kind of work has a desk without something on it. lol

for those suggesting we spend our money supporting charities, it has already been said that these pencils will be shipped with a request to send them on to schools in need. that's charity right there folks. i doubt the networks would be so stupid as to throw them out. could you imagine the uproar if they did? or kept them for their own office supplies? gee, talk about confirming the peoples beliefs that they are selfish pigs.

many of us have donated to the Actors fund, the food for thought program, and so on. it may not be the main charities you can think of, but it is still charity to donate to them, so please dont knock what we are doing here.

although, at the end of the day, when this strike is over, i would like to see the WGA/united hollywood pick a charitable cause to donate to, and reach out to the eople who read this blog and others, to donate to it, much like the Jericho campaign helped out Greensburg, Kansas, who were struck by the hurricanes etc and needed help to rebuild.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I only make $45,000 a year, while writers make an average of $200,000 a year. Care to send some pencils my way?

You guys are really cute, but soooooooo stupid and misguided. Like writers care about you. They only care about feathering their own already heavily loaded pocket books.

Get a book on entertainment economics. Then learn the difference between "network," "studio," "advertisers," and "producers." Then see just how idiotic some of your comments are to anyone who knows anything about how TV is funded, produced and distributed.

Anonymous said...

To all of those people like this last poster let me just say I'm a screenwriter who has made a living as writer for over twenty years and since January first 2007 I have earned nothing. $0. Zero. Zilch. Not so much as a penny. That's what I've made as a writer this year. I don't work in TV. I'm not on salary anywhere. And I don't have a second job. Its been over a year and a half since I optioned my last screenplay. Not sold, optioned. That means I was paid $10,000 for it. And I have a writing partner who split half of that with me. That is after my agent took ten percent and my attorney took five percent. An since the script was not made into a movie I never made another dime from it.

I'm not complaining, its part of the risk that comes with being a screenwriter. I'm proof of that. At the moment I don't have health insurance because I haven't earned enough as a writer to qualify for it. It sucks, but I accept it.

Most writers do not make $200,000 a year. A lot of them don't even have careers as marginal as mine. So when you're lumping us all in one group try to understand that we're no different from anyone else that works for a living. We work hard to support ourselves and our families and thus wanted to be paid fairly for it.

Oh, wait... I guess there is one difference. I worked my ass off as a screenwriter this year and was paid nothing for it. How much did the rest of you who aren't writers make in salary this year?

Anonymous said...

jackles67I just sent my pencils as well. Now lets see some new Supernatural episodes!

Anonymous said...

Just sent my pencils. Now lets see some new Supernatural epsiodes!!! Don't let our shows die! :(

Linah said...

I coudn't sent any pencils because my computer doesn't want to. I understand why the writers are doing this and i'm with them a 100% but don't let our t.v. show down like they did with dark Angel!!! I want to sent many pencil to the creaters and writers of Supernautral my favorite t.v. show!!! All of canadian fan especially from Montreal want Supernatural to continue, don't let the show down PLEASE!!!! WE LOVE SUPERNATURAL!!! GO GO GO!!

Linah said...

GO SUPERNATURAL!! DON'T LET THE SHOW DOWN LIKE DARK ANGEL I UNDERSATND WHY THE WRITERS ARE DOING THIS AND I'M WITH THEM A 100%
BUT EVERY FANS WANT THEY'RE SHOW BACK COME ON!!!!

Anonymous said...

I sent a box for Kim Possible!

Carlinha said...

I'm all the way in Brazil, so I can't go to the picket line. I'd send a letter to the studios but I doubt that a letter from someone in Brazil will make much of different to them. So I'm sending the pencils very proudly because I want to help. I would do more if I could (I'm accepting suggestions).

I like the idea of sending the pencils. But I think there should be a more effective way to make an impact on them. I don't know how this works but I was thinking us viewers could go on strike too. Turn off our TVs no matter how painful that is. Stop watching the videos online. I think if they feel a real difference on their viewer rates it's going to affect them more.

We could get organized, and unite a bunch of people and make a date to turn off TVs for a couple of days or a week. Make a real effort. People are losing their jobs over this, how would you like that if it was you? It's worth making an effort.

Some good and persuasive writer could write an e-mail asking people to join and easily this could get spread all over the internet via myspace, regular e-mails, youtube.

I'm sorry if I'm going overboard here. I really feel for their cause (the writers). They do a great job and they should be fairly paid by it. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes or miss use of words. I try my best with my second language. ;)

If anyone wants to try this, feel free to e-mail me.

Anonymous said...

I've just sent ten boxes. As a 30 year member of the Communication Workers of America, I know how the government is trying to marginalize all unions.

I have spread the word about the writers strike to my union and to my district labor council.Whether you write, dig ditches, or work to make a tangible product, an injury to one is an injury to ALL.

SOLIDARITY !!!

Anonymous said...

Just saw the Daily Show spoof. More of THAT! I'd donate for some good humor.

Anonymous said...

12 boxes of pencils sent from here. I didn't notice the comment to moguls box until after I"d paid for it so I might have to send some more later. Hang in there all! My TV's off and it is going to stay off until this is resolved. Frankly the longer the studios refuse to give you all a fair deal, I think the more they deserve to lose. It's not as if they're going to go hungry if they lose all their writers. Has anyone considered starting a new network run by writers for the writers? Oh yeah... the whole money corruption thing... well it might work!

Unknown said...

One box of pencils for every person in my family

Anonymous said...

I just sent pencils. I support the writers because they deserve more than what they are getting. Without the writers, all we will have is reality television and game shows 24/7, and with that and reruns, viewers will exercise their right not to watch...(perhaps the media moguls should note that).

Writers deserve a cut of the profits for ALL media venues in which their shows are watched.

Anonymous said...

Just sent some...stand strong, guys! :)

Anonymous said...

L.A. union members stick together!

A buck for solidarity! What a great Idea!

Anonymous said...

Just adding my bit of support.

-Shane

Anonymous said...

Add mine to the pile!

Anonymous said...

Add my boxes for Psych (USA), Criminal Minds (CBS), Supernatural (CW), Grey's Anatomy (ABC) and House (Fox), and Heroes (NBC)!

Unknown said...

Without the writers we'd have nothing but reality TV, gameshows and sports. Let's give em hell!

Consider the following:
http://tinyurl.com/yoj42j


-Rubberpoultry
Jericho fan

Anonymous said...

I honestly hope my five boxes help.

Unknown said...

lol. someones been watching a certain vieo on youtube. which hey, might be believable if they hadn't quite obviously picked numbers out of the air. you can't put a $$ amount on residuals, as they are based on sales. so they had to have plucked it straight from the air. plus i doubt very many writers get 4 million as a single payment for anything.

alanajoli said...

Finally got around to buying these. I'm looking forward to hearing how the delivery goes!

There are also a right ton of WGA support groups on facebook. I'm hoping we can unite and conquer. :)

-Alana Abbott, novelist

Anonymous said...

Are they Union pencils? Or were they made in China?

Anonymous said...

Well here's 20 boxes.. good luck.

Anonymous said...

I hope they don't turn around and sell the pencils. I hope plan works out. You all deserve more money than what is being asked.
Here are ideas I've come up with

An interactive game where we could dress up the monguls in different outfits and make them do silly stuff (not perverted stuff just silly). This would be another way of making fun of them.

Include personal info with contact info or even their mistresses' contact information. Maybe not, bad idea, just being silly now.

Writer's send in pictures of their kids wearing raggedy clothing with a letter saying, "for a dollar a day, you can bring this child out of poverty" or have the kids send in pics of their parents sitting around drinking alcohol or a Christmas tree with no presents.
(I think kids would get a kick out of this, esp. if on tv)
All of my ideas may be crap,and I apologize ahead of time if anyone is offended. I really do hope things get settled soon!! Good luck!!!

CarolynBBDish said...

20 boxes and a promise to link my 50k readers here...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sending the SUSTAINABLE versions. I just bought my share and will be linking to this initiative.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for updating the counts more often! It really helps to see the progress.

Nyssa M said...

2 boxes: CW (Smallville and Gossip Girls) and NBC (Heroes, and Chuck)

anyone know if the local news has mentioned this?

Anonymous said...

I'd like to link here, using the banners would be more snazzy than a boring text link. Can you post the code for the link with graphic? (or repost if it is here and I just did not see it?)

Great idea! I am sure the media moguls could donate the pencils to the local public and private schools, they would surely get used. (Perhaps by future union members?)

King Xeres said...

As fans we want to do something dramatic that will help the writers but pencils will likely go straight to the trash rather than be recycled or donated a financially-strapped public school. At 12 pencils per box, people have spent (as of this writing) $28, 047.00 --- 1 million pencils translates to $83,333.00 -- for expendable pencils. Donations to a charity in the name of the WGA are a way to garner positive media coverage which expresses your support for the WGA while making a lasting contribution to another cause you care about.


Contribute to a cause then send postcards to the studios -- with copies to the media -- stating "I've made a donation to ____ in the name of the WGA. We're doing the write thing, why don't you?"


Here are a few possibilities, but just choose something you care about.

- a "Habitat for Humanity" construction project would be a great way to provide housing for a needy person and lends to the issue of long term financial stability. (http://www.habitatla.org/habitat.asp)

- sponsor a reading project for kids to address the critical need for reading skills -- would not only help in terms of literacy but also lend to the writers-consumers angle. (http://www.knbc.com/thequills/9419909/detail.html)

- St Jude's Children's Research Hospital has established ties with celebrities who are also empathetic to WGA's cause. These existing relationships can provide media support to St. Jude's while showcasing WGA/celebrity efforts in their regard.

who would attend a WGA sponsored event and , surely this be levered as a fund raiser for the hospital in partnership with WGA. (http://www.tg.stjude.org/celebrityfriends.shtml)


This is a way to make a lasting impact for both the WGA members and sympathizers while helping others in need. Please consider the notion.


Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Just sent my pencils. You guys deserve better than the companies are treating you. Writers are what make the shows funny, sad, or whatever emotion you are having. The shares arent divided equally, keep striking until the companies realize.

Rick Sanchez C154 said...

I just bought 5 boxes. Thanks for setting this up.

-Tarot

Cate Morgan said...

I just order my first 5 and intend to do so every week until this is settled. Thx for giving us the opportunity to make a difference. Let's see if we can break a million!

Unknown said...

I've sent my pencils, will send more, and just wondered ... are there any plans for letting people know how the pencil count is going? I've seen comments here and there about people wishing they had some idea of progress, and I honestly have no clue if such a meter exists?

How are we doing? Can you post updates? Are we at 3,000, 30,000, 300,000 or more? Fans really would love to know, so we can measure how much difference we're making? Pretty please?

Plus it would make it easier for *me* to sell the idea around the "Supernatural" fandom ... :-)
Cheers ~

Erin
aka ErinRua

artdeptgirl said...

Erin,

At the top of this page, and on the front page of UH, there is a pencil counter listing how many have been purchased so far. You can even get the widget for it.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

artdeptgirl said...

King Xerxes,

you may not have read the FAQ but we have pre-arranged donation points for the pencils if the studios refuse the delivery, or even if they accept the delivery! The pencils aren't going into the trash. Please take a minute and read the FAQ and hopefully it will address your concerns.

Jessica Rae said...

I am so excited about this idea and I hope it is working! I've just posted a blog at Sofachip.com that will help you educate any family or friends who aren't understanding what the strike is about. I also have started including a link to this site on my blog entries. :)

I want to know if WGA supporters are boycotting DVDs or still buying them to support the writers? If you'd like to let me know and maybe have a quote included in an article on the blog, e-mail me at unraveled.moment at gmail dot com.

- Fandom lover, Jessica

Unknown said...

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Screw the overpaid bastards. Surely you people could use your money to help someone that needs it instead of throwing it away on this crap!

Mikey_F said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mikey_F said...

Donated 2 boxes!!

Supernatural is the best show in the world - we need a full season!! It's important to the story!!

Give them a fair deal!!

Mikey F

G. M. Atwater said...

Well, hell. Has anybody successfully posted the Pencils widgit to LJ or wherever? I was able to send it over to my blog - which I like never otherwise use - but the code doesn't seem to work on LJ. Or whever. Help? Anybody? Bueller?

~ Erin

Flower_Toxic said...

I support the writer's strike just as I support Ron paul for President...2 seemingly impossible feats but necessary by all means! Let's go people, unite, do not buckle under pressures. We are closer than we think!!

Unknown said...

Hear, hear, Flower! The thing we've all got to get our heads around, now, is that this not a battle: it's a seige. :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

buckfush said...

Support our writers. Stop letting corporate billionaires run the world. Yes, I said run the world. In actuality, what these cretins are doing is ruining the world. While they'll soon croak, from these keystrokes to a higher power's eyes, their heirs will likely follow in their greedy footsteps. Hang in there!

Unknown said...

20 boxes headed your way.