Okay, I am starting to get tired. It is no secret how much I love TV. You could call it my hobby... From morning to night I love to have it on- although I have to turn it off when a certain curly-haired baby stares at it too long. I want it back. I want to see Pushing Daises and Lost so much I could spit. All that is just to say that I do have a dog in this fight so I am probably not completely unbiased!
When the writers first went on strike I was totally supportive. I think it is 100% fair that they get paid for any use of their work... including the internet and new media. Their demands are not unreasonable from what I can see. I do think it was very naive to go into negotiations without allowing for wiggle room- that is Negotiating 101.
As the weeks roll by ( I think we are in week 10 now- the last WGA strike dragged on for 21 weeks) I am becoming more and more frustrated with the writers. They are becoming bitter and turning on each other instead of focusing on the issues at hand.
Here are the facts as I see them:
1. The production companies can outlast the writers financially. They are all losing income, but the bulk of the stockpiles are planted firmly on the side of the production companies- there are ways for them to generate income, even if it isn't in the unholy amounts they get when they have writers.
2. Jay Leno and Conan were funnier on their first night back than they have been in a long time- hence the reason (in my opinion) that the WGA turned on Jay. It has been posted over and over on various internet sources that writers can write for themselves and they could have challenged that statement long before Jay took the stage.
3. Planting hecklers in the audiences of shows like Carson Daly is not mature. It does not help the image or reputation of those who need to keep public opinion on their side.
4. The audiences are going to suffer much more than the AMPTP- as the days roll by and the shows end and all we are left with is Big Brother and American Idol is on 7 nights a week- the fickle public will turn on the writers not the producers. It will happen- mark it on your calendars so I can say "I told you so".
Lastly: Strikes. I have done a bit of research on strikes throughout American history. First I would like to mention that I am not a union supporter in general. I know they have their place, but frequently it seems they wield too much power and are just as tyrannical as the "powers that be" they formerly fought against. The men that formed strikes against business owners who didn't put their safety and well-being first is a whole different ballgame from what is happening here.
What do you think those men would think of this? Those men truly were fighting for wages above the poverty level, basic safety considerations, and later for health care and the like.
Those men took the chance of letting their families go hungry to fight for a better future.
I don't really think that internet residuals are quite on par. The AMPTP's "demand" does not say that the writers will not receive any income from internet and new media- only that the topic be put on hold until they see how to best structure it... whether it will more closely resemble the way things are done for DVD sales or if a new plan needs to be proposed as this all evolves.
I don't know- the more I read and research and have time to browse the internet (since there is nothing on TV) the less I sympathize with the "strike" aspect of this. I still think the writers should be paid fairly and that the producers are probably lining their mattresses with dollar bills from all the things those writers are coming up with.
I just am thinking more and more that a strike was not the best move to make.
An interesting blog entry that relates- Check this out.
When the writers first went on strike I was totally supportive. I think it is 100% fair that they get paid for any use of their work... including the internet and new media. Their demands are not unreasonable from what I can see. I do think it was very naive to go into negotiations without allowing for wiggle room- that is Negotiating 101.
As the weeks roll by ( I think we are in week 10 now- the last WGA strike dragged on for 21 weeks) I am becoming more and more frustrated with the writers. They are becoming bitter and turning on each other instead of focusing on the issues at hand.
Here are the facts as I see them:
1. The production companies can outlast the writers financially. They are all losing income, but the bulk of the stockpiles are planted firmly on the side of the production companies- there are ways for them to generate income, even if it isn't in the unholy amounts they get when they have writers.
2. Jay Leno and Conan were funnier on their first night back than they have been in a long time- hence the reason (in my opinion) that the WGA turned on Jay. It has been posted over and over on various internet sources that writers can write for themselves and they could have challenged that statement long before Jay took the stage.
3. Planting hecklers in the audiences of shows like Carson Daly is not mature. It does not help the image or reputation of those who need to keep public opinion on their side.
4. The audiences are going to suffer much more than the AMPTP- as the days roll by and the shows end and all we are left with is Big Brother and American Idol is on 7 nights a week- the fickle public will turn on the writers not the producers. It will happen- mark it on your calendars so I can say "I told you so".
Lastly: Strikes. I have done a bit of research on strikes throughout American history. First I would like to mention that I am not a union supporter in general. I know they have their place, but frequently it seems they wield too much power and are just as tyrannical as the "powers that be" they formerly fought against. The men that formed strikes against business owners who didn't put their safety and well-being first is a whole different ballgame from what is happening here.
What do you think those men would think of this? Those men truly were fighting for wages above the poverty level, basic safety considerations, and later for health care and the like.
Those men took the chance of letting their families go hungry to fight for a better future.
I don't really think that internet residuals are quite on par. The AMPTP's "demand" does not say that the writers will not receive any income from internet and new media- only that the topic be put on hold until they see how to best structure it... whether it will more closely resemble the way things are done for DVD sales or if a new plan needs to be proposed as this all evolves.
I don't know- the more I read and research and have time to browse the internet (since there is nothing on TV) the less I sympathize with the "strike" aspect of this. I still think the writers should be paid fairly and that the producers are probably lining their mattresses with dollar bills from all the things those writers are coming up with.
I just am thinking more and more that a strike was not the best move to make.
An interesting blog entry that relates- Check this out.
5 comments:
Are we ending our Aerobics Strike? Started today. . . . going on Wednesday?
This is why Reality TV rocks! With the New American Gladiators coming out, what more could you want????
Don't forget Celebrity Apprentice. We really do live in the land of plenty.
Whatever you fools- once Big Brother 9 starts you won't hear me complaining anymore!!!
I used to love the old american Gladiators!
And I used to love the Apprentice. not so much now.
It is so true. Conan is one of my favorite shows, and I almost died from laughing so hard last week. He is so candidly funny. And that beard, with his hair pouffed even bigger on top than before? Oh, just too much!! BUT, I am sick of this. There is NOTHING on! I love the Colbert Report, and even will watch the Daily Show, just to laugh at Jon Stewart's stupidity. It's good to get the other side's view. But Desperate Housewives came back last night, but not sure for how long, and who knows about Grey's?? If Grey's is gone, what is the world coming to?
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