Monday Morning Poll: The Writer's Strike Back!
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Politics
In case you haven't already heard, the writers officially went on strike at midnight last night, marking the first WGA strike since 1988. Negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP were ongoing last night, but when the clock struck midnight on the east coast, and writer's began their strike, talks collapsed. Both sides claim the other walked out first, but regardless AMPTP refused to discuss the WGA's larger key issues (new media residuals and new media jurisdiction). For us fans, we'll first feel the strike on television with late night shows like David Letterman and The Daily Show going dark immediately, airing re-runs indefinitely. From there it will move onto live television; if the strike lasts through the winter, awards shows like The Golden Globes and Oscars could find themselves without a script and, if the actors decide to align with the WGA, such shows could find themselves without anyone to pick up the statues.
Over in Hollywood, they've stockpiled tons and tons of scripts ahead of time, so we won't feel this strike as much on the big screen for awhile. Problem is, the scripts will need to be shot as is; meaning no re-writes, no nothing. This could potentially lead to a slew of sub-par flicks next year; stuff that was rushed into production without the necessary time and care given to the product. We don't know how long the strike will go on for, but since AMPTP will need to start negotiating the DGA's contract toward the end of this month, it could be some time before the WGA and AMPTP come back together to hammer out a deal. And in that time, expect lots of jobs and money to be lost.
So, I ask you: Have you been following the strike? How do you, as a moviegoer, feel about the whole thing? And for those WGA members out there: What are you doing now?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-05-2007 @ 11:01AM
Elena said...
Anything to get rid of "The View" on ABC - a show that has denigrated to it's lowest level.....if it takes a writer's strike to get rid of The View - SO BE IT!!....Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie are the ruination of The View...
oh, and let's not forget elisabeth hasselbeck.....and her bench warmer husband Tim
*lol*
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11-05-2007 @ 11:31AM
Joshua said...
With the writers strike happening, does this mean there may be several unknown 'scab' writers who get a chance to show off their wares?
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11-05-2007 @ 11:36AM
Subwoofer said...
wow, what was their negotiations? Give us more money or no more episodes of Cavemen!
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11-05-2007 @ 11:46AM
BondsBabe said...
This is going to suck, not for the writers, certainly not for the studios or networks, it's going to suck for us the regular little folks caught in the middle who just want to be entertained.
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11-05-2007 @ 12:19PM
John Galt said...
I know the basic issues involved with the strike. Even if you don't, though, is it hard to believe that the studios are screwing the writers out of some well-deserved dough?
These are the same enormously profitable studios that claim huge annual losses due to piracy yet won't make their net profits publicly known, thus illustrating how they arrive at the amount of purported loss. These are the same studios that make increasingly bigger-budget stinkers that ultimately fail, only to turn around and make more.
The writers are the coal that fires your engines boys. Better make 'em happy!
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11-05-2007 @ 12:21PM
robert said...
a friend of mine is a writer but isn't a member of WGA and apparently non-guild members may be called in to do re-writes on some of those those stockpiled scripts if necessary.
here's the interesting thing... they won't get any credit for it at all and any residuals made will go to the original writer who is on strike.
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11-05-2007 @ 12:46PM
daveB said...
The writers want a share of the Ad Revenue from Internet sales... tell me, do magazine writers get a share of the magazine ad revenue? I think the writers should get a boost in their share of DVD Sales... similar to a recording artist getting points of album sales...but give me a break with the Internet Revenue shares!! Stop being so greedy! I really hope the studios start accepting material from scabs....
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11-05-2007 @ 2:06PM
Luke G. said...
I tend to be skeptical of strikers, but this is definitely a case where I think the strikers are in the right.
You can follow the latest news here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/strike_news/index.html
A good summary of the strike from Lost producer Brian Vaughan:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=37507226&blogID=325633175
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11-05-2007 @ 2:26PM
Sapphire said...
I definitely side with the writers - they are the architects of the revenue stream and are treated as insignificant contributors - in other countries they are given the obvious respect they deserve.
As for the person with the friend who is a non-union writer, advise them that any writing done during a strike will bar them from every being part of the WGA.
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11-05-2007 @ 3:41PM
Jeff said...
I side with whatever group will stop the reality and game shows from taking up the primetime schedule.
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11-06-2007 @ 8:12AM
Yarber said...
Have you seen an episode of the Simpsons lately? Horrible and unfunny! How about Heroes or The View, both shows, completely empty of anything entertaining? The real talent isn't on strike. They have good jobs from the pay per view networks, like HBO's Entourage and Showtime's Dexter and Californication. You watch any network show up against these and you too will see why an extra $10 a month is well worth commercial free talent. My thoughts are, let them strike as long as they want, I don't watch their crap anyway. Jay Leno needs new writers anyway. The audience isn't laughing with you Jay, they're laughing at you and your sad jokes.
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11-06-2007 @ 10:25AM
ML said...
Not sure what you mean by "the real talent isn't on strike" ... Entourage and Dexter uses striking WGA writers too (in fact, I just saw an article about Entourage worrying about its next season). Meanwhile, I don't blame the WGA for looking to "new media" (online, etc). In the future, it might be that people don't buy DVDs at all, but simply download from the internet exclusively. Is it "greedy" if one possible future you're looking at is little or no residuals at all? To ignore future trends is simply foolish. (Particularly when you consider WGA writers have no job security and depend on residuals for future income.)
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11-07-2007 @ 1:22AM
tristin said...
It doesn't take just a writer to make a show, it takes a whole crew of people doing different jobs. The writers already get paid residuals while the rest of the artists, technicians, etc. get paid only once for their hard work. Why should the writers get paid more? They should go back to work and stop being such greedy guts.
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11-12-2007 @ 2:38PM
Vin said...
The strike is absolute bs... The writers don't have a leg to stand on; Americans will watch any garbage on TV; reality tv has proven that. A group of highschool kids could write any of these shows as well if not better than the writers guild.
Shows like 'Lost' have proven that a panel of sales and marketing gurus can write a full season of 'trailors' where nothing ever actually happens, but you must watch next week to find out what won't happen then.
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11-20-2007 @ 9:04AM
towonda kilpatrick said...
What if you are called to write on something at this time?
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11-27-2007 @ 4:25PM
entourage fan said...
Actors and actresses would be nothing without writers. In fact, none of the cast or crew of a tv show would have a job without good writing. Rare is the show that can keep an audience on just eye candy. People tune in week after week because the writing compels or entertains them. We watch shows because of clever, sharp and smart writing. That is what kept us rivited to M*A*S*H, Friends, LOST and Entourage.
Actors and Actresses get paid big bucks and residuals for repeats, dvds, and online viewings.
Why shouldn't the real talent, the writers, get a piece of the pie?
I am sorry that we won't have tv after January and that my HBO favorites, Entourage and Big Love, might get pushed back to Fall (because of the impending Actors Guidl Strike). But, I feel for the writers and support them 100%!!
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11-27-2007 @ 4:24PM
3 maniacs rule said...
Actors and actresses would be nothing without writers. In fact, none
of the cast or crew of a tv show would have a job without good
writing. Rare is the show that can keep an audience on just eye
candy. People tune in week after week because the writing compels or
entertains them. We watch shows because of clever, sharp and smart
writing. That is what kept us rivited to M*A*S*H, Friends, LOST and
Entourage.
Actors and Actresses get paid big bucks and residuals for repeats,
dvds, and online viewings.
Why shouldn't the real talent, the writers, get a piece of the pie?
I am sorry that we won't have tv after January and that my HBO
favorites, Entourage and Big Love, might get pushed back to Fall
(because of the impending Actors Guidl Strike). But, I feel for the
writers and support them 100%!!
Reply