Hollywood Writers' Strike

[nittanyalum]

Responding to 2 totally separate things in the thread so far:

Originally Posted by ZTAngel

Maybe it's just me (I do have a problem understanding people with thick accents) but when I watched the British version I maybe understood every fifth word or so.

It's not just you, my husband and I had to watch the DVDs with the subtitles on to keep up!

Originally Posted by Taualumna

It doesn't look "nice", that's all. Anything like that is a form of protest. If you want to protest, do it silently. Don't gather with signs.

They also aren't just trying to get "the people's" attention, note where they are striking. They are at the entrances to the studios so the "suits" have to drive through them every morning/evening. I read one article where someone sent an intern out to ask the line to not shout so loud because they could hear them inside...

And I'm so befuddled by your "it doesn't look 'nice'" comment. There's nothing "nice" about this situation. You need to watch this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk. The studios sure as heck aren't being "nice", so why should the writers? And this isn't "like...a form of protest", this IS a protest. And they have a real point to protest about. The greed of the studios is shocking and despicable.

On yet another note, I was sorry to read that Ellen crossed the line -- I get her point that she feels she has an obligation to the people who fly in for her show, but an unfortunate side effect of strikes is that people get inconvenienced. Maybe her studio audience would get mad enough to yell at the studio heads and join the noise to get the thing to come to a close more quickly. She's written on her own shows before and as a stand-up has always written; she should be on line outside.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Responding to 2 totally separate things in the thread so far:


It's not just you, my husband and I had to watch the DVDs with the subtitles on to keep up!


They also aren't just trying to get "the people's" attention, note where they are striking. They are at the entrances to the studios so the "suits" have to drive through them every morning/evening. I read one article where someone sent an intern out to ask the line to not shout so loud because they could hear them inside...

And I'm so befuddled by your "it doesn't look 'nice'" comment. There's nothing "nice" about this situation. You need to watch this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk. The studios sure as heck aren't being "nice", so why should the writers? And this isn't "like...a form of protest", this IS a protest. And they have a real point to protest about. The greed of the studios is shocking and despicable.

On yet another note, I was sorry to read that Ellen crossed the line -- I get her point that she feels she has an obligation to the people who fly in for her show, but an unfortunate side effect of strikes is that people get inconvenienced. Maybe her studio audience would get mad enough to yell at the studio heads and join the noise to get the thing to come to a close more quickly. She's written on her own shows before and as a stand-up has always written; she should be on line outside.

Good for Ellen to cross the line. Sorry, not a big union supporter. That's why I never became a teacher or a nurse. Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Good for Ellen to cross the line. Sorry, not a big union supporter. That's why I never became a teacher or a nurse. Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

I'm sorry, what year is it where you are???

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I'm sorry, what year is it where you are???

She's a Chinese midget that lives in Canada and complains about the lack of petite clothing.

True story.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

She's a Chinese midget that lives in Canada and complains about the lack of petite clothing.

True story.

LOL!

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

Didn't you used to have a link in your signature, written in large font, asking people to sign a petition to protest the injustices against short people? Petitions are a form of protest. Don't you still maintain a blog, protesting the same injustices? I'm sorry if I have you mistaken, but I'm seriously confused because what you're saying here and what you're doing/did don't really add up.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by ThetaDancer

Didn't you used to have a link in your signature, written in large font, asking people to sign a petition to protest the injustices against short people? Petitions are a form of protest. Don't you still maintain a blog, protesting the same injustices? I'm sorry if I have you mistaken, but I'm seriously confused because what you're saying here and what you're doing/did don't really add up.

I think she feels her way of protesting is ok because it's "silent" and "ladylike."

[ThetaDancer]

^^^^ Ohhhh. Thanks! I really was not connecting the dots for a minute.

[Kevlar281]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

It doesn't look "nice", that's all. Anything like that is a form of protest. If you want to protest, do it silently. Don't gather with signs.

Carrying signs and chanting is pretty mild when it comes to protesting. Unions aren’t exactly prominent in Texas but when I think of protesting I think of the Seafarers going down to the Port of Houston to “protest.” i.e. Have a street fight.

Or when the Gulf Coast Shrimpers (non unionized) decided to protest in Seabrook, TX about the Vietnamese Population over shrimping water that families had claims on going back generations. The police department had to put sharpshooters on top of city hall and the surrounding buildings because the Klan decided to get involved.

Like I said carrying signs is about as mild as it gets when it comes to protests. I wouldn’t be to judgmental.

[AOII_LB93]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Good for Ellen to cross the line. Sorry, not a big union supporter. That's why I never became a teacher or a nurse. Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

WTF? That has to be the most retarded thing I've read in recent days...it's not ladylike to protest? So women should have sat back and not protested to get the right to vote? Af.Americans shouldn't have protested that they were being treated as 2nd class citizens during the Civil Rights movement? It's because people protested and made noise about how wrong things are that change happened, and still happens.

Jeebus.

People shouldn't protest because it's not gentlemanly or ladylike? WTF planet do you live on? You protest online that there is not enough petite clothing, but have you thought about the fact that you're being so damn ladylike that your clothing can't be found because no one can hear of your displeasure?

*incredulous*

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Good for Ellen to cross the line. Sorry, not a big union supporter. That's why I never became a teacher or a nurse. Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

Did it ever occur to you, even once in your entire life, that maybe . . . just maybe . . . other people's opinions, thoughts, actions and morals are not somehow beneath yours, or wrong because you don't share them?

Seriously - I'm probably the most opinionated idiot on the sight, and you make my opinions look positively malleable. FACT: Just because you say something in a declarative form does not make it a fact.

Holy balls.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Did it ever occur to you, even once in your entire life, that maybe . . . just maybe . . . other people's opinions, thoughts, actions and morals are not somehow beneath yours, or wrong because you don't share them?

Seriously - I'm probably the most opinionated idiot on the sight, and you make my opinions look positively malleable. FACT: Just because you say something in a declarative form does not make it a fact.

Holy balls.

Honestly, I don't see how this is any different from what other people have to say. I can say what I want and so can you and everyone else.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Good for Ellen to cross the line. Sorry, not a big union supporter. That's why I never became a teacher or a nurse. Like I said, protesting like this is not the most ladylike/gentlemanly thing to do.

So because I'm a woman teacher, when my union is demanding better health benefits, pay raises, retirement, etc., I should sit my lady-like posterior at home and pray for the district to give in to us? Sorry honey but sure as hell won't work. It never has and it never will. Unions exist for a reason. I'm very pro-union as I'm in one, my husband is in one, my in-laws are in one, and several of my sisters are in one.

[BetteDavisEyes]

And to get this thread back on track, Mike about cried when I told him that his favorite show, 24, has been postponed until either September 2008 or early 2009. Now he's suffering panic attacks at the thought of no The Shield or LOST or Heroes.

[DeltAlum]

Having been in four broadcast unions/guilds ***(IBEW, NABET, AFTRA and DGA), and also being a manager for many years, it's my opinion that NOBODY really ever wins in a work stoppage situation. At least any protracted one.

Strike funds only last so long, and producers make their money through distribution of product -- which has stopped. Overly simplistic, I know.

The writers seem to make a good living, however it is important to remember that they do live in among the most expensive areas of the country/world in which to live. $130K shrinks when thinking of cost of living, etc.

The producers/studios are buisnesses and their goal is to maximize profits. That is sometimes done without "sharing the wealth" with their "employees." You can decide for yourself if that's fair. I don't think so. On the other hand, it's not uncommon in American business.

I'm not a big pro-union person, but I do believe they were necessary when they formed and still have some purpose in trying to keep their members fairly compensated for their work when these new distribution advances come along. Seems to me that if the "management" is going to make money, the "workers" should be allowed to share.

Remember, too, that many, if not all of these writers are not actually employees of the studio/producers and count on their union/guild not only to protect their compensation, but also provide benefits such as insurance, work rules (which are sometimes silly) and other things that actually employees receive.

Finally, (he says secretly) I kind of admire the Lenos, Letterman and other "talent" types. Maybe they realize that, while they have talents of their own, the writers are literally putting the words in their mouths, and without them the celebrities wouldn't survive.

Just one more opinion.


**
IBEW=International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
NABET=National Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians (Now NABET/CWA after a merger)
AFTRA=American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (A talent union for announcers -- now AFTRA/SAG after a merger)
DGA=Directors Guild of America