Re: The Writers Strike - What's your opinion?
When the strike started, I was solidly behind the writers. I've spent most of my life being screwed over by government agencies and enormous conglomerates. I wanted the writers to be fairly compensated for the work they do and the playgrounds with which they have provided countless fandoms.
However, the more I read at blogs like DeadlineHollywoodDaily, the more rapidly my support eroded. For every reasonable voice, there were ten talking out of both sides of their asses. For instance, Writer X would comment to an entry that Big Media was ruining his family and his children would have no Christmas. In a subsequent entry, Writer X would mention that he was going to wear a strike t-shirt to his child's exclusive private school, the same school the children of wealthy, EVIL producers attended, and which cost a ridiculous sum.
If the premise in the latter post is true, then how can Writer X plead poverty?
Likewise, many writers seem to be chastising crew members and members of other, non-striking unions for expressing concern for the future of their careers and family. If anyone dares to say that they could lose everything because of this strike-a strike over which they had no control-they're instantly branded a muck-raking, corporate shill and told that they should have set up a strike fund.
This coming from the same writers who've been pleading poverty and swearing that they live paycheck to paycheck. If it's so easy to squirrel away money in L.A., then why aren't the writers sitting pretty instead of moaning about the bad old studios and reminding anyone who'll read that Les Moonves, et al single-handedly screwed their kids out of Christmas? The writers, members of the WGA, were in the best position to know that a strike was imminent, yet they did nothing. They could've set up a strike fund to help their most impoverished members, but they didn't because they bought into the notion that they're the only driving force behind the creative process and assumed Big Media would cave. If they weren't making enough to set up a general strike fund, then they can't wag their pompous fingers at BTLers who make less than they do for not doing the same thing.
The moguls have been asses, yes, but the WGA hasn't acquitted itself much better. It's bullied and derided other guilds like the DGA and IATSE, all while asking them to sacrifice their jobs in a show of solidarity with them. They've been condescending, dismissive, and arrogant with crew members and don't seem to give a damn that they will eventually have to work with these people again. Their attitude is, "I expect you and your family to put my possible future gains ahead of your definite and immediate losses, and in return, I offer you nothing but meaningless thanks."
Yeah. Their cause may be just, but their attitude and execution are lousy, and I no longer care who's more EVIL or more nobly oppressed. Everyone is behaving like wankers, and my only interest now is in how much mutual butt-kissing both sides will do when the dust settles. Want to bet that the same writers who are dismissing the crews as irrelevant little people will be wondering why the sets no longer boast a familial atmosphere?
Asses, the job lot of them, and I plan on doing a great deal of writing and reading next year in lieu of watching TV. If that goes well, there might not be a need to turn on the set again, period.
