Do you support the writer strike?

[Slackr89]

Although i really hate seeing re-runs ALL the time, for what the Writers are asking for (something like a 2% increase) i completely support their strike.
I wanna hear your opinions about it so post away .

[Papi4baby]

I wrote neutral, but they should get a piece of any other profit the big companies are making. Unless there's a contract in place that said otherwise. But well never know.

[Sylin]

Coming from a long line of UAW members, you'd think I'd be sympathetic to unions and all. I also have a long history as a writer and author myself, and have even done some script work. But ya know what? It's a job.

There's always a pecking order in any industry. Sure, everyone wants to get paid, but understand that these writers already DID, at the production level. They also receive royalties already, too, on DVD sales. What this strike is about is them wanting MORE (TV, Internet, cell phone content). The unfortunate part is that their demands are not only greedy, but extremely broad and vague, leaving too much open for interpretation.

I also find it a bit selfish and self-destructive. They are striking to increase their residual incomes in the event of unemployment. Yet this strike is resulting in thousands of persons in the TV and film industries from having a job, such as lighting crews, cameramen, audio techs, etc. Plus, the writers aren't getting paid, either! How does that make sense?

That's why highly-paid celebs like Conan and Letterman have been paying their staff out of pocket, because after a certain number of weeks, the studios quit paying these "background" folks their stipend, and they are jobless. Some of them, due to contract, are not even able to seek gainful employment elsewhere, or risk not having a job to return to once the strike is over.

Strikes NEVER work, in any industry.

Just look at the GM strike last year. GM had enough money to bleed those poor people dry, where most of their workforce was in Michigan, a state that is already PLAGUED by unemployment, with real estate prices in a nosedive, and foreclosures higher than anywhere else in America. How did a strike make ANY sense? It didn't, and the UAW ended up getting a WORSE contract than they went in with.

No, I do not support the writer strike. Do your job. Get paid. If you don't like it, go do something else. There are hundreds of equally-talented writers just chomping at the bit to take your job for the compensation being offered, and you're only damning thousands of others with your greed right now.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

No, I do not support the writer strike. Do your job. Get paid. If you don't like it, go do something else. There are hundreds of equally-talented writers just chomping at the bit to take your job for the compensation being offered, and you're only damning thousands of others with your greed right now.

Thumbs up.

[dakota81]

If the writers are selfish enough to strike, denying us the fans a product, then why should I be sympathetic? They don't have a rough life. Do any of them hold a second or third job just to make ends meet? To put food on the table for their families? I don't think so.

I'm a sports guy myself, mainly baseball. Every strike, or threat of strike / lock-out, pretty much all fans are against the players. I always laugh when I think of ~10 years ago most of the MLB umps handed in a letter of resignation to force higher wages, all resignations were accepted and replacements were immediately hired. Not a smart move by the union. And I was actually pumped to have the amateur replacement players start the season in '95, part of me was actually pissed a deal was reached with the players association.


Summation of my rantings, the writers just need to buck up and do their job. They are far better off than the fans who support them. If that's not good enough, then they need to be replaced.

[Kayne314]

I voted that I support the writers strike. A good writer makes all the difference. An abundance of good scripts keep me from having to watch all those crap reality TV programs, like "Who Wants to Sniff My Uncle's Toupee?" and "American Cat Strangler".

A good writer is the source and fount of the movies and TV shows we all enjoy. I applaud them.

I don't really know what they want from this strike, except what I've heard on the news. I'm no expert. I just appreciate what they do.

I really do want the strike to be over though. I don't think I can take a full season of " Are You Smarter Than a Turnip?"

I hate unscripted Television.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by Kayne314

I voted that I support the writers strike. A good writer makes all the difference. An abundance of good scripts keep me from having to watch all those crap reality TV programs, like "Who Wants to Sniff My Uncle's Toupee?" and "American Cat Strangler".

A good writer is the source and fount of the movies and TV shows we all enjoy. I applaud them.

I don't really know what they want from this strike, except what I've heard on the news. I'm no expert. I just appreciate what they do.

I really do want the strike to be over though. I don't think I can take a full season of " Are You Smarter Than a Turnip?"

I hate unscripted Television.

Dude, with ideas like that, you could TOTALLY write in Hollywood. Not being sarcastic, even tho I know you meant them tongue-in-cheek. I know a handful of writers across the US who write for TV and film and many of them aren't very creative, just persistent.

[J_UNTITLED]

Without writers providing a jumping off point for everyone else in the business, movies and TV shows would not exist. Writers certainly deserve a fair deal to say the least and as an aspiring scribe among one other thing I 100% fully back and support the writer's strike.

[jurassic_pork]

I mean a strike is never a good thing and should really be used as a last resort. At least from what I hear in the media this was not the case. I wish they could have worked something out so that everyone woudl be happy or at least reach out to a neutral arbitrator that can decide what is really fair. I like some reality TV but not as much as would show up if this keeps going.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by jurassic_pork

At least from what I hear in the media this was not the case.

Don't believe everything "the media" tells you.

[Rob Zuber]

The Studios are screwing over the writers by refusing to give them any of the profits made from online sales. They are making enormous amounts of money online. The people who created the content in the first place should get a piece of the pie.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by Rob Zuber

The Studios are screwing over the writers by refusing to give them any of the profits made from online sales. They are making enormous amounts of money online. The people who created the content in the first place should get a piece of the pie.

Thank you, agreed!

[mgonzo2u]

Unions be damned!

This is a new era.

p.s.

Any union members can save their rhetoric in reply. I've heard it all and it never compels me to change my POV.

[Joe Cain]

<sigh>...the absence of labor history in the classroom is one of the great tragedies in American education.

[thunderhawk]

Erm, imo, the writers get a marginal share of the total profits from a movie. They deserve more since a movie without a good storyline, isn't a good movie (-> less profits).

[aygie]

Originally Posted by thunderhawk

Erm, imo, the writers get a marginal share of the total profits from a movie. They deserve more since a movie without a good storyline, isn't a good movie (-> less profits).

A crap story line doesn't really mean less profits though does it? Shrek 3 - crap, Simpsons movie - crap, Spidey 3 - not crap but not good.

The studios are the ones who invest in creating the hype/buzz and marketing strategy which gets people in seats.

No country for old men, great movie is it a gigantic success? nope cause there's f**k all marketing for it. (i mean financial success not critical acclaim)

The writers should stop whining, if they don't like the terms don't sell the script.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by Rob Zuber

The Studios are screwing over the writers by refusing to give them any of the profits made from online sales. They are making enormous amounts of money online. The people who created the content in the first place should get a piece of the pie.

They do get a piece of the pie ,a big one. Being paid$200,000 - $1.000,000 a film is giant sum.

It seems people forget that without the studios funding the "writers" movies all we would have is a bunch of dialogue on a piece of paper. The writers don't take any risks in making a script the studios take gigantic financial risks making movies.

I think it was 2005 or 2006 that Warner would have made more profit by leaving all their money in the bank for the year.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by Rob Zuber

The Studios are screwing over the writers by refusing to give them any of the profits made from online sales. They are making enormous amounts of money online. The people who created the content in the first place should get a piece of the pie.

I get your point, but I respectfully disagree. The writer already made his money, and studios aren't exactly making a mint in online sales. (A lot of TV studios broadcast their shows for free online.) So why not let the web developers strike until they get a bigger share of profits for their hard-earned coding work? Or the guy who monitors the server farm 24/7? Or the Deal or No Deal models go on strike because they don't get a share of the video game royalties?

The question, really, is who is entitled to what, and what is fair? Where, literally, does the buck stop?

My humble opinion is that the writer made his money when he wrote the piece, and also receives residual profits from DVD sales, so why does he need MORE? The Writer's Guild hasn't answered that, except to say "Because we deserve it." But there's only so much of the pie to go around. And as I stated before, striking NEVER works.

EDIT: It's worth pointing out, after I talked to a friend of mine who is a director, that this strike is mainly dealing with TV studio writers who are on staff/salary, and NOT freelance script writers for Hollywood movies (although they, as part of the Guild, are involved, too). He said that the average script writer makes 1 movie every 18-36 months, and if his movie isn't being made, he isn't being paid, thus they have no incentive to strike. Apparently that's why a lot of the picket lines, according to my friend, are outside of NBC, CBS, Fox, etc.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Joe Cain

<sigh>...the absence of labor history in the classroom is one of the great tragedies in American education.

Yes, very sad.

There are too many blind and gutless people in this country.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Yes, very sad.

There are too many blind and gutless people in this country.

Enlighten me.....I'm English