Look. I know a strike is no laughing matter to those feeling the pain. But thank god that doesn’t stop comedy writers from taking well-aimed pot shots at the whole thing!
I found these two vids on the Writers Guild East website and think they add some terrific perspective to even the most well-written, heart-wrenching corporate cries of outrage.
Not wanting to seem partisan, Saturday Night Live offers the studios’ point of view in a way we can all understand and relate to:
In response, Tim Kazurinsky talks about the requests of those “greedy” writers compared to those poor suffering put-upon mega-billionaire owners:
Hey guys. Even if only some of this is accurate, I think there’s just a wee bit of negotiating room here! Every extra penny helps when it comes to buying luxuries like food and health care.
Out of My Head 
I agree that writers are the unsung heros of hollywood, really its like the sanitation dep. in cities- when the garbage men go on strike- all hell breaks loose.
I fully support raising salaries for the writers, and quickly, because I don’t want to go without ugly betty and scrubs and the list goes on. But I do think that there is some gross exaggeration happening in that last video clip. If you’re looking at it in terms of one dvd- the numbers may seem tiny, but I think that we all need to see the bigger picture, a measly 4 cents more could amount to hundreds of thousands in the long run.
LikeLike
Thoughtful comment. I’d expect no less from you, Lauren! Thanks. You are absolutely right.
Kazurinsky’s video does leave out the huge multiplier effect of adding a mere few pennies to each writer. Of course, as he says, even one penny would be nice. But when execs are paid mega-millions and never have to worry about where THEIR health care dollars are coming from and others too are raking in huge bucks..well then maybe the whole budget structure needs to be re-evaluated. Why should writers not get what they’re due simply because of the way execs allocate resources when they budget?? “Sorry! We paid everyone else. Guess there’s nothing left for you.” I guarantee you, there is a creative way to settle this problem that will not bankrupt the studios. Crying “impossible!” is the way they negotiate. On both sides, of course.
I once worked for the New York City department that provided homeless services at the time. When it came time to cut the budget, they looked at the places where budget cuts would have the most impact. Turns out if there are thousands of low-level workers, you can cut them easily and show a huge savings on the bottom line. But it doesn’t mean that was the only place to look for savings (or not to give raises). Ironically, most of the people cut were the formerly homeless people given entry-level jobs. Sometimes we are so busy looking at the bottom line, we lose sight of perspective and what really matters. I think there’s always another way of looking at the picture.
Ugly Betty by the way is especially great this season. I’m with you. Hope both sides can get past the exaggeration and posturing and find a solution soon.
LikeLike
Unfortunately (for the writers?) I haven’t been paying any attention to this other than rolling my eyes (again! LOL) at our Govenator trying to play Good Guy by intervening in the matter.
All I could think of was yelling, “Yo! Gov! Yoooo Whooooo! OVER HERE! The ones who are losing their homes to foreclosures faster than you can say “Ahnold”. The ones who can’t afford rent, health care, gas, food…unless we’re an undocumented alien! Step away from the camera and get your very muscular ass back to REAL work.”
I mean, we’re talking TV here. TV.
LikeLike
Thank you for your thoughtful and passionate comment, Grace.
Yes. I know TV may seem trivial on some levels, but we’re talking the livelihood of many good people who have found a way to make money using the talent they have. How I applaud and support that for all of us. And we’re also talking about fairness and unions. My dad was represented by a weak union that let him work away on a dank cellar for almost 30 years and when he died, mom got $40 month. At least it paid for her cable TV, one of the few things that gave her comfort and company.
This is NOT to minimize the tragedy and magnitude of the foreclosure crisis. (I’m sure there are writers in that group too.) I’ve worked in lending and with the mortgage industry and the people who are paying the price are not the ones who created this by their greed. The lenders (and some of the builders who worked hand-in-hand with those lenders) made money hand-over-fist in a rising market when they made those non-traditional, questionable loans (based on unsound lending practices) and now, as we watch the market head down for many, those same lenders are charging huge fees to help bail the “lucky ones” out.
Hopefully, after the strike, some of those TV (and film) writers will “lend” their voices to bring the truth of this crisis to the screen, shedding much-needed light on what was (and still is) a shameful lending practice. Greed at its worst. And this was known and warned about for years!
I value each profession equally. Most of us need to work to make a living. And we deserve to be treated fairly whatever our industry and to stand up for our rights when we are not getting our fair share. Entertainment is something that gives us all joy, no matter what we are going through. Plus, for California, it means billions of dollars worth of salaries to people at all levels.
But knowing your good heart, Grace, I will assume you are really referring to the peripatetic Ahnold and where he is putting the bulk of his efforts. Not that the strike doesn’t deserve his time because of its massive economic impact, but you are so right that the mortgage crisis deserves his most serious and ongoing attention! I wish with all my heart that some good solutions can be found.
LikeLike
THANK YOU, Ronnie Ann…yes, exactly. I honestly don’t know how much writers’ make. Whenever I think “Hollywood”, I’m afraid I default to the worst possible conclusions sometimes ( i.e., stars that make 100s of thousands of ONE episode, and the go into rehab, that sort of thing).
And I didn’t mean to make light of their issues. Everyone deserves a fair wage for their work – whatever they have agreed upon. Not having a union for my own perfession, I do know that they are formidable allies or foes, depending on which side of the street you are on.
How much impact the writer’s strike has on California is something I am unaware of. My comment really wasn’t about the writers so much.
But on the heels of the fires, foreclosures, etc etc. it just seemed like such a political grab for the spotlight on Arnold’s part. Almost like how Gloria Alred pops up all the time in high profile cases, or Jesse Jackson used to. After awhile I get lost on their intentions. I could be wrong, and that could be a bad judgement on my part.
LikeLike
Thank you for clarifying, Grace. Much appreciated. Ah the self-serving grab for the spotlight! I remember all too well when Rudy Giuliani was our mayor and he always managed to play the media like a fine violin – while many areas of the city desperately cried for attention. But oh how well it played on TV and in the rest of the country. Unfortunately it still does.
At least, under current law, Ahnold can’t run for President! (-;
LikeLike
I cannot believe the people who aren’t backing this strike. I just don’t know what’s wrong with them in that they can’t see how unfairly the writers are being paid considering all the cost of living increases along with the nature of the writing industry.
I think that there are a good many people who would do well to go back and look at their history and start learning about unions and what the unions have meant in our lives today – even if we’re not in a union.
The biggest problem I have with the unions though is they don’t usually have incentive pay and I believe that’s where they fail and generally get a black eye from the people who see it from outside.
Those writers deserve to be paid a decent wage for what they do. I’m behind them all the way even if it does get in the way of some of the very little I want to watch on T.V. these days. (I’d rather watch P.B.S. anyway and hey, there at least we pay for what we watch – or some of us do anyway.
Peace and love to you today – and every day.
~ RS ~
LikeLike
Thanks much for a great comment, Ruby. Agree about the incentive pay. I haven’t always agreed with the way unions do things, but as you mention, too many of us forget what the workplace would be like if they had never existed.
LikeLike