television off

[zenithblue]

So I don't know if I have much to add to the conversation about the WGA Writers' Strike, but my TV is off until the strike is settled.

Part of me is sad that, of all the injustices corporate America perpetrates, the one that gets attention is the one that threatens to take away peoples' televisions. Somehow it's become unfashionable to support workers' rights in this country (you get called a socialist! Or worse: French!). This is even more disheartening as the divide between rich and poor becomes more absolute.

That said, this particular strike is close to home for me. I'm virtually married to someone who works in the media industry, which is a realm that gets away with treating people like garbage because "that's just how it works." We have friends in the production industry, and friends hoping to finagle their way into the production industry, most of whom do so because they believe that serial storytelling can, at its best, be a powerful creative medium. And the industry takes these people, grinds them to a pulp, and throws them aside.

So, yes: I support the WGA, and I support anyone who wants to take a stab at the behemoths we've created to sell us products.

Oh: and I do wish Steve Carell a speedy recovery from his unfortunate case of enlarged balls.

Comments

[helpimarock.livejournal.com]

This has a lot to do with why I have almost completely given up on going into audio production. Which kind of sucks considering I'm little more than a dozen credits away from having a bachelors degree in that field.

And while I'm totally on the side of the writer's in this current situation, I generally have no love for the WGA or any of the entertainment industry unions. Especially SAG, they're the worst -- like crooked and unfair on the level of pipefitter's unions. They create just as many problems for their workforce as the corporations do by essentially saying "you can practice you art... so long as you practice it *only* with the other people in our little club." Fuck that, that's not art, that's a dictatorship. It's almost the same mentality that led to the movie studios essentially *owning* actors like they did in the first half of the 20th century. Which is ridiculous b/c the unions were created to stop that crap.

But yeah, what are we going to do? Having the screwed up trade unions is infinitely better than letting the corporations run wild.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

I understand what you mean about the dictatorial nature of certain unions, but I don't agree that they create as many problems as corproations by a long shot. The problem is that unions (specifically WGA and SAG) feel like they have to send a message to employers by refusing to engage with parties that don't play by the rules. It's a really hard decision to have to make. Essentially they're saying that there's no point to collective bargaining if it's not collective, and that is why the restrictions are there.

It's especially difficult in the creative professions, where you don't want to be told how you have to accomplish something. Creative work is hard, and it's infuriating to have a lot of bullshit between you and what you're trying to do. There might be better ways to protect the workers than regulating who they can work with, and I do wish unions would be open to some alternate strategies. That said, having worked both union and non-union jobs in my life, I'm willing to consider organized labor the lesser of several evils.

[lagizma.livejournal.com]

Interesting perspective/counterpoint. I've chosen not to write any intelligent comment here and instead just admire your exchanges. :)

(I was raised to support unions...it would take a lot to get that out of me...)

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

My mom was a Teamster steward, yo. I'm with you.

I've been in a union myself for 5 years and I think that experience made me a little more critical of union policies, but not unions themselves. That said, having a union made a big difference in my life for the better.

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

Dunno if you've seen it (it's all over the place, & you mentioned Steve Carrell), but there's a nice clip from the writers at The Office that explains the logic behind this particular strike quite well.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

Ha, I hadn't seen that yet. Oh, snark. You will get us through these trying times. "That promotion was totally my favorite."

[drawgirl.livejournal.com]

But how will you know that the strike is over if your tv isn't telling you?

Fun fact to know and tell: somehow, magically, the strike does not affect animation.... not quite sure how that works.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

Wait: so, you mean the strike is not actually about anything happening in animation (as in the WGA doesn't give a shit if animators get paid), or do you mean your nefarious place of business is ignoring it?

[drawgirl.livejournal.com]

Through some sort of contract mumbo jumbo, the animation part of the industry isn't part of the strike. Maybe writing scripts for animation doesn't count or something, I dunno, like I said Maaaaaaaaagic.

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

This is because writing scripts for animation isn't covered by the minimum basic agreement.

At least in America, animation is where old and desperate writers go to die.

[drawgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh sure, I mean if you want to take the Maaaaaaagic clause out of the contract with your 'facts' about minimum basic agreements and all.

We're still pleased as punch up here since a) the writer working on our script will still be working on it b) if the script moves forward we a possible movie to make and c) if we have a movie to make we all get to keep our jobs! Yay animation!!

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

...if you can call animation a "job." I mean, they're only cartoons.

[drawgirl.livejournal.com]

Meh, I'd say it's about as much of a job as writing.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

This is spot on - when banana pickers, or a car manufacturing union, or what-have-you go on strike, the effects aren't quite as dramatic and immediate. Even with transportation strikes (maybe because the government gets involves) there are alternatives to, say, US Airways, or what-have-you. It's really rather sad that television hits people where it hurts, when aspects of their consumerist lives don't.

It makes me feel a little guilty that I only watch television on DVD.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

That said, the strike is pretty perfectly emblematic of how very little human decency corporate presences have. Hopefully the press form this can spur people to keep thinking actively about the influence the big thugs have on their lives.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

I wonder if that will come through at all, or if people are assuming the problems stem from Hollywood Star Greed, rather than corporate greed.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's wishful thinking. But that's more or less all I have going for me...;)