No one WANTS a strike, Steve. But a threat or action of one is the only real tool a union has against management. The truth is YOU are going to come back. You aren't going anywhere. As are most of the demographic that advertisers want to reach...for now. regardless of a strike or work stoppage the younger generation is moving elsewhere for their entertainment anyway. But, I want to make a living. Do I deserve the money I continue to make on episodes of Friends, Yes, Dear, etc? Only if the people who are managing the reruns are making money on selling the work I did to help make the show. (And my contribution was minimal, hence the small house I live in.) Hulu is a great example of why we need to address the issues now. But I will go a step further: I am going to quote the briliiant sitcom writer and director of MASH and Cheers among many many others, Mr. Ken Levine. He allowed usage on my blog but I don't want people to have to click through, so here goes: "The WGA is trying to get a “Fair Market Value” bill passed through the California legislature (Bill #1765 if you're scoring). Here’s why: A studio like 20th Century Fox produces a big hit like MASH. Some of the members of the creative staff (in this case Alan Alda and Larry Gelbart) have an ownership piece of the series. 20th offers the show for syndication. There’s a bidding war. They take the best offer – a huge windfall. Alan and Larry share in the largesse. And since residual rates depend on the deal – actors, writers, and directors receive nice royalties. Everyone wins. But now these studios are all swallowed up by mega conglomerates. And agendas change. 20th becomes the property of News Corp. News Corp. wants to start a cable network (FX). They need programming. MASH would be perfect. So instead of renewing a rich syndication deal, they sell it essentially to themselves for nothing. Now the profit participants get nothing. News Corp. receives all advertising revenue from MASH and uses the show to lure viewers and build their cable network. Ultimately, the cable network will be more profitable to the conglomerate than the syndication sale. Residuals are smaller and the creators get screwed. That’s what News Corp. did with MASH and X-FILES, and Universal did with WILL & GRACE. In all three cases the profit participants sued and each received a giant settlement. The congloms have done this with other series and have gotten away with it because the cost of litigation is so high. So the Guild is trying to prevent this practice in the future. And this bill would go a long way towards that end. Over the next couple of months we MASH writers will be going to Sacramento to plead our case to state legislatures. We might even get to see the Governor if we promise to say we didn't hate AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. What does it say when we have to get an actual law passed because “everyone wins” just isn’t good enough for them?"
So, sorry if I really don't care if your entertainment time is interrupted. Anything that isn't fair to everyone should be dealt with. If it is truly corrupt, then it should be destroyed. It would be it's own undoing. The reason we (actors) supported the WGA earlier this year was a) because it was the right thing to do. and b) for their support during this potential strike.
No one WANTS it. If it has to be, it's because I and many others need to eat.
Allen
· 1 year ago
First, I meant to say "Scott" and second, calling for an early discussion isn't saying we shouldn't strike. Those four are, more than most, aware and concerned for the safety of the littler guys.
kshane
· 1 year ago
I don't know all the details of the WGA settlement, but if they started with demands that were eventually "whittled down", wouldn't it be a bad idea for the actors to start with their demands already whittled down? Where do you go from there?
DwDunphy
· 1 year ago
Not me, I want another strike. I want it so bad, I can taste it. Imagine, even more reality TV until it oozes from all our orifices like gooshed toothpaste. I liken it to the end of the movie "Dragonslayer" when the feeble old king stabs the long-dead dragon and proclaims himself the victor. Well, that's modern network TV, stabbing away at the corpse of entertainment, shouting to the world, "Awesome!!"
So long as PBS isn't affected, I'm cool.
eric
· 1 year ago
I'm with Dunphy. I don't have cable or satellite. Strike, and I watch more PBS and less of the network piffle the so-called writers -- now back in business -- dish out for us. (What's the reverse of pearls before swine?) I call that win-win.
All Comments
The truth is YOU are going to come back. You aren't going anywhere. As are most of the demographic that advertisers want to reach...for now. regardless of a strike or work stoppage the younger generation is moving elsewhere for their entertainment anyway.
But, I want to make a living. Do I deserve the money I continue to make on episodes of Friends, Yes, Dear, etc? Only if the people who are managing the reruns are making money on selling the work I did to help make the show. (And my contribution was minimal, hence the small house I live in.)
Hulu is a great example of why we need to address the issues now. But I will go a step further: I am going to quote the briliiant sitcom writer and director of MASH and Cheers among many many others, Mr. Ken Levine. He allowed usage on my blog but I don't want people to have to click through, so here goes:
"The WGA is trying to get a “Fair Market Value” bill passed through the California legislature (Bill #1765 if you're scoring). Here’s why:
A studio like 20th Century Fox produces a big hit like MASH. Some of the members of the creative staff (in this case Alan Alda and Larry Gelbart) have an ownership piece of the series. 20th offers the show for syndication. There’s a bidding war. They take the best offer – a huge windfall. Alan and Larry share in the largesse. And since residual rates depend on the deal – actors, writers, and directors receive nice royalties. Everyone wins.
But now these studios are all swallowed up by mega conglomerates. And agendas change.
20th becomes the property of News Corp. News Corp. wants to start a cable network (FX). They need programming. MASH would be perfect. So instead of renewing a rich syndication deal, they sell it essentially to themselves for nothing. Now the profit participants get nothing. News Corp. receives all advertising revenue from MASH and uses the show to lure viewers and build their cable network. Ultimately, the cable network will be more profitable to the conglomerate than the syndication sale. Residuals are smaller and the creators get screwed.
That’s what News Corp. did with MASH and X-FILES, and Universal did with WILL & GRACE. In all three cases the profit participants sued and each received a giant settlement. The congloms have done this with other series and have gotten away with it because the cost of litigation is so high.
So the Guild is trying to prevent this practice in the future. And this bill would go a long way towards that end. Over the next couple of months we MASH writers will be going to Sacramento to plead our case to state legislatures. We might even get to see the Governor if we promise to say we didn't hate AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS.
What does it say when we have to get an actual law passed because “everyone wins” just isn’t good enough for them?"
So, sorry if I really don't care if your entertainment time is interrupted. Anything that isn't fair to everyone should be dealt with. If it is truly corrupt, then it should be destroyed. It would be it's own undoing.
The reason we (actors) supported the WGA earlier this year was a) because it was the right thing to do. and b) for their support during this potential strike.
No one WANTS it. If it has to be, it's because I and many others need to eat.
So long as PBS isn't affected, I'm cool.
Go ahead. Make my day.