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Add to FavoritesIt has been less than a year since the writers went on strike curtailing all production of television programs and movies. In the months that droned on while highly paid members of the Hollywood crew tried to convince us all that they desperately needed more of what they already have too much of and most of do not have enough to pay the bills - money. In the process these writers managed to nearly cripple the economic structure in two major cities on each side of the country.
While television executives scrambled to find programming to fill the void that had been created by the loss of already contracted network programming, even more reality show programming filled the television airwaves. These programs are considered to be unscripted and require no writing and little or no "professional" acting to produce. While some television viewers greatly enjoy this type of programming and have made the shows a modicum of success; the network executives have seen what for them is an even bigger benefit - money. By not having to hire the high priced actors the networks have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars; dollars that go into their pockets.
Granted that the overall television ratings are down, but the current programming is attracting enough viewers that the executives are willing to continue the current trend. If there were to be an actor's strike, especially so close to the strike held by the writers, then there would be an even bigger slide in programming on the television and at the movies. If ratings were to continue to fall some of the current crop of actors will find themselves out of a job altogether. These overly greedy high priced "Hollywood celebrities" should also remember that they can be replaced and that for everyone of them there are another thousand waiting in the wings to step in. Not only will these wannabes and up and comers eagerly awaiting their turn at a shot in front of the camera and at stardom, and they will do so for far less than the current crop of so called stars.
There was a time when a group of workers going on strike was a necessary occurance in order to force unscrupulous business owners to treat their employees farily, but in this day and time a strike often causes more problems than it fixes. In an industry the size of the entertainment industry a strike among one particular group has devastating effects on the entire industry. When the writers decided to go on strike, they put thousands of workers out of work; many of whom could not afford to be out of work. By having to turn to loans or wiping out savings accounts in orderto survive during the strike these workers won nothing when the strike was settled; in fact they lost. Writers and actors who advocate a strike obviously only care for themselves and increasing their already greedy lifestyle.
Learn more about this author, Sherrill Fulghum.
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Yes
As in all labor disputes, there are two valid sides to the Writers' Guild vs TV producers controversy. The reasons for the labor unrest are complicated, and primarily based on the explosion of the internet, DVDs and other gimmicks that are threatening to overwhelm the traditional pay and profit structures of the industry, as well as employer-employee relationships. Fundamentally, it comes down to how much of the almost impossibly complicated profits pie is considered a fair slice for the writers.
From the writers' standpoint, they feel the studio bosses are making huge profits from both the basic income from TV programs, advertising and the additional money that comes in from reruns, foreign sales, internet pay sites and other sources, old and new, such as all those little hand-held gimmicks that serve as mini-computers and movie screens, as well as new profit sources for the producers.
The Guild has long had disputes with Hollywood over the way profits are doled out on movies and TV. Too often, in the past, producers have offered writers deals that involved small sums of up-front money, with the promise that if the films or TV programs made money, the writers would also have percentages of profits. However, the tradition of "creative bookkeeping" has become a nasty joke, because many blockbuster films and, later, TV shows, obviously made great profits. However, when the company books were cooked cleverly, the writers too often got little or nothing as the program or film's profits officially showed up as small or non-exisitent.
Theref ore, the writers today suspect, with some good reason, that much of the peripheral income from all the TV reruns, DVDs and internet sources that should be shared between producers and writers is being denied them, and lost in creative bookkeeping. Of course, the producers deny this.
On the other hand, the producers are having enormous problems with piracy. There are children, adults, individuals and organizations throughout the world who are in the business of stealing Hollywood blind of newly-produced movies, music DVDs, TV shows, computer games and every other original product to come out of the US entertainment industry. Obviously, those who pay to produce their original work lose millions of dollars every day due to this outright thievery. Therefore, the producers say they are paying the writers everything possible, but still must take into consideration their ever-increasing costs and rising piracy.
As the current writers' contract was winding down several months ago, the producers asked the Guild to join them in a three-year study project, so that together they could attack the piracy and other issues, and hopefully, come up with a fairer compensation package for the writers. The Guild turned them down flat, insisting on an immediate increase in percentages first. That subject, and many other issues, have caused the stalemate that sent strikers out on the street.
The last time the Guild took to the streets, it was 19 years ago, and it lasted a painful five months. It not only cost strikers income, but it hurt every other aspect of the industry: carpenters, caterers, sound engineers, local retailers, auto dealers and everyone else who had any connection to the production of entertainment shows. The estimated loss then was half a billion dollars. A similar span of work stoppages today could go as high as a billion, and on up.
Were the writers absolutely correct in taking up their picket signs? They firmly believe they were. Actually, no one can know yet how much damage the strike will do to them, their families and associates, the producers and the viewing public. However, labor actions have a long and progressive tradition in the US. It will be the responsibility of both the writers and the producers to settle their differences as quickly as possible, so that the US entertainment industry, the best and most successful in the world, can get back to what it does best ... entertain.
Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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