In case you've been living under a rock, you know that the Writer's Guild of America is on strike at this very moment. If you don't know what this means, basically all writers in Hollywood are refusing to write any more scripts until they can agree on a new deal with the TV/Movie studios. Basically what's going on is that they are arguing over residual income from DVD sales and online streaming shows, which has been booming in recent years. There is a lot of question as to how the pie should be split up. I don't know all the details, but I assume most or all of this income is currently ending up in the pockets of the networks/studios.
The one thing I do know is that nobody wins with a strike, and certainly not the viewers at home. I was pretty upset by this strike, because shows I really like, such as The Office, are being shut down since they don't have any new scripts to work from. But the last straw came on Wednesday when I read that the next season of 24 was in jeopardy. FOX released a statement that they would not air a partial season. They have only recently began filming, so unless this strike is resolved pronto, there is not going to be any Jack Bauer this year. This really pisses me off.
How greedy can these guys be? You know who's really getting dicked over? Us. The viewer. We pay the price, so these guys can sort out a few bucks here and there. I'm like most working stiffs, I work an 8-5 so I can pay some bills and feed my family. I don't do it because I love doing it. I do it because I HAVE to do it. I can't quit working because I'm not happy about my deal. Well I can, but it would probably take 6 months to find another job. Hollywood pisses me off.
Have we not learned about anything with strikes? Alienating the public can be a very bad thing. Just ask Bud Selig and Gary Bettman. Baseball has taken a beating in the ratings ever since the strike cancelled the '94 World Series. It's made a bit of a comeback, but it's definitely nowhere near the big deal it used to be. The LCS is on TBS for Christ's sake. And the NHL? Granted, this was different, a lockout, but it was the same for viewers. No hockey. They have completely fallen off the face of the planet. They weren't exactly thriving before, but at least they were on ESPN. Now they're on the network formerly knows as "OLN".
Anyway, this strike blows. Losing 24 blows. Hollywood blows. But at least this will give me more time with Call of Duty 4. That game kicks ass.
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2 comments:
I have to agree, of course. I hate strikes of all kinds. Unions, also known as the much faggier name "guilds," are worthless in today's society. Can you think of any job with working conditions bad enough to warrant a strike? Me neither. You don't see a farmer's union, right? Those guys bust their asses for peanuts (if they're lucky), but you don't see them go on strike.
Unions will be the ruin of our country. Just look at Ford and GM. Unions cost them so much that their car prices can't compete with their global competition, but they can't afford to sell cars for less. Once again, who suffers? The consumer. I love capitalism, but a union (or guild) is a hinderance. They all can bite me.
There isn't any reason for unions anymore, plain and simple. I just can't get over how much this blows. They're saying it's extremely likely that this whole thing will drag into '08. There's no excuse for this. Everyone loses. It's all a pissing contest.
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