I want to strike forever
That's how this inflammatory quote from today's Hollywood Reporter makes me feel:
Meanwhile, studio negotiators must grapple with their own knotty dilemma in deciding when, and how, to resume negotiations with the WGA.It's not enough for them to negotiate with us? Now they're parenting too?
As one management-side source put it, "The tough question is how do you reward the DGA for good behavior and not the WGA for bad behavior?"
Labels: strike
posted by John Levenstein at
7:56 AM
4 Comments:
I'm right there with you, John.
Funny, but that asinine managerial attitude is what has driven me crazy about this town from the beginning of my journey through this odd business. The condescension is so offensive. Who are these people? They seem to think that TV and movies occur in a vacuum. Or by some sort of divine providence. Sorry, guys and gals, it's the writers who start the ball rolling and give life to an otherwise nonexistent thing. Without that, you've got a blank screen. A test pattern. Or worse yet... 24 hours of reality TV.
And what makes it all the more infuriating is that for the most part writers are the least troublesome on the creative chain. We tend to write and keep to ourselves, not demand bigger trailers or fancier directors' chairs. Yes there are the occasional disagreements over notes, but those are part of the process. Yet, the pervading view -which this strike has blown the lid completely off of- is that writers are looked at "necessary evils." Pests and thorns in the sides of the studios, who would just as soon write these damn things themselves and get to the marketing plan already! After all, it's not so hard. The disrespect is astonishing.
I know I need to begin every post about the strike with "I'm not in the industry, but..." So:
I'm not in the industry, but from the outside, the leadership of the WGA do seem pretty demanding and inconsistent. Things like calling Leno on the carpet for writing a monologue while ignoring Colbert and Stewart's more obvious writing, their no-dissent-will-be-tolerated politics, and more that I can't think of right now - from here, it sounds like they've been overplaying the WGA hand and have been assholes about it.
I could be totally wrong about this, but it does look like the DGA went into negotiations at least pretending to respect the producers while the WGA leaders went in like a freight train.
Am I wrong about this? If not, is there any talk among the rank and file about replacing your leadership?
rob, good points. but i do believe the pressure we've applied helped the dga get a decent deal, which we can now also get.
chris, more and more, when i have those little disagreements about notes, i'm made to feel like i'm being a complete asshole.
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