November 22, 2007 04:01 PM
Sharpen Your Pencils And Help Out Striking Writers
Via United Hollywood:
Here's what's being done by fans for the WGA strike: "Now is the time to save ALL our shows. MAIL PENCILS pencils to the AMPTP and to any studios whose shows you enjoy... Maybe we can help the studios see just how much support the WGA has. And maybe, just maybe, we can give them a graceful way out (not because they're buckling under the writers' demands, but because they care so much about their audience. Us. And isn't that supposed to be their job?"
h/t and more from Christy at Firedoglake:
Now this is a great idea — Pencils to Moguls — talk about getting your point across!
The above YouTube is a take off on an idea that started with some fans of Joss Whedon and took on a life of its own. And I think it is a brilliant way to get the point across that fans of various shows not only appreciate what the writers do and value it for what it brings to their lives — but that the studios ought to value quality work as well. Or those fans are likely to stop paying money for all those products the studios want them to buy. Read on...
TV sucks ... let it go.
f*&^ off, earl.
Appropriately, the Writers' strike has the bestest slogans EVARRR. See Xnerg (Skippy) for more.
Don't have a TV... no worries.
How about sending them Chinese pencils, painted with lead paint, coated in chocolate?
I support unions and workers all the way, but I think if you can't live without "your" t.v. shows, you're in a sorry state. And rather than hobnobbing with celebrities while on the picket lines, maybe the strikers could go donate some time to a local food bank or soup kitchen. Just saying.
As others have commented, the writers are certainly justified in their strike, but if this strike never ended, it would be a good thing for the republic. Now if the TV writers and all pro athletes went on strike simultaneously, perhaps we'd get the revolution we need.
One small correction to the headline: Please don't sharpen your pencils. Nobody wants to maim a postal worker.
(Also, as the video notes, you don't need to actually mail a pencil yourself -- at unitedhollywood.com, there's a system set up where you can pay a dollar to mail some pencils to a network.)
earl @ 1:
If it was the auto workers striking, would you say: "American cars suck, so who cares about the people who make them"? Do you seriously believe it's the writers who decide what shows are produced for TV, or features released? So why do you think the writers should be punished for what the producers are producing?
Here's where to send the "contributions":
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
15503 Ventura Boulevard
Encino, CA 91436
For those of you interested, there is a series of shorts by director George Hickenlooper ("Some Folks Call it A Swing Blade") featuring some bigtime A-list stars:
Called "Speechless", they are releasing 3 a day, starting w/Thanksgiving:
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/speechless-episode-1-holly-hunter/ - Holly Hunter
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/speechless-2-richard-benjaminpaula... - Richard Benjamin
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/speechless-3-sean-penn/ - Sean Penn
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/speechless-4-jeff-garlin/ - Jeff Garlin
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/speechless-5-ugly-betty-cast/ - Cast of Ugly Betty
A WGA Writer
Granted, the majority of what's on teevee sucks but still...
I miss Stewart and Colbert....
Wish it would end soon....
D to the Izzle @ 7:
Damned straight! My husband and I watch Mystery! when it is on. One, maybe two hours a week. And I watch c-span in the AM sometime.. American shows suck! And we have channels 1 - 13 so we don't get MSNBC, CNN and the others.
Yeah "Jo". Good thing "Mystery!" doesn't have writers. Oh wait, it does.
earl @ 1:
amen, brotha
Ozymandias @ 6:
not quite, the blowhard bloviators have no writers (obvsy). and reality tv, the bane of western civilization, persists.
A WGA Writer @ 13:
Are the Brits striking, too? Most of the Mystery shows are 2 years old by the time they are on PBS.
Creative people can collaborate, create and produce stuff without the old model. We have advancing competitive technology to thank for that. Why stick with the begging behavior? It's so 20th century.
This isn't just a TV writers strike. The entire WGA went out. That means no more movie scripts either and the ones that were written better be good from the start because none can be rewritten until the strike is over.
It is has already started to effect movies going into production.
Jo#16
The British writers guild has declared support for the WGA, and although the studios have tried going to English writers to use as scabs, the Brits are refusing to cross the WGA's picket line.
Cheers and enjoy "Mystery!", written by writers.
http://www.writersguild.org.uk/public/003_WritersGuil/172_WGGBNewsInt.html
A WGA Writer
A WGA Writer @ 19:
Pardon the informality but...
Good luck Sweetpea,
Hope it all works out for you folks....
A WGA Writer @ 19:
I'm glad the Brits are refusing to cross the picket lines. All I am saying is there is nothing to watch on American TV that compares to the quality of some British shows. As adults, we are turned off by the mediocraty that passes for entertainment here.
Its been about three weeks since the daily show and the "Chaser's War on Everything" just finished its season. Now that I have officially learned more about Australian politics then I will ever need to know it is time to support strike!
to all the dumbasses who say "tv sux...let it go" or "i dont own a tv...i dont give a shit"
we make hardly anything in the united states anymore....our largest export is now entertainment
so why not just say...i dont give a shit about the economy or my job or my ability to put food on the table
better yet...why not just say, i like the fact that fat corporate hacks get rich off of the creativity of others
many progressives make me sick to my stomach...so when your boss is fucking you up the ass, i wont give a shit either
btw, this tactic worked in bringing back jericho....but i just cant believe that the suits are this stupid and think people will watch anything
if they lose more market share, its gonna hurt their bottom line
and i still believe the strike will be settled by xmas
A WGA Writer @ 18:
good for the brits
next....the producers will be going to bollywood to dredge up writers...and i dont trust the indians
they have no qualms about stealing jobs
I don't watch the tube and I find the entire concept of paying to have crap beamed into my house an offense to my intelligence, but I agree with the writer's strike and support their efforts. The fact is that money is being made and is not dispersed appropriately. I see no contradiction between my support of the writer's strike as it is an act against the tyranny of the rich and powerful over the rest of us.
I don't even blame the writers for the inanity of television as I don't think they make the decision as to what gets chosen for air play and what doesn't. In fact, I lay blame for the repression of creativity and art squarely with the producers who, like so many moguls today, have no problem allowing their greed to plow through whatever basic humanity they ever had.
That American movies are suffering is no pain to me either as they have for years answered to the call of the dollar above all else, with their naked genuflections to white, suburban 13 year old boys.
Who ever wrote that spot shouldn't be on strike, they should be fired. Of course it was someone from SNL. That was terrible. If this is what TV or such has to offer, no wonder they aren't being paid.
and so do you really think that the WGA is going to be out there fighting to get "residuals" for "below the line" workers in this business? like the Set-Designers? the Directors of Photography? the Sound People? the Makeup people? the people who actually give the look, shape, feel and sound to a show???
Remember that while that handfull of writers are out there picketing, there are now over 100,000 people, and counting, who work "below the line" who are now out of work because of the writers. this is about greed on both the part of the writers AND the Studios!!! Once again, the little guy gets it in the ass.
Remember also, that while all those "below the line" people are out of work, the picketing writers all get to go home and open their mailbox and find a nice check in there for doing absolutely nothing more than their job....it's called a "residual". They are picketing and they are STILL getting paid!
NO! I DON"T SUPPORT THE WRITER"S ON THIS ISSUE!!!
and if you believe that the Automobile analogy above is relevent to this issue, then ask yourself if the guy who designed the corvette or the chevelle, or the lincoln continental gets a "residual" check for each car that is sold, from their design. Guess what???? THEY DON"T!
belowtheline @ 26:
designers do get reiduals.....working stiffs dont...that is the way of the world
so the auto designers are dumb....that aint the writers fault
if there aint no writers...then all those "below the line" people dont have work anyway
and surprise!!! all those people you are worried about support the writers on this one
why?? because they know that if the writers win, they too can ask (and will most likely get) compensation for work done in regards the new media
right now...no one...i repeat.....no one...gets compensated for doing webisodes
but the studios sell advertising fees to those on line "promotions"
kudos to the writers. I love their unitedhollywood blog
why don't you suppor the writeres (and comedians, producers and musicians) by STOPPING your illegal posting of their work on your site? You know, the kind of blatent disregard for their efforts that drives revenue to your site, but doesn't merit the creators one thin dime.
I can't say I feel sorry for screenwriters. Fucl 'em all. I just have a hard time believing that there's some guy out there feeling sorry for himself because he can't believe in God... Punales.
Uh, belowtheline said..
and so do you really think that the WGA is going to be out there fighting to get “residuals” for “below the line” workers in this business? like the Set-Designers? the Directors of Photography? the Sound People? the Makeup people? the people who actually give the look, shape, feel and sound to a show???
Guess what Mr. Belowtheline-- What do you think pays for your pension and health benefits? Answer: residuals. That's right. IATSE gets residuals off of every DVD sale, just like writers.
So when you know what you're talking about, feel free to come back. Sorry that this strike is having ripple effects across the town, but blame the studios 100%-- not the writers. Gains made by the writers guild (no thanks to your "NO! I DON”T SUPPORT THE WRITER”S ON THIS ISSUE!!!") will benefit EVERY union, including yours, thanks to pattern bargaining and the fact that someone has to stand up to these companies or we all get screwed over again and again and again-- as we all have been over the past twenty years. IATSE has been handed rollbacks and taking them because your union leaders are going to go on strike like never. ...which is why SAG, the teamsters-- hell even the nurses union is behind this strike.
In short, it completely sucks that writers, grips, electricians, DPs and others are being affected by this and may go out of work. It seriously sucks. But it is absolutely a necessary strike. I have been very encouraged by the support of even those who have been recently laid off who have come from being fired straight to the picket line. I've personally picketed assistants who were fired who did this. Because they know that a win for the writers is a win for everyone in a union. A loss for the writers will be the first in a long line of union busts and that will reach IATSE too.
Our fight is your fight. I hope you figure that out sooner rather than later.
A WGA writer
Fuck'em
The video is no longer available
You know, when most of us think of writers, we think of folks who labor over creative works, like novels, or biographies, or other non-fiction works. Or the rare good movie.
What we're talking about here are folks who write 'Insert laugh track here' on scripts. or 'Charlie grabs crotch and grimaces', or 'Rosie trips over rug and falls flat on her stomach'.
Do we really want to make sure these folks get residuals the twenty-eighth time some doofus scratches his ass on a thirty-year-old sit-com played on the web?
Preacher Boob--
Yeah, and while we're at it lets eliminate royalties off of patents for all that irrelevant cheap crap you can buy in the dollar stores. Oh, and drop royalties on bogus, so-called "fiction" like comic books. Whoops, I mean "graphic novels". Patents are only for "serious" products, like life-saving heart valves and computers and that shit. You ever see the Marx Brothers?-- all that annoying horn-honking and butt-slapping stuff. Those bozos don't deserve residuals on "Duck Soup" and other movies of shoddy quality. And get this- I heard some even jackass wrote a collection of fart jokes! Why should he make a buck every time you buy their book? Answer: They shouldn't. And Jesus, that shitty writer Dr. Suess shouldn't get so-called "royalties" off every book sold! His drawings sucked and didn't even look real. Besides, his stuff is for lame-ass kids, so why does he deserve anything? Ever hear that band "Nirvana"? Oh my god, I thought my hi-fi record player was busted it was so awful. All that screaming and noise. Those guys shouldn't get anything either. I tell ya- whoever realized they could make a buck off of that shrieking deserves 100% of the profits. Probably some record company or whatnot.
Same with shitty movies and TV. Those sitcom ass-clowns deserve nothing, which is exactly what the AMPTP has proposed they get. And I suggest they take it. Let the profit go to the ones who deserve it, the hard-working executives, not whomever actually wrote that bullcrap.
Writing is easy. Comedy is the easiest of all. I can't tell you how many "charlie grabs crotch and grimaces" scripts I've written and had produced and broadcast. And I've never asked for extra one cent for it either. I'm sure you're the same.
You make some real sense, Preacher Boob.
WGA Writer
To be clear, "The above YouTube is a take off on an idea that started with some fans of Joss Whedon and took on a life of its own." isn't entirely accurate. For one thing, the pencils idea cropped up in various fandoms in the days before UH picked it up to make it a focused thing. For another thing, Fans4Writers isn't just "fans of Joss Whedon", although the site was launched by fans of Joss Whedon. The site is intended to be a cross-fandom outlet for support of the writers.
While I have no interest in supporting the interest of the mindless, soulless corporate scumwads who run Hollywood, I also have no particular interest in helping out the pet writers who were chosen and indoctrinated by these same corporate scumwads.
The entertainment industry purveys and fosters stupidity, and everyone involved in it is guilty of this to one degree or another. Will the writer's strike destroy the idiotic tv programs that have been wasting the times and minds of people for so many years? I can only hope.
Still, the loss of one particular set of serialized insults to our intelligence won't stop Hollywood from creating others, no doubt cheaper and more ridiculous than the last. Idiocracy is coming. There's no way to stop it.
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