Show them the Money
Student Ponders the Writer's Strike
Kelly Venable
Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Hollywood still hasn't learned their lesson since 1988. The Writers Guild of America is back on strike.
Film and television are both billion dollar businesses. The writers of these Emmy Award winning shows and Academy Award winning movies have sacrificed nights of sleep to make the deadlines. All of this and the writers are still being underpaid.
So, here is my issue. I was looking online at photos of the protests in front of Universal Studios, and wondered why overly paid, marketable celebrities were there?
Did I miss something?
I guess it's good that they want to show their support but at the end of the day, they still can go home and collect royalties from re-run shows.
These writers deserve more than just a shout-out in an awards speech. Hollywood is a selfish business that is so hung up on flashing lights and big bundles of money, and puppets called celebrities who are fed what to say from skilled writers.
This strike is going to prove just how powerful writers really are. Late night shows are forced to re-run episodes according to CBS.com. Late night kings will be left out, cold turkey without a writers guardian words to keep them afloat.
If bold enough, some are choosing to go out on their own script. That will be about as exciting as cold grits.
So, now Ellen is being criticized for not participating in the strike. It's a loose, loose situation. I think Ellen is being a bit realistic in the whole thing. Sure, she supports her writers but she knows that she can't do anything else. She'll still get her wealthy pay check and all will be well. What else can she do? Ellen is playing it safe. Good public relations will cover her…of course that requires writing.
This strike is now causing me to worry about the future for writers like myself. It's so scary. We constantly praise actors for their cliché phrases that last for decades but it's the writers. The writers keep us laughing, talking, waiting for the next sequel, and inspiring some of us, like me.
Film and television are both billion dollar businesses. The writers of these Emmy Award winning shows and Academy Award winning movies have sacrificed nights of sleep to make the deadlines. All of this and the writers are still being underpaid.
So, here is my issue. I was looking online at photos of the protests in front of Universal Studios, and wondered why overly paid, marketable celebrities were there?
Did I miss something?
I guess it's good that they want to show their support but at the end of the day, they still can go home and collect royalties from re-run shows.
These writers deserve more than just a shout-out in an awards speech. Hollywood is a selfish business that is so hung up on flashing lights and big bundles of money, and puppets called celebrities who are fed what to say from skilled writers.
This strike is going to prove just how powerful writers really are. Late night shows are forced to re-run episodes according to CBS.com. Late night kings will be left out, cold turkey without a writers guardian words to keep them afloat.
If bold enough, some are choosing to go out on their own script. That will be about as exciting as cold grits.
So, now Ellen is being criticized for not participating in the strike. It's a loose, loose situation. I think Ellen is being a bit realistic in the whole thing. Sure, she supports her writers but she knows that she can't do anything else. She'll still get her wealthy pay check and all will be well. What else can she do? Ellen is playing it safe. Good public relations will cover her…of course that requires writing.
This strike is now causing me to worry about the future for writers like myself. It's so scary. We constantly praise actors for their cliché phrases that last for decades but it's the writers. The writers keep us laughing, talking, waiting for the next sequel, and inspiring some of us, like me.
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