Writer's Write

See that banner on the right? Somebody wrote that. And they got paid to do it. Sure, chances are they didn't earn as much as the writers who are currently walking picket lines in LA and in New York, but that's not the point. Or at least, that's not the whole point.

As I'm sitting here typing this - and as I sit in my office here in Dublin writing and editing all of the various material that passes across my desk - I think of my friends who are currently walking around in circles on the sidewalks and chanting to random passersby. As a WGA member (on hiatus because I'm not working in a guild-related job), I even feel a little guilty because I'm not there with them. (I am, however, in Dublin which I believe gives me the short end of the stick.)

Sure, their marching may not amount to much and most people will probably do their best to ignore them, but the fact is, people will notice what's going on as soon new episodes of their favorite TV shows fail to appear on the flickering screen in their living rooms. And as soon as those big December blockbuster movies fail to hit a theater near you. Or, in the case of most of my friends, when the evening news is brought to you by a 17-year old intern reading off the front page of the New York Times because all the writers, producers, and on-air personalities have joined the picket lines in search of better pay.

So, this is all about money, you may ask. Well... no, it's not. I'm not saying that money isn't a factor in this strike, and that the writer's don't want more of it. It is and they do. And, in my opinion, they deserve it.

My friends working in news rooms at places like CBS have all been doing so without a contract for the past three years. Sure, they've been getting paid, but they haven't seen a cost of living increase in more than 36 months, and until they hit the sidewalks, didn't expect to see one for the foreseeable future.

While the money is nice and will surely be put to good use, it's only a symptom of what these people are really striking for, which is respect. You hear it all the time at award shows and in production meetings on both coasts - actors, producers, directors, and executives talking about how everything they do begins with the written word. The script. And yet, when their TV shows, movies, and other productions begin to make money through reruns, DVDs, and online forms of distribution, they don't want to share the wealth with the people whom they consider indispensible in helping them create these hits and blockbusters.

Am I ranting? A little. But as I said at the top of this piece, writer's write. So, support the WGA in this strike so they can get back to work and do what they do best.