More Joss Strike Talk.
IN WHICH Joss goes on again about all things Guildy.
And now it’s time for a little more PURPLE PROSE.
As I’m too sick to picket today, I feel I must make up for it, and thus I blog a mighty blog. And yes, I really do have to get my own webpage and stop mooching off you guys, but till then, I hope you don’t mind if I natter on.
STRIKE DRAGS ON FOR SECOND DAY! IS THIS THE END OF WRITTEN WORD?
Reporters are funny people. At least, some of the New York Times reporters are. Their story on the strike was the most dispiriting and inaccurate that I read. But it also contained one of my favorite phrases of the month.
“All the trappings of a union protest were there… …But instead of hard hats and work boots, those at the barricades wore arty glasses and fancy scarves.”
Oh my God. Arty glasses and fancy scarves. That is so cute! My head is aflame with images of writers in ruffled collars, silk pantaloons and ribbons upon their buckled shoes. A towering powdered wig upon David Fury’s head, and Drew Goddard in his yellow stockings (cross-gartered, needless to say). Such popinjays, we! The entire writers’ guild as Leslie Howard in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Delicious.
Except this is exactly the problem. The easiest tactic is for people to paint writers as namby pamby arty scarfy posers, because it’s what most people think even when we’re not striking. Writing is largely not considered work. Art in general is not considered work. Work is a thing you physically labor at, or at the very least, hate. Art is fun. (And Hollywood writers are overpaid, scarf-wearing dainties.) It’s an easy argument to make. And a hard one to dispute.
My son is almost five. He is just beginning to understand what I do as a concept. If I drove a construction crane he’d have understood it at birth. And he’d probably think I was King of all the Lands in my fine yellow crane. But writing – especially writing a movie or show, where people other than the writer are all saying things that they’re clearly (to an unschooled mind) making up right then – is something to get your head around.
And as work? Well, in the first place, it IS fun. When it’s going well, it’s the most fun I can imagine having. (Tim Minear might dispute that.) And when it’s not going well, it’s often not going well in the company of a bunch of funny, thoughtful people. So how is that work? You got no muscles to show for it (yes, the brain is a muscle, but if you show it to people it’s usually because part of your skull has been torn off and that doesn’t impress the ladies – unless the ladies are ZOMBIES! Where did this paragraph go?) Writing is enjoyable and ephemeral. And it’s hard work.
It’s always hard. Not just dealing with obtuse, intrusive studio execs, temperamental stars and family-prohibiting hours. Those are producer issues as much as anything else. Not just trying to get your first script sold, or seen, or finished, when nobody around believes you can/will/should… the ACT of writing is hard. When Buffy was flowing at its flowingest, David Greenwalt used to turn to me at some point during every torturous story-breaking session and say “Why is it still hard? When do we just get to be good at it?” I’ll only bore you with one theory: because every good story needs to be completely personal (so there are no guidelines) and completely universal (so it’s all been done). It’s just never simple.
It’s necessary, though. We’re talking about story-telling, the most basic human need. Food? That’s an animal need. Shelter? That’s a luxury item that leads to social grouping, which leads directly to fancy scarves. But human awareness is all about story-telling. The selective narrative of your memory. The story of why the Sky Bully throws lightning at you. From the first, stories, even unspoken, separated us from the other, cooler beasts. And now we’re talking about the stories that define our nation’s popular culture – a huge part of its identity. These are the people that think those up. Working writers.
“The trappings of a union protest…” You see how that works? Since we aren’t real workers, this isn’t a real union issue. (We’re just a guild!) And that’s where all my ‘what is a writer’ rambling becomes important. Because this IS a union issue, one that will affect not just artists but every member of a community that could find itself at the mercy of a machine that absolutely and unhesitatingly would dismantle every union, remove every benefit, turn every worker into a cowed wage-slave in the singular pursuit of profit. (There is a machine. Its program is ‘profit’. This is not a myth.) This is about a fair wage for our work. No different than any other union. The teamsters have recognized the importance of this strike, for which I’m deeply grateful. Hopefully the Times will too.
Thanks for letting me usurp the page again. I’ve linked you to a guild site that has a lot of clear, interesting writing in it (in particular, a great letter from a location scout [they’re part of the teamsters] on why he dislikes writers and why he won’t cross a picket line, and a rumor control Q&A that contains the funniest thing I’ve read since “fancy scarves”). I realize that I’m preaching to the choir here, but perhaps some other sites will pick this up. You guys are, after all, on the map. None of the writers – or anyone – I’ve spoken to have ever heard of fans organizing and supporting a strike the way you guys have. Supporting our right not to entertain you. Seriously, that’s rare. When I showed my wife the banner that went with the pizza scheme, she just said, “These people are gonna be running the world.” Man, I hope she’s right.
Shutting up now, -j.
November 07 2007
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gossi | November 07, 03:45 CET
The One True b!X | November 07, 03:48 CET
escapist_dream | November 07, 03:50 CET
gossi | November 07, 03:53 CET
We know where the shows would be without you guys. And we want more shows. But we want a bit of justice first. And you are so right about it being a much wider issue than DVD rights for a few scribblers.
But I'm disappointed you're not in arty glasses and fancy scarves.
Gill | November 07, 03:53 CET
P.S. Maybe once Fox runs out of new material they will start airing Firefly reruns, gain huge viewer numbers and....nevermind...
The Operative | November 07, 03:54 CET
But everything you just said is exactly right. I applaud you and your fancy scarf, sir.
UnpluggedCrazy | November 07, 03:55 CET
minuet | November 07, 03:56 CET
dcubed | November 07, 03:57 CET
Thanks, Joss - lifted my crazy day and re-inspired me. We have been using that unitedhollywood site to get our best guild info.
Here's a quote from an earlier s.o.c. Lariat-Joss, which relates to the story-telling:
"We’re like the minstrels of old. I think about these things, okay? We’re like the minstrels of old, going from town to town, maybe singing, maybe entertaining people." - Joss on "VM "Rat Saw God"
Yeah - it's like what newcj said on the Jane Espenson thread - artists are seen as not having "real" jobs - a job that anyone could do, but they just "don't have time." *sigh* People tell me that all the time about graphic arts.
Feel better, Jossir. And thanks for fighting the good fight. Wearing a scarf.
*goes back to work, not a "real job" either..."
QuoterGal | November 07, 04:00 CET
And I'd be in the same boat as you, QuoterGal, but my current job title is so convoluted that no one has any clue what I do when they hear it.
[ edited by Lady Brick on 2007-11-07 01:07 ]
Lady Brick | November 07, 04:00 CET
OzLady | November 07, 04:01 CET
So glad you've dropped in again! Twice in two days, aren't we spoiled?
Sabbrielle | November 07, 04:02 CET
And reading my screed, you understand the importance of actual PROFESSIONAL writers. ;)
swanland | November 07, 04:02 CET
Back when I was twelve and I knew what SMG's favorite nail polish was and the names of her dogs, I used to tune in every week to watch my favorite actors and actresses slay vampires but in a funny way. And my dad would come in, sit down on the couch, and say "Who WRITES this?" It was a concept I never thought of before, that just like my favorite books, my TV was written by someone, and that those people were probably more intimately involved with the stories I loved than anyone else.
Although the press may be bent in favor of the studios, I think most of the stuff I have seen online is in favor of the writers, and the majority of the fans certainly are. We know who actually cares about the quality of the stories that we love, and who is after the bottom line. Each is important in it's own way, but I know where my heart lies.
Although I have to say a strike should not be this entertaining. I am still laughing at the image of Drew Goddard in yellow stockings. And I was so touched by the idea of a mini Buffy reunion at the picket line, and AH and AD bringing candy bars. Too awesome. I am loving all the reports of actors not crossing the picket lines. It makes Hollywood seem more like the big fluffy family I always wanted it to be, instead of the mean nasty place it sometimes seems. You know we've always got your back here!
ailiel | November 07, 04:02 CET
ETA:
Swanland and bob1w0 can you peeps leave contact info on the whedonesque.org thread for pizza deliveries?
[ edited by kurya on 2007-11-07 01:04 ]
kurya | November 07, 04:03 CET
What surprises me is that a newspaper journalist would write something like that. They write too, don't they? How could they do their job and still have no understanding of what a writer is? Even if it is the NYTimes with its libertarian, anti-union slant.
Of course, I might just be naiive, and perhaps they're taking directions from someone else.
non sequitur | November 07, 04:03 CET
leafblown | November 07, 04:04 CET
For those who prefer to wear their activism on their sleeves, as it were, there are also buttons and shirts available.
lexigeek | November 07, 04:05 CET
We all wear fancy scarves on the picket line and etc.
We have our symbol.
QuoterGal | November 07, 04:05 CET
Ha, we were just talking about this on Buffistas. It's so weird to think about people who don't realize there are writers and scripts and that television shows don't just materialize out of nothingness, with actors just looking pretty and spouting whatever when the camera is on them.
I love this paragraph so very much, as I have loved stories and storytelling for ages, but I've never seen why it's so important put so well until now.
Polter-Cow | November 07, 04:08 CET
mosie | November 07, 04:08 CET
...I really, really admire Joss Whedon. Part of me even loves the sumbitch. He's made my life better in a whole bunch of ways - indeed is responsible for maybe the most important piece of social glue in my life-a-couple-years-ago - and whenever I'm tempted to say 'No it's the work not the guy, don't be that kind of fanboy, he's just a balding slightly endomorphic geek with a noticeable lisp and marvelous gender politics and an unfair portion of the world's supply of storytelling genius in his head,' I read something like this post or his My So-Called Life essay and am reminded that there's no dividing line, that all of him seems to be in the work. Even at his most one-linery macho work-for-hire self (ahem Astonishing X-Scoobies) the all-in-fun posturing never blots out the love of stories and their audience(s), nor the seriousness of his desire to fucking change things. I kind of wanna grow up to be like him.
I kind of wouldn't mind if my (future) kids did too, a little.
('But I don't wanna dress like you.')
From an unrepentant Josshole: Thank you sir.
(You'll hire me someday, you just don't know it yet. Huzzah!)
waxbanks | November 07, 04:09 CET
Now I wish I was still in LA, just so I could go walk with the writers, wearing a fancy scarf.
The One True b!X | November 07, 04:09 CET
Fancy scarf? Why stop there? How about fancy pantalooms witha powdered wig? I bet people would so pay to see bix wearing that.
[ edited by kurya on 2007-11-07 01:13 ]
kurya | November 07, 04:13 CET
mifeng | November 07, 04:14 CET
I don't have any powdered wigs, nor pantaloons to offer...
QuoterGal | November 07, 04:14 CET
Polter-Cow | November 07, 04:14 CET
I believe there must be at least an 18% presence of berets, in addition to fancy scarves, to truly denote a group of artistes.
That purple guy sure can do the writing thing, he entertains and makes us think. Mr. W highlighted a crucial point, which is that writing is not perceived as work, or even terribly important, by a lot of people... people who are also under the impression that the actors are making up the words themselves. Adjusting this perception will go a long way to helping the cause.
And yes, the studios are a machine that wants all the money for itself. It grudgingly pays what it does, and the artists who make the big bucks are the very small percentage that is the exception to the rule. Most artists are working folks who are getting by day to day like so many others.
The writers aren't just fighting for fair payment for their work, but the recognition that the work is the foundation element of the entertainment industry itself... it all starts with the writing. And for anyone who thinks writing is easy, good writing that is, well try it... and try it while you're not making any money whatsoever while you're doing it, and praying to the deity of your choice that your work sells.
We are in a very different world now, and the writers have legions of fans who will step up and join the campaign.
11thHour | November 07, 04:14 CET
Feel better Mr., and post every day if you want. Anybody wanna tell Joss he ain't welcome here? Didn't think so.
Even my non-internet friends are behind you all. I love that people know what's going on, and are still overwhelmingly behind the strikers even though their favorite shows will probably be affected. Big deal! Read a book!
And guess what? Someone wrote that too.
Willowy | November 07, 04:17 CET
lexigeek, there are about 5 people in my LJ friends list that have your picket sign icons now! :)
cabri | November 07, 04:18 CET
It sounds all academic and stuff, but it's not. Without writers, we'd have no religion, no politics, no philosophy (and by extension, science), no engineering, we'd have no progress from our cousins with opposable thumbs. We might as well be swinging from trees and eating fruit.
Beyond the "job" silliness, I believe that the writers deserve better reward for their job, which is way more important than many individuals within the business corporation who are being paid a lot more.
But that is just me.
non sequitur | November 07, 04:18 CET
I will picket.
But a one man picketer in Texas will be strange....
Will do as the master bids
hbojo | November 07, 04:20 CET
LKW | November 07, 04:21 CET
palehorse | November 07, 04:21 CET
[ edited by palehorse on 2007-11-07 01:22 ]
palehorse | November 07, 04:22 CET
we are mighty, we continue to rally, and the studios WILL listen and do what is write, i mean, right. it starts with a faint rumble, but it is growing and this is going to get much, much bigger.
phlegmy joss followed by drunk gossi, good thread!
cymerin | November 07, 04:22 CET
The right to NOT entertain is part and parcel of the right TO entertain. That is one reason so many are supportive.
The studios themselves have also been a barrier to that same entertainment in other ways, and the fandom supported you then, too, did it not? So why should this be any different?
jclemens | November 07, 04:23 CET
Vortigun | November 07, 04:25 CET
(See, isn't it good we have real writers who aren't me?)
So, should we have fancy scarf deliveries along with the pizzas?
elfgirl | November 07, 04:29 CET
He thought retailers such as Old Navy, Abercrombie and Fitch and The Gap would see a decline in business since the writers wouldn't be able to shop.
So many fancy scarves.
AuntArlene | November 07, 04:37 CET
Polter-Cow | November 07, 04:37 CET
I would hug you Joss but I don't want any germs, and you are probably are wary of the crazy fans, and we are really a long long ways apart.... Where was I? Oh yeah, you know we aren't going anywhere!
Your fans are patient and determined and ready to stand firm.
WE WILL HOLD!
And we will support you in any way we can think of (I'm currently encouraging a letter writing campaign to the advertisers, to get them to pressure the studio executives back to the bargaining table!).
embers | November 07, 04:39 CET
When we do rule the world... Free fancy scarves for all!
Hope you feel better soon.
Laurenzo | November 07, 04:39 CET
"Supporting our right not to entertain you."
Joss, this isn't about whether you are entertaining us or not. The fact that you choose to use your talent to do so is a luxury that none of us here at Whedonesque take for granted and are all very grateful for. We just support your right not to have the piss taken out of you by the people that make multiple oodles of sacks of cash out of the hard work (and yes, writing is work) that you and your fellow writers do.
Until you get what you deserve, keep up the hard not-work. ;)
RokkRage | November 07, 04:48 CET
I like you right where you be(are)!
Litwal | November 07, 04:49 CET
Maslow'sJoss's Hierarchy of Needs:_______ Esteem_________
_______love/belonging_________
_____________Safety__________________
___________Storytelling__________________
It's nice when things come full circle.
ShadyLane | November 07, 05:00 CET
I can't be sure, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that I don't think Caroline would mind you posting all you want, Joss. She did make special rules just for you, after all. Of course she is so shy about sharing her disapproval when someone breaks the rules, I can see how you might think she just wouldn't tell you in order to keep the peace.
;-D
If everything stops when the writers stop, doesn't that scream to people that these are important people? And yet they are artists, so they can't be truuuuuuly important. We live in a screwed up world.
A politically conservative friend of mine once strained our friendship by admitting to me (while I was still acting) that he did not think that actors' work was important enough for actors to deserve to be covered by a union. As he was a theater and concert goer, it struck me as a hypocritical, short-sighted and rather mean outlook. I did not speak to him for a while so that I could cool off. Even so, 20+ years later it still makes me angry that people who love artists' work, can have so little respect for the artist or the need of that artist to live like a human being.
I hope Kai is right about the talented and intelligent people of this site taking over the world, but I am just too cynical to believe it.
newcj | November 07, 05:03 CET
I hook you up, man! Kristen gifted me josswhedon.net a while back. Right now it's languishing. (For example, I only replaced Wonder Woman with Kitty Pryde on the design YESTERDAY.) Seriously, though. If you want to set something up like Jane's blog, let me know. My olde email addresses get too much of thee spam, but there's an address in my profile here that will work.
...and now, my response to what you ACTUALLY said:
As a person who works for a state government in a "right to work" state, I can only vaguely dream of the power of collective bargaining. And sitting here where I am, looking at where you are, all I can think is - anyone who does any work that is work deserves to be paid for that work. Intellectual, creative work is WORK! And if it did not cost a month's car payment for me to get out to California, and if I had a bit more flexible of a work schedule, I'd be out there with the pizza deliverers and all. And I very much wish I could be.
I am hoping for a speedy end to the strike, but not one that is so speedy that the key issues don't get resolved to the writers' satisfaction.
Kiba | November 07, 05:04 CET
Your words inspire us all Great, Purple, Scarved One. We're behind you every step of the way with pizza....and of course scarves.
Harmalicious | November 07, 05:10 CET
catalyst2 | November 07, 05:10 CET
Thanks for another amazingly eloquent post!
I will wear arty glasses and a fancy scarf tomorrow in your honor. To be honest, though, I wear the arty glasses everyday.
P.S. ZOMBIES!
ladygrey | November 07, 05:15 CET
(edited because I miss sleep)
[ edited by Arabchick on 2007-11-07 02:20 ]
Arabchick | November 07, 05:17 CET
flutie | November 07, 05:23 CET
Harmalicious | November 07, 05:35 CET
Tonya J | November 07, 05:38 CET
thricewise | November 07, 05:39 CET
Well, what about the advertisers? Will they pay for ads on shows that will wind up being ignored? If it comes to that, then the writers have made their point.
impalergeneral | November 07, 05:39 CET
Charmuse | November 07, 05:42 CET
Just wanted to say thanks and if there's ever another opportunity to show my support for the strike in any way I will.
(I enjoy parentheses).
EbDim9 | November 07, 05:44 CET
You haven't. More will happen. It's all part of the plan various WHEDONesquers are working on.
The One True b!X | November 07, 05:48 CET
(Sigh. For the first time in my life, I wished I lived in LA.)
The One True b!X | November 07, 05:54 CET
Get 'The Office' back on track!
No Office = me cranky.
TwisTz | November 07, 06:19 CET
A Vague Disclaimer is Nobody's Friend -
Unlike the previous donations to my personal email, these are not refundable. Any excess money if the strike miraculously ends before we can spend it all will go to charity, most likely the WGA's charitable foundation. There is also a possibility that this money will be merged into a general fund that will support advertisements supporting the strike on behalf of fans and perhaps other efforts.
[ edited by dreamlogic on 2007-11-07 04:11 ]
dreamlogic | November 07, 06:27 CET
Oooh, I forgot to note how much I enjoyed this, and what it evoked - hundreds of be-ribboned writers on the picket line, waving their scented hankies in front of their delicate noses and chanting en masse:
“They seek him here --
They seek him there --
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven
Or is he in hell?
That damned... elusive... Pimpernel.”
And somebody wrote that, too.
QuoterGal | November 07, 06:27 CET
Sherrie | November 07, 06:34 CET
I mean, I try and go to paypal.com, and go to personal then send money, but it asks me to attach credit card info to my email address etc, which I am hesistant to do, or is that the only way?
[ edited by kurya on 2007-11-07 03:55 ]
kurya | November 07, 06:47 CET
Although, it terrified me to see Joss say "poppinjay." I think that was Bill O'Reilly's word of the week or something this week (no, not a fan, but it blares loudly from the other room every night). Joss isn't secretly Bill O'Reilly, right?
Meltha | November 07, 06:50 CET
Wow... there's actually people out there who think the actors just make up words? And stories? And just wing it and think the actors might go: "oooh, look, we have created a multi-episode storyline by pure chance"? Has anyone ever met these people, or are they simply legends of old? Tales told to scare small children and intelligent folk? :-p.
This post by joss and the reactions here, have been a kind of wake-up call. It never even crossed my mind that there were people out there who:
a) never think about who writes their favorite shows or movies (not caring, okay, fine, but not realising is what gets me);
b) think that writing is not actual work;
and, this is probably because I'm from the Netherlands and not America, and the political culture is completely different here:
c) think that your work has to meet some kind of conceived importancy standard, before you can form unions or make a stand if you're not treated fairly.
Wow.
I write. I don't write stories (which is something that, to me, is an even more special gift, a lot more creative and something I'm just not that good at), but I do write articles. Popular science, movie and television reviews, those kinds of things. Just yesterday I slaved over a long report of a local filmfestival for the cultural site I write for and getting an article up to the quality it needs to be to get published in, say, a magazine simply takes time. Even if you're good at it. Writing is, in my experience, mostly hard work (just ask any journalist, including these New York Times people) and it's certainly not meaningless. And even if it was, that wouldn't matter: people pay good money to buy a magazine, a newspaper (like the New York Times), a movie on DVD or a good book. So the people who put in the hours to create these products deserve to see their fair share of the money these products generate.
And what does it matter if your job is fun? I love writing and while I'm not (yet?) one of the big fish in my chosen fields, I do well enough to get by. I'm very happy I get to write and earn enough to make a living (even if that's on semi-hold now, while I'm working towards actually graduating). My friends who also studied astrophysics (like me) are now either teaching science or doing research at universities or companies. Most of them really like what they're doing too. It's not illegal to like your job, and liking your job does not lead to your work somehow not being 'real work'.
I guess, reading this over before posting, that I'm basically just repeating Joss' points, so, yes, he really was preaching to the choir (and now, so am I). I just can't wrap my head around the fact that not everyone sees things like most of us do. I hope whedonesquers do get to rule the world some day (even if they are drunk, gossi).
And, oh yes: ZOMBIES.
(ps: I also missed out on the first pizza run. I'll definately be contributing when the chance pops up again).
GVH | November 07, 06:51 CET
Lunakitty | November 07, 06:59 CET
I wish I was still close to L.A. so I could go and show my support.
piggiesfly yay | November 07, 06:59 CET
I mean, I try and go to paypal.com, and go to personal then send money, but it asks me to attach credit card info to my email address etc, which I am hesistant to do, or is that the only way?
Ah, crap, I forgot to even say Paypal, didn't I? As I understand it you can use a credit or debit card, for which you do have to have provide the number, or you can get an account and link it to your bank account, in which case you have to provide the account number. That's all we're currently set up for, and all that's likely to be set up. The email may change, but it'll still probably be Paypal.
dreamlogic | November 07, 07:09 CET
This isn't just happening in Los Angeles. Want to help out in New York? Go here:
http://www.wgaeast.org/index.php/articles/992?wgra=1
rufustfyrfly | November 07, 07:13 CET
kurya | November 07, 07:23 CET
Pumps | November 07, 07:30 CET
It could also mean that people think that reality shows are better than scripted shows because it's always better to see real people expressing real emotions in unreal situations than see a bunch of dumb actors say words written for them. It's that belief that's convinced TV networks that they can live on reality shows indefinitely, making the writer unnecessary because he's not doing a real job.
Let's hope this strike changes the minds of people who think that way.
[ edited by impalergeneral on 2007-11-07 04:41 ]
[ edited by impalergeneral on 2007-11-07 04:41 ]
impalergeneral | November 07, 07:35 CET
kurya | November 07, 07:41 CET
buffyfanatic18 | November 07, 07:42 CET
impalergeneral | November 07, 07:44 CET
JossIzBoss | November 07, 07:44 CET
swanland | November 07, 07:46 CET
Pumps | November 07, 04:30 CET
I know people who do both...and they like watching television, too.
Allyson | November 07, 07:52 CET
I'm glad people are listening to the fact that we support our writers.
ssick | November 07, 07:54 CET
Firefly Flanatic | November 07, 07:55 CET
No, that's okay -- you go first.
FloralBonnet | November 07, 07:57 CET
If writing isn't real work, how come so many people hate to write?
Whenever I hear of people striking, it's never been about the money to me. Hey, the money is out there. The people directly responsible for the generation of that money, be they writers, actors, athletes, whatever, deserve their fair share of the profits. I don't care how rich some of them may be. As fans, we pay money for whatever entertainment they are providing. So we obviously believe that what they are producing is worth something. Perhaps their paychecks/royalties should reflect this. It's only fair.
JossIzBoss | November 07, 07:59 CET
dulce_serenidad | November 07, 08:04 CET
Just think, the person who wrote that article writes for a living!. Do you suppose the reporter dons his own special scarf and glasses to churn out the strike news?
toast | November 07, 08:05 CET
There have been inumerable times during my career in which television/movies/books have provided me with an invaluable escape from the stresses of my work. I think quite possibly such entertainment kept me sane (although this point may be arguable).
[ edited by JossIzBoss on 2007-11-07 05:09 ]
JossIzBoss | November 07, 08:06 CET
dulce_serenidad | November 07, 08:08 CET
Just out of curiosity, this illness you carry... is it the flu? Perhaps shared with a Mr. Minear?
Right, right, the strike. As a non-Guild working writer, I give all strikers my full support, and my humble thanks to other unions backing up the WGA. No doubt there are some in my position waiting for studios to hire them as scabs, but all my fellows I've spoken with thus far are just as strongly for the strike as I am.
Just wanting to spread the word that those who stand to gain in the short-term would much rather march the lines.
And how many fancy scarves will Your Purplyness be flooded with now? Is it possible you quoted that line simply because you have a hankering for fancy scarves?
(For those sending said fancy scarves, as a writer and strike-supporter, I feel I should add that I'm ridiculously fond of Argyle socks. Mismatched in particular. In clashing colors.)
Banter | November 07, 08:22 CET
Does anybody have a have a clever idea about what kind of feed we could do for the showrunner's picket at Disney tomorrow morning? Something that says "writers"?
[ edited by dreamlogic on 2007-11-07 05:32 ]
dreamlogic | November 07, 08:26 CET
[ edited by dreamlogic on 2007-11-07 05:28 ]
dreamlogic | November 07, 08:28 CET
kurya | November 07, 08:33 CET
I started supporting the strike purely because writers = rock stars, in my book, but as I started reading more about the issues, I'm just getting more indignant from a labor standpoint.
[ edited by dottikin on 2007-11-07 06:20 ]
dottikin | November 07, 08:34 CET
Maybe if I buy a scarf since I already have the glasses.
Chelleatrix | November 07, 08:40 CET
Just started a Facebook group for this, not realizing one already existed. Ah well. Mine's prettier.
C. A. Bridges | November 07, 08:40 CET
dulce_serenidad | November 07, 08:42 CET
deird | November 07, 08:46 CET
I am but a humble fan. But I dabble in the insanity-inducing, headache-producing, ego-bruising work known as writing. (I've often said that when I'm a famous writer I'll change my name to Paige Turner.)
As I said in another thread about this strike, I've been writing fanfic for a long time, but no other show moved me to produce as much as "Buffy: the Vampire Slayer." And no other show had a writer who actually encouraged me to continue writing, no matter what anyone said. (I love you, Drew Goddard! But, not, you know...like that. 'cause...well, he's famous and I'm not. And I don't stalk him. I'm just a minion. But I digress.)
Writing borrowing someone else's characters is easier than coming up with your own world and populating it with interesting characters. (Trust me.) The hardest part, I think, is not so much telling the story as it is telling it in a way that other people will give a rat's arse about. I'm lucky - since I have no agent or publisher, I have no deadlines, and can take all the time I want to get my story told. Some of my stuff I've been working on for years. I can't imagine having to come up with, flesh out and write a new story every week.
Yes, sadly, the writers are often overlooked - fans tend to focus on the actors as they tell the story, without giving much consideration to where that story came from. Mal sitting naked on a rock is gonna get everyone's attention, but the person who thought up the entire story leading up to Mal's naked rock-sitting and then wrote it is rarely, if ever, seen. 'cause...Mal...naked.
I just love that Alyson, Alexis & David have shown their support - without the writers the actors are out of a job.
Joss, I've already come up with a fanfic for "Dollhouse." That's how big an influence you've been on my way of thinking and writing - I can come up with an entire story knowing only one character name and a sketchy plot outline. If there's a "me" out there for every writer on strike, if there's a fan somewhere watching a show who actively looks to see what name is in the writing credit and saying to his-or-herself "I really love this writing. I want to learn to write like this"...well, that just blows my mind.
ShadowQuest | November 07, 08:49 CET
A while back, I wrote a spec script and discovered that script writing is a whole 'nother level of hard. All I can say is that for those folks who may think that writing a script is no big thing, and not too different than regular ol' writing... try it. When a story unfolds and draws us in, that takes great skill. But as with a gifted athlete seeming to effortlessly perform a routine on a balance beam, it took untold hours of work to get there. Their skill is making something that is very difficult seem almost natural. Perhaps that naturalness is why a lot of people forget that people had to craft those words to have them work that way.
This issue is important. Aside from the richness that writing brings to our lives, this is also about people being compensated fairly for their own work, and not being bullied into submission by huge corporations. It's also about peoples' livelihoods and supporting themselves and their families.
The entertainment industry is a multi-billion dollar business, with tens of thousands of jobs interdependent on its success. I truly hope this situation can be resolved fairly quickly in a way that will respect the work and importance of the writers.
[ edited by 11thHour on 2007-11-07 06:05 ]
11thHour | November 07, 09:03 CET
cymerin | November 07, 09:06 CET
I fully support the strike, and have been planning subversive action to demonstrate that support. The copywriters group at work has been conspiring to do something loud and pointless to draw attention to it.
My take, as a professional non-union writer (only because my branch of the service doesn't have a union, just a PA)? The networks will cave after about 2-3 weeks, as people tune out of the crappy reality shows and go back to watching Firefly on DVD, or (gasp!) reading books. Or downloading porn on the internet. Or playing Halo3. The fact is, these large corporate entities are going to quickly find their advertising dollars draining away, and not even nifty new revenue streams like direct downloads will save them.
The fact is, the effete coffee-and-scarves crowd you so proudly represent is the brains of the operation, and they know it. Considering the fact that Hollywood writers are some of the most overpaid in history, they still don't make an outstanding return for the important work that they do. Without y'all, TV would be one long football game/game show/interview show, and people would be fleeing in droves. These people need drama and comedies and expensive sci-fi shows with spaceships and chinese food and horses, because their demographics just can't bear the football/game show crowd -- too thin on the ground.
So they will cave, and call it a victory. I so predict. But they'll run through as much of their canned material as possible, until it becomes clear that they can't realistically stall any more and expect their Spring shows to appear on time.
But what you touched on, but didn't explore, in your post was the truly grueling creative process that a "real" writer goes through. First, it is usually a painfully lonely pursuit (TV writing is an exception to this, I know), one which you can't casually show off like, say, a painting or sculpture. A novel in progress is an ugly thing, and a less-than-perfect pitch can be painful. People don't understand that sometimes, in order to get your head exactly where you need it to be, you need thirty dollars worth of dark chocolate and gallon of chilled mead, or somesuch. Or they look at you askance when you get up at 4 a.m. and drive through the deserted streets downtown because you have an idea that's burning a hole through your brain stem and you need something you can't quite put your finger on to birth it.
What many people don't understand is that the creative process is essentially a manifestation of the artist's ego. You have to have a big steaming pile of ego to assert the creative impulse, and that's just to get started. To have that impulse and be willing to risk ridicule or (worse yet) apathy at the expression of your ego is a frightening prospect for most people. To do both of those, and still have an original idea is harder still -- and to do all of that and be able to communicate the subtle nuance of emotion that transcends individual experience is rarer, still.
I look back at the last thirty-odd years of my life and remember the TV and movies that really defined me as a person. And I know I have the creative, talented, quirky, effete scarf-o-holics of Hollywood to thank for being brazen and stupid enough to risk those delicate slices of their personal souls for my base entertainment and education on the human experience. As much as y'all get overpaid for some schlock out there, there are as many sublime moments where I want to go out and hug a SWG member at random to thank them. You, Tim, and your posse are all in that group. Fight the power, and fight it hard, because with CGI getting cheap like it is, the actors won't be making near as much and someone has to keep the corporations from eating all the profits themselves. Scarves cost money, people, and screenwriters need Porches, too. And therapy money for our kids.
It gives the rest of us word jocks hope.
ScrewtheAlliance | November 07, 09:22 CET
Sure, anyone can write. Very, very few can write well. So let's take care of them, huh?
C. A. Bridges | November 07, 09:29 CET
Fans call all the shots, they're generally not aware of it, however. Nor organized. Noir organized...hmm, what would that be like... Okay, back. Yes, we become stronger, year by year.
One day we'll have our own studio. Go on, I'll give a moment for you to clean the screen from the semifluid particulate that was spewed there. Guffaws and drinking don't mix. The idea seems to be fetched from afar, yes, but the festoon that links hither and yon grows shorter.
Call it a membership. A fan membership. Monthly fee, small. Voting, consensus, then support for what we want made. Return on investment? Entertainment.
One day thou shalt not yank my "Angel" or my "Veronica Mars" before its time. Said with fancy scarf and a goblet of red. (That's a lie, btw, it's a Holland lager at the moment).
I'm not sure of how or when but I'm fairly certain the true bosses of the bizz will increasingly leverage their might against the dinosaurs. Survivors will be forced to adapt or they won't, you know, survive.
Remember this, fans, these first steps. We are the giant studios fear could awaken. And when we do, for we will, there will be a redistribution of wealth along the full length of the pipeline that brings us our entertainment. How long can the progenitors of entertainment's creation continue to be undervalued?
Those that seed and cultivate ideas have got to be respected. Without them, the restaurants have nothing to serve.
RhaegarTargaryen | November 07, 09:44 CET
Respectfully, I disagree with these.
RhaegarTargaryen | November 07, 10:00 CET
Vodka?
Polter-Cow | November 07, 10:11 CET
The One True b!X | November 07, 10:17 CET
And when that day shall come, there shall be a Joss TV Channel 24/7, and all the Firefly we could ever desire. Amen.
petranef | November 07, 10:20 CET
Also, I just write (plain old), and your words made me feel better about it. Thank you.
darshan | November 07, 10:21 CET
[ edited by dreamlogic on 2007-11-07 07:35 ]
dreamlogic | November 07, 10:30 CET
embers | November 07, 10:54 CET
Other than that, in my mind writers aren't really associated with food, more like liquid refreshments. ;)
Perhaps something like warm banana bread with butter or cheesy bread or ... something like that. With suitably murky coffee/tea.
cabri | November 07, 10:56 CET
But who knows? If more showrunners stop working all together, if SAG and DGA show support in addition to the Teamsters, if all the replacement shows bomb, if AMPTP goes back on saying they won't negotiate as long as the WGA strikes, then maybe it'll end in a few weeks. Long odds though.
I just want it to last as long as it needs to, and no longer.
Dreamlogic-- Have you considered the dreams of sleeping children?
Banter | November 07, 11:05 CET
swanland | November 07, 11:55 CET
What Kai said reminded me of this book I recently heard of called 'A Whole New Mind', 'why right-brainers will rule the world.'
Caroline | November 07, 12:22 CET
dreamlogic | November 07, 12:22 CET
Caroline | November 07, 12:39 CET
http://www.serenityverse.com/images/albums/userpics/10001/normal_IMG0040.jpg
http://www.serenityverse.com/images/albums/userpics/10001/normal_IMG0041.jpg
http://www.serenityverse.com/images/albums/userpics/10001/normal_IMG0042.jpg
The One True b!X | November 07, 12:59 CET
My voice may be a small one in the vast wilderness of the entertainment field-- I'm a rather small-fry scriptwriter, technical director and multi-media designer in the live entertainment field-- but I simply had to reply to this thread with the following plea:
Please, please, PLEASE, don't let the greed of the corporate powers-that-be derail your fierce purpose, or halt your initiative.
They are not all bad people, nor do I imply that. But it is THEIR JOB to maximize corporate profit and minimize expense. And sometimes they go too far. And when they do... well, that is what unions are for. And why the suits upstairs tremble and seethe at the mere whisper of the word "strike."
It would be wonderful if the present day business world was built upon a model of fair pay and equitable treatment for all workers, no matter their area of expertise. Sadly, that isn't the case. I know because I spent twenty years building a career in a fringe area of the entertainment industry which exists in the shadow of live theater-- a funny little sub-industry whose owner/producers desperately want to keep beneath the radar, subject to no government employment regulations, union strictures, or standards of common decency in how they treat their employees.
That world is one without unions-- one wherein the merest mention of that word subjects the speaker to automatic termination of employment. A world where OSHA safety standards are paid mere lip service, where pensions are nonexistent, where accidental injuries are rewarded by firing and where overtime is withheld and never paid.
In that world, I demanded a decent wage for myself and insisted on the barest measures of respect and human dignity for my crew in an environment where 7 day work weeks and 20 hour workdays were commonplace.
I was terminated, eventually. Unskilled day workers were brought in to replace I and those of my team who refused to remain there. The owner of that place discovered a work program in which foreign nationals were lured into his employ under promises of American business training in management positions, but were then forced to live in substandard conditions, work illegal hours, and perform heavy manual labor instead of the management jobs they had been promised.
This happened. It's still happening. And with the exception of many years of prohibitively expensive litigation, there isn't anything that's ever going to stop it, because in that particular industry, there aren't any unions to defend the rights of anyone. Silence is tacitly rewarded with promotion, while the squeaky wheel gets the sack.
I'm out of that business now, and on to bigger things. I'm writing fiction again, am firmly aboard the publishing roller coaster, and my work may be landing soon in a slush pile near you. But lord help the poor dupes who are still mired in that other mess, because they cannot help themselves.
Members of the WGA, however, CAN defend themselves.
Injustice will invariably flourish anywhere there are no means by which the persecuted can defend their rights. Believe me, I've experienced that sort of injustice firsthand.
So to the WGA and its allies I say:
Go get'em. Call down the thunder. If the greedy insist upon sowing the lightning, then let them reap the proverbial whirlwind.
You guild members have the means to defend yourselves. Count yourselves lucky, therefore, and take the fight to them. If for no other reason, then for other starving artists like myself, out here on the fringe, who have no voice, no power, and no such options.
You have the opportunity to do something really heroic.
Thank you for your courage, from one of the dispossessed.
Xander_Starcat | November 07, 13:06 CET
How cool is this? Solidaity from everyome from the showrunners to the teamster guy who wouldn't drive across the line.
lexigeek thanks for the icons. I plan to attach one to every email I send out, for the duration. my friends and family already think I'm totally insane, so what have I got to lose?
Wow! We're quoted and linked on daily variety's website. That makes up mighty! Well actually, other things make us mighty, but media exposure of our mightyness can't hurt. ;)
Striker feeder guys, please keep it healthy. Not to the granola bar extreme but hey, the suggestion on .org about some sort of croisanty thingy with cheese... yumm. Protein, carbs, not too much sugar. I know, I'm a health nut & want to keep out creative types from OD'ing on empty calories and chemicals. So throw fruit at me, just make certain it's organic.
Writers are storeytellers, our civilization is built on the telling of stories. Mythologies filled with metaphor that digs straight into the subconscious and makes us more aware human beings. No writers = no civilization. And so say we all.
Off to figure out the Paypal thing.
Shey | November 07, 13:41 CET
One of the problems for the WGA as far as I can see is that the strike wont start to affect the wallets of the networks and studios for quite some time, in the short term they might even think themselves saving money on suspended contracts and laid off staff.
If the WGA is serious about coming to grips with the networks and the movie studios they have to hurt their money flows asap,
changing the equation for the big guys in favor of a quick resolution.
Smarter people than me have suggested writing letters to advertisers, supporting the WGA and the strike. Another option could be to try and reach the Nielsen viewers, if a campaign could be launched to convince sufficient numbers of Nielsen viewers to send in 'I didn't watch TV because my favorite writers are on strike' so that Nielsen numbers would be tainted, the advertisers would quickly take notice.
The movie studios claim they have stocked up with scripts for a long strike, why dont the WGA picket the cinema multiplexes ?
Just a little man (with or without scarf :) with a sign saying 'a writer wrote this film, support the writers by going home and play a Video game instead', if just enough movie goers change their minds to make the film studios see that the strike hurts today and not in a year much would be won.
Oh and by the way I havent seen any pickets from any movie premieres yet, why not ?
ETA, To clarify I dont expect WGA to stop people from going in or out at a premiere but being visible and saying, 'a writer wrote this if you want to support us dont participate'.
[ edited by jpr on 2007-11-07 10:54 ]
jpr | November 07, 13:41 CET
Except they've already been caught off guard with a growing number of showrunners closing their sets rather than film the remaining scripts and/or doing "non-writing" work. It's going to start shutting down shows earlier than the studios anticipated.
The One True b!X | November 07, 13:55 CET
People I know in the lab next door are working on curing/stopping the spread of infectious diseases caused by Staphylococcus. They love "House", "The Office", "Supernatural" etc. too.
I do not believe that the writers are doing something less important, or less "worthy". Without the influence of certain shows that I grew up with/am watching now ("Buffy", "Angel", "The Office" etc.) I probably would not be the person that I am today. Without writers, as I said above, there would be no science. A lot of research is writing and reading too, and many of us admire good writing, even outside our professional interests.
Didn't mean for this post to be so long, but I was - quite frankly - pissed off.
non sequitur | November 07, 13:57 CET
Speaking as someone who did cancer-related cellular research for a brief, mind-numbing period of time, most of the people I know who do such work have some tv series they watch devotedly in the evenings. You will pry the DVD from their cold, dead, hands (and it will be difficult, as they have strong thumbs). It is appointment viewing at its fiercest. Cellular research involves a lot of repetitive actions like pipetting, loading centrifuges, and starting cell cultures. It takes discipline to keep your mind focused on these things, which require great attention to detail to do correctly (and with good sterile technique), especially since they are the same motions you've done a million times before. As intriguing and important as your research question is, the process of finding the answer involves doing a lot of things over and over. And paying full attention every single time.
Also speaking as someone who trained as a scientist and now works with scientists, I find that in doing science, a good story, be it a tv show or a book, is like oxygen. My analytical thinking, technical reading, and technical writing skills stay sharp only if I get good stories at some point in the day or week. It has to be fiction. I cannot go home and read non-fiction. Some documentaries, yes. But my brain very much needs some metaphors after a day of thinking empirically and literally. I learned in grad school what happens if I ignore that need-- I burn out. You want to find some Buffy and Firefly fans? Go knock on some research lab doors.
So, in summary, I think cancer researchers need storytellers as much as we all need cancer researchers. And it annoys me that this society is as swift to stereotype and dismiss one group as it is the other, and yet very eager to make comparisons between us to put down whichever group is today's target of spite. We really need both.
Sunfire | November 07, 14:01 CET
Just a little man (with or without scarf :) with a sign saying 'a writer wrote this film, support the writers by going home and play a Video game instead', if just enough movie goers change their minds to make the film studios see that the strike hurts today and not in a year much would be won.
By protesting outside movie theatres, they would actually be pointlessly taking money out of their own pockets. Old media isn't the problem -- they are getting their royalties from cinema releases -- it's the new media that should be boycotted until a fair deal is made.
Personally, I've sworn off streaming casts of all tv shows and will not buy any dvd until the strike is settled.
Love's Bitch | November 07, 14:13 CET
Shey | November 07, 14:17 CET
Anyone that thinks the free dissemination of ideas (even made-up ones) isn't fighting terrorism clearly doesn't really understand what terrorism is.
And apparently we're all in a "war on terror" so, in that (completely made up) sense, the writers are fighting ;).
Re: cure for cancer, who knows what rogue synapse might fire one day while some scientist is sitting stumped by a problem, watching Buffy or House or The Shield or whatever else they watch when they're stumped. That's the nature of inspiration, it strikes unexpectedly, from unexpected quarters, sometimes even when you've just popped to the loo ;).
So they don't wear artsy glasses and fancy scarves ? Damn. They still say "forsooth" and "prithee" though, right ? Gads man, slap me, it'd be the perfect purple pim if not, I do say Sir. Who me sir ?
And in the immortal words of Douglas Adams, "Writing is easy, you just stare at a blank piece of paper until your forehead bleeds".
(and fair play, right brainers are great but don't forget the left-brained "magic boxes" they write on or the equally undextered "magic information super-highway" that they're currently, largely, on strike over. If you only use one side of your brain, you'll end up walking in circles ;)
Saje | November 07, 14:22 CET
The onetrueb!x, yes the showrunners closing shop will hurt, eventually, they still have a lot of stockpiled shows to show and the reality crap to fall back on, IMO the studios will still be making a lot of money over the next couple of months the WGA members will not.
[ edited by jpr on 2007-11-07 11:36 ]
jpr | November 07, 14:23 CET
This is so true. Especially if you wanna get your break in Hollywood when you are from a different country. But it's never easy. It's a pity that writing wont be seen as a real job. It's a fun job and thats exactly why I want to do it.
You guys have my full support. If I would be in LA right now I would definetely join you guys. But me sitting in Germany wont really help. Since I also want to get my break I follow the news about the strike whenever I can.
And even though Im tv addicted, for a good cause Im always happy to do without my shows.
I'm really proud of you guys. You not only secure the writing world for you but also for all the writers of the future. And of course for us viewers too. So thanks a lot. And keep the word out, that we totally stand behind you and all the writers of hollywood & NY. Plus the showrunners and cast & Crew of the shows that do not cross the picket line really rock!
Keep up the pride!
And Joss, I hope you feel better soon, so that you can get back to the picket line front. :)
xoxo nic
Princessofdarkness | November 07, 14:25 CET
When bored, scientists sit around and chat about Jim/Pam or Dwight/Angela. ;)
I personally feel that the writers deserve fair renumeration, and am supporting them 100% - even if it means that I don't get episodes of shows for this period of time. Back to my old DVDs!
non sequitur | November 07, 14:30 CET
Here is my humble attempt to paint the work of writers as an altogether more physically intensive, hard hat-wearing kind of a deal:
'The script is the key stone of the arch between the idea behind a film (or episode of television) and the finished film, (or episode of television)'.
Also, I know that the idea of sending lots of postcards to network heads has been said to be uninfluential in, say, trying to save a particular programme, but this is an industry wide issue. Is there merit in sending postcards saying something like, 'Why should writers matter to you? Because they matter to me. The writing team does influence my choice to watch or not watch a show. I'm a fan of good writing. I support the writers' strike.'?
"Good that they are out there fighting terrorism and curing cancer." Pumps
When my Mum was told she had terminal cancer she thought three things. The first two were about her family but the third was how dreadful it was that she wouldn't have time to read all the books that she wanted to read. I'm very grateful to those scientists who developed the treatments that gave her some extra time, but I'm just as grateful to those novelists who brought her pleasure in that time. The work of scientists and artists may have different practical outcomes, but that should not make one less worthy than the other.
ArielWillow | November 07, 14:57 CET
“The anxiety involved is intolerable. And . . . the financial rewards just don’t make up for the expenditure of energy, the damage to health caused by stimulants and narcotics, the fear that one’s work isn’t good enough. I think, if I had enough money, I’d give up writing tomorrow.”
I pulled the quote from an article in the New Yorker about writer's block and how writers in the past tended to cope with the stress of the job. Didja know that of the seven Americans who have won the Nobel in Literature, five were alcoholics: Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O’Neill, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. When a psychoanalyst is asked how modern writers cope, the answer is apparently less narcotics, more exercise.
dottikin | November 07, 15:03 CET
People who write for a living are doing a job, so they deserve the same rights and protections as any other workers. No more, no less. The output of a TV or movie writer is more remote from the audience than that of an author of a book, and tends to get overshadowed by the actors. It is good to remind everyone where the words originate from time to time.
I hope the writers remember the support they are getting when they see others in a similar position. With all the fast food flying around I am concerned we will be putting a strain on the health service.
Much as I would like to believe Kai; we won't take over the world because you're all too damned nice. You have to be evil to do that job and no one sends you pizza.
MutantFriend | November 07, 15:56 CET
These self same whiners are usually the same people that usually take a writing 'sabbatical' in their dotage and then discover just how much they actually suck at it. And THEN turn to alcohol, of course, as they take their 'expertise' into wine making, hobby farming or running a B & B.
One has only to read the tonnes of bad fanfic to know just what happens when you give a monkey a quill. And despite the saying, it sure ain't Shakespeare!
Perhaps we should keep on eye on Hermes stock and see if it plummets during the strike, just for entertainment purposes. Also Officemax, Dell, IBM, Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
Get well and keep us in the loop, Mr Purpleness. Being slightly flu-some myself, I must say the good news is that wearing a scarf DOES make one feel better.
[ edited by missb on 2007-11-07 13:14 ]
missb | November 07, 16:13 CET
And if this is true, and I think it is, don't the writers of those stories deserve however much we can afford to give them?
Lioness | November 07, 17:01 CET
(If this has been suggested already, I apologize. I was only able to skim the voluminous postings.)
Septimus | November 07, 17:11 CET
Mr. Joss (just to be sure), I'm going to talk about the strike with my college writers today (I teach rhetoric and writing at a university in Alaska). They understand the work (and pleasure) of writing, and rewriting, as much as anyone.
And I don't understand the Mr. Purpleness reference, but I'm going to assume it's a whedonesque thing and that I'll totally figure it out at some point. In the meantime I'll try to examine why I use so many parentheses.
mumpower | November 07, 17:32 CET
gossi | November 07, 17:43 CET
Indeed. It's Mr. Whedon.
Simon | November 07, 17:45 CET
C. A. Bridges | November 07, 17:46 CET
mumpower, it's customary to address him as "His Supreme Purpleness Joss Whedon the First, Writer of the Wit, Maker of the Funny, Helper of the Helpless, Keeper of the Faith (as much as an atheist can), Ruler of All the Known Whedonverse, Most Merciful of Scarf Wearers, Most Enthusiastic of Controllers, Seeer of Sights, Bender of Ears, Eater of Food" for the first 1-2 million posts. Or you can shorten it to "anything you like", opinion is split on this point.
(Joss' name appears in purple when he posts hence Purple One, His Purplness, Big Purp, The Purple People Non-Eater - we assume ;) - etc.)
Saje | November 07, 17:49 CET
mumpower | November 07, 18:14 CET
We love it when you post! No need to go away! Keep posting here!
So if I lived in CA I would totally go to the picket line in artsy glasses and a fancy scarf...in fact I think it would be hilarious if we got a bunch of people to do that!
Anyways I'm on board with feeding our awesome writers until this thing has been resolved. So I donated some money and joined all the sub forums that I can so I can stay on top of all this!
kballgetlost | November 07, 18:53 CET
But Joss, great post. I'm currently stuck in Norway, and the media-coverage of the strike is, at best, mediocre. Therefore the valuable insights you present for us(me) is greatly appreciated. And I've gotta agre with all the pizza-delivering people around the world, it's a just cause and the writers of our brilliant entertainment deserve a bit more for putting their souls and personalities into the scripts. That is what makes a show great, not the funding, props or anything (although they do elevate the 'cool-factor' quite a bit).
Nagilina | November 07, 18:57 CET
Anybody who would like to help but not sure how to help can go to the WGA website, wga.org, get the strike hotline phone number, call and ask, "What can I do to help?" Believe me, they will have an answer -- they seem very happy with every single show of support.
Shapenew | November 07, 19:03 CET
Mort | November 07, 19:14 CET
Where would one go to paypal a contribution for the pizza fund?
Nobody special...
Medic | November 07, 19:22 CET
whedonfanspizzafund@yahoo.com
To send money, trundle along to Paypal and jump through their various hoops then go to "Send Money" and put in the email address and the amount you want to contribute etc., follow the send procedure through and hey presto, kind donation on its way ;).
Saje | November 07, 19:29 CET
AMPTP
attn: Mr. Nick Counter, President of AMPTP
15503 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91436
(818) 995-3600
Make it clear that we the public, the viewers, support the WGA. Personally if this strike drags on and my writers remain out of work? I'll be canceling my cable. There is nothing AMPTP has got that I want, except for a fair contract for the writers!
[ edited by embers on 2007-11-07 17:03 ]
embers | November 07, 19:35 CET
[ edited by TheDivineGoat on 2007-11-07 17:19 ]
TheDivineGoat | November 07, 19:39 CET
Surely if enough people of the industry secede from the existing hierarchy and established their own version and flavor of creative machine, something positive could come of it, and perhaps an example would be made for existing studios to take note and eventually follow.
toontimer | November 07, 19:41 CET
[ edited by dreamlogic on 2007-11-07 17:12 ]
dreamlogic | November 07, 20:11 CET
Now that we are in the age of instant communication, perhaps this type of venture would fair better in the modern approach.
toontimer | November 07, 20:21 CET
From Minneapolis I can only give long distance support, but it is heartfelt. And the NY TImes...oh purleease! Shouldn't the reporter (read: WRITER of news items) have a bit more respect? He doesn't have a REAL job either!
SO sad, that anyone that is fortunate (Or smart enough) to be able to do what they love is said to not have a real job. Isn't that what all job coaches tell you you should be striving for?
Ramble, ramble...oh, the point! We support you in the good fight! Love, THE FANS!
fey_girl | November 07, 20:35 CET
The machine is called capitalism. Profit comes from taking as much of the surplus -- the things that workers produce -- as possible. If workers, fancy scarves and all, do not resist and stand up for their share of the surplus that THEY produce, the machine -- or rather, the few at the top who own their part of the machine -- will take it all. The writers are fighting that machine, and may all the Whedonesque-financed pizza in the world help them win what is theirs to begin with.
By the way, expect nothing better from the New York Times. It is pro-business, pro-establishment, pro-capitalism every step of the way. The sneering, writers-as-popinjays tone is quite deliberate, and depressingly predictable from that dependable source of ruling-class propaganda.
Thus ends my socialist sermon for today. Writers, fellow wage-slaves, I'm with you. Resist!
1starbuckstown | November 07, 20:44 CET
TamaraC | November 07, 21:14 CET
I think that instead of people being mad at union members for getting more, they should be mad at the other corporations for giving them less.
Oh, and if the WGA picketers really want to make an impact: Lederhosen.
gobluegirl | November 07, 21:16 CET
Well said! I personally think that message to the studios has great merit. I will send that message on with a few other words on some postcards, at least one of which will be to Mr. Nick Counter (address posted above by embers).
ThereUR | November 07, 21:50 CET
Strike support postcards are available here (Whedon-specific) and here (generic).
lexigeek | November 07, 23:18 CET
Dana5140 | November 07, 23:31 CET
Biggest news - they're trying to put together a "Buffy Day" with all the Whedon-y writers they can muster on one picket line. I promised that we'll bring good food and a better photographer than me. (RavenU, could you fly out if there were a couple of days notice?)
Joss thanked us very kindly for the food. He didn't eat any himself. He's still sick and hardly had any voice, but gallantly tried to make conversation with me. I was kind of dumbstruck and kept saying "awesome" a lot. I think I did manage to tell him about the cross-fandom initiative people are trying to put together for ads and such, and that we are making the pizza deliveries a weekly thing. Then I grabbed the sign and ran off because I saw police and thought I might be getting a ticket for parking in a permit zone (I didn't).
I'm going to go back to trying to upload the pictures. More later.
dreamlogic | November 07, 23:53 CET
kurya | November 07, 23:55 CET
[ edited by Derf on 2007-11-07 21:17 ]
Derf | November 08, 00:06 CET
*curses being so far away from CA*
k8cre8 | November 08, 00:12 CET
Lady Brick | November 08, 00:14 CET
Must. Win. Lottery. And. Fly. Back. To. LA.
[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-11-07 21:34 ]
The One True b!X | November 08, 00:34 CET
I read a WSJ article about the strike. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119439963376084696.html
It reported that the studios are in denial that the strike will have any impact upon their financials, that people won't move until they see a definite impact. So what kind of impact will it take?
Zannadoo | November 08, 00:48 CET
WE know the truth about the value of the work that's done and the extent of the exploitation that all workers, regardless of occupation or profession, suffer. If writers don't draw the line now and hold firm on their demands, is makes things worse for anybody else in their relative position.
So, f_ck the New York Times and hold your scarves and glasses high!
La lucha continua! Nosotros venceremos! Viva la huelga!
Nebula1400 | November 08, 01:01 CET
embers | November 08, 01:04 CET
May all your scarves be fancy.
QuoterGal | November 08, 01:07 CET
cymerin | November 08, 01:08 CET
BrianRubin | November 08, 01:11 CET
dreamlogic | November 08, 01:14 CET
And in other news, why are all these writers so frakkin' hot? I thought they were supposed to be namby pamby arty farty geeks. O.o
cabri | November 08, 01:20 CET
deird | November 08, 01:21 CET
k8cre8 | November 08, 01:28 CET
BrianRubin | November 08, 01:31 CET
kurya | November 08, 01:54 CET
According to my calculations, that's 17 Celsius. And that IS cold. (For a Melburnian, anyway...)
deird | November 08, 01:55 CET
ThereUR | November 08, 01:57 CET
Simon | November 08, 02:24 CET
newcj | November 08, 02:36 CET
Darn my part-timerness! Curse my living in WI and being so broke I can barely afford to sneeze.
But I'd so go and take pictures and interview the writers and report back here and on the Bronze:Beta if it were within my means.
Truly. 'cause...this is important. And word needs to spread.
Way to go, dreamlogic! Wonderful pics...so how come the Ultimate is bogarting the doughnuts?
ShadowQuest | November 08, 02:54 CET
Samantha | November 08, 03:19 CET
More evidence of why professional writers deserve every penny they get.
swanland | November 08, 03:38 CET
I should get it renewed in a few weeks but hope this strike has been settled, in the WGAs favour, by then. If not I will do a pizza run myself. Guaranteed.
zz9 | November 08, 03:50 CET
RavenU | November 08, 04:07 CET
Special thanks to Saje for reposting the email address and especially for the "how to" walk-through, for the less computer literate (like Me)and to dreamlogic for the truly inspiring pics.
And to embers for posting the "where to send postcards" address from Brian K. Vaighn's MySpace page. And of course to lexigeek for the postcards.
What I can do, I will. Donate to the fund, purchase and send some postcards, light candles on my alter (is there a Goddess of Fair Treatment for the Artists of the World"? .... there should be. ;-)
Shey | November 08, 07:23 CET
Enough advance notice and I might try flying out. Keep us posted, k?
C. A. Bridges | November 08, 07:37 CET
Pictures I can do. We find out the when and the where and I'll be there with me camera and a whole lotta woo-hooin'!
Incidentally, I have a day off this week, Friday. I had other plans (not by any means locked down), but if there's any consensus for something to be done on Friday, I'm game. My previous availability remains steady, for Buffy Day too, but with a couple days notice (and hopefully not on a Mon or Fri) I can get that day off.
bobw1o | November 08, 08:58 CET
newcj | November 08, 17:09 CET
[ edited by megaloo on 2007-11-08 19:33 ]
megaloo | November 08, 22:31 CET
DaddyCatALSO | November 09, 01:40 CET