I Walk the Line Badly (by Burt Prelutsky)

Townhall.com ^ | December 3, 2007 | Burt Prelutsky

[EveningStar]

I’ve been in the WGA for nearly 40 years. That means that during the first two decades of my TV writing career, I was on strike just about every three years. But the last time we struck was in 1988. That one lasted almost six months. It hurt the TV networks because they lost viewers they never got back. It hurt writers because most of us aren’t wealthy, and it’s difficult to go that long without earning a living. It even harmed people who aren’t in show business, but whose livelihoods depend on those who are...

[MrEdd]

There was a group of seven or eight fellows huddled by the stoplight, and I figured I’d mingle there. At least they all had picket signs, and I figured if I stood near them, it wouldn’t be as obvious that I didn’t. The last thing you want to look like at my age, after all, is a writers’ groupie. However, as I approached, the group all began to chant for reasons I can’t imagine, “We’re queer and we’re here.”

Explains a lot about the crap on TV.

[stephenjohnbanker]

BUMP

[SuziQ]

Explains a lot about the crap on TV.

Especially "Will and Grace" and "Sex and the City", two shows of which I'm proud to say I've never seen a single episode. I've stumbled on them while cruising the channels from time to time, and said "No, thanks!"

[JennysCool]

WWRPD

(What Would Rob Petrie do?)

[hsalaw]

The fact is that most of the 12,000 members of the Guild are living hand-to-mouth because only a small percent of that number manage to sell a script or get a writing gig in any given year.

It's hard for me to work up a lot of sympathy for this. Lots of people would like to be writers, but most of us get real jobs and support ourselves and our families.

[goldstategop]

The overwhelming majority of screen writers are liberals. I'm not really missing anything now that they're gone out on strike.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Nick5]

Rob Petrie would do whatever Carl Reiner wrote in the script for him to do.

[JennysCool]

Good point! :-)