Posted on 01/13/2008 10:16:21 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
With the Golden Globes’ collapse, writers have struck a $75-million blow in their labour dispute, and the Oscars might well be the next casualty. The scribes aren’t celebrating, though, because no one expects this to end soon
HOLLYWOOD – As symbols go, there probably isn't a more accurate one for the current crisis in show biz.
It's a picture of Oscars host Jon Stewart with his fingers crossed, sheepishly hoping all is well, that adorns the new visitor's brochure of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The brochure was likely printed before the Writers' Guild of America (WGA), now in its third month of a strike by 12,000 members, had vowed to picket and possibly spoil the 80th Academy Awards on Feb. 24.
Which means that the Academy is as good at foreseeing impending trouble as it is handing out shiny gold statues. But not even the Amazing Kreskin could predict what's going to happen here next.
The town built on dreams and illusions is feeling a cold blast of reality brought on by the escalating WGA action and related fandangos, but chills sink in slowly in the land of the palm trees and purse-sized pooches.
There are still street banners all over town trumpeting tonight's presentation of the Golden Globes, even though the Globes have effectively been cancelled and replaced by a glitter-free press conference reciting the names of the winners.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestar.com ...
Nov. 7: Ellen DeGeneres crosses picket line to tape her talk show (the first to cross--says audience members who have tickets, arranged for flights, accommodations and other small business owners not in the limelight effected).
Dec. 3: Talk show host Carson Daly returns to work without writers.
Dec. 7: Negotiations break off.
Dec. 28: Worldwide Pants, which owns The Late Show With David Letterman, negotiates separate deal with WGA.
Jan. 2: Letterman (sporting a beard) returns to air with scripts, while Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien (sporting a beard and sitting in the rafters) and Jimmy Kimmel resume their respective shows without writers, though Leno admits to writing monologue (well sorta-kinda with a twist of a phrase). The WGA were clearly watching!
Leno in his dialog admitted to enjoying returning to the days of old when he would sit late at night preparing for his performances at clubs by write down his material then to awaken his wife, Mavis; and try the jokes out on her. That was the Writing Down Material Twist of a Phrase that was a NO..NO from this reflection of Jay's creative juices working in the past, which he says he missed doing. This caused the WGA to claim foul and threaten he must pay somehow (?). Leno in this same nightly monologue said his decision to return was the effect on all business owners and their employees related in some way to making a living from this industry. The camera then showed the frame of two attractive hookers leaning against an ally wall, while-voice over-Leno claimed "their backs had been pushed up against a wall" from this industry strike. A couple nights later after the WGA press attack on Leno's scripting via his dialog, Jay returned again to make note of past thoughts for material that night and with wink added: "but I didn't write them down".
You might have even caught Huckabee playing his guitar on the Leno show recently; but the next day played ignorance that he knew he had crossed a picket line. He thought it had been settled? The ignorance of the Rush comment which caused controvery and ignorance of the WGA strike picket line.
Pamela Anderson appeared (flying in from someplace out of Canada) and said she noticed all these sign holders greeting her. Leno laughed and said there was a WGA strike going on, and Anderson replied: "Did I do something wrong again?"
Now Dick Clark (an icon)and the HFPA is going after NBC for licensing fees figuring MOL a million dollars for airing a 3 hour Globes-Branded Telecast, excluding it from other Broadcast Networks by re labeling it as a "news conference" to get rid NBC of this outrageous fee they so claim is now suddenly unfair. (Normally they pay $5 million).(Go Dick!)
NBC has seen sponsors pull out and reportedly must give back a major chunk of the $10 million-$15 million in ad revenues the three-hour show typically generates.
Insider/off track note: Leno tightened his expenditures a little himself in 2007 by requesting of his employees at Jay Leno's Garage to tone down the unsuspected last year's outlay of $60,000 in Christmas decorations for his garage. I am told Jay and Mavis did; however, spent Christmas day with his 12 employees and their families at JayLenosGarage.
Great post.
So the writers have every incentive to hold out as long as possible because they're not losing any money. Everyone else is. By the bucket-load, with sweeps right around the corner. But sacred cows of the industry have been sacrificed, too many prima donnas, and I've the feeling that this time around, the writers aren't going to get what they want, and by this time next week, we'll be hearing outrage by the WGA over writers who are crossing the lines.
My viewing habits mean that I haven’t noticed a thing.
They never come back it’s fine with me.
You can’t be affected if you don’t watch their trash.
They have been writing garbage and the shows have been sliding downhill. Bring back the fifties and sixties reruns when the writers were still sane, married, went to church and had a family to support.
I get all the writing I can use right here at Free Republic!
And we never go on strike, either.
I clicked on YouTube a minute ago. It was still there.
YouTube has stuff on it as good as the best Bob Hope or Carol Burnett ever produced. The quality of the armatures has reached the quality of yesterdays professionals. Longer offerings will come.
So why should I care about a bunch of whiny self absorbed and self anointed “beautiful people”?
Maybe they will sue each other out of existence.
Nobody cares. Colts 7 - Chargers 7. Still in the 1st half.
Wow, those writers really have us over a barrel. Its hopeless.
Oh no.
How long can we suffer without them?
Good. They can still get together and have their Mutual Adoration Mating Cluster, and we will be spared it being televised.
The studios should settle this one already. They aren't going to win. Individual studios will follow the Letterman model.
YouTube vs. ThemTube (hollywood)
Hollywood is directly involved and is the number one culprit in the red hot hatred that people around the world have for the United States.
It is funny and sad but the Hollywood crowd loves to spew hatred for the conservatives, military and Christianity yet it is those very rock solid patriotic folks that guarantee Hollywood's right to make their vile American hating and causing movies.
Hollywood has done more to put you and me and our families in harms way than any other entity known to the civilized world and that includes folks like Almanutjob of Iran.
So I say let the strike go on forever as our position in the world starts to mend.
Reality programming which is heavy on the rise or animated programming has caused concern to writers and their union.
It's a ripple effect. Pam Elyea rents props to TV shows. She's laid off a third of her staff. Elyea states:
"This time of year I should be working on 'Cold Case,'" Elyea said. "I should be doing 'Ghost Whisperer,' 'The Office,' 'My Name Is Earl.' I mean, all those shows come in every week and they rent from us. So not only do I not have those shows, but each of those crews aren't working. Each show I mentioned, that's 110 people out of work."
A very young Fox network launched two shows that are still running today," Brian Lowry, a critic for Variety, said, "which is 'America's Most Wanted' and 'Cops.' And both of those shows were launched because they were unscripted. One issue that the writers have to be concerned about, the longer the writers are out, the more time the networks will have to experiment with reality shows and unscripted shows."
On the network side, they are scared the audience will go to a major player of concern in this strike, the Internet aka the home computer.
Some agencies effected will start laying off staff under the "majeure" or "act of God" provision. ICM on Wednesday became the first major talent agency to invoke the force majeure clauses in its agents' contracts
The writers walkout already has led to a temporary 20% salary reduction among the top echelon of agents and executives at UTA as well as the firing of about 10 assistants at Innovative Artists.
Several smaller agencies and management companies, which rely heavily on booking guest stars on series, might go under in the next month or so, observers say.
Many smaller talent representation players already have laid off assistants and low-level agents who are now searching for new jobs, but with the entertainment market so tight because of the strike, they might have to look elsewhere.
"There are some good people leaving the business for good," one manager said.
However, others will receive special "strike pay" plus benefits for the duration of the strike and allowed to return when the strike ends.
FireFox reports:
Employee Solidarity Day At Warner Brothers!:
A special picket will be held on Monday January 14th at Warner Brothers to show solidarity for the 1,000 employees who may be laid off this week. Information for the rest of the week's picketing is also included on the page.
Blame act of God? for layoffs? "Majeure" is defined as a "greater force". The unions seem to take on this title as being "the greater force". Guess if you signed on to it, you own it"
NBC categorizes the Globes as their own "news conference"? Now, that's really stretching it. However, the delivery in format may have changed; but still it's called the Golden Globes’ ... Again, Go Mr. Dick Clark!
Lesson: Dinosaurs became extinct!
Those are the ones who do suffer, no matter how we may make light of our viewing preferences. Many depend on this Industry. The big agents, etc. will not suffer and have battle pay. Tis, the little guy which the Unions always swear to protect. I applaud those that are secure enough in their own talents to keep their people working. These shows have actually been better. Rush said he watched Leno in support, as I did, and found it a much better show with more Leno material.
Plus, with so many channels on dish, you get to watch shows you missed. Award shows couldn't get any lower in ratings before the strike. Marathons of a shownow fill their night slot. Condensed, I like even more. Competition again lets failing shows with failing ratings know change is near, so the power players can always blame it on the strike for their house cleaning.
Reality and the non provisions for the 10-year old user friendly Internet(which was said to never last)has hurt this Industry.
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