I mean, I know that the "real reason" is to try to permanently change the way they pay talent, to wrest some of the control of product back from these big deals they pay stars, to further restrict the stream of money to the eight greedy guys, etc.–this is just the first volley of that–but it should tell the American people a lot that the EGG are willing to eat easily six months worth of television ad revenue, plus the lost revenue from lower-than-normal movie production during that time, to get it. It should tell the American people just how much money we’re talking about.

quote:

Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Enjoy this one, Sumner Redstone: http://www.nickcountersnickelcounter.com/

Actually, if I can put my Krazy Konspiracy Theorist hat on for just a moment, has anybody considered the remote possibility that the Eight Greedy Guys are actually colluding with the entire slate of both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to ensure that your Colberts, Stewarts, Lenos etc. are not up to their usual form to pick people off or create embarassing jokes that follow them around, etc. Don’t you think it’s funny that if the ‘long view’ of the writers’ strike ends up being what actually happens, i.e. it doesn’t get resolved until summer, that takes you into the conventions, when the nominations will most likely be all locked up? That doesn’t seem like funny timing to you?

Actually, Nancy…I think you might be on to something! [:D]

Thanks for confirming my nutty suspicions, Sumner Redstone. By the way, that’s a lovely shade of fake orange hair you’ve been sporting. Strom Thurmond "Color Me Seventy" collection again?

quote:

Originally posted by Nancypalooza

. . . if I can put my Krazy Konspiracy Theorist hat on for just a moment, has anybody considered the remote possibility that the Eight Greedy Guys are actually colluding with the entire slate of both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates . . .

Ah . . . . sure, Nancy . . . . have some more of that Cool Aid that you’re drinking.

quote:

Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Enjoy this one, Sumner Redstone: http://www.nickcountersnickelcounter.com/

Hey that’s mesmerizing. Watching that is more fun than playing video slots. [;)]

Enjoy this one, Sumner Redstone: http://www.nickcountersnickelcounter.com/

Actually, if I can put my Krazy Konspiracy Theorist hat on for just a moment, has anybody considered the remote possibility that the Eight Greedy Guys are actually colluding with the entire slate of both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to ensure that your Colberts, Stewarts, Lenos etc. are not up to their usual form to pick people off or create embarassing jokes that follow them around, etc. Don’t you think it’s funny that if the ‘long view’ of the writers’ strike ends up being what actually happens, i.e. it doesn’t get resolved until summer, that takes you into the conventions, when the nominations will most likely be all locked up? That doesn’t seem like funny timing to you?

quote:

Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Sumner Redstone . . . is that you?

No, its Norma Rae ! ! !

Oh, they’re totally Sumner Redstone.

Sumner Redstone . . . is that you?

quote:

Originally posted by Nancypalooza

Seriously. Eight extremely powerful, greedy guys who are counting on the thousands of writers getting hungry . . .

Not that I really give a rat’s behind about the strike in goofy Hollywood, I wouldn’t be too quick to label the producers as "greedy." Why is it in every strike situation, the management is characterized as "greedy" and the strikers are not???

While not the case in all strike situations, some quick googling will show that ". . . among the Writers Union’s members are television and movie writers who take home up to $5 million a year. A writer of a major film studio release can expect a paycheck of at least $1 million, while ‘name’ screenwriters might earn in the $4 million plus range per picture. The average working writer in Hollywood takes home about $200,000 a year." And I imagine, like in everything, there are some lower paid writers working their way up, too. Maybe in your circles it’s different. But I hardly talk with anyone who has any sympathy for the writer’s.

quote:

Originally posted by Logan2

The Writer’s Union seems to be getting more unpopular with the public day by day. From today’s news:

"SAG president Alan Rosenberg has announced that not one of the more than 70 actors nominated for a Golden Globe will attend the Jan. 13 ceremonies because of the Writers union’s plans to picket the event. "

You’ve completely misinterpreted that. You make it sound like a bad thing when what it actually is, is a showing of solidarity between different unions. Like when the Stagehands were on strike on Broadway…actors didn’t cross the line.

Has nothing to do with the public.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimeats

Doesn’t the union go too far? NO NO NO

He is a member of that union and is praticing his craft during the strike.
Now if he tryed to do a bit much like Will Rogers or Jonathan Winters and speek off the cuff so to speak, that would be all right. But to write his own material he is in violation of the contract.
It’s much like a carpenter or electrician or any other trade to preform their craft on the side during a strike, just wrong on all counts.
Chow Jim

Amen, and hallelujah!

And on a side note…he’s not funny. Odd thing for a standup comedian to be un-funny, but he is. Not that I didn’t chuckle a time or two in the one show I watched since he came back, but overall he’s just not funny. Got too lazy depending on writers to make him look good, I guess. [;)]

Doesn’t the union go too far? NO NO NO

He is a member of that union and is praticing his craft during the strike.
Now if he tryed to do a bit much like Will Rogers or Jonathan Winters and speek off the cuff so to speak, that would be all right. But to write his own material he is in violation of the contract.
It’s much like a carpenter or electrician or any other trade to preform their craft on the side during a strike, just wrong on all counts.
Chow Jim

Not in this case, Logan. Do you ever read any of Nikki Finke’s Hollywood Daily column (it’s syndicated in the Village Voice for one)? She’s a really evenhanded business-of-Hollywood writer and she’s been hitting home the point that the producer side of it, at this point, is like eight guys. Seriously. Eight extremely powerful, greedy guys who are counting on the thousands of writers getting hungry and getting endless pressure from the hungry crews, grips, makeup people, etc. to go back to work. So go watch your DVDs or your Internet episodes, except wait, those are the things the writers aren’t getting paid for. Hmmmmm. Hope you enjoy that Daily Show and Colbert next week when it’s not written by writers.

The Writer’s Union seems to be getting more unpopular with the public day by day. From today’s news:

"SAG president Alan Rosenberg has announced that not one of the more than 70 actors nominated for a Golden Globe will attend the Jan. 13 ceremonies because of the Writers union’s plans to picket the event. "

"Jay Leno kept the jokes coming his second night back on the air, even as the striking writers union and his network sparred over whether he was violating union rules by writing his monologues. The Writers Union had scolded the ‘Tonight Show’ host for penning and delivering punch lines in his first monologue in two months. NBC quickly fired back, arguing Leno, a guild union member, was right and the union was wrong."

Doesn’t the union go too far?

I’m wondering if the Letterman deal won’t end up getting used as a model. I notice they won’t give details, I’m assuming by agreement.