After yesterday's malevolent demands by the AMPTP that every word a Writer has even contemplated committing to paper belonged to them and must be surrendered immediately or incur a Fatwah, we reach another low-point in the course of any strike; The Opportunists.
The picket lines on the East Coast are rapidly becoming clogged and in dire need of red carpets as a positive barrage of celebs arrive to....er, 'show their support.' In the last four days, Time Warner's offices in NYC have played host to such luminaries as Tim Robbins, the cast of Law & Order and SNL, Meg Ryan, David Hyde Pierce and many others. Here on the Western front we've savored the presence of Ms. Patricia Heaton, Ray Romano, several of the troupe from Betty, members of the staff at General Hospital and a cast of....well, dozens!
Far be it from me to suggest the motivation for such overt validation of the Writers cause might just be the intense media interest and the proximity of dozens of cameras and reporters, all eager to bestow your merest utterance upon the waiting world; Nor would I even dream of implying this sudden, ardent desire to visit the trenches might have anything to do with cleansing one's karma by feigning solidarity with a group who earn less in a year than you do in a day, yet work 100-times harder.
But remember, these are Actors – they're [over]paid to do things that aren't real. A few are even good at it!
There was also the predictable appearance by a black Minister from North Carolina. But the less said about that disingenuous narcissist, the better.
On a positive note, several Actors have shown selfless support for those on the lines – ER's John Stamos told reporters that several members of the show's cast will help their Writers cover car and mortgage payments. John Stewart has also made it known he'll be helping the Writers from his own resources while they can't work. That is the kind of support they deserve, not the self-serving opportunism that's clearly motivating so many of their new 'friends.'
The Writers' cause is fair and just, but the stupidity and greed of their opponents compelled them to extreme action and may yet induce even greater hardship before a settlement is even considered. The Networks' contract with the DGA expires in June and whatever deal is made now will be used as a guide in those discussions; If the Networks attempt the same intransigence with the Directors their whole industry could grind to a halt. They need to realize they've had it far too good for far too long, and it's time to pay the bill.
The Writers deserve decent pay and a fair resolution, and the option to ignore that is fast running out.
The picket lines on the East Coast are rapidly becoming clogged and in dire need of red carpets as a positive barrage of celebs arrive to....er, 'show their support.' In the last four days, Time Warner's offices in NYC have played host to such luminaries as Tim Robbins, the cast of Law & Order and SNL, Meg Ryan, David Hyde Pierce and many others. Here on the Western front we've savored the presence of Ms. Patricia Heaton, Ray Romano, several of the troupe from Betty, members of the staff at General Hospital and a cast of....well, dozens!
Far be it from me to suggest the motivation for such overt validation of the Writers cause might just be the intense media interest and the proximity of dozens of cameras and reporters, all eager to bestow your merest utterance upon the waiting world; Nor would I even dream of implying this sudden, ardent desire to visit the trenches might have anything to do with cleansing one's karma by feigning solidarity with a group who earn less in a year than you do in a day, yet work 100-times harder.
But remember, these are Actors – they're [over]paid to do things that aren't real. A few are even good at it!
There was also the predictable appearance by a black Minister from North Carolina. But the less said about that disingenuous narcissist, the better.
On a positive note, several Actors have shown selfless support for those on the lines – ER's John Stamos told reporters that several members of the show's cast will help their Writers cover car and mortgage payments. John Stewart has also made it known he'll be helping the Writers from his own resources while they can't work. That is the kind of support they deserve, not the self-serving opportunism that's clearly motivating so many of their new 'friends.'
The Writers' cause is fair and just, but the stupidity and greed of their opponents compelled them to extreme action and may yet induce even greater hardship before a settlement is even considered. The Networks' contract with the DGA expires in June and whatever deal is made now will be used as a guide in those discussions; If the Networks attempt the same intransigence with the Directors their whole industry could grind to a halt. They need to realize they've had it far too good for far too long, and it's time to pay the bill.
The Writers deserve decent pay and a fair resolution, and the option to ignore that is fast running out.
