Times are hard. With foreclosures at an all time high and gas scouting the suburbs of $5 a pint, people are not spending so much on entertainment. They want to keep the roof in place and the lights on - which is perfectly understandable. And the effect on the entertainment industry has been tangible, and painful. Cinema audiences are down, Blockbuster is teetering on bankruptcy and tickets for practically anything are now getting to be a hard sell.
Given this atmosphere, you'd think those most exposed to such an occupational slump would find more constructive uses for their time and talents than to play adolescent games or start mud-slinging. Not so...
At this moment, a record 84 people are chasing just 11 seats in SAG's National Board elections, which are due to close on September 18. And not only are the candidates fighting each other, it's gang warfare too: The union is divided into two warring tribes: "Membership First'" [who comprise most of the current Board,] and "Unite for Strength," which was created after the union's AFTRA-hating witch-hunt and failed contract talks.
For 27-years the two unions have lived and negotiated together, and things stayed basically peachy. Today, it's like the Hatfields and the McCoys...with great make-up.
The 'Membership First' lobby - who for easily definable reasons want the status quo [and thus their directorial power over it] to continue unchallenged - are telling members that the "Unite for Strength," team want to steal all their toys. They claim that 'Unite' wants to merge AFTRA and SAG into one union and give up any rights to get paid for work in new media.
First, it's inconceivable that anyone with an IQ above a room temperature who was employed in a profession as fundamentally unstable and ferociously competitive as acting would do something so boundlessly stupid as even offer to work in one of the most exciting acting frontiers in history, entirely for free...So that's clearly scare-mongering rhetoric.
And second, how is unity a bad idea? The two have been Siamese twins for almost three decades. As one cohesive unit they would have far more leverage when negotiating with avaricious leviathans like the AMPTP, who nearly ground them into the asphalt in their last bout in October. How is increasing your ability to defend the rights and jobs of the members you each claim to care passionately about a 'bad' idea?
Perhaps the two sides should watch this...
'Emily' is the face of what could easily become a very real threat. With a tweak in the contracts the studios could 'own' an Actor's likeness for a film and 'Emily' them if they dared show dissent. The image is amazing. The picture it paints is horrific. What do you think? - watch for yourself and add your voice to the the debate...
..........
actor, blog, blogging, carpet, celebrity, DVD, entertainment, fame, film, health, Hollywood, media, movie, series, television, video
Given this atmosphere, you'd think those most exposed to such an occupational slump would find more constructive uses for their time and talents than to play adolescent games or start mud-slinging. Not so...
At this moment, a record 84 people are chasing just 11 seats in SAG's National Board elections, which are due to close on September 18. And not only are the candidates fighting each other, it's gang warfare too: The union is divided into two warring tribes: "Membership First'" [who comprise most of the current Board,] and "Unite for Strength," which was created after the union's AFTRA-hating witch-hunt and failed contract talks.
For 27-years the two unions have lived and negotiated together, and things stayed basically peachy. Today, it's like the Hatfields and the McCoys...with great make-up.
The 'Membership First' lobby - who for easily definable reasons want the status quo [and thus their directorial power over it] to continue unchallenged - are telling members that the "Unite for Strength," team want to steal all their toys. They claim that 'Unite' wants to merge AFTRA and SAG into one union and give up any rights to get paid for work in new media.
First, it's inconceivable that anyone with an IQ above a room temperature who was employed in a profession as fundamentally unstable and ferociously competitive as acting would do something so boundlessly stupid as even offer to work in one of the most exciting acting frontiers in history, entirely for free...So that's clearly scare-mongering rhetoric.
And second, how is unity a bad idea? The two have been Siamese twins for almost three decades. As one cohesive unit they would have far more leverage when negotiating with avaricious leviathans like the AMPTP, who nearly ground them into the asphalt in their last bout in October. How is increasing your ability to defend the rights and jobs of the members you each claim to care passionately about a 'bad' idea?
Perhaps the two sides should watch this...
'Emily' is the face of what could easily become a very real threat. With a tweak in the contracts the studios could 'own' an Actor's likeness for a film and 'Emily' them if they dared show dissent. The image is amazing. The picture it paints is horrific. What do you think? - watch for yourself and add your voice to the the debate...
..........
actor, blog, blogging, carpet, celebrity, DVD, entertainment, fame, film, health, Hollywood, media, movie, series, television, video
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