As the weeks went on, my lack of sympathy became resentment. For one, the strike ruined The Oscars, forcing everyone to improvise the ceremony. And two, the quality of shows on TV had dropped in my eyes, with even TV comedians being strained for jokes. The strike was ruining everything, and when it was over, I felt anger over my time being wasted. It seemed like it was a game by the union in sheer spite.
In hindsight, I realize how naïve I was. But I mention this because, 16 years later, The WGA’s on strike again. This time, having been part of a union, I appreciate the severity. And this time, I’m in full-support. I’m not coming from a place of ignorance anymore.
I could discuss the “mumbo-jumbo” of the strike, and why The WGA felt it necessary, but I’m not an expert, and I doubt it’s worth bogging you down with details. Anything I could say has already been accurately summed-up by The WGA. All I’ll mention is that it’s about being treated fairly by executives, which includes proper pay. If you want to know the rest, click here. You won’t be disappointed.
My problem’s more about the people online. Because while most are supportive of the strikers, there’ve been some real turn-offs too. It seems many individuals either don’t understand Hollywood screenwriting, or don’t care. And given how that’s manifested in the discussion, I can’t keep silent.
Let’s start with the obvious: that the strike doesn’t make sense. There’ve been people arguing that “the strikers are being treated well as is”. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Strikes normally don’t happen unless a union body’s dissatisfied. Keep in mind that corporations generally care about the bottom-line, and that many adopt the mindset of “bigger profits and cheaper production costs”. Factor in that the federal minimum wage in The US hasn’t kept up with the cost of living, which extends to non-minimum wage employee salaries too, and you can see why this is fallacious.
Moving on, there’s the claim that The WGA is “greedy” and “pulling all the strings to make us suffer”. This too is fallacious. But it’s also incredibly-dishonest. Writers don’t “pull all the strings”, they barely pull any strings. They have little say on film production outside of writing scripts, a process that’s subject to additional treatments and revisions. Screenwriters, like most writers, are freelancers. Writing’s hard enough without being accused of intentional sabotage...
Let’s start with the obvious: that the strike doesn’t make sense. There’ve been people arguing that “the strikers are being treated well as is”. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Strikes normally don’t happen unless a union body’s dissatisfied. Keep in mind that corporations generally care about the bottom-line, and that many adopt the mindset of “bigger profits and cheaper production costs”. Factor in that the federal minimum wage in The US hasn’t kept up with the cost of living, which extends to non-minimum wage employee salaries too, and you can see why this is fallacious.
Moving on, there’s the claim that The WGA is “greedy” and “pulling all the strings to make us suffer”. This too is fallacious. But it’s also incredibly-dishonest. Writers don’t “pull all the strings”, they barely pull any strings. They have little say on film production outside of writing scripts, a process that’s subject to additional treatments and revisions. Screenwriters, like most writers, are freelancers. Writing’s hard enough without being accused of intentional sabotage...
Then there’s the claim that screenwriters are “lazy hacks”. This in particular has made the rounds following reports that executives are mulling using AI to circumvent human writers, all at a fraction of the cost. Honestly, this is a terrible idea. AI routinely gets accused of stealing from actual humans and blending their ideas into ugly simulations of reality. Besides, AI can’t even get human appendages right, what makes you think they’d tackle storytelling?
The issue I have here is that it assumes no thought goes into writing stories. Because that’s not true. Plenty of writers in Hollywood aren’t good at their jobs, but they’re still being paid. There are also expectations demanded of Hollywood screenplays, good or bad, and they require thought. Bad screenplays still have the human touch, something AI can’t replicate (yet).
But the biggest, most-confounding claim, and one that angers me, is how screenwriters are “being insensitive” by striking because “they’re robbing people of entertainment”. Firstly, this isn’t true. There’s plenty of backlog that people haven’t seen from the over-100 years Hollywood’s existed. Some of it hasn’t even been released, while others may not ever see the light of day. If you’re telling me you’ve seen every movie and watched every show in existence, you’re lying. Not even I’ve done that.
The issue I have here is that it assumes no thought goes into writing stories. Because that’s not true. Plenty of writers in Hollywood aren’t good at their jobs, but they’re still being paid. There are also expectations demanded of Hollywood screenplays, good or bad, and they require thought. Bad screenplays still have the human touch, something AI can’t replicate (yet).
But the biggest, most-confounding claim, and one that angers me, is how screenwriters are “being insensitive” by striking because “they’re robbing people of entertainment”. Firstly, this isn’t true. There’s plenty of backlog that people haven’t seen from the over-100 years Hollywood’s existed. Some of it hasn’t even been released, while others may not ever see the light of day. If you’re telling me you’ve seen every movie and watched every show in existence, you’re lying. Not even I’ve done that.
And secondly, so what?! You think exploiting Hollywood screenwriters for your own enjoyment is good? People don’t owe you their blood, sweat and tears! Screenwriters deserve lives, and acting like they don’t is selfish and short-sighted. You can live for a while without a new story. Think about others for a change.
This all circles back to how entitled we’ve become about storytelling. Yes, Hollywood has problems. Predators run wild, studios over-milk tried-and-true ideas, and big corporations manipulate theatres and TV networks. Even visual effects artists are being exploited nowadays, which is why I expect them to strike soon too! The business is really shady behind closed doors.
At the same time, it’s also nuanced. For every big name, there are dozens of average Joes getting by. Screenwriters comprise a significant number of them, and ignoring their desires to have lives because you’re being inconvenienced helps no one and harms many. Do better.
This all circles back to how entitled we’ve become about storytelling. Yes, Hollywood has problems. Predators run wild, studios over-milk tried-and-true ideas, and big corporations manipulate theatres and TV networks. Even visual effects artists are being exploited nowadays, which is why I expect them to strike soon too! The business is really shady behind closed doors.
At the same time, it’s also nuanced. For every big name, there are dozens of average Joes getting by. Screenwriters comprise a significant number of them, and ignoring their desires to have lives because you’re being inconvenienced helps no one and harms many. Do better.
That doesn’t mean I don’t understand some of the frustration. I do. Like what happened in 2007, I dread the possibility of content in theatres and on TV deteriorating as the strike continues. But if that’s the worst-case scenario, I’ll live. Because if The WGA gets the respect it deserves long-term, then it’s something I’m willing to put up with. I only hope others will see the light and understand that.
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