I'm sure just about everyone at this point has heard of the WGA strike, and hopefully the events that led up to it. If not, here is a quick refresher. The studio heads of all major entertainment corporations (Fox, NBC (GE), Viacom, and Disney), refuse to give the writers guild a slice of the "new media" pie. New media is of course all of the ad revenue raked in from shows that are sold or streamed over the web. Currently for every $20 that is made, whether through DVD or online, about 3 cents of that goes to the writers. That's also assuming that the writer wrote that particular work by himself. Most productions have multiple writers, also known as writing teams, so go ahead a split that three cents between all of them.
For some reason, the studio heads think this is fair, and that new media is far too complex to figure out, and way to complex to pay the writers subsidies. Now anyone with a 1st grade education can see how this is unfair. Writing in the entertainment industry doesn't mean that you are rich. Unless you are a top tier screenwriter you are simply making modest money at best by Hollywood standards. What this strike represents is how out of touch the Upper Crust of American society is with the needs and wants of everyone else in this country. A simple deal could be met with WGA that would still allow both sides to make a great deal of money. However, Studio Executives are more concerned about not making the most money that THEY possibly can. All the while, the little guy suffers, and all of the TV shows, movies, and late night comedy shows that the even smaller people love (you, me, and most people) will disappear. You may not notice it now, but within a few months, many of the programs that people rely on for entertainment and escapism will disappear, many to never see the light of day again. Even worse, some of these will be replaced by garbage reality TV shows.
I know I'm ranting about TV shows, but these shows also represent jobs, livelihoods, and key outlets for the American public that keep us from losing our minds. Hopefully, for everyone, this strike is resolved pretty soon. If not, then get ready for the exiting 2008 TV season, led by shows such as My Dad can Beat up Your Dad, movies like Battlefield Earth II: Endgame, and the Oscars hosted by Wayne Brady.
