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Writer/director C. Jay Cox and Michael Medico (who heads up the blog Hot in Hollywood) are hosting “Gay Gate” at the main gate of Raleigh Studios Hollywood at 5300 Melrose Avenue today from 10 AM until 2 PM Los Angeles Times . Invited are gay and lesbian writers and actors to join at a central location for one day. They said they decided on Raleigh since the gayest show on television, Ugly Betty, is filmed there. As the invitation reads, “Let’s picket because we’re right. Let’s picket together because we’re fabulous!”
On Monday, assistants are organizing a central picket between 12 Noon until 2 PM at the Main Gate (Pico & Motor) of the Fox lot. Invited are assistants and other “below-the-line” employees (“particularly those who have been laid-off by the media conglomerates”) who support the WGA and would like to picket in unity with the writers. “For writers, this is a chance for us to celebrate the assistants and “below-the-line” employees, and to recognize them for the sacrifices they’re being forced to make as we fight for a fair deal.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
“You’re writers, why are your signs so boring?”
“You’re on STRIKE, how dare you have clever signs.”
Which one is it people?
How about this – WHY WON’T THE AMPTP NEGOTIATE AND PUT EVERYONE BACK TO WORK.
I AM SORRY IF ANYONE IS OFFENDED. I TRULY AM. I DON’T WANT ANYONE LOSING THEIR JOBS.
But I was an assistant in many capacities (no trust fund, btw) before writing and NEVER had job security. Ever.
And I would not begrudge anyone for standing up to big media for a fair deal.
Gay Gate was organized by 2 gay writers – not the whole WGA – and that’s their right.
And frankly, as much as the “real world” pretends to hate Hollywood. They LOVE THEIR STARS. They do. I don’t give a crap if SAG members use it as a photo op – at the end of the day, the issues remain the same.
As for Assistants, blt, IA being invited to walk – I have been on many pickets where several of those peeps have joined, but some were afraid they would not be welcomed. I think the wga just wanted to make the message clear – everyone is welcome b/c we want everyone back to work.
If that’s offensive to you, I’m really sorry. But turn you ire to your greedy boss who laid you off. But the wga is not your employer.
I agree that it’s making the writers look silly having these strike events. I went to the Universal gathering and I was extremely disappointed. A lot of people were just standing around, chatting, rubbing elbows with celebrities. It didn’t feel like people were out there for a fight. Chanting may seem silly, but at least it makes it look like you have some energy and some fight in you. Listlessly strolling the sidewalk with a sign in one hand and a donut in the other doesn’t make you look like you’re out fighting the good fight. I started out in support of the writers, but it’s starting to wane as I see friends getting laid off and picket lines that seem like social events.
It is TRUE, this strike was predetermined. They (WGA negotiation committee) knew this would happened but pushed it anyway. Now what? You have many people (Below-the-line) loosing their jobs all because you want more on residuals? You get residuals on both DVD and New Media now! But what are BLT peeps getting? zilch, nada! And now you ask them to come support? And the WGA calls the studios greedy… if you want something that was written by you to belong to you, then write a book! You work for the studios, therefore they own the work you provide, which you’ve gotten paid for to begin with. Will the assistants also get residuals? Will the BLT get residuals as well? Where was the WGA when the other guilds went on strike?
Nothing but greed greed greed… go pick up the pen and get back to work and think about the poor shmucks who lost thier jobs due to your greed!
yet what everyone also fails to mention is all of the fun the writers (and actors) look like they’re having in the photos and videos from the picket lines
Does the WGA have a pr machine setting up all these “specialty” days or do individuals just organize them?
It does seem a little silly with the dogs, kids, etc., but maybe that’s the only way they can think of to get in the news. Although, I don’t think any of it’s working, as most local tv news seems to not care at all (the exception is KTLA – the anchors/entertainment reporters talk about the strike daily).
It worries me that, with the holidays coming, public opinion/interest in the cause with diminish. Even on fan sites, so many tv fans are angry with the writers and completely blame them for the shows stopping production (especially on the ABC LOST forum – ouch, they are bitter over there!). They do not see that there are two sides who need to talk.
I’m with Old Writer in that we’re putting far too much emphasis on picketing – and especially on “themed” picketing.
Why not steal a beat from the anonymous email I received last night, apparently from someone who sadly has been laid off, who suggested calling both sides relentlessly to “Please end the strike”?
I’m not suggesting caving, but why not use MoveOn’s tactics, get together a list of REALLY meaningful numbers to call – the AMPTP, the executive offices of all the major studios, the home numbers of senior executives if we can get them, and work in relay teams – from home, I’ve done it that way for MoveOn in the past – and just call and call and call until we annoy the hell out of them and maybe make the point that we aren’t going away, that this issue isn’t going away, and that they’d better recognize us and come to the table with something meaningful.
The Guild could provide scripts (um, we can write, can’t we?), just as MoveOn does, to suggest what we say when we call, but we can also add our own thoughts and say it in our own way. I will happily sit at a phone and call studios, the AMPTP, Rupert Murdoch – if someone wants to give me his cell – and anyone else, to say that this issue needs to be resolved fairly.
We need to be taken very, very seriously!
THIS GETS MORE MORONIC BY THE DAY – YOU GUYS ARE EMBARRASSING YOURSELVES. I’m glad to see that you are seriously concerned about the large number of people that have lost their jobs. What’s next face painting, maybe jugglers, manis and pedis for the picketers? TALK ABOUT OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. THE ASSISTANTS THAT LOST THEIR JOB BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED SHOULD COME OUT AND SPIT ON YOU. GREEDY IDIOTS!
I personally know a couple of the people who dreamed up the Assistants Picket, and who’ve worked hard to get it organized. Can you guess what their job is? They’re assistants. They’re people who work for writers and showrunners, and have been fired… not by the writers, but by the studios. As Seth MacFarlane says, it was like something a drunken father would pull: “Look what you did, you made me so mad that I hit the kid and its your fault.”
The studios are hoping that the assistants will blame the writers for their firing. The opposite has happened. The assistants (at least these ones organizing this picket) support the writers even more solidly, largely ’cause they’re getting their own firsthand look at how capricious and petty the studios can be: with one hand, Chernin says Fox is rollin’ in dough and unharmed by the strike, and with the other hand Chernin fires people making $700 a week.
I used to be a writers’ assistant, and hoped to be a writer, and I understood that the strength of the Guild, then, would determine the value of Guild membership when I came aboard. The same is true now, of today’s generation of assistants. They recognize that the benefits we current writers win (or lose) will be the benefits that they some day will have (or won’t) when they are writers.
In many ways, this fight is for them, and for all future members of the WGA, and, indeed, for the future members of all Hollywood guilds and unions (given that the internet residual we’re fighting for today will be won [or lost] for all guilds and unions, forevermore).
Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA
its like Jr High all over again ( without the money).
Chess Club Strikers meet at Fox on Thursdays.
Math Olympic Strikers at Universal on Tuesdays
this is serious folks. if the WGA needs “events” to get out the strike, this thing is over before it begins.
Keep the faith, the DGA will begin talks in a few weeks and have a deal my Xmass.
Great idea! Let’s make Tuesday bring your maid to the strike day. Sound good?
As a reluctant strike captain who has been walking with a sign for the past two weeks (and encouraging others to do the same), I want to add something to the very thoughtful stuff Old Writer just posted.
Another reason unions picket is to put an immediately sympathetic face on their side of the fight. You see a line of autoworkers or nurses, and you get it – these people are oppressed. You see a line of writers, and it’s not so clear. Now I believe our cause is just. The problem is, it’s not immediately apparent – just look at how many people in this town who work with us every day and should understand our issues are yelling at us to get back to work. Because for all of the regular Joe working writers being cited by our leadership, the ones being interviewed are generally the ones sitting on piles of syndication and/or summer blockbuster money. Yes, yes, I know the median Guild income numbers. But that’s the problem in a nutshell: if we need to keep screaming our median income to make people sympathetic, then we’re kind of hard to rally around.
It reminds me of the NFL players’ strike – I’m sure they felt they had legitimate grievances, but all most people saw were a bunch of big, rich guys who wanted even more money to play a game.
Which is why I have been a reluctant strike captain – and, anecdotally, not the only one. I was willing to walk out on something very important to me for this strike because I believe we need to establish a legitimate formula for internet revenues and residuals. And I understand the studios are testing our resolve right now, because why should they bother coming back to the table if we might crack in the first few weeks? And I would like to think that there is something we can do to accelerate the timetable, make a fair deal and get everyone back to work. But picket parties ain’t it.
And if we’re waiting for our ‘brothers and sisters’ from other unions to join us in rising as one against The Man, we may be waiting a long time. Because when they see us on those lines, I don’t think they see themselves.
This is a really stupid idea. Isn’t the whole idea of a UNION to be UNITED?
A really, really bad idea. As was kids day. Not only bad from a PR perspective, but dangerous to have them on the line. People try to drive into us. It is no place for kids.
The gay gate is just ridiculous and disappointed me when I read it.
Celebrities day is actually fine. A way to get the message out and show that we are not alone in this. It gets quite a bit of ink, which is always necessary.
Yikes, calm down people. It was a perfectly nice picket at Raleigh today. It was nice to connect with other gay writers on the picket line and share our experiences. It’ll help keep morale up, I’d go again in a second.
WGA and AMPTP should take a cue from Local One and The League of American Theaters and Producers(They seem to take the strike more seriously) and resume talks instead of doing these stupid gimmicks.
This only furthers the proof that the writers are playing with the lives of the non-unionized individuals that are affected. The supposed “cause” will not be heard if the fourth grade potty humor insults from “adults” and themed picketing continue.
To Power Ranger and others who are bitching about “Gay Gate” and picketing being too playful: You obviously have picketed very little — if at all — in the last 11 days. Had you picketed even one four-hour shift, especially this hot week, you’d know how hard it is to walk that line day after day. Of _course_ writers are trying to make picketing more fun. Because it’s not. It sucks. And yet it’s vitally important. So writers are trying to make it bearable. How about you stop bitching and get out on the line? I’ll be at Fox at 5 a.m. See you then.
Let’s make Thursday “Wear a Funny Hat to the Strike”? I have the most adorable sombrero that I have been dying to wear out. Pass the word around to other writers, okay?
Really? For Serious?
Why would i want to go picket with the people who are responsible for me losing my job?
I’m glad WGA is having themed strike days, while the rest of us can’t afford to live anymore. Nevermind, actually GETTING IN A ROOM and resolving what needs to be resolved – that makes too much sense. Let’s have “gay day” instead. Way to have your priorities straight, Mr. Verrone.
What laid off assistant would show up to support this??
Nicely done, Dagger. Nicely done.
How about this, kids. We picket the picket line. Those that cross one picket line are labeled Picket Line Scabs and are banned from joining any other picket line. This is just silly.
If you want names, addresses and phone numbers of studios and CEOs(Moonves, Chernin, etc.) go to-
http://www.bringtvback.blogspot.com
The site provides a “script” of what to say/write when contacting the studios. Please urge the studios to get back to the table with WGA and negotiate!
It seems to me there are a lot disappointed people that should have been picketing while they were posting comments.
Is there something wrong with boosting morale at gates? I missed the memo where it said all picketing was to be morose and maudlin.
As it was my understanding on the Hot In Hollywood website, Gay Gate was a get together (not sponsored by the WGA, but a gay writer) to support the writers and producers of Ugly Betty.
Why don’t you all get your heads out of your asses and admit that what your disappointed about was the fact it was gay. Clearly you haven’t been on the picket lines or you would know how burned out people are.
And to Roscoe, if you were really offended, then ask your gay writer friends what they thought of gay gate.
FOR THOSE MAD AT WRITERS -
First, I hear you’re all pissed thinking writers are arrogant if they dare express any notion that your job depends on them…
Next, I hear you’re all pissed b/c you got laid off b/c the writers are picketing…
So, does your job depend on them or not? Just curious.
My pov is we’re all important and we all have unique models of how we make a living and I won’t poop on your right to fight for yours, so please don’t poop on mine. You don’t get residuals, but I don’t get overtime, or meal penalties and I have to do a lot of work for free to even get a job – it’s slightly different models.
And I love that some of y’all think we on the picket line are the same folk who negotiate with AMPTP. I’ll go sit at whatever table you want me to and wait for Nick Counter to show up. I kinda doubt he will…
But then I’d be criticized for being a lazy, spoiled writer for sitting behind a table and not picketing…
All I know is that when I’m doing my boring laps, the horns of the cars going by is at times deafening b/c people are so supportive. And I’m not giving up my fight for residuals and the free promotional clause b/c some folks don’t like how some in my guild, and outside my guild, choose to picket and/ or support.
THAT WILL GET NOTHING DONE.
I think there’s a sad thing in our corporate culture: so many people are worn down to the nub by the crappy treatment they get at work, so accustomed to mediocrity, that it is unnerving to see others stand up for themselves. “How dare they? Why should they get fight for fair treatment at their jobs when I don’t”
I’m really sorry if my choosing not to be a victim is offensive to you. But I’m not going back on that choice. And if you choose the same in your job, I will happily picket with you.
And if you’re a fed up writer. Go fi-core, get back to work, more power to ya. That’s your right.
PS Should I dress up in Dickensian garb when I picket? Would that seem real to you?