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TV and film producer (and ex-agent and manager) Gavin Polone is again drawing attention to himself by making anti-WGA comments on TV while the rest of his ilk stay strategically silent. This time, he’s appeared on CNBC’s Fast Money in a segment called “Trading The Hollywood Strike” warning the writers, “You can’t push around Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch.” But not before urging CNBC listeners to buy media stocks Viacom and CBS. He says WGA support is eroding, thinks the guild doesn’t have much leverage, and believes the writers should take the new AMPTP offer. The last time he did this, a lynch mob of scribes formed. (Well, almost.) “Can’t wait to receive the love from you and your acolytes when it is over,” Gavin emailed me before the segment.
UPDATE: Polone explains himself. ”The reason I’m saying all of this stuff in public, and putting my name to it, is because I think the WGA is mishandling this situation and I do not believe enough members are truly considering much of anything other than what they hear from other members or the leadership. Some do but they are too fearful of being censured by their comrades to speak up. I know this because they send me confidential emails saying so.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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what a strange phenomenon this strike has become. a couple of observations.
1. If you don’t agree with the strike you are employed by the AMPTP. (BTL people need to make money somewhere)
2. The AMPTP forced the writers to strike. (Kinda like Saddam made the US attack iraq)
3. Writers don’t know how to get out of the way of moving vehicles. (Maybe they should get someone to watch them on iChat and tell them when to move)
4. You aren’t greedy for wanting more money. (You are only greedy if you don’t want to pay your “nongreedy” employees more money)
5. It is smart to negotiate for a cut of a business model that hasn’t evolved yet. (Writers got screwed over DVD and VHS cuz they didn’t know what it was really going to be worth in the future, and they are repeating their same mistake with internet media. But its OK cuz at least they will get something)
6. Its OK to be a hypocrite during a strike.
wow, that polone guy is really unattractive
Gavin Palone is so boring and desperate and OVER. I feel sad for his pathetic, uninformed displays for attention (FUNDED BY THE STUDIO – NO DOUBT). He just makes me want to walk the line five days instead of four, eight hours instead of three.
Santa, bring me a new pair of walking shoes!
how embarrassing that this dude is obsessing about what a bunch of comments on a website will say about him as he steps on to national tv about a major international business issue
a mogul he is not
is this the best face the amptp could dig up from the crypt to rally for its cause?
yikes.
Mr. Polone is reinforcing the basic fact that words are, indeed, very powerful tools in the right hands.
And in the wrong hands, they can prove to be a millstone of unconscionable weight, even when preaching a sermon to the choir.
pb
NOTE FROM NIKKI: THIS RESPONSE IS FROM GAVIN POLONE
Indieprod,
You seem very confident in how you think others should act, yet you lack the confidence to sign your name to your thoughts? What scares you? Haven’t you read above that I am washed up? Maybe you would not be a “dying breed” if more like you stood up and said “this is who I am and this is how I feel.” Maybe you can foment change. It is difficult for others to assign credibility to the thoughts of those who don’t show enough confidence to stand next to what they say.
The reason I’m saying all of this stuff in public, and putting my name to it, is because I think the WGA is mishandling this situation and I do not believe enough members are truly considering much of anything other than what they hear from other members or the leadership. Some do but they are too fearful of being censured by their comrades to speak up. I know this because they send me confidential emails saying so.
The one thing the WGA leaders have done well is intimidate those who disagree with them. Surely, I’m not the only one who noticed in the WGA’s update of 11/29 that they first say “Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us. It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback,” and then, in the same memo, went on to crow, “Any movement on the part of these multinational conglomerates has been the result of the collective action of our membership, with the support of SAG, other unions, supportive politicians, and the general public.” So they are saying that the only movement has been backward and it is, heroically, on account of their strategy and action. Yet nobody stands up and questions anything. Well, maybe John Ridley, and good for him.
And still, many, many people are out of work. Not rich writers but people who live hand-to-mouth and are worrying about their mortgages. People who have never received a residual in their lives. Why? Why? Why? I’ll tell you why: because Patrick Verone and David Young are the George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld of the WGA.
Gavin who? This guy was relevant five or ten years ago but now he’s gone blabbermouth in order to try and keep his profile up….sad, really.
Polone not only represents Conan, who has given ZERO support to the writers, but also Larry David, who buys most of the story ideas for Curb from other WGA writers but NEVER gives them story credit.
Polone says WGA support is eroding, but I haven’t seen it. I’ve been on the line every day and I can’t believe how united we are. People are willing to strike for a year if need be. Everyone knows what’s at stake, and we’ll do what we have to do to get what we deserve.
I’d like to think Conan is a better guy than that. But if Conan crosses, we will picket his ass in New York. Every day. A lot of SAG guests will not cross that line.
Striking East coast writer.
I’m in your head
From Wikipedia:
In the spring of 1996 UTA dismissed partner and television department head Gavin Polone, after an agent accused him of sexual harassment and threatened to go public if she was not released from her contract. Polone immediately threatened legal action, and UTA soon issued a public apology and agreed to buy out his contract. He was one of the firm’s most powerful agents, and his departure cost UTA Seinfeld’s Larry David, among others. A year later the agency sued Polone, alleging that he was guilty of defrauding clients, sexual misconduct, and other unethical behavior.
re: Gavin & Conan -
I can assure you, with absolute certainty, that Gavin has nearly zero involvement w/ Conan at this point in their respective careers and his comments aren’t agenda driven.
What kind of awful childhood must Gavin Polone have had? Every day I feel blessed to have parents who love me, especially when you see what happens to people whose parents did not. I feel sorry for Gavin, I really do.
The last few site posts have dealt with NBC’s desperate shenanigans.
We honestly cannot remember the last time we viewed anything “on NBC.” If NBC disappeared from “the dial,” we wouldn’t even notice.
Well he’s richer than I’ll ever be so he must be right.
Here’s an interesting alternative perspective:
Gavin is a self-interested person losing income because of the strike. He wants the strike to end, which can happen if the writers accept a shit deal. The End.
If Gavin Polone didn’t exist, Ricky Gervais would have to create him. Polone comes across as a real-life version of David Brent. They’re both pathetic, selfish, puffed-up characters. Both make me laugh, but only one does so intentionally.
@Strike, Schmike who said: “Let’s be honest, no matter what a writers’ convictions are, no one will not take his phone call if he wants to do business with them.”
only new writers or has-been writers will take polone’s call
writers in demand, or fast on the rise, will NOT work with polone – part of it is his writer-hatred, but part of it is also that he’s pathetic and ineffective
“If Gavin Polone didn’t exist, Ricky Gervais would have to create him.”
Oh crap, I almost squirted my nice drink of cold milk out my nose on that visual image…
And that burns y’know.
Thanks for the laugh. And the revealing the power of mere words when correctly applied to the funny bone…
pb
I tried to post this earlier, but it didn’t get through. I’m going to try one more time. Just for the sake of balance on this issue. Here goes…
Oh my god, I may be Gavin Palone! I don’t WANT to agree with what he’s said, but I feel that in the real business world, he’s right. So then, the writers can stick it out, or cave. Whatever you want. But don’t jump on him for speaking the reality of the situation. You can put your fingers in your ears and sing the National Anthem and pretend he’s ignorant or anti-WGA or you can acknowledge that he is very savvy, experienced and has a wealth of experience with all the sides involved and therefore is much better equipped to evaluate the situation. So now just figure our what your next step is. I don’t think it is wrong for the writers to fight for what they deserve. But at least know what you are fighting against. You should thank him, not crucify him. He’s arming you with the information that you need to wage your war. You’re not going to win anything with your heads buried in the sand. I’m sure this post will make you all sick. And you probably think that I am a “troll” or a “schill” which I am not. And now in resoponse to his response – he is also right about your leadership. It sucks. They should have been able to get you a much better FIRST offer. But nobody did the research, nobody did their due dilligence in any are of how this strike would play out. The Bush/Rumsfeld analogy is perfect.
No, he doesn’t have 30 pilots this year. But he is far from washed up. That’s just another way to comfort yourself against what you don’t want to hear. And MANY writers respect and like him. Many don’t. That’s status quo for the job(s) that he does. Tons of writers hate Ari, but they’d kill to be rep’d by him.
And to further prove how right he is – I’m not using my real name. I’m too afraid of how ugly the writers have become towards each other and every one else after only ONE MONTH of striking.
Don’t give up, but demand better leadership and get your stats together. You can start with one of Nikki’s posts today. That’s the kind of information good leadership has going INTO a negotiation. And they could have put your dues towards getting it, instead of whatever it was that they weren’t getting for you.
ok, polone really is a mental case trolling this site
ooh, how convenient that his defense is shadowy “confidential” e-mails, just like variety’s “stories” are only supported by “anonymous sources”
these e-mails do not exist. we know for a fact.
it is a routine ploy for those with no valid argument to divert attention away and on to irrelevant issues, i.e. how people sign their comments
it is irrelevant, except for one point: some people are employed by companies and as he knows have specific language in their contract governing how they represent their employer in public – a contractual term he violated and got fired by uta for, and nearly sued for. the only reason uta initially “apologized” was because polone was going to divulge company info via public litigation, but uta later retracted the apology.
he’s trying to become relevant again by shilling for amptp but he’s helping you writers because he’s such a buffoon
Polone said:
And still, many, many people are out of work. Not rich writers but people who live hand-to-mouth and are worrying about their mortgages. People who have never received a residual in their lives. Why? Why? Why? I’ll tell you why: because Patrick Verone and David Young are the George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld of the WGA.
Okay, I knew Polone was a jerk, but I never knew he was stupid before. And like he gives a crap about poor people. Ha! But my favorite part is his theory that the highest ethical standard known to man is signing one’s name to one’s post. Yeah, sign your name and that forgives all the accusations of sexual harrassment, income tax evasion, and on and on and on.
Dude — you are only about to BEGIN to understand the meaning of the word Pariah.
I vow to not ever take a dime from this prick.
Jennifer Glickman
WGA since 1995
Dear Showrunner,
Is that your given name? You just proved a point for him. If you are that powerful, give your real name. You are obviously in demand and/or fast-on-the rise so what are you afraid of? That is not a facetious question. I am serious. What are you afraid of? I just don’t understand. If you are proud of your cause, show it. It gives you more power and clout. I know you are not a showrunner I ever worked for recently, because they would not have been afraid to use their name if they made such a strong statement. But I ‘ll assume if you really are a showrunner, you’re a showrunner I’ll never work for now…
And like me, or hate me, everyone, but I hope you’ll at least respect me for using MY real name because it can potentially cause me a lot of damage since I rely on you for my jobs.
And for the record, I support the writers. But I also agree with the fact that there has been some bad leadership in your guild, and that if you want to look united and strong you need to throw your names behind your words. You do it on all your scripts. Now come out from behind your computers and do it in your posts. Show the AMPTP and everyone else you’re not afraid. Fear is deadly in negotiations.
If my post gets posted, I may have decreased my hirability, but maybe my Starmeter will go up a little!
See, you have to look at the bright side during strikes…