Paramount & Dreamworks Animation Open Cannes: Sacha … 
Cannes: Hot Film Titles For U.S. Buyers 
Bill Block’s QED Gets Cash Infusion From Media … 
Aaron Sorkin To Script ‘Steve Jobs,’ Based On … 
Warner Bros Tops $1B At Global Box Office 
Waterstone Enlists Chris Pine And Pals For Indie Comedy … 
Jimmy Kimmel Skewers ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox & The … 
Steve Jobs Biopic Starring Ashton Kutcher To Cannes: … 
Alexander Payne Wants Bruce Dern And Will Forte To … 
Amy Adams In Talks To Venture Into ‘Dark 
ABC’s ‘Mistresses’ Summer-Bound, … 
Alec Baldwin And James Toback Team On Cannes Docu … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: No Howard Stern Surge For ‘America’s … 
CBS Films Acquires ‘Ends Of The Earth’ At 
Student Academy Award Winners Announced 
Can Cannes Make A Major Mark On The Oscar Race Two Years In … 
Single-Camera Comedy Mayhem: ABC, NBC & Fox To Clash … 
2012-13 ABC Schedule: Comedy Block On Friday, … 
2012-13 New Series Leads: Strong Year For Black Actors, … 
Rebekah Brooks First Person To Be Charged In News Corp … 
David Yates Confirms His Exit From ‘Your Voice In My … 
I don’t mean to imply that the WGA have been angels, either. I just have fewer examples of their petty, mean-spirited and spiteful actions. For instance, there has been no WGA picketing of the moguls’ homes. But I do think that someone from the leadership should have immediately removed one striker’s picket sign which had News Corp No. 2 Peter Chernin’s home address on it for all the world (and the crazies) to see outside Raleigh Studios on November 15th. See the photo of the sign at left. That was despicable.
Bratty Big Media Moguls Are Beginning To Exact Revenge On Pro-WGA Hollywooders
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
That guy is a moron and needs to be holding a sign with the address of the public lavatory that he frequents for some Larry Craig action. Seriously. What a fop.
In regard to the writers’ behavior, I think their actions when it comes to oncoming cars is just ridiculous. Didn’t all our mothers tell us to stay out of the path of cars? But these idiots want to play chicken with cars then go running home to mommy when they get hit.
Boo fucking hoo.
OK, folks, let’s all calm down. I’m the “bratty”, “despicable”, “jerk” with “bad judgment” who wielded this sign one morning TWO MONTHS AGO!
Nikki, I’m an avid reader of your blog, but I have to take exception with your characterization of this sign as “despicable”. The address on this sign is not some private information that I secretly pulled off a Rolodex. It was listed among the addresses of ANYONE who makes a campaign contribution and is publicly available on fundrace.huffingtonpost.com and newsmeat.com, going back as far as they started recording contributors’ addresses. If you don’t believe me, go to those sites and see for yourself. If someone wants to avoid making their home address public, they’re welcome to use their office address, as many do.
This was not meant to be hurtful or despicable. I carried this sign for an LA minute two months ago, as a joke among friends on the picket line. My idea was to write your favorite mogul a holiday card–the other side of the sign said as much. And I did NOT seek out press for this sign or otherwise disseminate the information it contained–in fact, DHD is the first site to make it public.
And as for the others on this board who get the tongue-in-cheek nature of the joke, and who understand that this minor slight pales in comparison to the egregious behavior of the companies, thanks for your support and let’s all hang in there! Union power!
DBHughes, nobody’s claimed the studios are filled with people eager to commit vehicular manslaughter. Just as the faceless guy in the photo here is a jerk, so is the black SUV guy at Fox. He’s one guy. I was five feet away the other day when it happened, and I assure you, had anybody seen it coming, I would have been at another gate. I’m averse to being hit by cars, as are the other writers I know. I guess we should be flattered that you think writers are brave enough to get in the way of cars, but really, it’s not true. (Also untrue, or wildly exaggerated, are the reports that we all received warning about the SUV guy. Nobody I know had heard one.)
We’re talking about an action involving thousands of people on both sides. Not all of them walk lock-step with each other, and sure, there are enormous a-holes to be found on each side. But to suggest there’s an organized attempt by writers to be hit by cars… it’s absurd.
I agree with Ashley Gable‘s comments:
It is inaccurate to lump in the WGA when it was just one or few writer(s) being despicable.
Holding the whole membership of the WGA responsible for this one sign that appeared one afternoon two months ago –
– is like holding the AMPTP responsible for BROWN BUNNY.
I agree, except that I think all the writer’s are bratty and dispicable for striking! They gave absolutely no thought to the thousands of others who are losing out for the WGA’s selfish cause. From the barely minimum wage waiters and caterers losing out this weekend from the Golden Globe fall out to the PA’s, Writer Assistants and all the other low paid crew members, I think the WGA forgot about these people when they were worried about adding to their “average” salary of $60,000/year. These writer’s aren’t coal miners or factory workers, you know! Stop blaming the AMPTP and start looking at ways to end this NOW!!!
“Don’t fall for false equivalency syndrome, Nikki.”
Here, here.
Despicable Guy –
My mom taught me early on that bad bahavior by another doesn’t excuse my own bad behavior. I would have had more respect for you if you had just said, dumb thing to do, sorry.
good job, nikki. try to keep the balance.
That NY Times piece might as well have been written by Peter Bart. In the face of tremendous unity among writers, support among industry co-workers and really overwhelming public support (look at any poll) the Times decides to make a TREND out of one non-working writer, one guy pissed off specifically about the Globes and this Ridley guy who, while entitled to his opinion, is gaining more attention for himself as a lone dissenter than he ever did in his profession. Under any kind of objective analysis the thing crumbles to the level of gossip at best. Where is a comment from the Guild leadership? Where is a comment from a real A-list writer? Where is the comment from a show runner (so many of whom are stuck in the middle and threatened with lawsuits but STILL march every day with their fellow writers)?
It should be obvious to anyone who reads it that it is overlooking the real facts on the ground–writers are staying strong and continue to have significant support from within the industry and among the public–in order to prop up the absurd idea that support for the writers and a fair agreement is breaking apart.
I don’t know if the Times is distorting things and trying to make mountains out of molehills because of advertising (like that moron, Bart) or if the reporter just needed an angle, but either way as a piece of journalism it ranks beneath the National Enquirer.
I hope people who read you Nikki (which seems to be about the whole industry right now) appreciate you. But for your site the AMPTP party line would pass for news.
I agree with Ruby Redlips. I’ves watched plenty of cartoons, and it’s perfectly eay to get out of the way of a car that’s deliberately trying to buzzz you. You just throw back your arms, spin your legs a few times until they blur, and take off faster than a rocket ship. The fact that you were unable to get out of the way of a 2 ton SUV that was coming after you proves that it’s your fault.
And it’s understandable, because who wouldn’t want to a) get pushed by a car then b) be treated to a host of idiotic commenst by mouth breathing imbeciles. That makes a great deal of sense.
Despicable Guy,
At least you got your name right!
From where I sit, the WGA’s bratty behavior was rushing to strike and putting thousands out of work in the hope that they could get a contract done before the DGA.
Oooops.
I guess putting your ego before your common sense isn’t considered “bratty” in Hollywood…
DId Barry Meyer guilt you into to this so you would be even minded.
A fascist is a fascist. We’ve never had a good deal. We just put up with it so we would have a shot at working.
I sincerely don’t buy your premise Nikki, a few writers acting stupid doesn’t compare to The Producers attempt to break the union and hold phony negotiations as an excuse to call Force Majeur. The WGA never had a chance and you print this crap as if it’s he said she said.
>>I agree with Ruby Redlips. I’ves watched plenty of cartoons, and it’s perfectly eay to get out of the way of a car that’s deliberately trying to buzzz you. You just throw back your arms, spin your legs a few times until they blur, and take off faster than a rocket ship. The fact that you were unable to get out of the way of a 2 ton SUV that was coming after you proves that it’s your fault.<<
No, dear. You just have to STAY OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN YOU SEE A CAR ENTERING IT!
Or didn’t your momma teach you that? You probably still go to bed with the front door wide open too.
This I-got-hit-by-a-car-while-playing-chicken-with-it-boo-hoo-fest reminds me of something that happened to me about six months ago. I was backing into my driveway on a dead end street and suddenly I glance in the rear view mirror and – out of nowhere- this three year old girl is riding her tricycle between my reversing car and my driveway. I slam on the brake. Look around. Check that the girl is okay. See that her stupid father is just standing there like an idiot apparently not caring that his daughter could have been crushed or killed.
News flash for everyone – if a “two ton” SUV or car is coming at you GET OUT OF ITS WAY! It’s a vehicle that you can see a mile off. It’s not a friggin’ asteroid the size of Texas.
The WGA did not strike in November out of some idea that they could “beat the DGA.” The contract was up, and working any longer would only have helped the corporations. One business affairs type told me outright in October, “The Guild will never have more clout than it does right now — if you’re going to strike, you should do it now.”
Many donations are being made to the Industry Support Fund — I hope people are contacting the Fund if they’re in trouble.
Simply: Everyone’s pension and health funds, above and below the line all across town, will disappear over the next decade if the AMPTP gets the deal it wants.
DBHughes, quoted above:
“I also think it’s now pretty obvious the WGA picketers are not innocent in these car accidents. The Law and Order report yesterday specifically mentioned how things had been building for days; the strike captain had warned the picketers about the car; yet the picketers still found themselves in a position to be hit.”
Baby, you made me hit you. You shouldn’t make me mad like that, you get me so mad! Why do you do that to me? You walk across that crosswalk with that sign, I’m trying to get to work, bitch, and you cross that street? What did you think was gonna happen? What do you think happens when you cross the street in front of me? You brought this on yourself, baby, I had to hit you. I had to get out of my car and shove you. Don’t make me mad, baby, I hate to have to hit you like that.
Yes, when someone hits a picketer with a car and gets out and shoves the picketer, it’s quite clear the picketer is to blame. Thanks for that insight, DB!
You can almost always find evidence to argue for a trend existing – or, for the opposite trend if that’s your bias. But that unfortunate New York Times piece STILL had to really stretch to find evidence of much so-called dissent within our ranks. We are so unified it’s incredible – a source of strength we all feel. It even somehow makes our feet hurt less at the end of the day!
Really? Are people on this site really feeling sorry for Peter Chernin and worrying about his personal safety? This guy is the 30 million dollar a year henchman to the one of the most successful union busters in modern history, Rupert Murdoch. This is the guy who bragged to his pals that the AMPTP were going to walk away from negotiations 4 days before they did (as reported first on DHD).
It sure as hell is personal for all of us BTL who are out of work — it’s about time somebody made it personal for these moguls who boast about destroying our lives.
I don’t think carrying that sign is 1/10th as despicable as Fox laying off assistants a few days after the strike began. I don’t support giving out home addresses, but I say it’s time we make it personal for all these moguls.
Yeah, that’s pretty pathetic. I think sometimes writers lose site of crossing the line in real life, since they cross it all the time in their work. I know I sometimes go places I wish I wouldn’t have.