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UPDATES WGAw Prez Candidate John Wells Writes Rebuttal To Verrone/Bowman
UPDATES Message From Verrone & Bowman Disputing Wells' Campaign Claims
The following joint John Wells-John Bowman statement was read by John Wells and John Bowman last week at the Writers Guild while I was otherwise engaged:
John Wells: One of the great achievements of the strike and of Guild leadership during the strike was that we began and ended with a united Guild. I think I can speak for all of the candidates you’ll be hearing from tonight when I say we’re all committed to carrying that unity forward.
John Bowman: Of course we knew that John was talking to member of the DGA. I asked him to. But we thought his talks with members of the DGA were limited to A, B, and C. We did not know he would be talking to them about A, B, C, and D … with “D” being the agreement John made to endorse the deal if they were able to reach certain thresholds. Having talked to John about this in the past few days, I understand that he believes he had communicated this to us and to members of the Negotiating Committee. And I believe he acted in what he thought was the best interest of the guild. John and I may disagree as to whether or not that part of his talks was a good thing. But he is still my friend, I still like and respect him, and I hope everyone else can accept that this is an honest misunderstanding between friends that we hope is now behind us.
John Wells: I agree with John’s statement of the facts. He and Patric were well aware that I was talking to members of the DGA … I understand now that we have differing interpretations as to what my mandate was and I appreciate John’s affirmation of my good intentions. I too have nothing but friendship and respect for him and Patric. They have both provided extraordinary service to the Guild and I sincerely hope they will continue to for many years in the future. We have all been through too much together to let one misunderstanding get in the way of that, and I would ask all of those on both sides who have entered into this fray to lay down your weapons – there are no villains here – there are just writers who care passionately about the Guild. It’s time to lower the temperature, accept that each side made mistakes, but each side was honest, and for the good of the Guild we all need to let this go.
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Ooooo… It’s in color. I like it.
I still don’t trust John Wells, but the color is kinda cool.
So Bowman’s “We had no idea Wells was talking to the DGA” becomes “We pretty much knew everything about it.” I’d say Wells wins this one pretty handily.
I don’t like the color.
John Wells acts in the best interest of John Wells.
And he cares passionately. About John Wells.
Verrone and Bowman state this: “We can state unequivocally that neither one of us had any idea he was working with the Directors Guild.”
And then Bowman states this: “Of course we knew that John was talking to member of the DGA. I asked him to.”
And you, OurManInHollywood, don’t trust Wells.
Tools don’t sharpen themselves either. You, sir, are a very dull blade.
anyone with half a brain can read between the lines. They thought Wells was going to talk to the DGA and try to mend fences. Instead he made a deal, on his own, and used his power and influence to end the strike. Stop fucking acting like you don’t know this is exactly what happened, Greg. The WGA came very close to splintering and everyone knows it. And now you idiots want to broadcast that to the world. You probably haven’t made a living as a writer in at least 10 years so it doesn’t matter to you anyway. But stop with the phony outrage about “lies” until you’re ready to come clean about who and what you are.
The guild is already split. Acting like it isn’t is foolish.
Oh, and Wells is a producer first who only cares about Wells.
I’m now convinced the WGA are being asked to choose between the lesser of two weasels.
I don’t trust Wells either, although he sure can make good TV.
But while he was last President of the WGA, was when the boom in Reality TV took place. Those shows all have writers, many are game shows (which have always had Guild coverage), and yet Wells did nothing as these shows became the mainstay of the TV schedule with non-union writers. Without having to pay Guild minimums, these shows are cheaper to produce — leaving to their explosion on the schedule and leaving Guild members who writer more traditional shows (comedies and dramas) without work. Wells as WGA president did nothing to stop this. Because he’s more of a producer than a writer and possibly even liked the idea of getting shows made cheaper. (And lets not even begin to think about how completely screwed the writers of reality shows are — no health benefits, no overtime, no money towards their pension, no credit for their work, and on and on.)
What Wells did do during this same period is try to get writers working for him to work cheaper — despite their signed contracts. Those would be the writers working for him on “West Wing” who he forced to take lower pay — and made sure to only tell them about this once staffing season was over so they couldn’t find work elsewhere if they didn’t like it.
Read about it yourself…
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/26/arts/26WEST.html
During the strike itself, Mr. Wells directed episodes of TV. This helped the studios had more material and thus on some level made it easier for them to extend the strike without fear of not having programs. Other WGA members did not do this (most memorably, Shawn Ryan did not direct the finale of his beloved creation, “The Shield”, no matter how much he wanted to as it was his baby.)
Mr. Wells is a smart guy, he’s made good TV shows, but not sure I trust him as a leader of a writers union.
Frankie Raye:
That old NYT story on Wells has been explained and discredited many, many times already. The fact you are bringing it up again shows how out of touch you are with, not only the discussion about Wells’ credibility, but also with the reality of how the business works.
To writers who heard both Wells and Davis speak at Meet the Candidates Night, (as I did) the reasons why Wells should be WGA president are obvious.
I don’t trust any of them. But, I trust Wells the least.
“Working with” and “talking to” aren’t exactly the same thing.
How ironic John Wells is making a movie now called “Company Men” about a corporation’s downsizing in which the main concerns of the laid off protagonists are that one guy has to sell his Porsche and give up the country club and vacations in the Hamptons, and another commits suicide because he can’t afford to send his daughter to Italy for a month.
That’s some real understanding of the rank and file, there. Again, he wants to be the president of a union, but even in his own filmmaking his sympathies are with downsized management. Ooh, my Porsche. Ooh, Italy. Ooh, the Hamptons. (Vomit.)
The two Johns getting along is soooo sweet. I still wouldn’t piss on Wells if he were on fire… Well, unless I was pissing gasoline, that is. Wells has proven over and over and over again exactly who he is, and he’s no advocate of writers. So, no, I won’t vote for John Wells.
I don’t understand what it was you expected Wells to “do” to stop the studios from producing game shows or reality shows. A) it’s not illegal B) if your answer is “organize!” I’d point to how generally unsuccesful that effort has been under Verrone – despite his crowing about it the Guild has spent a lot of $$ and accomplished little.
I have great respect for both sides of this debate – Wells and the Verrone camp. What I do not have any respect for is this bizarre class warfare that has erupted over this divide. It’s childish and counter productive, and in the midst of what everyone seems to trumpet as “unity” the Guild seems more divided to me than at any time in my 12 years as a member. To say Wells has no understanding of the rank and file because he’s producing a movie that happens to be about rich people is beyond infantile – it is purposefully divisive and misleading. Because Peter Jackson did LOTR, does that mean that he only relates to elves and dwarves? Grow up. Vote your conscience, whatever that may be. I for one can live with either outcome and be pretty confident the sky isn’t going to fall. But please stop attacking one another on these boards. All you are doing is broadcasting a giant split in our much vaunted unity for everyone to see – and the AMPTP is definitely paying attention.
Discussing the issue of class (in a union election? — uh, unions are all about class warfare, bub!) and Wells’ understanding of or ability to relate to or even propensity to relate to, yes, the rank and file WGA of which I too am a member is neither bizarre, childish, infantile, misleading nor counter-productive. He isn’t just producing a movie that happens to be about rich people — he has written an original screenplay of his own genesis (which I have read) and is producing and directing this project that boils corporate downsizing down to the troubles of high paid management who have to give up luxury cars and traveling to Europe. Someone who feels this is the crux of a difficult economy is not who I want negotiating for me and the hundreds and thousands of other writers who consider necessities important, like a stronger MBA where miniscule raises for things like DVDs and New Media will in the future mean somebody’s rent getting paid, not their Porsche being repo’d.
Furthermore, I didn’t “attack” anyone on these boards, you did. The nature of this election, following a harrowing strike, is inherently “divisive” and to expect anything less is perhaps what is slightly infantile. If you are so concerned about not broadcasting a “split in our much vaunted unity” to AMPTP, and you are so fed up with (I’m assuming) the election and campaigning surrounding it, why are you reading these boards and posting comments to them in the first place?
You can’t be a writer……….can you? Well, if you are you must have written for Fantasy Island.
Because reading you’re post I would assume we have to vet every candidates writing portfolio to make sure that they have written only politically correct stories.
Shouldn’t you post your writing portfolio so we can verify your credentials to comment?
@VoteforElias: You don’t make your side look competent or even rational when you criticize John Wells for a story he is telling in a movie. But then again, I suppose Elias is an effete, arrogant, psychotherapist because he wrote on Frasier.
Every time I’m about to vote Elias and send in the ballot, one of you putzes has to make a comment that makes me think twice.
@Vote For Elias –
I’m with “m.” Every time you open your mouth, your side loses another few votes. And btw, I’m not on “the other side.” I haven’t voted yet and I genuinely do like and respect pretty much everyone on both sides. I could very well end up voting for Elias. But if I don’t – it will likely be because I’m wary that someone like you will end up in a position of influence. So keep talking – because you clearly love the sound of your own voice. But if you really want to work for a better guild -stop spreading animosity and try contributing something positive for a change.
@VoteforElias –
I’m starting to think you are John Wells writing under a pseudonym. Like @FedUp, I haven’t voted yet, but frankly, your comments are so spiteful and moronic that every time I read one I am that much further removed from voting for your candidate.
How dare you call yourself a writer and then excoriate someone for an original screenplay they’ve written. First of all, he is a STORYTELLER — there is no more evidence that he thinks this is the “crux” of a difficult economy than Cameron Crowe thinks agents are good people.
But I mean, thank God Scott Frank isn’t running again — he wrote and directed an original screenplay about a bank robber; gawsh, how can he protect us against management when his sympathy is with a bank?
If you want to convince me, take apart the Wells 2001 MBA. I’ve been impressed by how his side has revealed the massive negotiating failures that took place during the Strike; that is a substantive argument. Was the WU MBA better or worse than the Wells? Answer that question instead of hiding behind bogus vitriol that doesn’t just demean you as a union member, but as a writer as well.