Malone

What's with this bullshit? Come on, if you're a writer, and you're getting paid, there's nothing to strike about. How spoiled are these assholes? I'm sure someone can argue about how hard they work, but don't we all?
How do I become a scab?

I saw they're going to make three Family Guy episodes without MacFarlane. He's like half the voices on the show, so that will be interesting to see how it turns out.

WriterDude

I think it's about the royalties. If they write damn thing and don't get royalties, why write in the first place? Besides, maybe this means we can finally get something interesting to watch for a change. The two biggest series right now I should be interesting in is Lost and Heroes, and I hate both. What else is there? Desperate housewives? Grey's Anatomy? Yeah, right. I love Supernatural, but that's about it. Everything else sucks.

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Hebi

how can it be family guy, without Seth Mcfarlane? i haven't actually looked at the news and stuff about this, i haven't really had time to do so, but a sub group for an anime i follow has stopped subbing that anime, because of this, i really don't get why though, they don't write it, they translate the script and add sub titles to the RAW video.

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Malone

I think it's about MORE royalties, if I understand it correctly. Always Sunny in Philadelphia is brilliant at times, especially the first two season. The third just ended, and most of those episodes had me laughing hysterically. The American version of The Office is pretty good too, and 30 Rock at times.
My favorite show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, is improv, so I don't know if that counts or not. So's Reno 911, another favorite.

"How can it be Family Guy without Seth Macfarlane?" Exactly.
This season of family guy has pretty much sucked, though, so no great loss. They jumped the shark with that Star Wars shit.

ClancyBoy

So am I reading this correctly? Looks like a good opportunity for some non-syndicated (scab) writers.

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"Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons wait for you down there. Little pets they are, little little little pets. Cute little things, they say. Don't you believe it. No man ever saw them and walked away alive. You won't either. That's the final dash, flash. That's the utter clobber, cobber." --Cordwainer Smith, Norstrillia.

Truth-Teller

Take the time to research, before you spout your opinion:

Writer's Blog: So What's This Strike Thing All About?

Rumrunner

Probably not. The issue is that, being signatory to the WGA contract, the studios essentially agree not to hire writers who aren't WGA members. It's a union-type system. Now, since the WGA is already on strike, you wouldn't think that would be such a big deal to breach. But, the negotiations and strike are being used as a bellweather by the other Guilds, in particular the DGA and SAG, whose contracts also expire shortly (not sure when the PGA contract expires). And while they're not necessarily directly backing the writers, if the studios trample the premise of Guild-signatory status, it's going to look bad to the other Guilds, who could play hardball as well.

At any rate, I think the writers are in the right on this (no pun intended). The DVD-royalties system sucks. What this fight is really about, is the studio's desire to extent that much-hated system to new-media distribution channels rather than devising a new, more equitable system. The writers are already the least-well-paid A-T-L talent in Hollywood; it seems reasonable to me that they don't want to get screwed over again. And lets face it, without writers, there would be no TV or film production. Period. (Except for "reality" TV - though even that is partially scripted - and God defend us from the day that's all there is on TV)

And considering the last time they went on strike was '88, if you compare that to a lot of unions and industries (auto-workers, teamsters, etc) they're pretty damn infrequent about it.

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"But as he gazed on truth his aching eyes grew dim...."
-- Byron, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto the First

Malone

Yeah, so they get paid. And now they want more. Seems like what I said. I don't really care how much they get paid, they get paid.

Spout. Spout. Spout.

Truth-Teller

Malone, let's say you sold your short story to a particular magazine, and they payed you a healthy sum.

Would it be right for them to re-publish your short story in their anthology, without your consent--and without paying you, again?

Rumrunner

The other issue is, many of them don't work, at least not very often. It's pretty much a freelance job when you think about it; even for Staff Writers, the shows don't run forever, and there's little enough work around that it's bloody hard to find more when the network decides a show is done.

They have to make their cash up front, and manage it through some pretty prolonged droughts. The royalties are their pension plans, and often all that keep them going through dry spells.

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"But as he gazed on truth his aching eyes grew dim...."
-- Byron, from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto the First

Kane

So, they get 4 cents every time their show is on TV... now, is that per television set the show is on? It must be, or else they'd be getting paid 40 cents for a 10 show season.

Truth-Teller

4 cent?

Bwahahhahahahhaa... pitiful.

This is why you become fiction writer. You can make as much money, if not more.

Malone

I currently get paid zero, so I'd be happy with a healthy sum. Maybe if I ever start making money or become successful, I'll worry more about residuals and shit. Four cents sounds like a start. Anyone who disagrees, I can set up a PayPal account for donations...

Truth-Teller

Yes, but do you know how much actors and directors get paid? Actors and directors who act/direct worse than the writers of their script?

Malone

Yeah, it's a valid point, I won't argue that. It's just my perspective at this moment in time, as someone who lives in a shack. I can always see both sides of the argument, on this one I'm just being an ass and taking the unpopular side.
I think actors are such jokes it's almost not worth discussing. The best thing I've ever heard about that profession is Ian...whatever, Gandalf's discussion with Ricky Gervais on Extras. He really skewers himself and all the others.