Thousands of unionized scribes who say they are not being paid fairly in the streaming era went on strike early today, bringing television production to a halt. You know what that means! All your favorite little shows and distractions will be stopping filming and production because someone, somewhere got entirely too greedy.
This is the first Hollywood walkout in 15 years, and it comes after high-stakes negotiations between a top guild and a trade association representing Hollywood’s marquee studios fell apart. The board of directors for the Writers Guild of America, which includes West Coast and East Coast branches, voted unanimously to call for a walkout and said writers face an “existential crisis.” In a statement released by the union,“The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union work force, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing.”
The last time there was a writer’s strike, we wound up with throwaway productions like the show “Cavemen” starring the guys who played Cavemen in those Geico commercials. The writers strike in 2007 was also a reason why the reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice” got greenlit, paving the way for a certain future commander in chief to step back into the spotlight. Long story short, these strikes are incredibly damaging, not just for writers, but for anyone who appreciates decent TV. It’s simple really; either pay the writers what they deserve or prepare for a future of significantly lower-quality TV.
Side Items
Illinois Windstorm: A dust storm caused dozens of vehicles to crash yesterday on a highway in southern Illinois, resulting in at least six fatalities. The powerful windstorm kicked up dangerous clouds of blinding dust off farm fields, causing numerous crashes that involved 40 to 60 cars and multiple tractor-trailers, two of which caught fire. The surrounding area is very flat, with very few trees, and its been mostly dry across the region for the last three weeks. Farmers are out tilling their fields and planting and the top layer of soil is loose, leading to dangerous whiteout situations like yesterdays
Serial Killer in Oklahoma?: Seven bodies were found on a piece of property in rural Oklahoma yesterday afternoon during a search for two teenage girls who had been reported missing and were said to have been seen with a convicted sex offender. The Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office said that none of the seven victims have been identified, and the authorities would not say whether they included the missing girls, Ivy Webster, 14, and Brittany Brewer, 16. Regardless of if they’re two of these victims, that still leaves five random dead bodies found in a concentrated area, which leads me to believe they weren’t there by accident. I’m starting to believe a killer is on the loose
Impending Economic Collapse: First Republic Bank was the most recent victim of the ongoing economic crisis. The bank was shut down this week, the third bank to be seized and sold to a larger financial institution. Lost in the details is the true magnitude of these bank failings. Combined, First Republic, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank held more in inflation-adjusted assets than all 25 of the US banks that collapsed back in 2008.