Writer's Strike

As I'm sure most of the world knows, the Hollywood writers are on strike. And it is for good reason. They get no money for virtually any web content. So every time someone downloads an episode instead of buying a DVD, everyone involved except the studio itself is out of luck. And many of these people don't make all that much money. Especially when you consider they are often not permanently employed and may go through months without work when the payment from DVD sales gets them by.

The last writer's strike was in 1988 and lasted 22 weeks. Yikes!

The Office only has two finished shows left. So two weeks from now could possibly be the last Office of the season. This show is apparently one of the first ones that shut down production and will be going off the air. Why? Steve Carrell won't cross the picket lines. He is, after all, a writer himself. As are the characters Toby, Ryan, and Mindy. And Cousin Mose. So even though there are some more completed scripts, they can't be filmed.

What does this mean for you, the viewer?

Apparently more reality TV. The kind that only needs editors, not writers. Now I confess to watching Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor on a fairly regular basis (will someone please kill my TV?), but they are nothing compared to The Office. And as much as I was complaining about how it isn't that good this season, this week's was really good. And I watched it on the internet. Along with the Target ads that I'd already seen at work several times. So probably someone should get some of that ad money besides the studio. Like maybe the writers and actors.

The show's writers recommend you write a letter to Jeff Zuckerman in support of the writers and the show. I probably won't do it, just because really, I would probably be better off without TV. And I am lazy.

But I just thought I could throw some blog support the writers' way. We gotta stick together. Not that I consider myself a writer or anything.