Recognizing the Linchpin

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“Anyone who tries to make the distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know the first thing about either.” ~ Marshall McLuhan

“Entertainment is there to improve people’s quality of life. After your basic needs, there’s entertainment.” ~ Satoru Iwata

“After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ~ Philip Pullman

Finally, the writer’s strike in Hollywood is over after nearly five months. Most of you know that my background is firmly rooted in theatre so the entertainment industry is of great interest to me. I’ve heard many a director, actor, and even show runners say, “It all begins with a good script.” So I didn’t understand why the AMPTP, the producer’s union, let the strike drag on so long. It’s like they didn’t understand that the whole entertainment industry would collapse, like the flag pole in Captain America: First Avenger when Steve Rogers pulled the linchpin out so he could get the flag for a ride back to base with Agent Carter. It’s like they couldn’t see that writers are the linchpin to the entire entertainment industry. Without a script, there is nothing to produce. Without writers, everyone in the industry is out of work. That would be a huge blow to economy of the entire country. 

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the negotiations, but I do know that some of the WGA’s demands had to do with residual payments from streaming services, which they (and the actors) were not getting now. Residual payments are paid to the actors, writers, and maybe even directors and other crew when an episode of their show airs in reruns. But that model has changed now that cable and satellite services are dying. 

The strike also had something to do with the threat of producers using AI to replace writers, as well as how many writers could be hired for a particular show. These types of negotiations make my head spin. I did read one news article, though, that made me pause. If the article was right, producers were making millions of dollars for every show they created and/or produced, while the writers, and the rest of the industry’s many workers were barely scraping by. If that’s true it isn’t fair. Spreading some of that money around so that everyone makes a living wage, would in my opinion, strengthen the entire industry. 

Presumably the SAG-AFTRA strike will soon end as well. Every once in a while industries change and new business models must be created. This isn’t the first time the entertainment industry has had to make adjustments to the way they produce movies and TV. It won’t be the last.

Remember, I’m an outsider looking at what’s been going on from a distance. I don’t know much about how many unions there are in the industry. But I do recognize the business model where the people at the top make the most money, even though they wouldn’t have that wealth without the hard work of the people they manage. I’m always happy when I see more equitable business models cropping up around the world. We all work hard, we all deserve to be paid well for the work we do.

That’s my thought for the day. I may be back next week or not. I’m still creating the Story-Power YouTube videos, so we’ll see if I have anything pressing I want to write about next week.

Thanks for following, commenting, and liking. 

Blessings,

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2023

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