Emergency averted

Tom muses on the writer's strike:

We're now ten weeks in, and I have to say that I don't think things look very good for the writer's strike. The late night shows are back on the air and beardier than ever. The country is contemplating a canceled Oscar season, and is not happy about it. We had an understanding: citizens will be subjected to Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and jokes written by Bruce Vilanch for one (1) six hour period per annum. It's like tossing a virgin into the volcano — a nasty business to be sure, but better than the alternative. With the telecast canceled, who knows where that banality will erupt?

I suspect--a presidential debate. Possibly the one I watched last night.

Comments

You know, if the Writers' Strike means no Oscars, then it may have been worth it.

Posted by Blackadder | January 16, 2008 9:01 PM

I would like to see old debates rerun, with commentary by the MST3K crew. I think Tom Servo has something to tell the nation about the fair tax.

Posted by Njorl | January 17, 2008 9:15 AM

You really have to wonder what makes scriptwriters so stupid. The purpose of these award shows is to promote their industry, i.e. to get the public interested in buying tickets to hear their scripts spoken.

Nose...spite...face.

Posted by Patrick R. Sullivan | January 17, 2008 11:22 AM

You really have to wonder what makes scriptwriters so stupid. The purpose of these award shows is to promote their industry, i.e. to get the public interested in buying tickets to hear their scripts spoken.

Good point, I’d be curious what the long-term effects of the strike are financially on the writers. Even if they end up with a better contract then before (e.g. royalty payments), they’re not just out the income from when they went on strike, there could also be a decreased demand for their services if the strike makes reality TV and game shows (e.g. American Idol) even more popular than before. So what they could end up with is a bigger piece of a smaller (than it would have been but for the strike) pie.

While it has delayed the return of some of my favorite shows, I’m not so addicted to television that waiting several months or even a year for their return is going to put me in any great distress. Let them work it out amongst themselves and reap the consequences of their business decision.

Posted by Thorley Winston | January 17, 2008 12:41 PM

Every month that the new shows are delayed is another month for me to buy xbox games and develop the habit of playing them instead of watching television.

Posted by Earnest Iconoclast | January 17, 2008 5:34 PM

I think the writers are probably making the right move. It doesn't matter how many people are watching, what is important is how much revenue is brought in. If they only get revenue based on the value of network broadcasts and liscensed, physical product sales, they are locking themselves into a piece of a rapidly shrinking pie.

I think in the next decade, intellectual property laws and the entertainment industry will catch up to the new tech, and find a way to make money without stifling distribution. Writers want to make sure that they don't leave any avenue as a solution that is viable specifically because it screws the writers.

Posted by Njorl | January 18, 2008 6:01 PM