The Hollywood Writers Strike

As a fledgling writer with absolutely no publishing credit except this anonymous blog, I feel honor-bound to support the writers. I have enough experience in the entertainment industry -- in almost all of its manifestations -- to understand that the emphasis is on industry and not entertainment, and always has been. Even a tiny non-Equity production running for two weekends in an Evanston art gallery has to be concerned about production costs and ticket sales. While that is far, far removed from the revenue streams of even the most mediocre cable television show, it illustrates the point that it all comes down to dollars.

Here is the one, irrefutable fact. The Internet has changed the face of the entertainment industry, and no one knows exactly to what extent. In the past ten years revenue streams have been identified and new delivery technologies perfected that make the old television in your living room a quaint concept. The amount of money that can be generated is literally unimaginable. But it all hinges upon what the industry terms "content."

Content is the material that is sandwiched between commercials and advertisements. In the entertainment industry today, there is a content crisis. There are literally more people wanting to advertise than there is content to sandwich between the advertisements. That's why we have the QVC! Content, while not necessarily irrelevant is increasingly an afterthought. Yet, while high artistic ethics have always taken a back seat to other considerations, entertainment has not. The movies weren't created for art. They were created for revenue and the best way to generate revenue was to entertain. That is no longer true.

Movies, television, and even live stage productions are now to anesthetize. And the American public not only accepts it, but craves it. How else can you explain MTV, VH1, E!, and the rest of the networks that are built on pathetic "reality" shows that offer no insight nor entertainment. Yet, the undeniable fact is that even these shows rely on a narrative. The only difference is that now that narrative is created in the editing room. The problem with this, of course is that even the most sophisticated editing technique cannot create a story that wasn't filmed. And as these reality shows become increasingly more formulaic the only thing that distinguishes them...well, actually there's nothing that distinguishes them. They are all about over-privileged people getting drunk and doing unspeakable things to one another and humiliating themselves.

But the money men don't care. They care about money, which comes from you. And that only happens when you turn on your television. In a few weeks the television industry begins sweeps week. That means that they officially count the number of people who are watching television and use that data to determine how much to charge for their advertising spots. What would happen to those dollars if their data showed that no one is watching? What would happen in Hollywood if the American public stopped purchasing movie tickets -- even for one Saturday?

While the writers and other hard-working professionals who create content and are being exploited by the entertainment conglomerates would benefit from the support, the American public would also win. The message would be sent that we demand more entertainment and less industry. We demand a discourse with artistic minds who are working with concepts beyond the all-mighty dollar.

We want smart people to tell us stories and we're willing to stop listening until they are appropriately compensated.

Until the strike ends, I'm not turning on my television, and I'm not buying a movie ticket. I challenge you to do the same.