Writers’ Strike

[ZariusTwo]

Both The Talk and Jennifer Hudson will also pause their premieres and production due to the strikes

https://deadline.com/2023/09/the-tal...sh-1235548871/

https://deadline.com/2023/09/jennife...es-1235549005/

[ZariusTwo]

Bill Maher retreats

https://deadline.com/2023/09/bill-ma...9606/#comments

[Coola Yagami]

What a bunch of cowards. Has this strike not taught them that Hollywood doesn't give a **** about them and they don't owe them ****?

They got the tools to break out on their own in their own studios, but they'd rather continue to blow the Weinsteins of the world.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Bill Maher retreats

https://deadline.com/2023/09/bill-ma...9606/#comments

That's particularly disappointing to see, given his pretty sensible stance on the strike itself:

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That's particularly disappointing to see, given his pretty sensible stance on the strike itself:

They're either addicted to sucking that Hollywood **** or they miss their little kid diddling parties a little too much.

Just let Hollywood die.

[Andrew NDB]

The only way this is getting solved is if there's mandatory commercials on all streaming stuff. Right? That's the only way this can work. There needs to be an actual pie for people to take pieces from. Or a bigger higher tier where you pay a lot more to not have that (I know, already there for a lot of them, but imagine $10 more a month) to equivalently take a % from.

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

The only way this is getting solved is if there's mandatory commercials on all streaming stuff. Right? That's the only way this can work. There needs to be an actual pie for people to take pieces from. Or a bigger higher tier where you pay a lot more to not have that (I know, already there for a lot of them, but imagine $10 more a month) to equivalently take a % from.

There’s more than enough pie, easily, see my previous infographic. The studios are just being incredibly tight.

[ranger_scout]

The WGA has just reached a tentative deal with streamers and studios.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bu...ke-1235403981/

[Andrew NDB]

It'll be very interesting to see what was conceded. And if there was a lot of concessions in the streaming arena, if that'll mean streamers will just drop a ton of movies and shows that aren't phenomenally popular.

Originally Posted by Mayhem

There’s more than enough pie, easily, see my previous infographic. The studios are just being incredibly tight.

But that's just stupid "why can't they just give them more money? They have it, so why not?" talk. Similar to "______ CEO makes 10 billion, why can't he just give it to his workers on the front lines?"

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

It'll be very interesting to see what was conceded. And if there was a lot of concessions in the streaming arena, if that'll mean streamers will just drop a ton of movies and shows that aren't phenomenally popular.



But that's just stupid "why can't they just give them more money? They have it, so why not?" talk. Similar to "______ CEO makes 10 billion, why can't he just give it to his workers on the front lines?"

Please tell us. Why can't he?

[ZariusTwo]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

The WGA has just reached a tentative deal with streamers and studios.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bu...ke-1235403981/

Still has to be voted on and finalized by Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/s...v8NP7kD2A&s=19

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

But that's just stupid "why can't they just give them more money? They have it, so why not?" talk. Similar to "______ CEO makes 10 billion, why can't he just give it to his workers on the front lines?"

Considering the percentages involved being asked for in regards to the companies' total incomes, it's like sticking a pin in a T-Rex, they wouldn't notice it in the slightest.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Mayhem

Considering the percentages involved being asked for in regards to the companies' total incomes, it's like sticking a pin in a T-Rex, they wouldn't notice it in the slightest.

This just strikes me as communism. Redistribution of wealth. On its face. Do I think ___ CEO should get paid what they do? No. But what do I know? If you ask me, could I "play" CEO for Disney? Sure. But I have no idea what that entails or anything. I just think an entertainment project should pay out to the people that worked on it whatever their contract says, and if we're dropping streaming into the basket, then whatever new non-contracted payments they should receive need to be vetted very closely and realistically based on real earnings. Which I admit, is hard to gauge with streaming as a general thing. But it's all probably a non-issue with this resolution. And again, I'm really, really interested in what the concessions were agreed upon. Definitely "we" are going to be feeling something from it, I'm just wondering what.

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

This just strikes me as communism. Redistribution of wealth. On its face..

Oh, this lame notion that everything that resembles socialism is something bad. These executives are grossly overpaid. A stupid cow like Kathleen Kennedy does not deserve to be paid millions more than the people actually involved in the creative process.

[Cowabung-Gal]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

Oh, this lame notion that everything that resembles socialism is something bad.

Must…resist…urge…to…

Oh, the heck with it.

Socialism is bad. To give those Marxist idiots even just an inch is a huge mistake. Maybe I’ll never get to sleep on a bed of money in a mansion like Kathleen one day, but guess what? As long as I’m free to make my own decisions and go to bed with a full stomach every night, I’m content. If the socialists have their way, then we’ll all be poor and go to bed hungry.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

The WGA has just reached a tentative deal with streamers and studios.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bu...ke-1235403981/

So is this bullsh*t finally over now or not?

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

This just strikes me as communism. Redistribution of wealth. On its face. Do I think ___ CEO should get paid what they do? No. But what do I know? If you ask me, could I "play" CEO for Disney? Sure. But I have no idea what that entails or anything. I just think an entertainment project should pay out to the people that worked on it whatever their contract says, and if we're dropping streaming into the basket, then whatever new non-contracted payments they should receive need to be vetted very closely and realistically based on real earnings. Which I admit, is hard to gauge with streaming as a general thing. But it's all probably a non-issue with this resolution. And again, I'm really, really interested in what the concessions were agreed upon. Definitely "we" are going to be feeling something from it, I'm just wondering what.

I don’t see it as any different from asking for a pay rise based on bonuses or performance, or a royalty type income system for creators instead of a flat fee, or hah hah, you’ll love this… ****ing restaurants expecting you, the customer, to give their waiting staff 20% tips because they are too cheap and stingy to pay them enough in the first place. So glad I live in a country where tipping is optional and you have the discretion to decide how much based on how well you were treated.

Originally Posted by Cowabung-Gal

Socialism is bad.

I’ll let the Government know to stop your Medicare and other benefits when you get older then if you think socialism is that terrible…

[Cowabung-Gal]

Originally Posted by Mayhem

I’ll let the Government know to stop your Medicare and other benefits when you get older then if you think socialism is that terrible…

You want some whipped cream on that boot? Maybe even a nice little cherry on top?

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

Please tell us. Why can't he?

"Can't" by proxy of "he shouldn't have to". These are precarious conversations because they are commonly examples of truth in both situations (front line workers probably could be paid more money for example).

But here is the thing - our society - all successful societies are built on these stratifications. And you know - the peasant thinker who argues for more money at peasant jobs like McDonalds (truth in description whether we like it as a pejorative or otherwise) isn't equipped in most ways to even begin to compute why the CEO makes 10,000 times more money than the burger flipper does. Most burger-flippers don't even understand that, academically speaking, one of the top challenges of restauranting is "portion control" (take some minutes to study the story of a Chicago-based Ice Cream place called "Prince Castle" as a fascinating example of "portion control" in entrepreneurship). A basic concept of SWOT analysis for a restaurant guy - but the bigger flipper won't even consider that work - instead he just wants more money.

And so these employees think they deserve more for their hard work, but they'll never come even remotely close to establishing the business and seeing the reality of their position for themselves. They could - but they don't want that because that's the thought process - to complain and make 20 bucks an hour making fast food. In short, the peasant thinker working the peasant job (which I have worked in my life as well by the way) commonly doesn't know what they don't know, but rather they just commonly insist that whatever conclusive thought they do have is correct. It's the same thing as woke $#!(. Woke $#!( and payscale arguments are all on the same spectrum of behavior.

Here is something that most people will never consider - they are incapable of the deeper thought for it - that societies need these stratifications, and that the difference is that these stratifications must happen organically rather than by force or by fascism. HUGE difference. In a free country you have the opportunity to overcome it, but people in America forget that and simply liken the whole thing to "oppression". And that then, is their problem.

[Andrew NDB]

So we know a little bit now:

https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/wg...e_0qR5cq6SkNPQ

* Minimum of 6 writers for any series, unless a solo writer act is agreed upon at the beginning. Eh. OK, fine, I guess. I'm not keen at all that MORE writers are mandated on just about anything.

* Bonuses paid to writers based on viewership in streaming, but only upon the first 90 days of release if it's direct-to-streaming. No clue about old movies or series that just pop up in streamers.

* AI can be used, but only in conjunction with a writer and it has to be transparent to all, and in hindsight.

* Writers are guaranteed a second payment with a second draft? I'm a little fuzzy on this one.