Just one more gushy Joss post, and then I'll get back to writing about art for real, promise.
Last Friday, December 14th, I attended the Boston TV Party, a.k.a. the rally on behalf of the Writer's Guild of America as they continue their strike. Organized by Jaime Paglia (Eureka), Rob Kutner (The Daily Show), and Mr. Joss Himself, the rally drew an unexpectedly large crowd for the day after an official "Boston Snow Emergency." (Seriously, Boston, an emergency? Surely not. Eight inches isn't even enough for this Mainer to bust out her snow pants.) We met at the First Parish Church in Harvard Square. Speechifying ensued. Instead of summarizing them badly, I'll just post the YouTube clips so you can see for yourself. Rob's speech was especially awesome. I nearly peed myself laughing. Then we picketed. We yelled. We sang. We carried signs with witty slogans on them. We got our feet wet. We froze our asses off.
There is a lot of confusion as to what the writers are striking for, due to some badly written propaganda pieces by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and some equally grinchy major media outlets. (The New York Times described the first pickets as having "all the trappings of a union protest," except the writers wore "arty glasses and fancy scarves." Way to miss the point.) The writers and the producers are mainly fighting over residuals. Residuals are a small compensation that a writer receives when their work is rebroadcast, whether it be on DVD or in reruns on TV. Like actors (who also receive residuals), writers rely on creative bursts and don't always have regular work. Residuals get them through those times when they aren't working, or when they're writing on spec. It's a safety net.
So when their contract came up, the writers asked for 8 cents per DVD sale. Currently they receive 3 cents. Apparently that was a dealbreaker for the AMPTP, so the WGA dropped that demand. Now they're asking for 2.5% of the profits from all Internet broadcasts. That's it. To put it in understandable terms: when you watch The Office on broadcast TV, the writers get paid. When you watch The Office on the NBC website, they don't get paid. When you buy an episode of The Office on iTunes, they don't get paid. What is the AMPTP's rationale for not paying writers for their work? They've basically said, "What is this newfangled Internet thing, anyway? Are you sure we can actually make money from it? Sounds kind of weird! Give us a few years to research its possibilities, and then we'll decide if we can pay you for your work." Never mind that the studios have already sold millions of dollars worth of web advertising based on these writers' products. Never mind last time I took a Math class, 2.5% of nothing is nothing. Never mind that the Internet is the future of TV. In summary, they're just asking for their fair share.
After the rally, we trudged through the slush to Pandemonium Books & Games in Central Square (possibly the most deliciously geeky store in Boston) for a meet-and-greet. On my way down Mass. Ave., I got a chance to talk to Joss a bit about social issues in television writing. Anyone who knows me well will know that I was trying my damndest not to freak out and yell, holy crap, you're Joss Whedon! And I'm talking to you! And you're saying things back! This man is truly my hero. Not just because he writes cool TV shows and movies that I love, but for all the work he's done on behalf of feminist causes and social justice. As an unofficial spokesperson for the organization Equality Now, his support has helped raise a lot of money and awareness about human rights issues for women around the world. He creates strong female heroes who have meaningful life problems, whom audiences can relate to, and who use their powers in ways that make the world a better place. Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Fred Burkle, Faith Lehane, Melaka Fray, Zoey Washburn, River Tam (and, coming soon, Echo). The short-lived show Firefly and its film incarnation, Serenity, dealt with government corruption and the evils of large corporations. I truly was very grateful for the chance to tell Joss how much I respect the way he addresses social issues in his writing and in his life. Here's hoping we can get a pencil in his hands again sometime soon.
Also, Joss claims that a lot of the striking writers on the West Coast wear Red Sox hats to the picket lines. I said I think it's because the Sox are the team of romantics, those people who (until recently) had no hope. He agreed. Though I was not as star-struck, I had a nice conversation with Rob Kutner as well. It felt like I was talking to Jon Stewart, which makes sense because this guy literally puts words into Jon Stewart's mouth. I really hope Rob is able to get back to work before the State of the Union, but it's not looking good.
Here are a couple of clips of speeches from the rally. I won't post them all, but these ones are especially worth watching.
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