The Triangle

Come on already. The writer's want a fair go and a fair deal. The studios are giant finacial corporations that drags in billions and billions every year!!!
They have every right to fight for their rights. They are entitled to have a cut in the dvd sales and internet downlaod and streaming. All that stuff that the studios are going on about is bull nearly everybody in the general public stream or download full length episodes on the interntet. The writer's deserve to have a share in those revenues, it's their stuff they are the people who create the show and they are being cheated out of a fair deal. The writer's are in the right and the studios are in the wrong both sides have to come to the negotiating table, get rid of their egos and the studios have to give them a better deal. Case Closed!! I think the people are being greedy are those damn studios. So I strongly disagree with you. The writers are getting ripped off for their original stuff. This is a new age and technology is rising dramatically and soon it will be a digitl society. The writer's have every right to strike because they are being treated unfairly and I support them one hundred per cent!!

I think the strike will be a good thing. America needs to learn how to read!! It will be good for them to fill their minds with interlectual stuff rather than watch and waste their lives away sitting on their arse on the couch and watching boring crap useless reality Tv!!

Whenever someone buys a book, the author gets royalties. The WGA just wants the same thing. TV will eventually be completely on the internet and right now, the writers get zero anytime someone downloads, or streams the material that they created. The studio makes money and the writers don't. And you say it's the writers that are greedy.

Right.

"Eventually, they start imagining different "rights" they have"

Freedom of petition and freedom of assembly are not imaginary rights, they're constitutional rights.

I was becoming increasigly frustrated watching The Tonight show reruns, so I did some searching on the internet about this writers' strike and came upon this article.

I agree with the first comment. If this is about digital recognition of their creative work, then they have my total support.

Greed does not enter the picture here; rather it is artistic acknowledgment and appreciation which is at the core of this issue.

Let's hope that the corporate honchos respond in a manner that truly respects and values the creative writing process. It is well worth the wait.

I would argue that this article reflects a growing culture of disrespect for artists and their craft. What is it about the internet that has left people thinking everything should be free for the taking, that artists should back down and let others profit from their work, rather than needing to recompense someone for their gift and their time?

If the writers were not there writing content to begin with - there would be no jobs for anyone behind the scenes at all.

Zach Braff, of Scrubs says

"This isn't really about people like myself that have been so lucky and won the lottery and made a lot of money in this business, it's about the rank and file writers who're paying their mortgages with their residual cheque. We're out here to support them. This isn't about rich actors and rich writers getting richer, it's about people that work in the writers' rooms, you can't deny those people what they've earned."

Minnie Driver, who's currently in hit US show The Riches, insisted that the writers' arguments for a small share in web revenue from their shows is perfectly justified: "The internet is going to produce enormous revenues, just check out the Wall Street Journal for how much these conglomerates are pulling in, the writers are asking for a fraction of that, it's just fairness."

Matthew Perry joined the picket line. Perry said he was backing what was right: "The (writers') deal is ridiculously unfair and anything that anybody can do to call attention to that is good at this stage. It's miraculously unfair what's going on, so it's a no-brainer, you just come out and support it."

Ben Stiller explained: "It's really important that everybody shows up and shows solidarity for the people who are really going to be affected by the strike, which are the writers who need these changes to happen so they can support themselves."

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZMRLAgjtELIam69cQSnecfFbYwg

They say it all

So, the people that create (write) most of the material on TV are too greedy for wanting to SHARE with broadcasting companies a small amount of the profits from online sales (?!). Shame on them for not letting Corporate America keep all of its profits!

Thank YOU Brett Nolan. I'm more than happy to come to your defense. This is greed in its most obnoxious form. I don't care why they are striking. It doesn't matter. This is Hollywood and it's painfully sickening to know that many LESSER PAID people are about to lose their jobs over this. I thought the writers would be above this kind of thing. This would be characteristic of an arrogant actor, not a writer. I'm ashamed and annoyed by this strike. I love the entertainment world. But they are extremely blessed and have no right to drive entire productions into the ground simply to get more money for themselves. The cameramen and the little assistants that go around wiping everyone's rear ends are the HARD workers. They not only get zero credit for it but apparently they are going to be unemployed too. I'm frustrated with how many celebrities and non-celebrities are getting behind this horrible strike. What could an average citizen possibly relate to? I'm not arguing their entitlement to fair compensation. I'm arguing that it's incredibly evil to allow the remaining staff members to lose their jobs over something like this. There's no oppression. There's no job security problem. They are getting paid quite a bit already. This is hardly a justified strike.

Really, I'm bewildered at the whole thing. I keep hearing over and over, "all the writers want is a little more money! They deserve it!" Sure--doesn't everyone? I'm a creative professional too, but when I want more money I, erm, work more. Striking might get the writers more money, but now their coworkers getting laid off have NO money. Do those people deserve that?

Your argument is ASTONISHINGLY incorrect. The greed belongs to the studios. Read some articles on the subject before writing your piece (I recommend a recent article in The Economist on the subject).

For your information, the average salary of a television writer is $40-50,000. The writers are asking for an incredibly small percentage of money they are owed.

You're a writer. If someone took something you wrote and put it up on another website, wouldn't you want to be compensated for it? They only want what they're entitled to and personally, I hope they get it.

So Brett, imagine yourself writing an article for Time magazine that you were paid for. Then, a few months later, Time uses your article in one of their smaller publications and doesn't want to pay you for it. I guess you wouldn't want to be "greedy" and demand that they pay you for the use of "your" article. I don't think so. These huge entertainment corporations are making big bucks from the revenues that the writers help them earn. They should share the profits. They're the "greedy" ones!

Brett Nolan = scab

How greedy for people to want to get paid for their work. You're right, from now on I'm going to steal books, music, and videos from stores. Only people who do manual labor deserve compensation for it. Who cares if the networks are making millions in ad revenue off internet advertising, that doesn't mean they should give a cut to the people who wrote, performed, or filmed the content people watch...

You are a moron.

Writers get paid for their work! Actors, make up artists, grips, most people in entertainment don't get paid a royalty unless they are really really good and their agent puts it into their contract. Royalties are not a right. Does a carpentar get royalties every time someone uses his chair?

Fantastic article - well written and accurate. These writers aren't striking for better wages, job security, health benefits, etc. Why not?? Because they pretty much have those things already. It's not exactly the "good vs. evil" struggle of years past, is it?? They just want "more" because it's out there and they somehow think that are entitled to it. It doesn't matter a damn to them who gets dragged down in the process, how many ancillary services are negatively affected, or if other staffers lose their jobs. What is this, if not greed??? Wake up people - this is not the typical "little guy versus evil corporation" scenario. It's privileged people versus other more privileged people.

As I was sitting here doing some research on the subject, I came across your article and it left me pondering your accusation. And frankly, I am astounded that you, as a writer and obviously of a creative intellect, can point fingers at your fellow writers and accuse them of being egocentric and greedy. You mention "celebrity do-nothings" as supporting the cause, yet you fail to acknowledge the other hard-working writers who are being cheated out of well-earned residuals from internet downloads and DVD sales. Their "rights" are no more imaginary than yours or mine, and they are equally entitled to defend their rights. If these rights are a result of too much free time, then I suppose we can all just blame the Founding Fathers and the following radical politicians as fostering such a pandemic as this. Because these rights have existed since the beginnings of this country and every citizen of this country in entitled to them. And if this demand for justice is something to be ashamed of, my friend, then I am PROUD to be ashamed.

I'm an alumna who happened to read your editorial online and believe that, on the contrary to just about EVERYTHING you wrote, the writers are in the right here in their choice to strike. Did you check facts at all for this article or just get annoyed that your favorite shows might not be showing new episodes?
This strike has nothing to do with greed and everything to do with the fact that writers are being cheated out of what is theirs residuals that come from showing shows they write over the internet. Every time you download a free show, writer's get absolutely nothing and the studios want to keep it that way. How is that even close to fair? It's unfortunate that studios would rather lay off non-writing staff than compromise with the writers.
By the way, not every member of the Writer's Guild is Tina Fey or member of a glamorous Hollywood writing staff, and in no way are any writers paid even close to what producers make. Some of these people are living paycheck to paycheck as it is. All they want is what's theirs, so if you want to say something is reflecting growing greed in America, say it's the studios' actions in this whole matter.
Sorry if you have to deal with reruns for a while.

-Proud daughter of a Writer's Guild of America East member

I don't understand why everybody is supporting these writers like they're the ones being screwed over. Just the fact that these writers can afford to go on strike for so many weeks immediately discredits their claim of being middle class. Real middle class people, like the ones who lost their job from this strike, struggle to pay bills when they are no longer employed. People banter about the greed of corporations but if writers had it their way, they'd be the ones making the billions instead.

And royalties like an author of a book? Let's keep in mind that an author is oftentimes the sole creator of their work. But a television show? There are so many people involved (not just writers) that make any show possible that you could extend the royalties argument to costume and set design people as well. Then everybody would want their "fair" share from the networks.

Granted there are issues that need resolution between the writers and television networks, but once you put the whole situation into perspective, you realize that it's not just the corporations that are being greedy.

Hope,
The writers have "dedication to their work"?? I hope I'm not the only one who finds this statments ludicrous - if they're so dedicated, why are they on strike???
If they don't want to do the job that's offered them, they can step aside and let others do it. Believe me, they're out there. As was pointed out in an earlier post, there are MANY MANY more creative people inovolved in the process that don't get royalties, and don't make as much as writers. These people are willing to do their jobs, but suddenly cannot because a few people of mediocre talent (how many really good shows are on TV nowadays??) decide they want MORE, and will stop at nothing to get it. Ah, yes, more - we all want more, more, more - the question is how to get it. I guess if you belong to a union, all you have to do is go on strike, and call the other side "greedy" and "evil". That's MUCH easier than actually producing more, working more, or offering a better product.
Isn't is fun living in the age of entitlement????