You may not realize this, but a lot of the TV shows you watch are going to be off the air soon. Late night talk shows are already off, like The Daily Show and Light Night. "The Office" has aired is last episode for the forseeable future and other sitcoms like "How I Met Your Mother" will be done by the end of the month. Dramas like "Lost" or "Heroes" won't be on much longer than that. The reason why is that the writers of these shows are on strike. Their contract with the TV and movie studios has expired and the new contract they've been offered is entirely unfair.
Without writers, there is literally nothing for actors to do. The lines they read, the places they say them, the special effects, the stage direction, all of that is "written" in one way or another. Writers are an absolutely integral part of the entertainment industry. With them on strike, there is literally nothing for anyone to do because that is all the product of a writer's imagination.
20 years ago, another writer's strike ended with a bad deal for writers. The studios insisted that the home video market was too new and the costs of producing video casettes too high for them to be able to afford more than 4 cents per video sold as a residual to the writers. $0.04.
Residuals are a system which already benefits the studios tremendously. Though some think of it as a bonus, its actually a deferred payment against the lifetime value of a script. Basically, instead of paying more upfront, the studios defer payments until the income potential is realized. This also means that the studios pay more for shows that make them more money. Basically, its a fair deal that benefits both parties but most especially the studios.
The home video market, the studios said, was not a lucrative one. It was too new and untested for them to be able to afford much of a residual payment. At the time, most writers got most of their residuals from repeats on networks or in syndication. The writers conceeded this to the studios. Since, then, though, home video has exploded. Moreover, production costs have gone dramatically down. So, the cost of manufacturing home videos (now DVD's) has much less and the income has gone way up.
Writers still just get $0.04 per copy sold. Meanwhile, networks have severely cut back on repeats of first run shows so that income source has gone way down for writers. Writers get 2.5% of the income generated by repeats. They could have asked for the same with DVD's. Instead, they just asked for 4 cents more. The studios refused to discuss this and the writers eventually were willing to withdraw this demand in exchange for concessions from the studios on other issues. The studios refused any additional concessions.
Those other issues primarily involve "new media". That means the internet. Gosh, who uses that thing? Actually, that IS the studio's position. You see, the internet is a new, untested market with limited income potential. They can't afford to pay writers much for it. Evidently, the writers think they've heard that before.
The writers are asking for 2.5% of revenues from online sales and advertising with streaming episodes. Have you ever watched a TV show online at a network's site? Most of them offer it these days and they embed ads that you have to watch to see the episode. That's "streaming".
The studios are offering the same the same deal as DVDs for online sales through sites like iTunes in spite of next to no overhead costs. As to streaming video, they are offering nothing. As in $0.00. Indeed, they've taken to demanding that writers write and produce online only content without even being paid up front. Streaming episodes with ads are to be classified as "promotions" and no payment is owed writers or actors or directors for them. Even with original web content. Nothing is simply not a fair deal.
The studios are insisting that there is no money to be made online. Well, insisting to the writers. When pumping up their stock value to Wall Street, they have a different story to tell, waxing poetic about all the money they are making with online revenue.
This is about greed, but not on the part of the writers. Their demands are modest and really just act to limit the losses they are experiencing with networks reruning less shows. They'll lose a lot more on the strike than they'll get in the end, but its about preparing for the future of the entertainment industry and that future is the internet. The huge media coprorations know this, too. They just don't want to share. They want to make money off the writer's work without compensating the writer. That's just not fair.
A lot of people look at writers or actors and think what they do is easy or fun. Hey, I'd love to be a professional writer, myself. But I know how hard writing is. Creating a story is challenging work and for most writers, it isn't steady work either. They may only get a pay day every couple of years. That's why residual payments are important to them. I'm sure many of them do enjoy what they do, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be fairly compensated for their work. It doesn't mean they should be denied a fair wage.
Like I said, I know how hard writing and others have explained this a lot better than I have. I strongly recommend reading United Hollywood, an unofficial blog started by striking writers. You might also want to check out some of this great videos by some of the writers of your favorite shows explaining the strike...
Photo by Dave Anderson, www.djaphoto.com, (c) 2007
I wanted to let you all know about the new Big Moves show, LARD (Like Grease, but thicker). I'm really so impressed and grateful for the work Big Moves does promoting size diversity in dance. I've blogged about it before and will surely again. Fat acceptance absolutely needs groups like them and I count myself as very lucky that I'm able to attend their shows here in Boston. They have a really positive influence on their dancers and a real impact on their audience as well. If you are in Boston this weekend or in New York in two weeks. Here is the info about their show...
Big Moves proudly presents LARD the musical ("like grease, but thicker") October 18-20, 2007 - doors at 7:30, curtain at 8 p.m. Cambridge Family YMCA Theater, 820 Mass. Ave., Cambridge General: $15/adv., $20/door VIP: $20/adv., $25/door (if available)
Lily and Patty danced together, skated together, and invented 13 new burger toppings over the summer. They said they'd be friends through thick and thin. Then came senior year and everything changed...
Continuing in its award-winning tradition of producing size-diverse performers in super-size shows, Big Moves is proud to present the world premiere of LARD (like grease, but thicker). Set in the late 1950's and loosely based on a very familiar movie with another cooking substance as the name, LARD brings together upbeat dance moves, tuneful singing, and two best-friends-forever in a challenging, laugh-a-minute musical that will entertain audiences of all ages.
Thursday night is pay-what-you-can preview, cash at the door. Friday night opening reception package: $25/adv. only All tickets available online at http://www.bigmoves.org OR through your favorite Big Moves dancer! (BStu: My favorite is Cristin, my girlfriend, so be sure to tell them she sent you if you can buy tickets)
This is the alternative musical theater event of the season, so be there!
So, I've been surrounded by boxes for the last month in anticipation of my move back into Boston. I'll admit, I never really settled into my current apartment so the boxes didn't feel that strange. But now I'm moving in with Cristin and inspite of the impending horror of a September move-in, I'm really excited.
Its a bit bittersweet to be leaving Malden, I admit. I've lived in the city for almost 4 and a half years spread out over three apartments and I've grown fond of it. There is that familiarity you get when a place stops being where you have an apartment and starts being where you live. I'll be disappointed to lose that. Especially since it was only last year that I finally discovered the freakin' Fells which I love. Still, I'm a half-hour ride on the Orange Line away so its not like I can't get back here.
Nevertheless, I'm extremely excited to be moving in with Cristin. Its a really awesome apartment and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to sharing it with her. I've never really felt like I had a home in all of my apartments. They always felt like someone else's home or just a room I stayed in. This is going to be really different but really great and I'm eager to get settled in and make a home of it. Wish me luck on my move. I've still got the back-of-the-head paranoia I always get when I move that everything is going to go horrible at the last second. Still, I think that's kinda good. It means the small problems bound to happen won't phase me so much because I'll just be relieved that there were no disasters. :D
I usually leave my fat blogging to my Red No. 3 blog, but this is too damn silly not to post here. Apparently, being friend, even thousands of miles of way, will make you FAT. Oh, wait, I used to be not fat. Maybe I'm already a victim! Hanging out with all those fat girls in high school clearly is what made me fat. Its a social contagion! Its what all the cool kids are doing. Fatties are a bad influence! Those kids your mom warned you about.
Getting past the sensationalized "fat is contagious" nonsense, what they are really saying is that the existence of fat people around you fools people into thinking its okay to be fat. Which both makes the absurd suggestion that fat people are actually setting the trends on body size and the even more absurd suggestion that the real problem in our society is that fat people have it too easy.
I'm sure I've got a few friends who believe that who may also now be fretting that I'll make them by my presence on their Friends list. Let me just clear something up. Fat people do NOT have it easy. We're discriminated against in jobs, in housing, and oh, yes, social relationships as well. (Sure not to get better with people saying our fat is literally or socially contagious). We get paid less. Fat women get less emotional and financial support for pursuing a college education. We spend every day of our lives being bombarded by marketing which tells us our bodies are wrong, diseased, ugly, and worse. And nearly all fat people completely internalize all of this and do as much work as anyone beating themselves up for being fat, trying diet after diet, becoming drug dependent or amputating their organs, and always blaming themselves when these efforts fail instead of questioning the expectations they've been sold on. Fat people do NOT exist because our culture has made things easy on fat people. No matter what snarky little retort you think proves how our culture encourages fatness, it just doesn't. It does everything to create a hostile environment for fat people. No amount of fretting over imagined "social contagions" will change that fact. We're not infecting people with fatness. We're not encouraging people to follow us into fatness. We're not making the world safe for fatness. I'd love it if our society were more accepting of fat people. I want that. But I have the perspective to recognize that it most certainly isn't anything resembling accepting of fat people today.
That's my rant. The always wonderful Kate Harding offers a far more patient take down of this nonsense than I could muster, so by all means check it out if you're interesting in the topic. The rest of you, feel free to go about your business Simpsonizing yourselves, again. Sorry for the interuption. :D
Okay, I know this is probably old news, but what can I say? Its funny. If you haven't seen it, enjoy the dramatic chipmunk. It really is the best 5 second clip on the internets. Its also probably not a chipmunk.
If you saw the Daily Show on Thursday, this isn't news. If you haven't, you NEED to watch this YouTube video from the campaign of former Alaskan Senator Mike Gravel.
the hell? Since when are candidates making Dadaist campaign ads? I honestly don't know if he's batshit crazy or absolutely brilliant.
Check out my photos for some shots of Cristin and I at the wedding. Thanks to everyone for humoring me! The advice was appreciated.
I had a good time going down to the wedding. It was in Connecticut so we actually stayed at my parent's house. Didn't have much time in CT, so my apologies to any SoCT based friends I didn't mention I was coming in town for. Pretty much got in, got pizza from Modern for lunch (well, my dad went and got it), got ready and headed out upstate for the wedding of one of Cristin's friends from New York. Oddly enough, I know the friend myself completely seperately and even met up with once years ago, though I've been admitedly bad about keeping touch. It was all quite fun.
After sleeping in, though, we only had time to get lunch with my parents before heading back to Boston. Went to this absurdly good seafood shack in my hometown that no one in my family had ever been to. Its called Stowe's Seafood and is right on the Beach in West Haven. Drove by it all the time, but we never tried it. Wow, was it good. Awesome atmosphere and the food was just incredible. Best fried fish I've ever had and a bargain to boot. With the local flavor sampled, we started back to Boston. My suit didn't make the trip, though, as I left it at home. It'll give me a reason to go back to Connecticut, though. (and back to Stowe's)
Anyway, enough boring you with mundane details. Check out the pics if you like. Thanks again for everyone who gave me advice!
My thanks to everyone who responded to my request for fashion advice. The white shirt, green tie was actually my choice, too, so I guess I should be encouraged that so many agreed. We'll be off for the wedding soon, but I'll try to post photos of the finished product at the end of the weekend.
Okay, here is the deal. I'm going to a wedding with Cristin next weekend and I can't decide what to wear. My black suit is a given, but its the shirt/tie combo that's got me indecisive.
See, if you know me in real life, you know that I've got tons of colorful dress shirts and ties. I don't just have white. Indeed, I actually hardly ever wear white dress shirts. I also recently expanded my collection with some more contemporary, darker colors that I'm eager to try out. I also actually did just get a white dress shirt I really like and though I think its a touch corporate and formal for me, I like the look for the ocassion. I just can't settle on one option.
So, I spent some time this evening taking pictures in the various options. Yes, I really am just that self-involved. But I wanted to see what other people thought and its not like I can go over to each of your houses and try on a ton of outfits. So there we are.
I've uploaded 9 photos to a new album called "Dress BStu". Just go back to my profile to check it out or try clicking here. Some of the photos are better than others. I was kind of trying different things and I don't think I really got the hang of the self-portraits until I was trying on the white shirt last. I just mention to urge you to be forgiving that some of them aren't good photos and concentrate more on the outfits.
Yeah, this is all kind of lame and self-important. But its MySpace, so what else did you expect. Let me know your thoughts if you have any.
UPDATE: So, it was noted that what Cristin is wearing could be important to know and that appears to be a turquoise dress. For the sake of arguement, here's what I'd look like with a turquoise tie. I don't actually have a turquoise tie, but through the magic of Photoshop, I can pretend.
It was learned today that the defendants in the Mooninite scare case will not be charged. They agreed to perform community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital designing a mural and doing maintenance work on their sailing docks and apologized in court. So this is all now finally done. This is a just resolution to this nonsense. They didn't do anything that justified a jail term. They barely did anything that justified community service, but it sounds like they found a good way to use their talents as artists go give back, so one hardly wants to complain. Its done. Good. The whole thing was a massive overreaction and a lesson in how the media is content to be swept along with a "story" instead of checking up on anything.
anxious
aggravated
