Call For Posts

I am humbled and grateful that so many people have found this site and use it for real debate of the issues around the Strike.

I hate to be hogging all the front page space.

If anyone would like to post an article on the front page, please let me know at unite(at)dividedhollywood(dot)com.  [The (at) and (dot) are to prevent autospammers].

This offer is open to anyone, no matter what their stance on the Strike.

Depending on interest, I may give some people access to post directly.  Otherwise, I might post on their behalf.  I won't edit anything without your permission.  If I decide not to post an article, I'll do my best to make my reasons clear.

As always, the comments section remains unmoderated.

Wire Services Report Big Progress

Take this with a grain of salt, but the AP and Reuters are reporting that major hurdles have been cleared and a deal could be announced by the end of the week.

The deal would still have to be ratified by the WGA Membership.

No word on how this made it through a news blackout, or which side leaked it.  It could be an AMPTP trick.

Keep your fingers crossed, but don't hold your breath.

Read the Reuters report here.

Weekend Special - Open Post For The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

A comment from the previous post was looking for an open post in which everyone -- pro & con -- could express their views on the Strike.

As you probably know, comments from all points of view are always welcome here, even anonymously.

But here's an opportunity for everyone to express views, concerns or questions which are not tied to any one specific topic (other than the Strike itself).

If this gets too far off track, I may close the comments (to this post only) on Monday morning.

Otherwise, have at it...

Hardliners' Voices Rise Above The Moderates

It's been nearly two weeks since the DGA announced that it had reached a deal with the Studios, thereby averting a Directors' Strike and also, in theory, laying the foundation for the Striking Writers to secure a similar deal.

Initial response from Hardline Writers was as expected: "This is the worst deal in the history of deals."  

The rest of Hollywood saw the merits of the deal and, when the WGA NegCom and the AMPTP restarted negotiations (although informally), most of us collectively and optimistically held our breaths. 

The beginning of this week brought rumors that a deal was imminent, and perhaps it is.  But as the week has drawn on, there is a growing sense that the hardline view is actually starting to take hold.

People are still buying into the "Sky Is Falling" fear that reruns are going to disappear.  This is lemming-like conspiracy-based fear at its most insane.  The idea is so farfetched as to be comical, yet folks are falling for Mallory Keaton's warped (though obviously very earnest) view.

The boogeyman is everywhere...

Now the SAG president is squashing the deal.  Respected Writer-Director Phil Alden Robinson is writing (rather eloquently) about how bad it is.

I understand that this deal is not the pie in the sky deal that anyone wanted.  I even get that some realistic goals were not met -- I thought the streaming residual would come in at around $2000, for example (which is a number that might as well be $1200 as far as many hardliners are concerned).

But I urge these writers -- again -- to really lay out what they realistically expect to gain in a contract that is not currently there.  And, again, what price are they willing to pay?  What price are they expecting the rest of us to pay?

Is it worth another 6 months of strike in order to get jurisdiction for Reality?  Is it worth 3 months to get $4000 for streaming?

Cos guess what?  A lot of us don't think it is worth it.  We're done with this strike, which NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

We're sick of the financial losses.

We don't want to lose our homes.

We are sick of you flushing the present down the drain in exchange for a future that would be uncertain even with the bestest, most wonderful contract ever conceived by man, woman, or unicorn.

The DGA deal is an excellent template.  If tweaks can be made without derailing the whole process, fine.  But it is time to get Hollywood back to work.

This Strike has produced some dividends.  It's time to cash in. 

Sign the deal.