And Now for Something Completely Unimportant

Pressure Mounts to Restart Writers Talks -- article about the Writers Guild of America strikes in Hollywood

While the jovial picture in this article may say otherwise, apparently Governor Schwarzenegger loves his David Letterman, and he's not going to take it anymore. LA's mayor, who has a long name that is hard to spell, is also fed up with the looming end to new epsodes of The Office, and has jumped into the mix of those who really want TV to go back to normal and are pressuring both the writers and the producers to reach a quick settlement.

This past Friday was the harrowing five-day mark of the strike. The scene of picket lines in Hollywood paints a pitiful picture of writers languishing on the warm, sunny, low-humidity streets, eating nothing but free muffins and donuts handed out by Jay Leno and other celebrities, and being forced to enjoy live entertainment from artists such as Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. Cries of "At Least My Tivo Gets Me!" could be heard ringing through the streets. There is no doubt that the life of a striking writer is anything but glamorous.

In a sense, there may be a a positive side to all of this -- the strikes could be a new venue for illegal immigrants, who aren't afraid to fill the high-paying, publicly visible, backbone-of-society jobs others in Hollywood are unwilling to cross picket lines to fill. So if you habla the espanol, these next few months are the perfect time to catch the new shows that are sure to roll out once this new crop of writers finds its voice. Or rather, its pen.

However, some alarmists are beginning to wonder if this may be another subversive Al-Qaeda attack, noting that the strike has garnered at least equal or better airtime with coverage on important foreign issues, including the war in Iraq. It is rumored that this may be a contrived distraction, or even a subltle yet powerful act of terrorism, in hopes that America, once deprived completely of its primetime and late night television, will be forced into a desperate bargaining position. Analysts note that, while perhaps farfetched, this theory is gaining steam with those groups of people who like to blame everything bad that happens on terrorism and/or anyone who is not an American.

I would tell you that I will keep you posted on any updates to the situation, however, due to the lack of the sheer magnitude of the issue's importance, this will be my first and final commentary on the matter. You may now thank me profusely.

[Update 11/18/2007: I need to say -- I think I was a bit too harsh on the WGA members who are striking. In the interest of fairness and justice, I think they are striking for valid reasons, and I know writing overall is often not the most lucrative career. Plus, it's unfair to enjoy watching shows that are good because they are written well, and at the same time implicitly criticize them for pursuing a fair share of the profits made off of them. Most likely none of them will read this anyway, but it needed to be said. Plus, I need to cover my butt in case I ever decide to take writing seriously. But mostly, because it's the right thing to do. Now, in the whole scheme of things, it's still not the most important thing going on in the world, and I think it's received a bit too much coverage in the news, but still.]