I will admit to getting a bit teary eyed at one point. The WGA strike was important to everyone who worked on Joss’d, so it’s nice to hear (and remember) those fateful days.

Click here to listen or download the episode

Joss Whedon on the Writers’ Strike: Do Not Adjust Your Mindset

This was submitted by WGA and DGA member Joss Whedon.

Dear Writers,

I have good news. I have lots of good news. In fact, I have way too
much good news.

The strike is almost over. A resolution is days away. Weeks. Friday.
Valentine’s day. Two weeks exactly from whenever my manager/agent/
lawyer told me. Yes, after talking to writers and actors all over
town, I’m happy to report that the strike is going to end every
single day until March. Huzzah! All of this entirely reliable
information means that at last the dream of the writing community has
been realized: the Oscars will be saved.

Let’s step back.

The Oscars seem to be the point of focus for a lot of this
speculation. That either they must be preserved, or that the studios
feel they must be preserved, and therefore this terrible struggle
will end. There is an argument to be made for wanting the show to go
on: it showcases the artists with whom we are bonded (there’s no
award for Best Hiding of Net Profits), and it provides employment and
revenue for thousands in the community that has been hit so hard by
this action. Having said that, it’s a f%$#ing awards show. It’s a
vanity fair. It’s a blip. We’re fighting (fighting, remember?) for
the future of our union, our profession, our art. If that fight
carries us through the Holy Night when Oscar was born, that’s just
too bad.

And the studios? Well, the Oscars provide advertising revenue and a
boost for the films that win. But the studios have shown impressive
resolve in ignoring short-term losses in order to destroy us. I don’t
hear any knees knocking in the Ivory Towers over that night of
programming. Hey, I wish I did. I wish, like a lot of people, I could
hear anything from in there besides that weird clicking sound
Predator makes.

I ask you all to remember: the studios caused an industry-wide
shutdown. They made a childishly amateurish show of pretending to
negotiate, then retreated into their lairs (yes, they have lairs) to
starve us out. They emerged just before Christmas to raise our hopes,
then left in a premeditated huff. They Force Majoured with gay
abandon, cutting deals and ’trimming the fat’ (I’ve met a couple of
’the fat’ on the picket lines. Nice guys.) and made every selfish,
counter-intuitively destructive move in the Bully’s Bible. They met
with the DGA and resolved quickly, as expected.

We have been advised to tone down the anti-studio rhetoric now that a
deal might be progressing. Our negotiators have the specific task of
forgetting the past and dealing only with the numbers before them.
Their ability to do that impresses me greatly, but I maintain that
it’s their job to treat the studios like business partners and it’s
our job to remember who they really are. The studios are inefficient,
power-hungry, thieving corporate giants who have made the life of the
working writer harder from decade to decade. They are run by men so
out of touch with basic humanity that they would see Rome burn before
they would think about the concept of fair compensation. I maintain
that they have never revealed their true agenda in the causing and
handling of this strike, and to expect them to now is cock-eyed
optimism of the most dangerous kind.

I have heard people both in and out of the industry say, “But that’s
enough now, right?” I have seen the thing I fear most: that whatever
their agenda, they are beating us down. With hope. With rumors. With
Time. The mindset seems to be shifting to one of relief and even
unspoken gratitude for their return, instead of flaming indignation
that they ever (illegally, do you recall?) left the table in the
first place. It’s the mindset of the victim. The lethargy of limb
that strikes the fighter as he unconsciously lets himself lose. The
studio strategists have worked this scenario as carefully as they
have everything else. It is so crucial that we outside of the talks
remember that, and let them know we do.

This is not over. Nor is it close. Until the moment it is over, it
can never be close. Because if we see the finish line we will flag
and they are absolutely counting on us to do that. In the room,
reason. On the streets, on the net, I say reason is for the
’moderates’. Remember what they’ve done. Remember what they’re trying
to take from us. FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT.

I have been mugged an embarrassing number of times, even for a New
Yorker. I’ve been yelled at and chased, beaten down and kicked,
threatened with a gun and the only mugger who still hurts my gut is
the one who made me shake his hand. Until there is a deal – the right
deal, not the DGA deal – held out, let’s keep our hands in our
pockets or on our signs. Let’s not be victims. Let’s never.

In solidarity,

Joss Whedon

From Alphatone

Geoff Mandel, graphic designer for Serenity, is having a Writers Strike sale on eBay and there are some tasty items indeed:

Auctions end Sunday.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZthomemslie

Joss had this to say:

 I’d actually like to be the guy that rains on this parade. The use of the word “Endgame” is very dangerous. Even if these back-channel discussions are the route to serious negotiations, it could be weeks — months — before anything is resolved. And that’s assuming the AMPTP isn’t about to unveil yet another bullying tactic to draw this out even more. “Endgame” sends the wrong message to the WGA members. We need, now as much as ever, to act as if the strike is NEVER going to end. We need the rage that sends us out onto the picket lines, the passion that makes us look for alternate methods of financing and developing content, and the unity that reminds us how much the studios have taken from the community already by forcing this strike. As far as the WGA is concerned, the studios have not made one decision based on fair business practices. (Funny side-note: they’ve also abused writers as long as there has been filmed entertainment.) Some of the things that have been broken in these last months can never be fixed, some truths about the studios’ power-grubbing inhumanity that can never be forgotten, or laughed over (as they have been for decades).

This is not the end. And it was never a game.

This is A GREAT way to show your support for the WGA and all they’re fighting for!

Some TV talk shows are resuming production even as an ongoing writer strike has plunged many programs into rerun territory. David Letterman and Conan O’Brien recently went back on the air sporting furry beards and lots of strike-themed material. We want to know what you think about bare-bones TV and the entertainment industry’s response.

Use the form below to send files from your computer, or e-mail ireport@cnn.com from your cell phone. (Need help? Check the Toolkit.)

From Whedonesque:

Dear friends,

I have linked you to this because it made me laugh. And the observant eye will observe (eyely) that some of the people who made it are related at me from birthings! Also, it’s true. Like, honestly.

There’s been a lot of talk about the moguls’ motivations, that they’re greedy beyond greednitutedesnous, but the other point that needs to be stressed is that they are totally banoonoos. They have left the reservation. They have so much, they have forgotten the concept of human need. That’s why this vid is a true vid, even if the sound is a little spotty.

Besides laughing at this, I have been scheming schemes. This strike is a watershed moment for creators, and I’m trying to make sure I’m on the side of the water that’s going, or that I’m over the top of the… shed-thing… marching toward — dripping toward the… future… of water… Damn this metaphor! I look a fool! Anyhoo, I’m working to make sure the writers stand strong, the community stays solvent, and the fans get what they deserve. (That sounds threatening, but I just mean stories.) Stay tuned.

And if I don’t get the chance to post for a while, Happy holidays.

Forever sick, -j.

Here’s a video clip of the ME/WGA strike on the BBC News 24 yesterday (8th December) where Mr. Whedon is interviewed ~48 seconds in for about 10 seconds.

If that link doesn’t work, then access this web page…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7133973.stm

…and click the link that says “How the strike is hitting American TV shows” on the top right hand corner.

So here’s the deal. On Friday December 7am from 12:01am – 11:59pm. If you buy a box of pencils in the name of ME Day from the pencils2mediamogels site. You will be entered to win the bag, hopefully autgraphed by all the writers and actors in attendance at the strike. I will let you know sometime after the picketing who all signed it.

1 box = 1 entry – so the more boxes the more entries.

Send a copy of your paypal reciept to be entered to brenda @ fans4writers.com

If SC Johnson Glade pulls their ads and asks for their money back, their competitors will follow suit. And the sooner the advertisers demand their money back from the networks, the sooner this strike will end!

Let’s make sure that SCJ GLADE feels the heat this week. Please distribute this message to your fans, friends, family, and anyone who watches network television, cares about writers, hates reruns, and despises corporate greed.

Call
SC JOHNSON GLADE at 1- 800 494 -4855
and say:

My name is ________________. I am a consumer calling to tell you that I support the TV writers in their ongoing dispute with the television networks. I regret to to inform you that I am no longer comfortable using, buying, or recommending SC Johnson Glade products due to your company’s continued financial support of the networks by paying them for television ad time. Thank you.

The call is free and will only take two minutes of your time. We already know it is making a difference.

Once you’ve called, please forward this message to anyone and everyone you know who watches television or movies. The strike is hurting everyone. Writers. Actors. Crew Members. Everyone who lives and works in or near Hollywood. Help all of them have a Happy Holiday Season. The strike needs to end. Help us. Make the call.

Thank You.

The WGA reports that with regards to Internet streaming, they were offered “a single fixed payment of less than $250 for a year’s reuse of an hour-long program (compared to over $20,000 payable for a network rerun).” For made-for-Internet material, the AMPTP “continued to refuse to grant jurisdiction,” “they made absolutely no move on the download formula” and “continue to assert that they can deem any reuse ‘promotional’ and pay no residual (even if they replay the entire film or TV episode, and even if they make money).”

Talks are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Says the WGA, “We must fight on, returning to the lines… in force to make it clear that we will not back down, that we will not accept a bad deal, and that we are all in this together.”
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Wga-Strike-Watch/Wga-Calls-Quotnewquot/800028604

Three separate surveys indicate overwhelming support for the WGA. The most recent source of good news comes from Daily Variety. Nearly two-thirds of their readers, representing a wide range of affiliations, support the strike. Even more impressive, when Writers Guild members were given the chance to express their opinions in a secret ballot without peer pressure, 84 percent stated the strike was necessary. Furthermore, 69 percent of all the Variety subscribers polled see the WGA as being “more honest and forthright” than the media corporations.

The AMPTP has less reason to smile. Fifty percent of respondents said that since the onset of the strike their view of the corporations has become more negative. Two percent like them better. Adding to the AMPTP woes, 52 percent of Variety subscribers blame the media corporations for any crew layoffs that have taken place.

Today’s Wall Street Journal (11/26/07) praised the strength of the WGA, saying that the “walkout has enjoyed strong unity” and warning media corporations that the strike could lead to the “total collapse of Hollywood’s entertainment machine.” Obviously, that is not our objective. We are committed to bringing this strike to a timely end. A robust and profitable entertainment industry benefits us all.

We continue to win tremendous support from across the nation and our own industry. You’ll be hearing more about this in the days to come. But this is no time to be over-confident. We are at a critical juncture and must not lessen our resolve. Returning to the negotiating table is a beginning, not the end. If we are to succeed it is because we – all of us – keep the pressure on.

We thank you all for your efforts and ask you to continue to dedicate yourself to this cause with an even greater level of energy and enthusiasm. Please be assured that our Negotiating Committee’s strategy remains the same – to stay at the table until we have a good deal.

As Patric says, we are all in this together.

Your Board of Directors

Ron Bass

John F. Bowman

Nancy De Los Santos

David A. Goodman

Mark Gunn

Nick Kazan

Kathy Kiernan

Robert King

Peter Lefcourt

Aaron Mendelsohn

Joan Meyerson

Phil Alden Robinson

Howard A. Rodman

Robin Schiff

Tom Schulman

Dan Wilcox

That is why on Monday and Tuesday, during normal business hours (9AM to 5PM) we are asking EVERY ONE of our members to call one or all of the following numbers:

1.818.560.1000
Anne Sweeny, ABC

1.310.369.1000
Kevin Reilly, Fox

1.818.954.6000
Bruce Rosenblum, Warner Bros.

1.212.258.6000
Phillippe Dauma, Viacom

1.818.777.1000
Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal

1.212.975.4321
1.212.975.4545 (This is a direct line)
Les Moonves, CBS

We want to stress that the whole thing shouldn’t take more than thirty to forty-five seconds (depending on how slow you speak). No one that answers the phone-call will yell or scorn you. Hopefully, it will go straight to a voicemail box. These numbers work. Please leave a polite but firm message that includes the following points:

* Your name, your demographics (age, sex, state and/or local affiliate), and your favorite television show.

* Tell them: “You hope the contract negotiations are successful. You want the writers to receive fair compensation for their work and for production on your favorite show to continue.”

* Stress that: “You hope for a swift resolution because until the writers receive a fair contract you will not download any episodes from official sites. You will not watch streaming “promotional” video online. You will not watch any replacement television, unscripted reality or game shows, and nightly news programs. And when the new episodes stop airing, you will turn off your television. Period.”

* When you call make sure to:
1. do not threaten
2. use formal/business English
3. address them as Mr./Ms. Or Sir/Madam
4. do not use fan-speak, slang, or four-letter-words
5. speak clearly and be brief
6. conclude with “thank you” or “sincerely”
7. do not threaten

If you are still confused, here’s a script:

Hello Mr./Ms. [their name]

My name is [insert name]. I fall into the [insert demographic information] bracket and my local affiliate is [insert local affiliate’s name].

I am calling on behalf of the writers of my favorite show, [insert show].

I wanted you to know that I intend not to download any episodes from official sites; and, not to watch streaming “promotional” video online; and, not to watch any replacement television, unscripted reality or game shows, and nightly news programs until the WGA writers receive fair compensation for their work.

When the new episodes stop airing, I will be joining my local book club. I hope this week’s negotiations are successful. I really want production on [insert favorite show] to continue.

Thank you for your time,
[your name]

This will really work. It is essential that the AMPTP does not assume the fans will go away because they started talking again. We need to show them we are serious, committed, and professional.

The Fandom Liaisons are already spreading the word throughout the livejournal and internet. If you still want to help, leave us a comment there. And please feel free to pimp this own your own f-list, blog, or e-mail circle.

Tabz
Fandom Liasion for Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse

You can check out all the details and plans at the F4W forum here
http://www.fans4writers.com/forum/index.php?topic=267.0

We’re asking people to use our site to buy pencils to send to the six media moguls who run the six corporate conglomerates. We found a vendor who makes environmentally sensitive product: California Republic Stationers. Their pencils are made from sustainably harvested wood, which means they don’t deforest. We’ll also send the media moguls suggestions about where they can donate the pencils to non-profits that teach kids how to write. After all, the CEO’s aren’t writers. It’s not like they can use them.
Anything we have left over from our costs will go into the Union Solidarity Fund, which was created to help non-WGA members affected by the strike.

Donate a box (or two) – it’s via paypal and really easy to do.

http://jb-dean.livejournal.com/7901.html