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Could the Inevitable WGA Strike spell the end of OFF the Simpsons
- Thread starter wealldie
- Start date
Football with ur feet!
New member
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Animation is not [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]part of the [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Writer's Guild.[/FONT]
littlecuitie
New member
I think this Writer's Strike will probably last longer than the last one. Mostly due to not only Reality and Game Shows, but also that many people creating unique internet content, even popular internet content, are not part of the Writer's Guild, even by the Guild's admission. In 1988, you didn't have Reality Shows, Prime Time Game Shows, or YouTube.
But there was prime-time Reality TV shows in the 1980's! Among them: Real People, That's Incredible/Incredible Sunday, Games People Play, Speak Up America, No Holds Barred, Funny People, That's My Line, Those Amazing Animals, and Great Circuses of the World.
Also: Maybe Matt G. should do one more season of the Simpsons fast for 2008-2009 with scab writers before retiring the series after nearly 2 decades.
Also: Maybe Matt G. should do one more season of the Simpsons fast for 2008-2009 with scab writers before retiring the series after nearly 2 decades.
Rebirth _2007
New member
No prime-time game shows in 1989? Geez dude- ever heard of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy...or the dozen other game shows that were mentioned on VH1's "I Love the '80s" series?
So, the Hollywood writers are going on strike...brilliant move- in an era when people barely watch as much TV as they used to, and the majority of shows suck anyway...
So, the Hollywood writers are going on strike...brilliant move- in an era when people barely watch as much TV as they used to, and the majority of shows suck anyway...
False - the three Simpsons executive producers even put their names onto a message put out by the union. (In fact, Patric M. Verrone, who wrote "Milhouse of Sand and Fog," is the head of WGA-West.)
See: http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2529
(I think it's limited to prime-time network animation - Nickelodeon, for example, not only does not have unionized writers, but there are notorious stories about what happened to writers (do a search on "Micah Wright") who so much as suggested that they join the union.)
See: http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2529
(I think it's limited to prime-time network animation - Nickelodeon, for example, not only does not have unionized writers, but there are notorious stories about what happened to writers (do a search on "Micah Wright") who so much as suggested that they join the union.)
I got my info from John Lasseter. It just maybe that their want to be arm-and-arm with their follow writers.
tennisplayer101
New member
You are 100% wrong.
The writers on all the prime time animated shows on Fox (including The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and King of the Hill) are covered by the Writers Guild of America. A WGA strike will shut down The Simpsons as well as those other shows.
While some animated features are also covered by the Writers Guild, most are not. Like Disney Television animation and Nickelodeon Television animation, the writers are covered by the Animation Guild, not the Writers Guild. Many animated features as well as Cartoons on Disney Channel and Nick will not be shut down by the WGA strike.
I'm often amazed how so many people here can be so confident and so wrong at the same time.
Bill
The writers on all the prime time animated shows on Fox (including The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and King of the Hill) are covered by the Writers Guild of America. A WGA strike will shut down The Simpsons as well as those other shows.
While some animated features are also covered by the Writers Guild, most are not. Like Disney Television animation and Nickelodeon Television animation, the writers are covered by the Animation Guild, not the Writers Guild. Many animated features as well as Cartoons on Disney Channel and Nick will not be shut down by the WGA strike.
I'm often amazed how so many people here can be so confident and so wrong at the same time.
Bill
That's exactly why the WGA is going on strike. Our work is being distributed in new ways that were never dreamed of when our old contracts were created. We don't get residual payments for these new methods of distribution even though the studios are making more money than ever from them.
The only "brilliant move" here is that an uninformed fool is spouting off about something he knows nothing about. The studios are making record profits while at the same time trying to pay less money to the people responsible for those profits. Perhaps the information isn't reaching your parent's basement.
Bill
The only "brilliant move" here is that an uninformed fool is spouting off about something he knows nothing about. The studios are making record profits while at the same time trying to pay less money to the people responsible for those profits. Perhaps the information isn't reaching your parent's basement.
Bill
God, I love you.
Good to see someone DEEPLY "In The Know" knocking some of these people down a level. I've been following the strike for a good while now, simply because I completely sympathize with the WGA.
I hate that a lot of the shows and movies I love are going to be affected, but I told all my friends that I'm proud as hell for you guys sticking up for yourselves.
Personally, the amount of ACTUAL television I watch a week 3-4 years ago used to be somewhere in between 50-60 hours, as sad as that sounds. These days, in all honesty, if I watch an hour or two of ACTUAL television a week, I'd be surprised.
Everything I ever want to watch is online. Streaming, downloading, doesn't matter. I don't have to put up with the constant barrage of commercials some networks put into their shows, I don't have to be at my television at a certain time, I can pause the episode/movie whenever I want. It's just a MUCH better medium.
And this whole craze just recently started a year or so ago, how could any of you have known how fast this would pick up steam? It's just unfair that the corps would reap all the benefits of that simply because they wanna say "the medium is in jeapordy, costs are rising, blah blah blah" and all the other BS they want to release to the media to make the American public sympathize with them.
Personally, I don't care how long the strike lasts. My only concern would be for your guys bringing in income. I love when massive "uprisings" like this come out and show the big guys that they don't get to just do whatever the hell they feel like for monetary reasons.
Whether the corps are losing money on episodes and because of illegal episode downloading/streaming or not is of no concern to me. The money they ARE making from LEGAL downloading/streaming deserves to be proportionally divided amongst the people who make it all possible.
My only question is this, what, exactly is the breakdown of the studios hiring scabs? I would naturally assume that the DGA and SAG would look down upon it, but exactly what IS the deal? I'm trying to finish my degree in college here, and then eventually have really large aspirations of being in Hollywood in SOME way, whether as an actor, director, writer, producer, whatever. So for me to get knowledge on something like this as it's happening from someone in your shoes would be really informative, Mr. Merrick.
And Tooth, how are you going to say anything about him attacking you, your quote of "Let those idiots go on strike" is IN his retaliation. If your opinion of the Simpsons and it's writer after 20 FRIGGIN' years is as negative as the majority of the people here on this board, that's fine. I haven't watched the show in years, but I still wouldn't call the people writing the show "idiots". They've just reached a slump where there's not much more they can do with the series, but still pull in decent ratings. It's a friggin' job.
And what's wrong with Columbian coffee slaves?
Good to see someone DEEPLY "In The Know" knocking some of these people down a level. I've been following the strike for a good while now, simply because I completely sympathize with the WGA.
I hate that a lot of the shows and movies I love are going to be affected, but I told all my friends that I'm proud as hell for you guys sticking up for yourselves.
Personally, the amount of ACTUAL television I watch a week 3-4 years ago used to be somewhere in between 50-60 hours, as sad as that sounds. These days, in all honesty, if I watch an hour or two of ACTUAL television a week, I'd be surprised.
Everything I ever want to watch is online. Streaming, downloading, doesn't matter. I don't have to put up with the constant barrage of commercials some networks put into their shows, I don't have to be at my television at a certain time, I can pause the episode/movie whenever I want. It's just a MUCH better medium.
And this whole craze just recently started a year or so ago, how could any of you have known how fast this would pick up steam? It's just unfair that the corps would reap all the benefits of that simply because they wanna say "the medium is in jeapordy, costs are rising, blah blah blah" and all the other BS they want to release to the media to make the American public sympathize with them.
Personally, I don't care how long the strike lasts. My only concern would be for your guys bringing in income. I love when massive "uprisings" like this come out and show the big guys that they don't get to just do whatever the hell they feel like for monetary reasons.
Whether the corps are losing money on episodes and because of illegal episode downloading/streaming or not is of no concern to me. The money they ARE making from LEGAL downloading/streaming deserves to be proportionally divided amongst the people who make it all possible.
My only question is this, what, exactly is the breakdown of the studios hiring scabs? I would naturally assume that the DGA and SAG would look down upon it, but exactly what IS the deal? I'm trying to finish my degree in college here, and then eventually have really large aspirations of being in Hollywood in SOME way, whether as an actor, director, writer, producer, whatever. So for me to get knowledge on something like this as it's happening from someone in your shoes would be really informative, Mr. Merrick.
And Tooth, how are you going to say anything about him attacking you, your quote of "Let those idiots go on strike" is IN his retaliation. If your opinion of the Simpsons and it's writer after 20 FRIGGIN' years is as negative as the majority of the people here on this board, that's fine. I haven't watched the show in years, but I still wouldn't call the people writing the show "idiots". They've just reached a slump where there's not much more they can do with the series, but still pull in decent ratings. It's a friggin' job.
And what's wrong with Columbian coffee slaves?
I prefer my coffee from Colombian hands... can't trust those Columbians.
And, it would be nice to know that the writers (who do work hard and long for their due) get compensated for use of their work on new media... it's hard to imagine the network making all the profit when I watch streaming, or the distributor getting most of it when I buy DVDs.
And, it would be nice to know that the writers (who do work hard and long for their due) get compensated for use of their work on new media... it's hard to imagine the network making all the profit when I watch streaming, or the distributor getting most of it when I buy DVDs.
AJ Pfeiffer
New member
Glad to see Bill back, Bill what's the current status with DT?
But as far as the Fox prime time animation, Doesn't FG and AD have wirters on staff who work under other titles as well (such as producer, exec, etc)? So they'll probably be the ones writing the episodes most likely
As far as the Simpsons, i'm sure they could find SOMEBODY to write the episodes if they NEED to
But as far as the Fox prime time animation, Doesn't FG and AD have wirters on staff who work under other titles as well (such as producer, exec, etc)? So they'll probably be the ones writing the episodes most likely
As far as the Simpsons, i'm sure they could find SOMEBODY to write the episodes if they NEED to
demirocksd.i.s.n.e.y(:
New member
If that person is union, or wants any hope of joining the union in the future, they can't, plain and simple.
What I'm worried most about is.....the Futurama DVDs. The first one is a guarantee, but these things are often rewritten until the last minute and it may be a while longer before we get the others, if at all.....
What I'm worried most about is.....the Futurama DVDs. The first one is a guarantee, but these things are often rewritten until the last minute and it may be a while longer before we get the others, if at all.....
elementalvirago
New member
Okay. They're not idiots. Self absorbed people that forgot what made the show magical in the first place, that can't fill the shoes of Brad Bird or Conan O'Brien to name a few. But definately not idiots.
All I'm saying, these writers alienated their fan base, lost most of them to Family Guy, and they haven't done anything but make lazy cheap laughs for the past 6 years. Come on. They even forgot Grampa Simpson's real name. if you don't know about the characters your're writing for, and you're too lazy to look at any of the past episodes, comic books, reference books, character files, or fan sites, it shows a clear level of not caring.
I mean, I respect real writers like Paul Dini and such. Dude pretty much saved The Batman in season four by writing just one episode.
I don't care if they're in a slump. They have the ability to break out of it. And if they want their educations to show, don't just shove writers and architects that only they care about without having anything to do with the plot. Put in references. Base an episode off what happens in these books. Do something that would bring the show back to its former glory. Do the fans proud.
All I'm saying, these writers alienated their fan base, lost most of them to Family Guy, and they haven't done anything but make lazy cheap laughs for the past 6 years. Come on. They even forgot Grampa Simpson's real name. if you don't know about the characters your're writing for, and you're too lazy to look at any of the past episodes, comic books, reference books, character files, or fan sites, it shows a clear level of not caring.
I mean, I respect real writers like Paul Dini and such. Dude pretty much saved The Batman in season four by writing just one episode.
I don't care if they're in a slump. They have the ability to break out of it. And if they want their educations to show, don't just shove writers and architects that only they care about without having anything to do with the plot. Put in references. Base an episode off what happens in these books. Do something that would bring the show back to its former glory. Do the fans proud.
Rebirth _2007
New member
Because your point is so idiotic that it merits nothing but derision.
You may think the writing on the Simpsons isn't as good as it once was. And that may, in fact, be true. However, the worst episode that The Simpsons that has ever been produced is still better than anything you or any other fan boy could generate even with all of your comic books, reference books, character files, or fan sites because you have no talent.
All of the fans that you think could come out of the woodwork and save The Simpsons by being scab writers exist only in your mind. If they had the talent necessary to become television writers they would have already done so.
And suggesting that scab writers cross picket lines and work for less money and no benefits so that giant multi national corporations can make even more money is just foolishness. Maybe you should get the facts of this complex situation before you show your ignorance.
And your assertion that the Simpsons is losing its fan base to Family Guy (which is also a good show, by the way) is incorrect. The Simpsons still does better in the ratings. But since the facts are irrelevant to your fan boy whining, that shouldn't matter to you.
You may think the writing on the Simpsons isn't as good as it once was. And that may, in fact, be true. However, the worst episode that The Simpsons that has ever been produced is still better than anything you or any other fan boy could generate even with all of your comic books, reference books, character files, or fan sites because you have no talent.
All of the fans that you think could come out of the woodwork and save The Simpsons by being scab writers exist only in your mind. If they had the talent necessary to become television writers they would have already done so.
And suggesting that scab writers cross picket lines and work for less money and no benefits so that giant multi national corporations can make even more money is just foolishness. Maybe you should get the facts of this complex situation before you show your ignorance.
And your assertion that the Simpsons is losing its fan base to Family Guy (which is also a good show, by the way) is incorrect. The Simpsons still does better in the ratings. But since the facts are irrelevant to your fan boy whining, that shouldn't matter to you.