Where do I pick up my WGA strike swag?

[crushedredpeppermint]

I hope the strike has a positive outcome, I just don't see how changing your myspace picture to a little I SUPPORT THE WGA animation is really helping. Theres a lot of myspace/online picketing. I don't know. I don't see the value in it. And I'm not saying there isn't. I just don't understand it. Anyone want to explain this to me?

[BrianLynch]

I guess it's to show support to writer-friends or writers they admire that are on myspace.  Mystery solved!

[sean]

I hope the strike has a positive outcome, I just don't see how changing your myspace picture to a little I SUPPORT THE WGA animation is really helping.

Red,

The thing about striking that nobody talks about is that a strike has no power if consumers are willing to cross the picket lines.  For instance, last year (almost two years ago now, I guess), the subway workers in NYC struck.  But they did such a piss-poor job of explaining their position to the public, and seemed so hell-bent on striking, that they had very little sympathy.  People expressed that, if the MTA put hastily trained scabs in, they would ride the subways again.  Thus, the strikers panicked and went back to work, and now have a deal just as bad as (or worse than) the one they were striking in protest of.  In fact, this has recently become a big problem for unions -- they assume people will support them by default and don't explain their reasoning well, and then wonder why the companies publicly paint them as greedy.

A very important part of *this* strike is that the companies genuinely seem to believe that the writers are replaceable, interchangeable, and don't actually matter to the creative process.  I mean, that's not what they're saying in so many words, but that sentiment is behind *every* decision the companies are making (and explains their general treatement of writers for the past forever-many years).  That's why the studio heads get frustrated every time they hear people driving by the strikers and honking their support.  They hear that.  Did you hear the story that the execs sent an intern down to beg the writers not to encourage honking, because the execs find it distracting?

But not everybody can drive by a studio.  There are 48 states where, to my knowledge, no striking is going on [well, 47 if the writers of 'Lost' are stationed in Hawaii], not to mention hundreds of countries in which companies have already granted their creators far more intellectual rights than in our country.  One easy way of showing their support of the writers is the simple Myspace photo.  You can be sure that Fox is aware of how many people on Myspace are declaring their support of the WGA strike and that, in general, they are watching the tide of the Internet to see who has the popular support.

I'm glad you told me about this; I made a point of changing my default picture, which will be that stupid typewriter graphic for the duration of the strike, unless I can find a better support graphic.

[crushedredpeppermint]

I hope the strike has a positive outcome, I just don't see how changing your myspace picture to a little I SUPPORT THE WGA animation is really helping.

Red,

The thing about striking that nobody talks about is that a strike has no power if consumers are willing to cross the picket lines.  For instance, last year (almost two years ago now, I guess), the subway workers in NYC struck.  But they did such a piss-poor job of explaining their position to the public, and seemed so hell-bent on striking, that they had very little sympathy.  People expressed that, if the MTA put hastily trained scabs in, they would ride the subways again.  Thus, the strikers panicked and went back to work, and now have a deal just as bad as (or worse than) the one they were striking in protest of.  In fact, this has recently become a big problem for unions -- they assume people will support them by default and don't explain their reasoning well, and then wonder why the companies publicly paint them as greedy.

A very important part of *this* strike is that the companies genuinely seem to believe that the writers are replaceable, interchangeable, and don't actually matter to the creative process.  I mean, that's not what they're saying in so many words, but that sentiment is behind *every* decision the companies are making (and explains their general treatement of writers for the past forever-many years).  That's why the studio heads get frustrated every time they hear people driving by the strikers and honking their support.  They hear that.  Did you hear the story that the execs sent an intern down to beg the writers not to encourage honking, because the execs find it distracting?

But not everybody can drive by a studio.  There are 48 states where, to my knowledge, no striking is going on [well, 47 if the writers of 'Lost' are stationed in Hawaii], not to mention hundreds of countries in which companies have already granted their creators far more intellectual rights than in our country.  One easy way of showing their support of the writers is the simple Myspace photo.  You can be sure that Fox is aware of how many people on Myspace are declaring their support of the WGA strike and that, in general, they are watching the tide of the Internet to see who has the popular support.

I'm glad you told me about this; I made a point of changing my default picture, which will be that stupid typewriter graphic for the duration of the strike, unless I can find a better support graphic.

Thanks, Sean! that was really helpful. I know that it might seem like I was being a wise guy, but I really didn't get what good it was doing. What you said makes a lot of sense.

Are those supporting the strike not buying new Dvds? Like that would be a way to show the consumer influence, right?

[Raikus]

That raises a good point. Is there anything us regular old consumers can do to help in the effort? Obviously most of us won't be going to a Studio anytime soon and I don't really thing anyone would notice if I boycotted YouTube.

Suggestions?

[sean]

Unfortunately, the best idea I've heard is to send food to the strikers.  Which will definitely be a nice show of support, but I also wish there was something we could do which felt like it was more directly affecting the companies' bottom line.

I suppose not watching reality shows would be helpful.  And any shows which hire scabs to complete episodes.  But that stuff hasn't come up yet.

If anybody hears of any good ways to publicly show support, please do post them here.

[sean]

Are those supporting the strike not buying new Dvds? Like that would be a way to show the consumer influence, right?

The problem with stuff like that is that it doesn't neccessarily register; is the new version of 'The Graduate' not selling because everybody owns it?  because nobody wants it?  Or because they want it but are sending a message?

It would have to be accompanied by some sort of petition and statement of intent, which I haven't seen anywhere yet (I imagine that, if the strike lasts into the New Year, people will get creative about how to show support).

The other thing is, my understanding is that television is *much* more important to the equation than movies, even DVDs.  People picket the backlots more than the filming locations, because the studios aren't expecting any money from the movies for many months yet, whereas stuff being shot for TV will be on, making money, within a month.  So that's where their focus is.

The other thing is, they dropped increasing the DVD residual rate from their list of demands.  So even if the strike is successful, that four cents won't change.  So that's probably why they're not picketing outside a Best Buy, explaining directly to the consumer how shitty the companies are.  Internet distribution is the more important thing right now.

This is just off the top of my head, but if somebody were to figure out which companies are putting the most money into advertising during Internet distribution, and target those companies with a boycott, stating upfront that it is in support of the WGA, that you will not give those companies money until some of that money is given to the writers... if you had enough people organized, that boycott could actually possibly force the issue.  The studios will only listen to the money, and, in this case, the money is coming directly from those companies with no consumer middleman.  So, actually, amending what I said earlier, it's *these* companies which are crossing the line.  It is cheaper for them to support the studios pushing to eliminate residuals from the equation.  Make it more expensive for them and they will not support the studios.  Make enough of them not support the studios and they'll make sure that the studios negotiate.

The extremity of that is probably a pipe dream... but you never know.

[JCEFalconi]

How about doing what fans did when they wanted Veronica Mars back on the air. y'know, every supporter sends one pencil to the offices of every studio, when those pencils pile up, maybe it'll further the message.

 Peppermint did raise one important point about "internet activism" that it'll probably never be really efective if it's only coming from the internet. A thousand blog posts are worth nothing if there isn't a real life activity to support it, be it sending letters, or demonstrating, or even voting.

[petec]

The studios were all well prepared for this, so nothing you really do is going to effect their bottom line. So, the best thing you can do is show support to the actual strikers. Simple things to show moral support (from what I gather from talking to friends who are striking). Honking your horn. Bringing them food and drink. Picketing with them. Anything to lend you support morally.

Also, HJ's, BJ's and AJ's (i don't know what that last one is, but why not) are greatly appreciated.

[crushedredpeppermint]

Ass jobs?

[sean]

How about doing what fans did when they wanted Veronica Mars back on the air. y'know, every supporter sends one pencil to the offices of every studio, when those pencils pile up, maybe it'll further the message.

I like the way you're thinking, but I think they should emulate something which worked better than that.

Peppermint did raise one important point about "internet activism" that it'll probably never be really efective if it's only coming from the internet. A thousand blog posts are worth nothing if there isn't a real life activity to support it, be it sending letters, or demonstrating, or even voting.

Oh, I definitely agree with this.  But I think the studios are watching the Internet to try and get a sense of which way public favor is going.

I think I just broke Newsarama with the strike talk going on over there; all of a sudden it can't load.  Which sucks, because I had a really good point to make about the studios attempting to force people to write webisodes for no money.

[JCEFalconi]

.

I like the way you're thinking, but I think they should emulate something which worked better than that.

I think it did work in some instances, according to the link below, when rumours started about Roswell being cancelled after its first season, fans started sending little bottles of Tabasco sauce to the network, the show ran for another two seasons.

http://www.crashdown.com/setvisit/tabasco.shtml

 Also I remember Brett Thomas (I think that's the name of the Veronica Mars guy) talking about the fans campaign to save the show, and how it would've probably worked if it had started earlier.

[Raikus]

I'm not trying to shoot down ideas or further brainstorming, but doing "viewer revival" stuff like this probably won't make any difference. In the past, sending a Mars bar into the studio to help get VM back on the air was the furthest extreme of response. Here the writers of the shows have already stopped producing scripts. I don't see how sending 1,000 items of x will have a larger impact.

Again, not trying to be mean, just realistic.

[JCEFalconi]

In the past, sending a Mars bar into the studio to help get VM back on the air was the furthest extreme of response.

Here's what Brett Thomas said about it:

"I also know [in regards to the show's cancellation] the Mars Bars campaign needed to happen a month earlier if it was going to have any impact."
 

Here the writers of the shows have already stopped producing scripts. I don't see how sending 1,000 items of x will have a larger impact.

 You're talking there about the writers. What I was talking about was the  consumers' show of support, like sean said, it is important for the studio's to know which side the consumers are taking. I don't think sending something is going to be the one thing that would sway the studio's opinion, but It couldn't but help as a grain of sand, in the same category as car honks,  myspace posts, youtube videos and all that.

[sean]

Here the writers of the shows have already stopped producing scripts. I don't see how sending 1,000 items of x will have a larger impact.

The problem is that the studios are gearing up for a long strike, because they genuinely believe that the money lost now will be less than the money lost over the long-term.

It seems like there are guild members who honestly don't think that it is within the screenwriters' power to offset this equation alone.  They need at least the support of the actors and directors... but if anybody can think of a way that we can help chip away at that, so this strike is costing them that much more money, I'd like to hear it and spread it around.