As a writer (playwright/screen writer), part of me has to view the current WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike from another perspective.
Don’t get me wrong. Over all, I support the grievances expressed by my brother and sister writers. A long time ago, film director, Frank Capra said words to the effect that writers are the least appreciated in the film industry.
With that said, yes, this strike is affecting every aspect of, and a lot of and people in the industry.
Like the “working actor” (an actor actually making a living acting – comprises less than 1% of the 160,00 SAG/AFTRA members ) that complained about not being able to pay his rent because of the strike.
Hey, I support solidarity 100%… but like everything else in life, solidarity has a price. I’m betting he just didn’t think he’d have to actually do it – just sayin.
Side bar: What about a temp job until the strike is over? Some job is always better than no job…Oops. I’m sorry. There I go, thinking like a responsible adult again.
Got that from my dad. He was a member of a union. The three times his union went on strike, that’s what he did. It was far from being a walk in the park. But our family survived.
Solidarity aside, OBVIOUSLY he didn’t get (or think it would apply to him) the unwritten, yet well-known, decades old, industry memo that says, “Don’t buy anything that takes more than 13 weeks to pay for.”
Another thing… why do I see some of us on some social media platforms seeking John and Jane Q. Public’s support for this strike?
COVID killed that strategy. It made John and Jane learn what I learned in the Marine Corps. When push comes to shove, you Improvise, adapt, and overcome. You take care of the “right now”. John and Jane learned that there really was/is life after TV re-runs, NETFLIX and etc..
Last I checked…John and Jane did just fine!
Hats off! To the majority of those who can financially afford to be out marching and supporting the strike. Through trial and error… or a real world POV from the git-go; they realized “job security” has always been an endangered species in this industry. So, they were smart with the money they made. They put some away and expanded their career interests into other areas. They never forgot the importance of having a plan B… aka what we laughingly refer to as “a day job”.
In closing…like I said… this is just another perspective. Agree with me or not, ya know what? One way or the other, this thing will work itself out.
Thanks for reading my blog!
Loren
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