Further Thoughts on the WGA Strike: Avoiding Being Tuned to a Dead Channel

I was interviewed by Lawrence O'Donnell on KCRW National Public Radio's "To The Point" this past Friday about the continuing WGA strike and its impact. This was a return engagement for me - I was interviewed on KCRW's "Which Way L.A." about the strike by Warren Olney at its outset in the beginning of November.

The most significant part of Friday's interview, from my perspective, was an exchange of sorts between me and Shawn Ryan - a member of the WGA negotiating team, and creator, among many other important accomplishments in television, of the critically acclaimed "The Shield".

I said, at the conclusion of my interview, that I thought the television viewers were being hurt the most by this strike, and then the writers themselves.

Shawn Ryan responded, with more than a bit of derision, that, well, of course it's unfortunate that television viewers are being inconvenienced by not being able to see their favorite shows, but obviously writers who are not getting paid during the strike, and need the money to live, are being hurt far more.

Radio - even NPR - being what it is, I never got the chance to respond. But that's what they make blogs for, so here's what I would have said:

First, of course writers are suffering more due to the loss of income during the strike, and the damage that creates. Indeed, one of my main points before and during the strike has been that the writers are hurting themselves more than those they are striking against.

But dollars and cents and the essential things they buy are not the only things of great value being damaged by the strike.

There is also a psychic, cultural damage, that is very different from the sheer economics, but can affect far more people, and have a much longer impact.

Television viewing of scripted shows, like all forms of narrative appreciation, is based on what Samuel Taylor Coleridge called a "willing suspension of disbelief" - we know that what we're seeing is not real, but a part of our mind pretends that it is. This allows us to make the story our own - to care, sometimes deeply, about the story and its characters. We take time out of our busy lives to read the book, go to the movies, watch television.

In the case of television, this process can be especially profound. We become engaged in continuing series, on screens that cost us little or nothing to watch, in our living rooms and bedrooms. When this process clicks, the characters and the stories can become almost essential parts of our lives. This is what the television industry hopes will happen - and, contrary to what many critics of television in the academic world say, I think that's by and large a very good thing. (See my book, The Soft Edge, for more of my championship of television and its benefits.)

This is what is being jeopardized by the strike, and it's more than a mere inconvenience. Although series are not yet being stopped in mid-stream, their relationships with viewers are being seriously disrupted. Lost, which had such a fabulous finale in May, will debut its new season at the end of January - but with only eight episodes. 24, which was supposed to start in January, won't go on at all. Mad Men, which had a superb and pathbreaking first season on AMC, was supposed to start production on season 2 in November - and that's now on hold. And this is just the beginning.

Comparing these jeopardized viewer relationships to writers not receiving income during the strike is obviously comparing apples and oranges.

But a shattering of the bond between television viewer and television may be irreversible - and lead to something which cannot be healed by money - viewers going elsewhere, to non-television screens, for their entertainment.

This in no way lets the television networks and producers off the hook for being so stingy and unfair to writers.

But it means the WGA should think again about how long it will keep the strike going. Writers can convey their arguments to the producers - and the public - without being on strike. Reason can prevail without risking the destruction of the medium that the writers toil so hard to make alive.

"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel," William Gibson began his 1984 Neuromancer. Let's hope that doesn't describe the future of television...

Jerry Edling's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in L.A.

Well, with no television to review tonight - not because of the WGA strike, but the time of year - I thought I would share this poem with you. It was written by Jerry Edling - producer of my weekly media interview on KNX 1070 all-news radio out of Los Angeles. A shorter broadcast version was nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 2006.

Enjoy ... and have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Jerry Edling's ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in L.A.

’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through L.A.
The Starbucks served scones and cafe au lait;
The stockings were hung by the mailbox with care
In hopes that residual checks soon would be there.

The actors were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of callbacks danced in their heads
Mamma in her bikini and I in my Speedos
Had just left the jacuzzi and were munching Doritos.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my cell phone to see what was the matter.
Someone had breached the property’s border
In violation of my latest restraining order.

The mushroom lights glowed on my circular drive.
I hoped security would catch this burglar alive
When what to my bloodshot eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh--- and eight pre-owned reindeer.

A little old driver was manning the sleigh.
I knew it wasn’t the parking valet.
He yelled at his reindeer, tried to get them to rally.
I thought, "He needs a shrink. I know one in the Valley."

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen.
To the top of the guest house! To the edge of the pool!"
But the reindeer eyed him like a jolly old fool.

Comet said, "Santa, you tell a good story.
The problem is, you’re not a Guild signatory.
For hours of overtime we pull your sleigh,
Without a meal penalty coming our way."

There was bickering, arguing, much consternation;
I expected a grievance, perhaps arbitration.
It was Blitzen who finally said, "That’s enough,"
And led his union brothers away in a huff.

I watched as eight reindeer clopped off toward the fence.
(One of them got a little too close to my Benz.)
Santa yelled, "That’s all right. You won’t listen to reason?
I’ll see to it you’re blacklisted, beginning this season."

So production shut down, and the sleigh sat on idle;
Where the reindeer had been, there were eight empty bridles;
And Santa Claus, looking all portly and odd
Like that silver guy on the Third Street Promenade.

He was chubby and plump... a right jolly old soul.
I thought of calling the Bel Air Patrol.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his back
Made me wonder how he ever got past the guard shack.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Lugging the sack by himself like a jerk
He said, "This is good exercise. Good for the abs,
And if I get too winded, I’ll just hire scabs."

He mounted the chimney, slid down with a crash,
Landed flat on his duff in the soot and the ash
It was then that he learned, with considerable alarm,
That my security system hadn’t been disarmed.

The alarm whooped and whistled and summoned the cops.
Santa ran out the door with a bound and a hop.
I wondered what could cause such trepidation
and thought he might have an unpaid citation.

"On Dasher! On Dancer! We’ve got to get out,"
Santa shouted as the reindeer gathered about.
"The cops are coming! We have to move."
But the reindeer just stared and dug in their hooves.

"Not so fast, " said Comet. "Are you ready to talk?
We need a new contract, or we’re gonna walk."
"A three percent raise," Santa said somewhat gruffly.
"Vision and dental and a meal penalty."

Comet said, "That‘s a good starting point, though
What we really all need is a new PPO,
Major medical and a much smaller co-pay,
Two weeks off every year and a 401(k)."

"We want hay and a promise to build a new stable.
Then we’ll talk about ancillary rights and cable."
"Not now," seethed Santa as he paced about.
"Here come the cops. We’ve got to get out."

"What’s the rush?" said Prancer. "We have nothing to hide.
Why outrun the cops? They’re on our side."
"Not exactly," said Santa. "See, what we’ve got
Is a sleigh that’s been sleigh-jacked. This sleigh is hot."

Kids all over the world were astonished to see
Santa Claus being chased by the L.A.P.D.
On Sunset, on Vine, and on the 405,
Cops chasing Saint Nick, trying to catch him alive.

Choppers hovered above, and in the spotlight,
Santa screamed, "Get away. Let me ride out of sight."
He lashed at the reindeer with the tip of his whip
Until Donder and Blitzen hit the spike strip.

The sleigh and the reindeer careened all about
And came to rest in a bush, where Santa jumped out.
So the image was televised, over hill and dale
Of the jolly old fat man on a foot bail.

He threw off his jacket, tossed away his shirt,
And a cop yelled, "Lie face down in the dirt."
Santa knew he was licked, and he huffed and he puffed
And surrendered, and waited until he was cuffed.

It was just then that I awoke with a start,
In front of the fireplace, with a heavy heart
Wondering how I could get so carried away
And believe that Santa could hijack a sleigh.

He’s all about goodness and sharing and toys
And putting some smiles on good girls and boys
I must have been dreaming. It’s the only way.
Of course, anything’s possible. This is L.A.

Heroes 2: Episode 10: Penultimate for the Fall

Last night's Episode 10 of Heroes, Season 2 is the last before the "finale" of this first Fall "Volume" of Heroes. And depending upon what happens with the WGA strike, we may have to wait beyond the Spring to see Volume 2.

Last night's show developed and brought together a lot of threads nicely. Claire is coming into her own as a hero in better control of her life - an adult - and stands up well to Elle. Adam has been fully revealed for what he is - a monster in some ways worse than Sylar, who is regaining some of his old ways pretty quickly himself. Hiro saw last week that Adam/Kensei killed his father, and is back on the case in America. But Peter needs (or thinks he needs) Adam to save his Irish love, and in the last scene we see Peter confronting Hiro on behalf of Adam.

Which is a pretty good setup for the Fall finale. The coming attractions say a few of our heroes will die next week. Here's what I think:

Neither Hiro nor Peter.

Maybe Nathan, coming to Peter's assistance. Nathan hasn't had much of a story this year, and seems out of place in this world.

Who else? Strictly on the basis of the storyline and characterizations, I would say Niki might not make it. Micah could be raised by his grandmother. Niki also seems without moorings, without a center of gravity, this Fall. And there would be a sad poetry of sorts in her joining D. L. - on the other hand, Ali Larter has a lot of fans (including me).

Villains? Either Adam or Sylar won't make it - but one should survive. The obvious prediction is Adam will die - because the Fall has been his story, not Sylar's. But Heroes could be pull a switch and have Sylar dead. Not likely, because a lot has been quietly invested in his character this Fall ... but, you never know...

Non-super-hero heroes? I can't see Mohinder dying - his role in the series is unique. Mr. Bennet? I assume he can't be killed now, unless someone blows his head off ... it would be a wild twist to somehow kill him, anyway ... but, not likely. (One possibility, though, is that Claire's blood is not 100% effective in repairing him.) Elle's father ... I don't like the character and would love to see him go - but that's no indication that he will go. Possibly all of the above with survive.

Next week - and the next volume - should be good. I hope the number of heroes is at least slightly reduced, so we can have more of them in our fields of focus every week.

But this volume is ending up on a high note - and I'll be back with more next week.

Review of other Season 2 Heroes: Episode 2 ... 3
... 4 ... 7. Heroes Meets 12 Monkeys ... 9. How Immutable Are Fate and Isaac's Futures? ... 11. My Predictions Last Week Were Right!

---

The Plot to Save Socrates

"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

more about The Plot to Save Socrates...





Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

Writers Guild of America Has No Business Striking

Yes, I'm in favor of writers getting as much money as possible for their work - I'm a writer (published novelist, nonfiction and textbook and op-ed author), and I have no allergy to money, believe me - but television writers going on strike makes no sense for at least three reasons:

1. Television viewing is declining. Writers want to get a piece of the Internet, DVD, mobile phone action. Makes perfect sense. But it doesn't make sense to adopt a strategy that will drive even more viewers away from network and cable television, which is still the primary venue for television.

2. Writers are not exactly starving - it's not as if they would slip into poverty if they didn't go on strike. The economic circumstances are not dire enough to warrant a strike.

3. I think, in general, that writers are an elite enough group that they don't need a union. The worker being taken advantage of by the greedy capitalist just doesn't ring true or apply to the television writer.

So, I hope the WGA does not strike - and, if they do, that they come to their senses quickly.

Full disclosure: I make more income from being a professor than being a writer, but I'd never go on strike as a professor, either.