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November 11, 2007
Why I care about the writer's strike
I spend roughly one hour each week watching television. And, quite frankly, I’d be sort of relieved if the strike forced Heroes off the air—I sort of hate myself for liking that show. But that’s not the whole story.
When I’m not watching television, I can usually be found watching something I’ve downloaded, or a DVD. “Television” shows that I’ve downloaded or am watching on DVD*. I put television in quotes there because “television” is merely one device for displaying episodic non-interactive content. That’s what this strike is about.
The villains are quite cartoonishly evil—more so than most on television. The networks are using the changing way that Americans are watching television to do 2 things: 1) make more money than ever and 2) deny money to the creative talent. The devious bit: TV on DVD is compelling precisely because the writers have gotten so good in the last decade. Most pre-Buffy TV can be watched in pretty much any order. But post Buffy? Anything worth watching has characters that evolve and storylines that take an entire season to play out. Ross and Rachel? Wasn’t the network executives who made us tune in. It was the writers.
The producers have decreed that their power gives them the sole right to monetize the new medium. The writers disagree. And so they strike. As long as the writer’s are on the picket lines, they’re the most entertaining thing on TV YouTube. I can’t wait for the DVD.
This is the face of corporatism. A change in technology allows enough instability for those with power to claim even more control. The millionaires are literally trying to take money from the middle class and stick it in their own banks. The issue is so clear cut, so easy to see, the networks are being so thuggish... So I care. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some DVDs to watch.
*As I type this, I am watching a DVD of formerly televised content. Scrubs, season 2, if you want to know. I’m watching it on my Computer. The networks got their full cut. The writers got half their full cut.
Posted by Andrew at November 11, 2007 10:22 AM
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