As writers' strike heats up, Hollywood remains cold
Sara Carr
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Arts & Society
For the past 64 years of the Golden Globes Award ceremony, the stars have arrived in glamorous gowns and the champagne has flowed as freely as the acceptance speeches laced with wit, triumph and a touch of class.
The annual party maintained its solid reputation until this year, the 65th, when the Writers Guild of America, (the words for the actors' mouths) decided to shut down the production by boycotting the ceremony that took place on Jan 14. This left the telecast void of A-list stars that belong to the Screen Actors Guild, who would not dare to cross the picket line of their long-supported colleagues.
Without the stars, the ceremony was stripped of its glitz as the American public was forced to listen to the musings of Billy Bush from "Access Hollywood" as he rattled off the winners in a stodgy press conference. This took the place of a well-suited George Clooney presenting the award with suave demeanor and a few well-timed jokes (courtesy of the scribes who dream up the introductions.)
The casualty that was the Golden Globes Awards this year opens up the entertainment industry's very own breathing Pandora's Box on steroids. A box where the studios could stand to lose hundred of millions of dollars, the crew members from Camera Operators to Grips lose not only their job security but basic benefits. The Super Bowl of the movie industry is becoming nothing more than a gossip host reporting the stats of a rained-out game.
Despite the persistent words of the producer of the Academy Awards, Gil Cates, it is still foggy as to whether or not the show will really go on.
On Nov. 5, 2007, the 12,000 members of the WGA walked away from the typewriter and out onto the street, signs in hand and demands at the ready. Demands of the writers aimed at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers(AMPTP) ranged from Internet residuals to allowing animation and reality show writers to join the WGA.
Just over a month later, the talks at negotiation tables stalled as the AMPTP had a demand of its own: that the writers remove six demands from their list. A list that remains just as unchanged as the determination of the script scribes.
The annual party maintained its solid reputation until this year, the 65th, when the Writers Guild of America, (the words for the actors' mouths) decided to shut down the production by boycotting the ceremony that took place on Jan 14. This left the telecast void of A-list stars that belong to the Screen Actors Guild, who would not dare to cross the picket line of their long-supported colleagues.
Without the stars, the ceremony was stripped of its glitz as the American public was forced to listen to the musings of Billy Bush from "Access Hollywood" as he rattled off the winners in a stodgy press conference. This took the place of a well-suited George Clooney presenting the award with suave demeanor and a few well-timed jokes (courtesy of the scribes who dream up the introductions.)
The casualty that was the Golden Globes Awards this year opens up the entertainment industry's very own breathing Pandora's Box on steroids. A box where the studios could stand to lose hundred of millions of dollars, the crew members from Camera Operators to Grips lose not only their job security but basic benefits. The Super Bowl of the movie industry is becoming nothing more than a gossip host reporting the stats of a rained-out game.
Despite the persistent words of the producer of the Academy Awards, Gil Cates, it is still foggy as to whether or not the show will really go on.
On Nov. 5, 2007, the 12,000 members of the WGA walked away from the typewriter and out onto the street, signs in hand and demands at the ready. Demands of the writers aimed at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers(AMPTP) ranged from Internet residuals to allowing animation and reality show writers to join the WGA.
Just over a month later, the talks at negotiation tables stalled as the AMPTP had a demand of its own: that the writers remove six demands from their list. A list that remains just as unchanged as the determination of the script scribes.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Kristyn
posted 1/22/08 @ 12:29 PM EST
Very interesting.
Post a Comment