WGA Picket Sign
“If you don’t like your job, you don’t strike! You just go in every day, and do it really half assed. That’s the American way!” So are the words of Homer Simpson, one of many beloved television and movie characters affected by the Writers Guild of America strike. Given the history of the stupid5pin brand, you probably think that the reason I’ve chosen the WGA strike to kick off our 2008 Idiocy Timeline would be the fact that it interrupted the seasons of most of my favorite television shows. Well, dear reader, you are incorrect this time.
Essentially, the essense of the strike is that the writers wanted more money out of the profits of their “creative work.” Right now, longtime readers probably know where this is going, newer ones may not (Hello, Diggers!).
The idea of paying these people for “writing” is ridiculous. Hollywood hasn’t had an original bone in it’s body in a very, very long time. To borrow a line from Fight Club, “everything is a copy of a copy of a copy.” Granted, Edward Norton’s character was referring to what happens when you have insomnia, but then again, I’m sure that the majority of WGA writers have sat up night after night, trying to think of new ideas, only to re-hash a 20 year old concept. Sly Stallone needs a role for a movie in 2007? Let’s have him reprise his role from the 80s as Rocky. Need a new horror flick? No problem, let’s call Rob Zombie and have him re-make Halloween. Kiddie movie? That’s easy, let’s get Johnny Depp to attempt to step in Gene Wilder’s shoes and portray Willy Wonka. These people want money for their “writing?” They’d better damned well be ready to pay residuals to the folks who originally came up with the concept.
So, for going on strike in hopes to get more money to “write” crappy remakes of older movies, Writers Guild of America, you are the January 2008 Idiot of the Month!
Tags: Copy Of A Copy, Creative Work, Edward Norton, Essense, Fight Club, Gene Wilder, Going On Strike, Half Assed, Homer Simpson, Horror Flick, Insomnia, Johnny Depp, Kiddie, Longtime Readers, Picket Sign, Remakes, Rob Zombie, Sly Stallone, Wga Strike, Writers Guild Of America