“Singing a song of angry men”

It’s looking pretty likely that there will be a writers strike in Hollywood this year — and sooner than Hollywood expected.

Instead of waiting, however, WGA members received an e-mail just moments ago announcing a strike authorization vote — the results of which could be revealed in the next 10 days. If they vote to strike, the group could pack up their laptops when its contract expires on Nov. 1.

This would majorly tighten the noose around the necks of the guys holding the purse strings, because movie studios won’t have had time to fast-track blockbusters to see them through a strike, and most fall TV shows will only have 10 or 11 episodes in the can at that point.

I tend to support writers and other creative talent in these sorts of disputes (with a leavening of awareness of how unions can often be unreasonable, even if they call themselves “guilds”).  While it is by no means a balanced presentation, this summary of the WGA reactions to the studios’ proposals makes it pretty clear why the writers are taking this step — such fun things as removing writer names from advertising, not giving residuals until the (infinitely regressing) event of a project reading “profitability,” etc. 

Should be interesting to watch.