I’m a big fan of “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report,” but lately have been saddened as they are showing nothing but re-runs. The obvious reason for the re-runs is the Writer’s Strike. All of the TV writers are upset with the TV execs. because the execs refuse to share the profits from online shows and sales with the writers, so the writers are doing a strike. Personally, I think it would be more fitting to call it a Writers’ Block than a Writers’ Strike.
This little feud is foolish to me. If I’m a big, primetime producer with a hit TV show like “Lost” or “24,” in which the writing is everything, and my writing team comes in and says they’re going on strike unless I give them whatever they want, I think I would give them whatever they want. Without them, there is no show. The TV Executives’ motive is obviously more money. If they share the online profits with the writers, they want make as much. But the writers quit because the Execs won’t share, so now there is no show at all. “24” even cancelled season 7. Doesn’t that mean no more money for anyone? No one is winning this fight, including me.
It reminds me of the little gas station across the street from the big chain gas station. The little guy’s price is ten cents higher than the big boys’. And for what reason? The little guy is hoping to make more money by charging higher prices. But no one is buying gas there. Wouldn’t you make more money if you were even a penny cheaper than the guy across the street? The gas station desperately needs drivers, but their high price is pushing people away.
And that reminds me of marriate. So often marriage becomes a competition of who is more important – who sacrifices more, who works more, who makes more, who washes the dishes more, who took out the trast last time. We get selfish and we get self-righteous and we start a competition that no one wins. You can’t just go on strike. You can’t refuse to share. You can’t raise the price. You’ll only hurt yourself. Marriage is not meant to be a competition, its not even meant to be two people. Marriage is ONE, ONE entity, ONE life. If you cut the other person out, you’re not just wounded… you’re dead.
The show stops. The gas runs dry. All your efforts to hold out and wait for the other person to cave only leaves you alone. How many shows could have been written during this strike? How many more sales could have been made at the little gas station? How many marriages could be saved if we spent half the time and energy giving as we do taking?
So sometimes you have to share the online money and sometimes you have to lower the gas price a little, but in the end you will profit so much more.
3 Comments
david herndon 
cannot resist saying “check your spelling”.
Comment by Kaye November 14, 2007 @ 1:35 pmAgreed Mr. Herdon. I’ve often thought of actually who is winning this fight of the writers verse the executives. The writers deserve a cut of the profits, but they need to be careful to think to highly of themselves. The actors need the writers and the writers need the actors. And the exec’s need both of them. They depend on one another and it’s a nice parallel of how we depend upon one another in marriage. I enjoyed your article. I miss you my brutha.
Comment by ross November 17, 2007 @ 4:33 pmI think you have an awesome view of marriage. If people would do just that, to give instead of take they would be much happier. Keep it up.
Comment by Matthew November 27, 2007 @ 1:05 pm