Writers, Reality TV, and Residuals

I have mentioned in the past that the WGA doesn't always do all that it can to protect its members and ensure they are getting a proper cut of entertainment profits. My discussions have ranged from comparisons to SAG's video game negotiations to comments regarding DVD residuals. In each case I have been critical of the WGA, but one area I haven't talked about (at least not at enough length) is the WGA's reaction to reality tv.

WGA members are not exactly happy with reality tv. You might have noticed a correlation between writer strikes and an increase in reality programs on television. Surprising as it may sound though, reality tv shows do in fact have writers. Sure they aren't the same kind of writer that you might envision, they aren't scripting full dialogue, and sure much of what a traditional writer does for scripted television is done by the editors and directors of reality tv show. Reality tv shows have in the writer role, among other roles I am sure, what are called "story assistants" and these story assistants can become members of the WGA. This is a good thing for script tv writers as it means that the discount price of writers on reality tv is not a permanent state. My hypothesis is that once reality tv normalizes in the industry, bringing with it its ad revenue, the people who work on them will demand similar wages to those paid on scripted shows. Eventually this will cause a leveling of cost differences between the two styles of entertainment.

Before that happens one thing has to happen first. Chiefly that the crews on reality tv shows actually get paid for what they are working. Are you surprised to see this statement? Surely the crews on reality shows are at least paid for the work they do, we don't live in the 19th century after all? According to today's LA Times reality tv shows may be the sweatshops of television, continually flaunting labor laws.

Some key excerpts from the article are:

The Writers Guild of America, West, is backing the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, to put pressure on production companies and networks involved in the burgeoning reality TV business. The guild, which unveiled a push to organize reality TV writers in June, backed a similar suit last month against several networks and production companies.

To meet the deadline, Isenberg recalled, he found himself working six days a week, often until 10 p.m. Occasionally, the writers would stay past midnight to screen footage for Fox executives. Isenberg said one story assistant was so distraught after working 28 hours straight that she broke down in tears and had to be sent home.

Through it all, Isenberg continued to receive the same pay, about $900 a week. Under state labor laws, the suit alleges, he and his fellow writers should have received several thousand dollars in overtime pay.

Ah, the glamor of television. Work your arse off for $900 a week.

I'm Not Letting Undiscovered Go Undiscovered.

The movie Undiscovered, an apparent Romantic Comedy along the lines of Serendipity (but this looks better, comes out this weekend.

I have only seen one trailer for this film, but what I have seen has given me a great desire to see it. As far as I can tell the narrative begins with an unfulfilled "love at first sight" occurance on a crowded Subway. Our fated lovers see one another, but lose one another in the mass of people that is New York. That's okay because even if our protagonists were to have had the follow-up conversation it wouldn't have worked because Luke, our male fated lover, is heading to Los Angeles to become a successful rock musician. Fate has it in store for our young lovers though because Brier (the female fated lover) is heading to LA to become an actress.

Hijinx ensue.

I know, I know, it sounds lame, but trust me when I saw the preview my heart warmed at the thought of an entertaining romantic comedy. This year's crop has been a little clumsy, good sure but still clumsy, and I am looking for the first fluid one. You know it isn't a bumper crop when Wedding Crashers is the best romantic comedy of the season. I loved Crashers, but their should have been a more heartwarming romantic comedy. My hope is that Undiscovered is that comedy.

So here are the pros and cons:

Pro: From what I have seen the dialogue is witty. The story is a standard fated lovers tale and I like those. Stars Steven Strait who was hunky as hell in Sky High. Trust me...Steven was dreamy as the brooding firebrand Warren Peace. The film also stars Carrie Fisher and Peter Weller. I would go watch it just for them.

Con: It does star Ashlee Simpson, but she doesn't sing from what I can tell (not that she ever really sings, but you get the point) and she was cute on 7th Heaven

So my wife and I will be going to see this, in addition to Brothers Grimm and The Cave this weekend.

Getting the Object of Your Affections to Appreciate Comic Books. ÜberCarnival Discussion.

She laughs at my dreams, but I dream about her laughter.

Okay, I admit it, I am a huge The O.C. fan. It happened rather suddenly. I had gone two years without watching a single episode, happily oblivious and perfectly willing to mock the ridiculous OC commercials. But then I went on two long trips out of town. No, I didn't watch the OC while I was on the road, but my wife did watch them as she longed for my return from distant lands. She expressed her enjoyment, so I added Season 1 to our Netflix queue and within three weeks have purchased both Seasons 1 and 2 from a local Wherehouse. Let's just say this is a GenX geek's dream. I eagerly await season 3.

One of main characters, Seth Cohen (played by Adam Brody), is a huge comic book fan. Seth has had an enormous crush on a character named Summer (played by Rachel Bilson) and slightly after mid-season attempts to introduce her to comic books by handing her some of the "classics". The dialogue goes something like this:

SETH

Okay, so here is The Dark Knight Returns, The Watchmen, and Sandman.

SANDY (Seth's Father)

Don't you think those are a little dark son? Isn't life depressing enough. Comic books are supposed to be fun.

ANNA (Seth's "Girlfriend")

Snidely

Yeah, maybe you should start with some Archie.

SETH

Oh, yeah, and Newport Beach is so dark.

Putting aside my own observations about Watchmen and its Post-Modern heroic deconstruction of classic Charlton characters, many created by Steve Ditko, I think I agree with Sandy here. Sure, his response is a little simplistic, but I think he is on to something. Frank Miller once discussed the importance of understanding the "constructed" hero before you could fully understand the "deconstructed" hero.

Oh, and before you think this is another "anti-sophisticated comic" screed. It isn't. I like Watchmen, The Dark Knight, and love Sandman. What I don't like is that these are the only books "acceptable" to "popular" society.

Now back to the discussion...

Given the Post-Modern nature of these three titles, I don't think they are the best way to INTRODUCE someone to comic books. If you love Fantasy/SciFi, you don't say to someone who isn't familiar with the genres, "Hey why don't you read Behold the Man and Lord Foul's Bane." The grim, cynical, deconstructed protagonists in these titles might make someone never want to read the genres again. Besides, Behold the Man is best if you have both read the Bible and are familiar with Golden Age SciFi morality fiction. So you start with Heinlein, Asimov, and Vance. Lord Foul's Bane with its anti-hero makes more sense if you have read, and appreciated, The Lord of the Rings and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. So with Fantasy you start with Tolkien, Lewish, Dunsany, Harry Potter, and classic mythology. These are the things that "pull the new reader in," especially when that new reader is an outsider.

I think the same goes for comic books. Introduce people to the "iconic" books instead of the "important" books.

Below, I will provide a list of 5 comic book trade paperbacks or issues that I think everyone should have and use to introduce people to comic books. I would appreciate it if everyone out there, especially those at the Truth Laid Bear ÜberCarnival would do the same. I only have one rule...try to be fun and not important.

Comic Books for Your Significant Other

Justice League: A New Beginning This book shows that comic books can be well drawn and funny.

Ultimate Spiderman: Power and Responsibility is a wonderful take on the Spiderman story.

Starman: Sins of the Father shows that a comic book can be cutting edge without making the hero dark.

JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice is partially written by the Director of Batman Begins which is a good selling point.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tommorrow? is Alan Moore, of Watchmen fame, writing a moving tale where he in no way needed to deconstruct the ideal. In my opinion, this is the best of his work.

The above list is by no means comprehensive, or even a full beginning, so I look forward to your offerings.

Is Harry Potter "Corrupting the Minds of Our Youth?"

And now for something completely different...

Not to be like the Huffington Post, and report July's news in late August, but I just had to venture in on the "Harry Potter is Evil" discussion. Throughout most of my life I have heard a constant mantra, from certain segments of society: "Fantasy Fiction and Roleplaying games are the Devil's work! Anyone who reads them is practicing Devil Worship." One of the antagonists was Tipper Gore who stated that Dungeons and Dragons was a form of Satanism in her book "Raising PG Kids in an X-rated Society." But my least favorite, or at least the most aggravating, antagonist has historically been Pat Robertson who, while opposed to foreign terrorism, thinks we ought to "take out" the Venezuelan President.

To those of you who think that Harry Potter, Dungeons and Dragons, and Fantasy literature are a form of "devil worship" let me give you the following advice.

First, read this brief piece which gives an overview of what a "Satan Scare" is and how they are linked to historic blood libels with regard to their content. Another useful resource is Satanic Panic which works to dispel the validity of most claims of insidious Satanism in American culture.

Second, read this very in depth analysis by Michael Stackpole who is responding to Pat Pulling (the founder of Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons). In the essay, Stackpole breaks down many of the myths around Role Playing and Fantasy.

Third, I recommend that you yourself read the material in question. If you do, you will find that Harry Potter has a clear moral compass with Good combatting Evil, Tolkien's work contains Biblical references, CS Lewis' fiction is Biblical allegory, and that a great deal of fantasy is inspired by classical concepts of Virtue. It is this focus on virtue that is one of the key reasons people are drawn to Fantasy. They like to see people struggle to do Good, even when it is extremely difficult.

Lewis, Tolkien, and Potter are easy to defend on this ground, as are many others. Some authors, like Philip Pullman with his "advocacy for a democratic revolt in Heaven because a Monarchic Heaven is unjust", are worth reading to discuss the arguments with your children. Do you disagree with Pullman's fantasy based moral argument? Good. Now tell children why you disagree. Write fantasy countering the argument, but don't fetishize the argument by banning Pullman books.

Some books, like Zorachus, really oughtn't be read by children at all, but it isn't meant for children. The themes of the book regarding what happens to a good man who is given power in a corrupt and evil society ought to be examined and discussed.

Oh and before you think I believe all criticisms of Fantasy are unjust. I agree whole heartedly with The Entertainment Complex
and the sentiments expressed in the photograph (by EC) below.

US Army Intelligence Intercepts Terrorist Communique

Odysseus, a soldier currently serving in Iraq intercepted this communique between Al Qaeda operatives. You can tell Odysseus is in Iraq because the pop culture references are a little out of date. Like 6 months or so.

Errors include that Hal Jordan has returned as Green Lantern and that Firefly now has a movie coming out.

After Fritz's Last Post...

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!!!!!

The meme that will never die.

Back to the Caber Toss for ESPN?

When ESPN first came on the air I was a young and naive to the subtleties of "World Sport." Thankfully ESPN was there to give me my first taste of Australian Rules Football, Curling, Logging Competitions, and the awe-inspiring Caber Toss. That changed over time and now ESPN is "the sports channel of record" with a family of channels so massive that the movie Dodgeball parodied them by having a channel called ESPN 8 -- The Ocho! Funny thing was "8" wasn't that far from the truth.

But recent changes might mean a return to obscurity for ESPN. Sure they have rights to Monday Night Football in the near future, but in the aftermath of a successful broadcast of the Tour d'France Comcast's OLN is stepping into the ring of major sports broadcasting. Their first acquisition was rights to NHL games, a relatively easy task with the success of NHL on TV being what it is. Now it looks like OLN has their sights on the cable rights to MLB as well.

Personally, I see this as a winning situation for me in that I hope that OLN will hire better commentators than ESPN when covering baseball. Just because a player is in the Hall of Fame doesn't mean he can talk about baseball.

Who knows...maybe I will learn the mysteries of County Cricket on ESPN. At minimum I expect and expansion of their ESPN manufactured X-Sports.