12/18/2007

in

In the category of Worst Supporting Union, the nominee is the WGA. - AMPTP

Susie Kopecky

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation... The Declaration of Independence says it beautifully: if one group feels downtrodden and taken advantage of, it must go and declare its freedom from oppressors.  
  
However, at this point, the Writers of Guild of America seems more like the oppressor than the oppressed. Today news has reached the airwaves that the WGA will not be writing for or even in some cases permitting the unpaid viewing of film clips at the Oscars or the Golden Globes. The Globes, which are scheduled for January 13th, less than a month from today, are assumed to be broadcast anyway. Certainly the speakers and host(s) will be talented and able to improvise their lines if necessary anyway, but then the Guild adds another dimension of hardship: will they be picketing outside the shows? And if so, that means many talented performers will have to cross the picketing multitudes, perhaps to be scorned and ostracized by writers, in order to attend a show to celebrate their co-workers. So the decision will come down to: support your co-workers or support your co-workers?  
  
The WGA's refusal to interact with performers on these prestigious award shows is a plain embarrassment. The Globes and Academy Awards often focus too much on the glamor and glitz (and who doesn't love it?), but everyone knows the actors use their craft to interpret the brilliant works of WRITERS. By refusing to acknowledge their own brilliance in writing, and distancing themselves from the much-watched award shows, writers are doing themselves a huge disservice. If anything, the WGA leadership should be trying to find clever ways to help its members, not continue to direct them against a wall.  
  
What if film and television writers wore their best, attended the show and made known how vital their role in Hollywood is? Everyone is already feeling the crunch and missing amazing television programs. Perhaps an Oscar night of dazzling writing and writers showcasing their best work at the Golden Globes is exactly what is necessary to remind the the producers of what the viewing public already knows: the writers make it happen. The irony is how the desired results and the initial offerings of the WGA and producers were not that far off from each other. Can't we just give peace a chance?