When I first published my blog I chose the rather controversial topic of The Writer’s Strike, and I got a few comments. One such comment was opposing the Writer's Strike and was written by a friend of mine. I had never discussed it with him previously and was surprised by his stance on this issue. All well and good, controversial topic … a little controversy is a good thing I’m thinking. So I approved his comment in the interest of fairness—and controversy, of course. I emailed the exciting news of my new blog to all my friends and most read it… some even commented. Its going to come out anyway— because I refuse to edit any of my friend’s comments—that my friend, Michael Sinclair, is the one who fired the opening salvo against the strike. My other friend, John Goff—a card-carrying member of the Writers Guild of America—taking umbrage at Michael’s stance on the matter, fired back. Michael’s comment is already there for all to see, and I thought John’s comment—privately to me—was so right on that I asked him if I could publish it. He said yes, so here it is in all its gory glory. It gets a tiny bit personal, but Michael’s a big boy and he can take it, I’m sure—and perhaps a dual of some sort could be in the offing. Ah, controversy…

Herewith is John Goff’s response to Michael Sinclair’s comment:

"As an emeritus member of the WGA, and having walked that picket line 20 years ago and involved in listening to the networks, studios and AMPTP whine at every point of "new media" emergence, I am on THE WRITER'S SIDE! The squelching of creative, quality and class ideas and writing has been going on ad infinitum since the beginning of creating and creators requiring financial patrons until it has become the "business" that it has become... Historically even Wm. Shakespeare had someone produce his plays... Only difference between then and now is that the audiences were more discerning then than now... A writer can't deal with that ephemeral muse of listening to voices in his or her head and putting them on paper for others to translate and then turn around and deal with the black and white of crunching numbers. Somehow it simply doesn't coincide, at least not happily... It's audiences with the baser mentality like Michael Sinclair that have brought entertainment to the point it is today: if it moves and stinks it's acceptable to the ever-level masses (which actually is rather Socialistic) ; if it causes one to think and join into a thinking process, shitcan it. Quality? Class? Polish? screw `em... As a beginning writer early in my career I once wrote a script for an independent producer---"Gimme a terror script," was his input. It was around Christmas and my daughters needed Santa Claus. I was paid $750, and was glad to get it. He filmed it for less than $20,000 and made over a million with it, clear. He's still making money off that and I've never seen anything other than that $750. Last I heard he has his own independent studios, has done TV series and movies, is a millionaire several times over and has the original poster of that property up in his office and credits it with being his cornerstone but has never offered the creators anything other than the $750 (a partner and I each received $750)... And Sinclair wants creators to cut the producers a break. He needs to get his head out of his ass, scrape the shit out of his eyes and ears and look at the world around him unfettered... Historically those who put on the product want the product for free... When TV came in they didn't want to give the writers anything because they didn't know how... this NEW technology will do." Well, how did it do...? It took the writers, and actors, over 20 years to get paid for their work beyond the initial payment and then only limited. During those 20 years the business people who juggled numbers and put in no creative input---other than an occasional, "I don't like that," or "I'd like to see the blonde alone in my office for 15 minutes...don't disturb us,"---socked away billions... NOW, all this new technology is overwhelming everyone and they're still singing the same old song, "We don't know how this new technology will do..." While Les Moonves recently told his stockholders, "The Internet is the future of the entertainment business!"... The next question is, "Will Les Moonves put himself away in a silent room with only a blank computer screen and fill it up with viable, scripted ideas for entertainment to put on the Internet, or will someone else?" I think we know the answer to that, and I also think that whoever puts in enough thought and creativity to fill that Internet should be paid as long as that piece of entertainment causes people to purchase product that enables Les Moonves or people like him to put money in stockholder's pockets... Otherwise, let Sinclair feed on "Survivor" for a hundred years... He'll probably be very content. Slugs always eat shit for sustenance...
JG"

SO…

There you have it, folks, the other side of the coin from someone who is in the know. I would like to point out here that I only ONCE watched Survivor for a few minutes when my son called me frantically saying he’d missed the show and would I record it for him… and I hated it. I want my well-written, scripted shows back, dammit.

I would now like to propose a little challenge for my friends, John and Michael. Please comment on the following: David Letterman is back on the air because he made a deal with the Writer’s Guild and can do whatever he wants, write himself, use writers and such. Not to be outdone, Jay Leno has returned also, but with no such deal. He has purportedly returned to save his people’s jobs. Jay is also a WGA writer, who is on strike, so he is not allowed to write. But he can return as a late night talk show host and wing it. The first night back, he was cited by the WGA for reading from the teleprompter during his monologue, which is a definite no no, since what he was reading was obviously written by someone. You can’t write for television unless you’re in the Guild, and you can’t write for television if you are a member of the Guild… because you are on strike. So there should be nothing to read on the teleprompter. My questions are these: Is this fair to the writers, who are on strike? Is this fair to Leno’s crew and himself? Does anyone believe that even the mighty Jay Leno can wing it for forty-three minutes each night, with nothing written down? A dilemma for the ages… Whadaya say, guys… what do you think?