The Nation.



More Money, Les Moonves

By Annabelle Gurwitch

November 13, 2007

Seen, heard and observed on the picket line in Los Angeles as the Writers Guild of America strike enters its second week:

Too much enthusiasm: Writers picketing in Che Guevara T-shirts

Too little enthusiasm: Writers picketing with Blackberrys and cell phones

Too much fun:Walking the line with everyone you've ever worked with

Too little fun:Walking alone back to your car, with no work in sight.

Too literal for showbiz insiders: "We write the story-a for Eva Longori-a!"

Too obtuse for showbiz outsiders: "More money, Les Moonves!"

Too too: CAA interns walking the line with chirros on serving trays

Tutu: On the buxom boxing ring babe working a DAY 5 sign at the Fox Rally

Too little perspective: "I'm really making an impact by getting cars to honk"

Too much perspective: "I've spent more time picketing outside this lot than I'll ever spend working inside this lot"

Too much compensation: Big movie stars

Too little compensation: Cable TV staff writers

Too predictable: Jesse Jackson joining strikers on the line

Too little too late: Bill Clinton offering to negotiate

Too familiar: Union members trying to hold onto middle class lifestyle

Too remote: The chance of that happening

Two Days in the Valley: Engaging filmic view of life in Los Angeles scripted by WGA member John Herzfeld

Two Coreys: Inane episodic view of life in Los Angeles unscripted by Haim and Feldman on A&E

Two for the price of one: Writing content for televsion and Internet "promotional" videos

Two for the price of one: Sagehand strike forces closure of Broadway shows on Saturday, spreading the industry pain to both coasts

Too good to be true: Rumors that the strike will end quickly

Too terrrible to imagine: The strike lasting until Screen Actors Guild contract expires in June

To be or not to be: Next year's pilot season

Tomorrow: and tomorrow and tomorrow WGA members creep in this petty pace from day to day assembling at studio gates in four hours shifts from 6 am to 2 pm

About Annabelle Gurwitch

Writer and actress Annabelle Gurwitch Writer and actress Annabelle Gurwitch is the creator and producer of the Fired! project. The documentary Fired! which was featured on The Sundance Channel in November 2007, earned kudos from the Chicago Tribune, Oprah and Business Week, and continues to be shown in screenings sponsored by the AFL/CIO and SEIU. Her column Fired Up appears regularly in The Nation, and her essays have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Child, Premiere, and Penthouse.

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