Photos
Video
When it comes to WGA slogans, everyone's a critic
Noted wordsmith and former scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis has spoken and while she's a supporter of the Writers Guild, she wants to see a little bit more creativity from the frustrated scribes.
In a blog post titled "I Am for the Writers -- and for Better Slogans" (and offering little substance beyond said headline), Curtis argues "The best way to get the message across is to write a better message."
Certainly the early sloganeering has tended toward tradition call-and-response rhythms familiar to anybody who has ever taken part in a protest or rally.
Leader: What do we want?
Crowd: Abortions for all, abortions for nobody, our troops to come home, Internet residuals and more electric cars!
We would never deny that it's both easy and catchy to launch into any chant that starts with "Hell no, we won't..." or variations on "No justice! No peace!"
While there have been some groaners (I can't deal with "We write the story-a, for Eva Longoria"), I've already heard a handful of slogans I can get behind, including:
"We write, you wrong"
"How much you earnin', Peter Chernin?"
"No money, no funny."
"More money, Less Moonves"
And then there are more elaborate picket line presentations, like this fantastic clip featuring a number of writer-producer-actors from The Office...
To those agree with Curtis (married to Christopher Guest who is, we assume, a WGA member) that better signs will win this fight, I like the quote from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino in a Monday (Nov. 5) New York Times story:
"I was telling my husband that we need some new and better chants, but he reminded me: 'No writing. None.'"
[For more slogans and strike info, check out our Zap2it strike coverage, plus the well-reported missives from our corporate siblings at the Los Angeles Times, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily, or the newsy and WGA-friendly United Hollywood blog.]
Have you heard any good strike slogans? Want to suggest any winners?
I heard that Tim Minear (Of Angel, and several brilliant but quickly cancelled Fox shows fame), had a GREAT idea for the strike: blank signs. Think about it. Thousands of writers with blank signs. Heh :-)
J | Nov 7, 2007 1:27:09 PM | #
Just some thoughts that came to mind.....
No pleasin ends the season.
NCIS - No Consideration, I strike.
CSI - Can Strike indefinitely.
LOST time means LOST revenues.
Primetime will be Pushing daises.
I also thought about the idea of blank signs. Cool Idea!
| Nov 7, 2007 8:41:03 PM | #Just some thoughts that came to mind.....
No pleasin ends the season.
NCIS - No Consideration, I strike.
CSI - Can Strike indefinitely.
LOST time means LOST revenues.
Primetime will be Pushing daises.
I also thought about the idea of blank signs. Cool Idea!
| Nov 7, 2007 8:41:11 PM | #sorry about the double posting. my computer went on strike!!
George Kahwaty | Nov 7, 2007 8:43:01 PM | #For those of you who support the writers, check this out.
http://www.fans4writers.com/participate.shtml
Spread the word! If the studios don't have writers or viewers then they have no power. The execs need to learn who is REALLY responsible for all that money they make. That would be us, the fans/consumers.
T.J. | Nov 10, 2007 5:25:53 PM | #I support the strike and am willing to forego tv, movies and streaming video for as long as it takes to show those greedy studio execs that the writers are their backbone and must be paid fairly what they are requesting. 4 lousy cents on a 20 dollar dvd? Pahleeeez!! The fatcatz can toss 'em that bone!! They deserve so much more than that!
bibi Bowman | Nov 10, 2007 6:11:51 PM | #Ugly Betty wants a contract makeover!
How I Met Your Mother
striking for our fair share!
Family Guy demands a piece of the revenue pie!
Put some meat on Bones's
download deal!
Men in Trees with picket signs!
(Not sure what that last one means, but it struck me as funny.)
Striking for Dirty, Sexy download dollars!
upCHUCK the revenue bucks we deserve!
Smallville is strikesville
'til studios pay up!
Some of the contents of that YouTube video was a disgrace. The Office writers write episodes specific to the internet and they don't get compensated for them? Who brokered that deal? And they won an Emmy - I'm even more so in support of the writers now. I and my roommates all watch shows online and we're forced to watch the sometimes dreary ads too - we don't get the luxury of turning them off or switching channels. The whole TV landscape needs to change. The Nielsens are outdated and online watchers should be counted too. The fact that most of us are willing to wait until the next day to watch our shows is a testamont to the excellent writing and the Writers should absolutely get an adequate piece of the pie. Where do the suits get off thinking that they deserve so much more than the talent lining their pockets? It doesn't make sense to me. Writers shouldn't be the poor relations they should be treated with much more respect. I for one am not looking forward to a season of inane so called 'reality" shows!
Solly | Nov 30, 2007 3:19:13 PM | #one of the best slogans seen in U K. was for heineken, "it reaches the parts other beers can`t" pity about the taste though.
spike heatley | Dec 3, 2007 5:27:03 AM | #
Zap2it Twitter Talk
