10 Myths About the Writer's Strike

Going on 2008, the WGA strike perpetuates media fallacies and movie fans and television viewers are left wondering how it all went so wrong. Whil eht eLos Angeles economy goes into a tailspin, writers take a contentuous stance against the moviemaking and television studios institutions. Just this week, production companies have made side agreements with the WGA, returning the David Letter man Show and the Craig Ferguson show to late night television at NBC.

This shows that the collective strike feeling is not united, and that some writers will get paid while others suffer on strike. The WGA has tried to put pressure on the Hollywood studio echelons to force a strike agreement, but what has happened is that that have merely perpetuated myths in the media about what the strike may achieve. Even harder to understand is why working writers with the most elusive employment in the world have chosen to go on strike.

1. Myth: WGA strikers are mostly out of work writers

Truth: The bulk of support from WGA striking writers is in-project writers working to defend better salaries for the same shows they're killing by going on strike. But a recent memo to the studios on behalf of the WGA's strike position was signed by 127 writers with pilots in development for the current television season. But at the same time, out of work writers can;t get work because WGA signatory companies have their arms in a sling over starting new projects.

That's 127 people (or more) than have elected to give up one of the most elusive paychecks in any industry to unite for a popular political cause. Striking writers were and are eligible for WGA compensation per the rates for that organization. Now the only thing they're writing is self-promoting blog entries and emails to the executives who might have once supported them.

2. Myth: WGA contract negotiation goals will end the strike

Truth: The strike negotiations for the WGA West and the WGA East could have been papered over with a good faith incline in overall fees put into a contingency fund against inevitable renegotiations against any retroactive fees ultimately paid.