One of the top headlines on CNN.com this morning reads "Hollywood Writers Poised to Strike". My initial reaction was "so what?" And then I thought about it for a while, and my thought on the topic is now "seriously? so what?" Go ahead. Strike. Are t.v. writers really such a commodity that we can't live without their services? Will the economy collapse if we don't find out what happens on Days of Our Lives next week? Aren't there thousands of english majors out there who would dive at a chance to hang up their KFC apron and write for television, without complaining about dvd royalties? No. No. Yes.
I believe that at one time unions were valuable, but their time has gone, at least in this country. And certainly there has never been an appropriate time for a hollywood writers union. Unions were originally formed to ensure that a laborer was treated like a human being, which meant making enough money to take care of yourself and your family, getting enough time away from work to enjoy your family, and having a safe work environment. But nobody is starving here. Nobody is working 19 hour days in the coal mine. We're talking about white collar people who already have a very comfortable life - possibly even wearing tuxedos and attending awards shows. I'm willing to bet most of them even get to eat at Chili's at least once a week.
There is something about this "I'm going to hold my breath until you give me candy" mentality that I really can't stand. What are we, two years old?
