Writers' Strike, Cont: Studios Back Out of Negotiations

[Kolle]

It doesn't matter if everyone does exactly what you suggest. That doesn't somehow eliminate low paying jobs with no benefits. Even if everyone graduated from college that only means more people with college degrees are gonna be convenient store clerks. And if everyone "watches their money" that means they spend less. If the entire country collectively spent less it would put more people out of work anyways.

[Cad]

Originally Posted by Kolle

If the entire country collectively spent less it would put more people out of work anyways.

It would just reallocate labor from entertainment/luxury goods - whatever idiots waste their money on - to something else. Construction of low-cost housing perhaps?

[Kolle]

which would mostly be low paying jobs without benefits. it doesn't matter how you shuffle. it is not possible for every adult to succeed. the people who do succeed need others to fail or else they might be the ones flipping burgers.

[Gaereth]

Yes, you will always have low paying 'starter' jobs. Those are meant for people to move through, they are transitory, and they are what we used to use teenagers for. :P But there is not a finite limit on jobs in any way shape or form. There isn't a 'pool' of good jobs and once those are gone there are no more. Job creation is a dynamic part of our economy and healthy economy will always create new jobs. You also have self employment, business creation as well.

To say that there is a finite amount of good jobs is equivalent to saying that every idea or business has already been created and thats just ignorant.

[Cad]

Originally Posted by Gaereth

To say that there is a finite amount of good jobs is equivalent to saying that every idea or business has already been created and thats just ignorant.

He thinks success in America is a zero sum game, of course he's ignorant.

[Mist]

Its actually negative sum, thanks to the wonders of fiat currency and fractional reserve banking. There is always an ever increasing amount of interest being created on an ever increasing amount of debt, and this is one of the major contributors to poverty and inflation when you look at the monetary system as a whole.

[Kolle]

The reason an individual can improve their lives and step up the job ladder is because not everyone else is doing the same thing. If 100% of people in the US tried to do it most of them would fail even if their skills and experience were equal.

And don't try to pretend that all of the shitty jobs in the US are meant for teenagers. Even if it were possible to make all those jobs only filled by teenagers living at home, it's still bullshit because 30-40hrs of work isn't being rewarded properly. Just because you scrub toilets doesn't mean you should have to do without. And no, i'm not talking about 60" plasmas and a bmw.

[Cad]

I never said everyone can and should step up the job ladder. I said people should live within their means and save money to pay for things rather than living in debt over their heads and then blaming society.

[Zarcath]

Here's a question - How plausible is it for studios to outsource writers?

[Agraza]

I suppose that depends on where you'd be outsourcing from. Our entertainment industry is watched all over the world, but of the foreign films and shows you've seen can you say you liked any of it? The only non-american stuff I'm into on a regular basis is canadian or british. If we outsource to India then Battlestar: Galactica might well become a musical.

My ridiculous response aside, I'd love to hear from an educated voice on your question. It seems like they could just go out and buy foreign studios in which the talent isn't unionized - to perform side work for american operations -, but there could be laws either here in the U.S. or wherever over there to prevent that.

[Szlia]

That's actualy a good question that put us back on track or at least near it. There are many foreigners who make careers in Hollywood, but there are also a lot of foreigners that are not US residents and work from time to time in the US. So when say... Jeunet comes to the US to direct Alien 4, does he have to join the Directors guild?

[Kolle]

i have a hard time seeing other cultures producing quality sci-fi. brits or aus? they could. we all have a lot in common so that's not a big stretch.

what the fuck would a dutch space opera look like

[Szlia]

Let's lower the stupidity level a notch here: there are great writers for every genre all around the globe. The US probably has an edge in team writing techniques and certainly has edges in budget and "global reach" (I am pretty sure that if I say cultural imperialism I will be responsible for another 5 pages derail... damn).

If non-american writers were so bad, then the american film and tv industry would not buy the rights to make that many remakes. Example for Sci-Fi: Solaris (remake of a russian film based on a polish book). Example for the dutch: The Kingdom (Stephen King's branded remake of Lars von Trier's Ridget).

[chaos]

The cultural differences would be a problem. A show like Dexter, yeah you could write that purely based off watching Miami Vice, having never been to FL, but I doubt it would be that good and really capture what Miami is actually like. A million examples could be made, I don't think it would work.

[MrGraham]

Originally Posted by Zarcath

Here's a question - How plausible is it for studios to outsource writers?

I believe this has been answered a few times in this thread. If they hire writers not in the guild, they'll lose access to all the guilds - not just writers - completely.

Now, here's to hoping that the studios don't figure out that if they all break these rules then I'd bet there'd be a lot of former guild members ready to work for them.