by Samantha Scott
Daily Lobo
The Writers Guild of America's strike bears bad news and good news.
Depending on the length of the strike, it'll be bad news for those addicted to television sitcoms and dramas. With an early fall strike, many of these shows may have only half of their seasons wrapped.
Late-night talk show junkies have already begun to suffer one-liner withdrawals. Whether you TiVo "The Daily Show" or spend your last waking moments each evening with David Letterman, the days of live TV are over - for now.
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After all, those bastions of wan cultural commentary can't be expected to craft their droll, witty scripts without a team of writers. Daytime talk shows, such as "Oprah" and "The View" and soap operas will begin to run out of taped material as these words see ink. In fact, the only TV devotees who will relish the strike's side effects are rerun adherents. Savvy Hollywood has taken pre-emptive steps to keep theaters stocked with mediocre schlock and, granted, the occasional gem. Even in our nouveau-cinema-riche burg, 12 films are currently in production. So, film buffs needn't worry just yet. Indeed, TV babies are also likely covered, albeit in a haphazard manner, until early next year in regard to prime time and feature films.
Will any boob-tube fare remain unaffected by this strike? Well, sports fans needn't fear. Commentators' scripts may not be Proust, but they don't require a team of writers. Reality TV fanatics needn't worry either. As editing footage into a storyline is not necessarily considered "writing," the longer this strike lasts, the more likely it will be that reality TV will fill pre- and post-commercial slots. And, speaking of reality TV, the news will likely remain the same. Sadly, this is not a joyful prediction.
That's the bad news, so to speak.
Now, why are American film and television writers on strike? The most critical points of contention revolve around evolving nontraditional media outlets. Two key sticking points in the failed negotiation are writers' lack of ad revenue dividends from streaming Internet content and their miniscule compensation from DVD sales. And while sitcoms streaming on iPhones and other newfangled media formats aren't really an issue today, they aren't a far-off contingency.
Now, let's talk about the good news. While I'm personally anti-copyright, I empathize with the plight of the writers who craft vehicles for our celebrity-obsessed culture to continue sating its yen for all things glitterati. "Writers of the world unite" - and all
that jazz.
But, seriously, the good news is that this media permutation gives us an opportunity to mull over our relationship with the idiot box and experiment with alternative means of recreation. This strike gives us the chance to conduct a media-consumption experiment. Revisit the concept of snail mail. Craft a care package for a far-flung friend or family member. Can you remember the last time you received something in the mail that you actually wanted to open - rather than an advertisement, bill or junk mail? Take a long, leisurely walk around your neighborhood - without your MP3 player. Listen to the sounds of your community, your world. Visit the library for pleasure. As college students, we spend time in the library, but it's usually for the purpose of research or study. Visit one of UNM's fine libraries and check out a book you want to read. Relish the sensations of good old-fashioned reading. Curling up with a good book is a sensation that cuddling with a computer simply can't replicate.
I'm not recommending that we become Luddites. But taking some time to meditate on technology as a tool and a luxury - not a necessity - might not be as crazy an idea as it seems.
