I believe Sarah Jaffe's reductionist characterization of the motivations for studio execs' behavior before and during the WGA/SAG strike as being "just the way capitalism is" misses a critical distinction between AMPTP members and other "capitalist" companies that have cultivated a strong culture and collaborative labor relations. Examples include Costco, In-N-Out Burger, and Four Seasons, all of whom employ a large number of relatively low income employees and contractors and Bain, Amex and Apple, with a large contingent of high earners.
It's important to note that ALL of these companies have enjoyed long-term financial success, some paying above-market compensation (e.g. Costco) and some not (e.g. Apple). But what ALL have in common is a management attitude that recognizes the value of an inclusive corporate culture that genuinely nurtures mutual respect.
The harsh reality is that the underlying economic model of the movie/TV industry is severely broken, making it hard to come to a mutually acceptable outcome even if labor relations in this industry were far better. But toxic labor relations aren't an inevitable consequence of capitalism. It's the result of ongoing concerted effort by management and labor leaders. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail.
I don't think writers and actors are cosplaying labor activists but it's grating to hear and read many writers, actors and those who cover the industry constantly refer to the Hollywood strikes as the vanguard of the labor movement, ignoring the fact that working class people in hotels, fast food chains, warehouses, Amazon fulfillment centers, etc have been organizing and striking in large numbers for the past several years. And winning some battles to boot. One of the writers of "The Bear" has been featured on television news (and I believe in this newsletter) making such a statement - using the "vanguard" word. This very newsletter made mention yesterday of Starbucks workers "looking to unionize" and presumably taking inspiration from striking actors/writers, when in reality Starbucks workers in shops across the country have been organizing and in many cases unionizing for years. The labor movement is generally built on solidarity - by acting as though they're at the forefront of the labor unrest in this country, when the great unwashed have been agitating for the past several years (to some success), many writers and actors are displaying the opposite of that.
I agree with you. The use of the word "vanguard" bothers me too. Then again, it wouldn't be Hollywood without people having the aptly named "main character syndrome"
I believe Sarah Jaffe's reductionist characterization of the motivations for studio execs' behavior before and during the WGA/SAG strike as being "just the way capitalism is" misses a critical distinction between AMPTP members and other "capitalist" companies that have cultivated a strong culture and collaborative labor relations. Examples include Costco, In-N-Out Burger, and Four Seasons, all of whom employ a large number of relatively low income employees and contractors and Bain, Amex and Apple, with a large contingent of high earners.
It's important to note that ALL of these companies have enjoyed long-term financial success, some paying above-market compensation (e.g. Costco) and some not (e.g. Apple). But what ALL have in common is a management attitude that recognizes the value of an inclusive corporate culture that genuinely nurtures mutual respect.
The harsh reality is that the underlying economic model of the movie/TV industry is severely broken, making it hard to come to a mutually acceptable outcome even if labor relations in this industry were far better. But toxic labor relations aren't an inevitable consequence of capitalism. It's the result of ongoing concerted effort by management and labor leaders. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail.
What a bunch of bitchy little entitled babies. A hotel worker is striking to get $15/hour and you have turned down $11, 000 a week. What you would make in 10 weeks is 3 x what another actual laborer might make in a year. Take the deal, you idiots, before you destroy the entire industry for all of us.
"the idea that the writers and actors on strike are essentially cosplaying labor activists" Let's address this because you've misread the sentiment. The point is this strike is a "brunch strike" - only half days, never if its too hot or chance of drizzle and plenty of 3 day weekends thrown in for good measure. Compare that to elementary school teachers picketing in the snow in Minnesota for 12 hours, or the Nurses in NYC during a January snow storm for 12 hours, or United Auto Workers in Detroit rain all day, - you get the point. It's not about the kind of labor, it's about the toughness of the strikers. SAG/WGA are not even closely comparable to the great labor movements of history. So yes, cosplay until snack time and mommy picks you up from your half-day.
Both have during press conferences and most notably Billy Ray's Deadline podcast has waxed poetic letting his delusions of grandeur conjure up mythic proportions in which he enumerates the great strikes of labor history while joining SAG/WGA as nothing less than salty brothers in fierce combat - that is until brunch is over.
This interview has been swirling in my brain for the past couple of days. Sarah was extremely knowledgeable about labor dynamics but she seems to be completely uninterested in the natural inertia of creative labor. She admitted as much about her background that she doesn’t lean toward the arts but I’m not sure she connected that impulse to her observations about what’s currently happening in Hollywood. She was all over the place. And to me that ironically represented that her creative brain is actually very interested in connecting these disparate ideas but there was a sense that it needed to constantly be directed towards some low-hanging inconsistency. But I really was curious if she had any idea of where the high-level power struggle of Hollywood creatives actually starts. I believe she gave a really fair reality check towards the strikers about the CEOs but there wasn’t any intrinsic value she placed on hollywood as a place of immense, painstaking creativity and the modern labor dynamic of that. I would’ve liked to see her on a panel with someone who is striking or actively in the arts
2. She lost me when she used Brett Rather as a reference. No offense to Brett, but know your audience. Does anyone EVER say this in a meeting?' He says, 'Give me [my] however-many-million-dollar budget.'" Sure, some folks get your movie made, prominent directors and actors, but they still negotiate the deals.
3. "It's a system that is designed to make money. It's not a system that's designed to make most people happy. That's just been true of capitalism since its founding."
No one is asking The AMPTP to make us "happy." Who said this was ever about happiness? It's about work, fair wages, creativity, and computers not taking people's jobs in the film and TV industry. The industry has made money, and the industry has changed. Corporations are making more, and creatives are making less or nothing. This piece's defense and explanation of capitalism's workings is baffling and leans into patronizing. "Hey, creatives, there's no boogie monster under the bed. It's just a bunch of super-rich guys doing their job to get richer. Do You Understand, kids? You are loved." Toxic positivity.
4. "It's just to associate it even with greed is often to be too personal about it. " Well, it is personal. That's like telling women not to get upset. Everyone who has a job gets upset sometimes. There are times in life to sit back and times to fight. I understand it's hard for some folks to relate to the strike. But, we are not a bunch of over-sensitive, ill-informed, crazy artists. And, by the way, I love sensitive, passionate artists in eccentric costumes/cosplay and so does the rest of the country.
I believe Sarah Jaffe's reductionist characterization of the motivations for studio execs' behavior before and during the WGA/SAG strike as being "just the way capitalism is" misses a critical distinction between AMPTP members and other "capitalist" companies that have cultivated a strong culture and collaborative labor relations. Examples include Costco, In-N-Out Burger, and Four Seasons, all of whom employ a large number of relatively low income employees and contractors and Bain, Amex and Apple, with a large contingent of high earners.
It's important to note that ALL of these companies have enjoyed long-term financial success, some paying above-market compensation (e.g. Costco) and some not (e.g. Apple). But what ALL have in common is a management attitude that recognizes the value of an inclusive corporate culture that genuinely nurtures mutual respect.
The harsh reality is that the underlying economic model of the movie/TV industry is severely broken, making it hard to come to a mutually acceptable outcome even if labor relations in this industry were far better. But toxic labor relations aren't an inevitable consequence of capitalism. It's the result of ongoing concerted effort by management and labor leaders. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail.
I agree.
I don't think writers and actors are cosplaying labor activists but it's grating to hear and read many writers, actors and those who cover the industry constantly refer to the Hollywood strikes as the vanguard of the labor movement, ignoring the fact that working class people in hotels, fast food chains, warehouses, Amazon fulfillment centers, etc have been organizing and striking in large numbers for the past several years. And winning some battles to boot. One of the writers of "The Bear" has been featured on television news (and I believe in this newsletter) making such a statement - using the "vanguard" word. This very newsletter made mention yesterday of Starbucks workers "looking to unionize" and presumably taking inspiration from striking actors/writers, when in reality Starbucks workers in shops across the country have been organizing and in many cases unionizing for years. The labor movement is generally built on solidarity - by acting as though they're at the forefront of the labor unrest in this country, when the great unwashed have been agitating for the past several years (to some success), many writers and actors are displaying the opposite of that.
I agree with you. The use of the word "vanguard" bothers me too. Then again, it wouldn't be Hollywood without people having the aptly named "main character syndrome"
Thanks for the reminder of why I have never wasted my time on not-funnyman worthless piece of talentless shit Bill Maher.
I believe Sarah Jaffe's reductionist characterization of the motivations for studio execs' behavior before and during the WGA/SAG strike as being "just the way capitalism is" misses a critical distinction between AMPTP members and other "capitalist" companies that have cultivated a strong culture and collaborative labor relations. Examples include Costco, In-N-Out Burger, and Four Seasons, all of whom employ a large number of relatively low income employees and contractors and Bain, Amex and Apple, with a large contingent of high earners.
It's important to note that ALL of these companies have enjoyed long-term financial success, some paying above-market compensation (e.g. Costco) and some not (e.g. Apple). But what ALL have in common is a management attitude that recognizes the value of an inclusive corporate culture that genuinely nurtures mutual respect.
The harsh reality is that the underlying economic model of the movie/TV industry is severely broken, making it hard to come to a mutually acceptable outcome even if labor relations in this industry were far better. But toxic labor relations aren't an inevitable consequence of capitalism. It's the result of ongoing concerted effort by management and labor leaders. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail.
What a bunch of bitchy little entitled babies. A hotel worker is striking to get $15/hour and you have turned down $11, 000 a week. What you would make in 10 weeks is 3 x what another actual laborer might make in a year. Take the deal, you idiots, before you destroy the entire industry for all of us.
"the idea that the writers and actors on strike are essentially cosplaying labor activists" Let's address this because you've misread the sentiment. The point is this strike is a "brunch strike" - only half days, never if its too hot or chance of drizzle and plenty of 3 day weekends thrown in for good measure. Compare that to elementary school teachers picketing in the snow in Minnesota for 12 hours, or the Nurses in NYC during a January snow storm for 12 hours, or United Auto Workers in Detroit rain all day, - you get the point. It's not about the kind of labor, it's about the toughness of the strikers. SAG/WGA are not even closely comparable to the great labor movements of history. So yes, cosplay until snack time and mommy picks you up from your half-day.
Fair enough. I get that. Well said. Are SAG/WGA comparing themselves to any great labor movements from history?
Both have during press conferences and most notably Billy Ray's Deadline podcast has waxed poetic letting his delusions of grandeur conjure up mythic proportions in which he enumerates the great strikes of labor history while joining SAG/WGA as nothing less than salty brothers in fierce combat - that is until brunch is over.
This interview has been swirling in my brain for the past couple of days. Sarah was extremely knowledgeable about labor dynamics but she seems to be completely uninterested in the natural inertia of creative labor. She admitted as much about her background that she doesn’t lean toward the arts but I’m not sure she connected that impulse to her observations about what’s currently happening in Hollywood. She was all over the place. And to me that ironically represented that her creative brain is actually very interested in connecting these disparate ideas but there was a sense that it needed to constantly be directed towards some low-hanging inconsistency. But I really was curious if she had any idea of where the high-level power struggle of Hollywood creatives actually starts. I believe she gave a really fair reality check towards the strikers about the CEOs but there wasn’t any intrinsic value she placed on hollywood as a place of immense, painstaking creativity and the modern labor dynamic of that. I would’ve liked to see her on a panel with someone who is striking or actively in the arts
1. Billionaires: Maybe they don't want to screw over creatives, but they only care about themselves and their rise to power. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class.
2. She lost me when she used Brett Rather as a reference. No offense to Brett, but know your audience. Does anyone EVER say this in a meeting?' He says, 'Give me [my] however-many-million-dollar budget.'" Sure, some folks get your movie made, prominent directors and actors, but they still negotiate the deals.
3. "It's a system that is designed to make money. It's not a system that's designed to make most people happy. That's just been true of capitalism since its founding."
No one is asking The AMPTP to make us "happy." Who said this was ever about happiness? It's about work, fair wages, creativity, and computers not taking people's jobs in the film and TV industry. The industry has made money, and the industry has changed. Corporations are making more, and creatives are making less or nothing. This piece's defense and explanation of capitalism's workings is baffling and leans into patronizing. "Hey, creatives, there's no boogie monster under the bed. It's just a bunch of super-rich guys doing their job to get richer. Do You Understand, kids? You are loved." Toxic positivity.
4. "It's just to associate it even with greed is often to be too personal about it. " Well, it is personal. That's like telling women not to get upset. Everyone who has a job gets upset sometimes. There are times in life to sit back and times to fight. I understand it's hard for some folks to relate to the strike. But, we are not a bunch of over-sensitive, ill-informed, crazy artists. And, by the way, I love sensitive, passionate artists in eccentric costumes/cosplay and so does the rest of the country.