I guess I'm the strike curmudgeon, but here goes again. Is it anyway to get sympathy for the cause of the downtrodden screenwriter by parading around a bunch of rich white actor-writers and showrunners who could go for several years without a paycheck? The photo opps may be awesome, but I think the end-result is that unaffiliated persons such as myself can't be bothered to care too much.

The point (for casual observers) is that Famous People Care About This, So You Should, Too.

The point (for studios) is that without the showrunners and stars, production grinds to a halt much faster than they'd anticipated when they thought everyone would continue to work on already-written shows, just not write any new ones.

...trying to induce passing motorists into a horn-honking din intended to drive executives on the other side of a struck lot's walls slowly insane.

It's working (executive or not).

@BoHan: So you are the one person in America not being screwed by The Man, INC.?

Or are you The Man?

Memo to Barry Diller:
Bar,
You know you have been waiting in the wings to get back in the movie business. Here's your chance. Admit it, LendingTree.com is not as sexy as running Paramount no matter how much money it makes off of lonely cash-starved soldiers.

Your new network TV BOTS (Barry's Own TV Station) could start a network with the most talented, trained and ready creators of product available today...and they are available! Give me a jingle.

Not a member of the WGA

People need to be paid for the work they do. Just because a writer makes more than me at their job (chances are they have earned the opportunity), doesn't mean that they deserve to get screwed by people making infinitely more money than they are (or anyone else for that matter), just because the people making infinitely more money have the capability to do so. What is to be criticized in a group that stands up for its legal rights?

I cannot imagine one executive offering to let any portion of their hard-earned money go uncollected, particularly should said executive be offering a product which is completely unique to themselves and a rare offering. Funny is a hot commodity and harder to come by in LA than almost anything but sincerity. Attractive is a dime a dozen, but funny has no need to sell itself cheap.

Of course, if writers get money and an environment where their contributions are appreciated, will it be like when rock and rollers get married and happy and go soft? I don't know who to root for here after all.

Well, I'll miss Dexter. But Spiderman 12 and Transformers 19 and Lost and Heroes, no I won't.

@Bufflekins: No, because the rock and rollers love themselves, whereas the white-hot core of self-hatred lying deep within each and every Professional Funny Person will never, ever be satisfied.

Keep chasing those rainbows, Larry David!

For a writers strike, there’s certainly a lot to read. While people caught in the middle of this might be busying themselves with Guitar Hero, most people just want to know when The Office will come back on.

@GingerVitis: @Bufflekins: Excellent summaries. I don't want to hear/read one more person whining about "I don't care if rich people don't get paid." It's about getting paid what your work is WORTH. It's not my fault that Joss Whedon's or Mindy Kaling/BJ Novak's work is worth more dollars than your work as a barista. Those guys and girls deserve their fair share of the DVDs/new media/health care package (for the reality show folks) just as much as anyone else does. Team writers!

The reason it was important for showrunners to show up -- even though they have the temerity to be well-compensated -- is that they are all producers as well as writers, and the Companies have been trying to steam-roll them into showing up for work -- using threats of lawsuits. Every person who showed up is a principled motherfucker standing up for writers.

And every showrunner I have ever worked with was out there. I've never been prouder to be a writer.