Sunday, February 24, 2008

Writers Guild Strike Poll

Well I suppose that it's high time that I took down the Writers Strike poll since the strike was settled a couple of weeks ago.

If nothing else the poll illustrated the degree to which viewers stood by the writers. Not that that was unexpected of course. There was, I suppose a sense that the writers as a group were being screwed, if only because we know what we pay for DVDs and for the Writers (and the Actors, and >ugh< the Directors) to only get four cents for each Guild contract per unit just doesn't seem right. And the fact that the DVD demand was pulled almost immediately didn't really make a difference because it made the new media issue the big one. And if, as some people suggest, we will get all of our home video through one online technology or other within the next ten years this is going to be huge. The Writers didn't get everything they wanted on this, but they got a foot in the door and will likely be able to push the door open a little further in future contracts. All that's needed is the will.

So to the results. There were 58 voters (but then this ran far longer than most of my polls). I'm going to do this a bit differently, giving the responses in the order that I put them on the poll which also is a gauge of support for the Guild. "With the writers 110%" earned a massive 35 votes for 60% of the total votes cast. "Mostly with the writers but AMPTP has some points on their side" picked up three votes or 5%. There were no votes for "Can't really decide, both sides have good points". "AMPTP is right, although the writers may deserve a little something" picked up three votes or 5%. "Unions suck, crush the union and make the writers negotiate individually or starve" earned six votes or 10% of the voters, from people who are entitled to their opinion but who would get serious arguments from me. Two voters or 3% said "I sincerely have no opinion." Finally nine voters or 16% opted for "I don't give a good God damn. With global warming, war, poverty, and corruption why are you wasting your time writing about TV and striking writers." Maybe they have a point. There are a lot of more serious issues and realistically this strike wasn't going to change the world, no matter what Michael Moore said about it being a great victory for American workers against the bosses. I don't buy it but Moore's got a right to his own opinion. (I included this option because of a very early comment who wrote about one of my Emmy posts, "I have a better question - one that is perhaps more relevant: Who will help poor children in Third World countries eat tomorrow? I suppose the Emmys are more important..." It was just a way of letting people know that I do realise there are more important things than TV. Even though this is what I do and I enjoy writing about, I do realise that it is hardly the most important thing in the world.)

I'm including a little graph showing the voting pattern – mainly because I can ;-) New Poll will come eventually (the strike really screwed up my normal polling schedule).


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