Writer's Strike, Forty-Five Days Down (Absent)

OK, so maybe mandatory withdrawal from a few shows would not be an entirely negative experience. But still.

In case you've ignored the sounds of rising panic rippling over Hollywood lately: The networks and studios have been negotiating a new contract with the union representing TV and film writers, and . . . let's just say it's not going well.

If it happens, a strike could wind up being even more damaging than the infamous 1988 writers' walkout, which academics and other observers have generally characterized as a lose-lose. Back then, thousands of people were thrown out of work for more than five months, and some estimates peg the entertainment industry's strike-related losses as high as $500 million.

The TV business has changed a lot since then, in ways that may make a strike even less palatable now. More about that in a minute.

In any case, the Writers Guild of America isn't finding much common ground with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, with the sides far apart on issues like splitting revenues from new media and whether reality shows should be unionized. At the conclusion of talks Thursday, the AMPTP fired off a statement ripping the guild for raising what it said were "a number of red herrings and irrelevant financial information." The guild has publicly dissed the producers' group as "not serious" (both sides are due back at the bargaining table Tuesday). If members give the OK, the guild could call a strike as early as Nov. 1 [now]. (Read More)

This could mean that shows like "Lost" and "Heroes" may have very short seasons. I've already read on another blog that Heroes has already filmed an alternative season finale already if the writers do not come back from the strike soon.

Superstar Music Video. Hmmm ... I'm still on the fence about the video (after watching a few times I like it a lot more). I think Dumb it Down was a lot more active than this. Also, I don't think the video relates to his lyrics as much, it's just more visually appealing. What I did like a lot was the introduction of the characters he said that would be featured throughout The Cool. Of course, there is a "The Cool" which is the man in the tattered suit wit the gold necklace and grill with nappy hair. Then there was "The Streets" which I believe is depicted by all the girls but mostly by the one at the beginning and especially the one in red because of these lyrics from one of his mixtapes called "Real Recognize real":

"They say the streets is a demon in a dress
Wit dollar signs in her eyes and semen on her breath (UH!)
Scantly clad, no panties, deep throating in an alley
Aging badly in sunglasses she pretty
Slain boyfriend names is tattooed on her titties
Sprinkling greed ignorance and envy inside of a Philly
Hennessey tears, ass'll bring ya enemy's here
Flirt wit her flaws till you run up in her raw"

And then there is "The Game" who I think is only depicted once in the whole video. He's the man in shadow with money raining down around him.

This is a cool little video too. I'm not familiar with the "Cool Kids" and when I tried to look them up on Wikipedia they didn't show up so they must be new.




This is one of the best moment to me in the Lord of the Rings series:



Peace