The Writers Guild have gone on strike. I can remember the last time the writers picketed, back in 2007. The beloved show The Office was nearly cancelled because of it. Many other shows did get cancelled, and those that survive had their storylines hugely affected. Depending on how this strike goes, the effect on your favorite show may be devastating.
Don’t get me wrong, I am squarely on the side of the striking writers. As a member of a union myself, I have nothing but solidarity with members of other unions. Inflation continues to be an issue, so workers have to fight for every bit of increase just to keep up with expenses. Last year my union negotiated a 7% increase for the members, for which I am extremely grateful. The increase definitely eases the pain of the current inflationary environment. From an already frugal base, I didn’t have to alter my spending that much, if at all.
The writers also have to contend with the existential crisis of being replaced by AI. I directly know people who are already using ChatGPT (and the like) to help them write long form. The same technology can no doubt be leveraged by TV and movie studios to write stories and dialogue. You can employ less writers if all you need is for them to tidy up the output from an AI bot. The time is right now for human writers to negotiate a future in which their role is protected for years to come.
Our favorite shows might be on pause for a long time because of the strike, but these are real people with real families to take care of. These aren’t the Hollywood elites living in the hills. Most writers earn a middle-income wage like you and I. They deserve every bit they can get from the studios. In solidarity!
Ominous.