Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Making Dreams Come True

By now, many of you have seen the excellent video posted on YouTube by the showrunners and staff of THE OFFICE. If you haven't, then here it is (courtesy Dead Things On Sticks):

Full length episodes with commercials streamed over the web are "promotional" are they? Webisodes requested by a network for free (which won an Emmy no less!) aren't writing? Aren't work? Networks aren't making any money off the internet? It's an expense?! The internet doesn't count?

Fine. If that's the way the AMPTP wants to play that, then let's make that a reality...

Until the strike is resolved, I hereby swear not to watch any streamed content from the networks or cable outlets. They will not have my eyeballs. They will not have my money.

They will hear crickets at their websites. Zero traffic from me.

I urge all of you to do the same. Link to this post. Post your own. I don't care.

Just spread the word.

Make sure people know that we are only following what the AMPTP has been saying all along, "That the internet doesn't count."

We are making that dream come true for them.

I'm sure they will be quite pleased as will their advertisers.

Make it so.

Hugs and kisses,

Your Mad Pulp Bastard.


Kid Sis said...

You rock.

Isn't it time for another beer?

Bill Cunningham said...

Just one?

Fun Joel said...

This may be a difficult sell, but I think at the same time, we should be avoiding going to the movies, renting DVDs, or watching TV (though the latter really only matters for Neilsen families).

Bill Cunningham said...

Love the enthusiasm, but since the AMPTP has made the internet the issue by calling full episodes with paid ads "promotions" let's FIRST show them how specifically the internet matters. This is the key point, and if we have a significant impact on that, then we'll have made the point.

From there it's anyone's ball game.

Mark said...

i plan on watching every show from here on out over the internet until the AMPTP wins and writers lose.

Christopher Sharpe said...

Another great post, Bill. You are good at getting people fired up. It's going to be interesting to see how this shakes out.

Mark said...

if i help create a car and it is used as a taxi, should i picket yellow cab for a residual on each fare?

if i help create an airplane, do i get really really bitchy buntil southwest gives me residual on every ticket/seat purchased?

if i help create a car and it is used as a rental car, should i carry around a sign asking for a residual every time it rents?

if i design/build a hotel, should i whine for residual everytime it rents a room?

if i help create a chainsaw and it rents over and over again down at the local equipment rental shop, do i strike until i get "just a little piece of it?"

if i help create a trailer, should i picket U-Haul until they give me a piece every time it crosses the country?

if i help create a refrigerator and its rented out through RAC, do i make it difficult for the employees to get in and out of the store until i get "just a little piece of it?"

if i help create a bus, do i moan until Le Bus gives me "just a little profit" everytime someone buys a ticket?

wga and sag are a bunch of prissy little girls whining for more than they're worth - and they realize that. if you're not getting paid enough, go get another job. Perhaps you should become a producer - sounds like they make a lot more money.

during your time off, advertisers will find new ways to market, producers will find new non-scripted shows, and we consumers will ultimately win because we will find better things to do with our time than making an effort to suffer through the drivel you "help create."

hell, yesterday i didn't turn the tv and discovered that i had neighbors. how cool is that? and our conversation was ten times funnier than any of the sh** on the office. goodbye steve carrell...

Bill Cunningham said...


I realize you are trying to fish up somecontroversy here, but trust me - I'm not going to bite.

You have a gross misunderstanding as to what a residual is, and how we got to this mess in the first place. Quit comparing apples to oranges.

I'm not going to delete your posts, but allow them to run because really - you're so ignorant of the facts it's like watching a retarded child run around the house banging his helmeted-head everywhere.

You'll run out of steam, or you'll cross the line. Either way, no problem. You're not winning allies nor stirring up a fight here in my alley.



Mark said...

you're very much correct. it is apples and oranges, it is the real world vs. hollywood. in your own little world, its your rules. just don't apply them to the consumer's world.

by the way, very creative writing in your blog bill, too bad it doesn't translate on to the screen.

sit doggy sit... good boy

Bill Cunningham said...

So now you attack my work saying it sucks. Well the joke's on you Mark because I do suck. I say that after every project::

I said that after the two screenplays I wrote were produced.

I said that the four times I was hired to write a screenplay for a client.

I said that after the four volumes of TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN to which I contributed stories.

I said that after over 60 DVD marketing campaigns I've written and designed.

I said that after writing the DVD EXCLUSIVES AWARDS and the VIDEO HALL OF FAME AWARDS.

And I must have really sucked after speaking on DVD at the SCRIPTWRITER'S SHOWCASE because SCRIPT magazine said they wanted a sucky article from me.

(and boy did they get it!)

Jeez, Mark you're right. No arguement. I suck. I am the Oreck vacuum of writers. That's why I was invited to pitch concepts to a graphic novel publisher this year...

And gee, that's just the writing and design. I haven't even scratched how sucky I am at producing!

Thanks ever so much for reminding me!

I think I'll just go plug myself into the wall and take the dust bunnies out from under the furniture.

MaryAn Batchellor said...

Except, Joel, let's don't boycott what writers DO get paid for.

Wolf said...

I had someone, on LIveJournal, reply to a comment I made , saying that I should watch full seasons of some show online.
My reply was that was totally defeating the entire purpose behind the strike, in that if I watched those episodes, the WRITERS would not get paid for them.

They never replied back. Heh.