The K Experience

UK Vs USA - Strikes

Present - News

Friday, 04 January 2008

No Writing!!!

Yea, I know the writers have been on strike for months now, but I just stumbled on this youtube video about it, and it got me thinking...

You see, I come from England. Well, I have lived most of my life in England and we have strikes there. Postal workers go on strike all the time. When this happens we have to wait a bit longer till we get our mail. It\'s quite a nuisance, and can be quite serious at times. There was a postal strike when my GCSE results came out in 1996, which meant that I had to wait a few extra days to get my results. Well actually my dad made me go into school to get them. Tube drivers, and train drivers in London go on strike, and then there\'s chaos on the streets. The whole transport system literally grinds to a halt at times. I don\'t need to elaborate on what happens when firefighters, doctors and nurses go on strike, which happens at times too. These are all quite serious.

Writers on strike And then there's the writiers strike, which means that ... I can't... watch decent TV.....how will i survive? (said in a sarcastic tone). It's not like the TV was that good anyway. Well to be honest, I'm not the best person to comment, as I don't watch TV anyway, cos there\'s nothing but crap on most of the time. Crap which is always being interupted with lots and LOTS of ~~commercials~~ adverts. In fact, I went on strike a long time a go. TV strike. In this day in age, we have been pretty much trained to entertain ourselves. Most of us have the internet, and are too busy watching...each other. There's enough there to keep us entertained

However, we have become accustomed to TV entertainment. I mean what would life be like without Prison Break, Lost, Heroes, Smallville and all those other programmes (<- british spelling) that make TV a little worth while. And that is exactly my point! Entertainment has become so important to us that writers can now strike.

I may well have got this all wrong. I am sure entertainment has always been important, and I'm sure doctors and nurses and firemen (and fire...ladies) strike here in California too, but it just so happens that it is now that I have realised that...well...writers are not that central to my life. I probably shouldn't be writing this as a comparison between the UK and the US as it\'s not entirely fair, but I have never heard of anything like this back home. (Although I do know that British writers are supporting the WGA or they were in November anyway.)

So what's gonna happen?...Oh yea, I don't care. I can live without TV, but I have to spare a thought for those that can't...(Short pause). There!

Well, I will leave you with the the youtube video that go me thinking, but before I go, I have to say this. You know, it's not that I don't want the writers to get the pay or recognition they deserve. Of course that's important. But more than that, I just want the world to get it's priorities right. How many ~~doctors~~ nurses, teachers (emphasis on the TEACHERS), firefighters and other vital professionals aren't getting the pay they deserve. Let's sort them out first ay.