Marxism in Hollywood
Another day, another denunciation. It's hard to know what the SAG Hollywood leadership is thinking. They've deployed robocalls, trade ads, emails, and more, in a misguided effort to defeat the AFTRA deal. Success is unlikely, but in any case, the result will probably be continued labor paralysis, not progress. After all, AFTRA is not going to strike, nor negotiate jointly with SAG, no matter what the outcome of the ratification vote.
For its part, SAG's also unlikely to strike, since a 75% affirmative vote is required for strike authorization. What's more, we're nowhere near a strike, since the balloting process would apparently take three weeks, and hasn't even been initiated. The guild's own New York, Chicago and San Francisco branches won't support a strike -- and have criticized the anti-AFTRA strategy -- and even SAG's allies at the WGA have been largely silent.
Meanwhile, the guild's negotiations with the studios drag on interminably, with little evident progress. The contract expires Monday night, but that doesn't seem to have heightened the urgency particularly. It's hard to tell whether SAG even has a strategy, or is simply stuck in a morass of overpromised goals and anti-AFTRA animus, mixed in with valid points (force majeure, clip minimums, some aspects of product integration) that might be more achievable were there a greater sense of realism in the rhetoric and tactics.
As we undergo a second Hollywood labor stoppage in less than a year, some explanation, although little comfort, is provided by Karl Marx, once considered a patron saint of the labor movement. Expanding on a remark by Hegel, Marx posited that history repeats itself: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce. This year seems proof of that. One can only hope that twice is the limit, since the SAG commercials contract expires this fall, in case you'd mistakenly thought we were anywhere near done with labor unrest.
Of course, when it comes to legal analysis, Karl is not the most authoritative Marx in a capitalist society. For that -- and particularly in Hollywood -- we turn to Groucho and Chico. In 1935's A Night at the Opera, Groucho describes a contract provision that he refers to as a "sanity clause." Chico is unpersuaded: "You can't fool me," he says, "there ain't no Sanity Claus."
If only there were. Rationality has been in short supply the last twelve months. The Writers Guild and the studios both seemed hell-bent on a strike, and outside voices did little to deter or shorten the experience. A federal mediator had no effect, and even the head of CAA was unable to broker a deal. Only a confluence of circumstances - including the impending destruction of the Oscars -- was enough to end the stalemate. Nothing like a busted awards ceremony to get Hollywood's attention.
Unfortunately, no obvious or immediate deadlines loom this time. Now, as then, some have called on the Governor to intervene, and his experience as both a Terminator and a kindergarten cop would make him well-suited to the task. But there's little upside, and plenty of risk, to the governor in getting involved in a parochial Hollywood dispute, no matter the economic impact. Instead, we seem destined to a war of attrition, as SAG, AFTRA and the studios all jockey for advantage with feature production stalled and television work uncertain. Stay tuned -- if you can stand it.
Follow Jonathan Handel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jhandel
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What's funny about this AMPTP is "dividing and conquering" argument, is, AFTRA is jumping at the opportunity to be complicit in this. It was AFTRA, not SAG, that broke away from bargaining together, as they have for 27 years. It was AFTRA, not SAG, that quickly made a deal they KNEW was undercutting SAG and has forced SAG's hand to lobby against
AFTRA's deal. This "well, they're both guilty of allowing the AMPTP to divide them" line of reasoning is absurd. As I quoted from Nikki Finke's, deadlineho
"AFTRA president Roberta Reardon came up with a pitiful excuse to justify what was clearly a predetermined decision not to bargain alongside SAG. Instead, AFTRA truly made a deal with the devil in order to do the AMPTP"s bidding. AFTRA relentlessly villified the bigger actors guild"s current leadership which continues even now."
When SAG and AFTRA last tried merging, it was defeated by SAG members who said things like "what do I have in common with puppeteers?" (I believe that was Martin Landau, but I heard it from plenty of others) and demonstrated what I thought was raging snobbishness. AFTRA was willing to become a closed shop, which is enormous. But SAG background actors (aka extras, but that's un p.c.) feared competition from AFTRA members, and also had this attitude as if SAG was a country club besieged by off-the-boat immigrants.
We were warned then that the studios would play our unions off against each other if we didn't merge, and the anti-merger people breezily dismissed this, saying they've always negotiated together, it's meanginless. Now we see that warning coming true. And the ramped-up bitterness of the rank-and-file toward each other will make merger harder in the future. Harder but eventually necessary.
Two groups squabbling against their own interests, egged on by the powerful real opposition; now why does that sound familiar?
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that Nikki Finke, of deadlineho
1.”In conclusion, the quicker that Hollywood realizes that SAG is not the obstacle here, the quicker this town will get back to work.”
2.”Hollywo
3.”AFTRA also added insult to injury by starting this terrible bloodsport of pitting Big Actor vs Big Actor.”
4.”In fact, I can definitely tell you that SAG has “never suggested that a strike was an objective or essential,”
5.”AFTRA president Roberta Reardon came up with a pitiful excuse to justify what was clearly a predetermined decision not to bargain alongside SAG. Instead, AFTRA truly made a deal with the devil in order to do the AMPTP’s bidding. AFTRA relentlessly villified the bigger actors guild’s current leadership which continues even now.”
6. “No one knows better than the writers what torture dealing with the AMPTP really is. So it’s important as well to note that whatever better New Media terms negotiated by SAG leadership will be enjoyed by both the WGA and DGA.”
No one has challenged her reporting. To read her complete post with anything approaching an open mind would leave one with the distinct impression that Mr. Handel (an entertainment attorney, all you need to know) is misrepresenting the facts, the history, and the current state of the SAG/AFTRA quarrel.
divide and conquer is what the AMPTP is successfully doing. Without unified talent unions they will get everything they want. Dear SAG and AFTRA, the AMPTP are in it to get the best deal they can get and they will stop at nothing to do so. The AMPTP does not care about fair or what is right they care about crushing you and making everyone work for as little as possible. Stop negotiating like they care about fairness and get together and hit them where it hurts. Negotiate like men not little fools who think just because you are right means you will get it. Stay united and give up nothing, DON'T say a strike is not likely that shows fear. The WGA got the same deal they were offered before the strike, because they thought that fairness was how the business world worked. It does not work that way it works like WAR and you divide and conquer your enemies in war, we are divided we loose. This is war.
Now, how does that become "they can't stop arguing with each other," or, "SAG won't do any better, they should stop this charade and make a deal," as if ANY of this is SAG's fault? What SAG is doing is saying, "AFTRA? You chose to break ranks, betray us and make a substandard deal in your ongoing attempt to poach more and more SAG territory? Fine. Deeply regrettable, but fine. Your choice." What SAG will NOT do is roll over, as expected, to the AMPTP or AFTRA or any of the multitudes of naysayers. They won't be blackmailed into making a bad deal for their members. The sooner Hollywood gets that through it's head, the better.
Mr. Handal was a clear and concise read during the writers strike and his analysis of this current dog and pony show is spot on as well.
Make a deal folks !
Hollywood = liberals = socialists = Marxism
Not that hard, they are all the same thing.
= Good Thing = Better than narrow minded christian right mental midgets who will knock our planet in the abyss
Hollywood = Marxism. Hmmmm.... That would mean the workers owned the means of production. So, in your mind the Actors, Writers, technicians, Directors own the studios. Interesting. Completely wrong, but interesting. If they do, who are they struggling against? In one statement you've show a startling ignorance of both Hollywood and Marxism - not to mention that most Liberals are not Socialists, and that many Socialists are not Marxists. An impressive nadir of understanding! Bravo!
That's just silly. (UnbiasView's comment.)
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