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Opinion: Strike report, day <strike>83</strike> 73: Work liberates, says Ridley

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John Ridley responds to our recent Blowback from Frank Pierson. Ridley’s original piece on his decision to take the WGA’s ‘financial core’ option is here, and Pierson’s response is here. A host of WGA-member reactions, of varying degrees of politeness, is here:

Re: Frank Pierson’s response to my explanation as to why I’ve gone financial core within the Writers Guild

I take Mr. Pierson at his word when he says he has no recollection of speaking with me on the phone back in the early nineties. He was, after all, the much-lauded writer of Cool Hand Luke. I was just a junior staff writer for some weblet TV show, and would been talking some crazy talk about diversity. I was probably no more than a name on his call-back sheet, and clearly diversity’s not the kind of subject that holds much traction for some.

I will just say the tenor and rancor of his repose was like a trip down memory lane for me.

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But never mind the past, if I could just address two assertions made by Mr. Pierson:

Regarding diversity, Mr. Pierson writes: ‘The guild does not hire or fire.’

He is absolutely correct. But in the case of television staffs, it is the show runners who hire and fire the members of the writers’ room. Show runners are perhaps the most powerful sect within the guild. When I dissent from the Groupthink, I’m often hectored that the guild is a brotherhood. A family. And this family has to stick together.

If this family can make a priority of such crucial issues as product integration — an issue over which the guild actually engaged in guerrilla actions against the studios — could they not do the same for something as mildly important as diversity in the workplace? Or is equal opportunity for all less critical than having to stick a Buick in one’s show? The non-fluctuating stats on diversity in television say no.

Mr. Pierson writes:

... the guild, with our continuing contributions, will take care of Ridley when he’s sick, protect him from predatory rewrites, pay him his residuals and support him in his old age, and he doesn’t even have to walk for it.

A reminder to Mr. Pierson: Even though I’m financial core, I continue to pay dues to the guild. Our contributions are my contributions as well. And those contributions are paid into the health fund by the producers, based on the amount of work I do. Predatory rewriters? Well, of course, the brotherhood of writers never rewrites each other. And the guild, as I’m sure Mr. Pierson is aware, does not pay my residuals. It collects on my behalf residuals paid by the producers. With regard to supporting me in my old age; like millions of Americans who are fortunate enough to do so, I’ve chosen to set up my own self-administered pension fund. Call me crazy, but I prefer self-reliance over depending on the largesse of others.

Interesting, a man who doesn’t remember speaking with me claims to know so much about me.

And finally, no, I don’t have to walk for all that. But I do have to WORK for it. Contrary to the pejorative ‘parasite’ with which Mr. Pierson labels me, I not only work for my meals but bring my own table. A reminder: My membership in the guild is compulsory. If Mr. Pierson doesn’t care for parasites such as myself, he should bring his considerable influence to bear so that the leadership will allow myself and all others who so desire to chart our own path.

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But really, enough with the name-calling, the nastiness and the negativity. Frankly (no pun), I’m surprised at the level of attention that’s been paid to the gadfly I supposedly am. I would encourage everyone at this point to dispense with the vitriol and get back to the truly important issue at hand: bringing to conclusion the labor action which has caused so much pain to so many unintended victims in our community.

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