‘Lost’ Swag Auctioned Off to Support Striking Writers
I’m curious to know how Lost fans feel about the writers’ strike as the shutdown of our favorite shows drags on. I still support the writers. I believe that they deserve to be compensated every time one of their shows is watched online or picked up on DVD. However, as the strike continues and things get uglier between the writers and producers, I find myself getting more and more frustrated. As a big fan of television, it’s hard not to wish I could just snap my fingers and make this all go away. I’m starting to fear what the future of scripted programming will look like if this doesn’t clear up soon, not just for Lost, but for all of the quality shows out there.
For those of you who love Lost and want to support the writers at the same time, fans4writers.com is holding an auction for some awesome Lost swag. Up for grabs is a complete set of Lost trading cards that also come with personalized autographs from Carlton Cuse, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof. The starting bid on that prize is a mere twenty dollars. The other item available is a Shannon action figure from McFarlane Toys, which comes with a box signed by Maggie Grace. That auction also starts at twenty dollars.
All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund. This fund was set up to support the striking writers and provide them with food, housing, transportation, medical bills, and any other expenses when necessary. Yes, you can feed a starving writer and land a personalized autograph from Damon Lindelof if you head over to fans4writers.com.
Why would I want to support the striking writers? I want Lost to come back on an run through the whole season! I say let them go broke!
Comment by Thom — January 17, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
They should aution off an autographed script from the Pilot. That would be cooler than the cards. Still, help support Darlton all the other people who create amazing television for us.
Comment by JustinSA — January 17, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Thom, you seem a little bitter. Why support the striking writers? cause without them lost wont be able to come back on and run the whole season. Im just as upset as you are dude, nobody wants to see all 16 episodes more than me, its not the writers faults, its the greedy money hungry studios!
Comment by Justin — January 17, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
I’m with Thom, the thing is…i guarantee you the main writers leading the way for this strike are all very VERY wealthy individuals. They should pay the writers that they are putting out of work because they want to fatten their pockets. Writers= greedy. Execs= Greedy. Everyone else= screwed.
Comment by DRich — January 17, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
Feed the striking writers? How about all the innocent people that are now unemployed because of the striking writers? For them to continue on with this and continue to put more and more people out of work is selfish so let them starve or better yet, head over to Damon or JJ’s house, I’m guessing those two aren’t suffering all that much.
Comment by katieb20022001 — January 17, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
Justin, they already did auction off a signed script by the writers. Sorry that you missed the auction.
Comment by KeepingAwake — January 17, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
DARKUFO is down!!! SHAT! where am I going to get my lost news from now?!?!
Comment by Justin — January 17, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
I don’t mind supporting the writers through my actions (signing petitions, telling my friends), but I can’t support them financially.
For one, I am unemployed (not from the strike, but because of personal reasons). I’ve been looking for work several months now, and I can’t afford to buy memorabilia, regardless of the cause.
Second, the basic essential stuff as a Lost fan are the DVD’s. I already have limited space as it is! Memorabilia will only take up more space than I already have.
But I have no problem whatsoever with the writers being supported. In some ways, I feel Thom’s sentiments in that I can’t afford to support the unemployed strikers when I myself am unemployed. At the same time, the writers need support because how else will we continue to receive Lost or our other favorite shows?
Comment by sk8rpro — January 17, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
I’ll be honest here, I support the writers in that they deserve the additional pay….HOWEVER…they were offered the additional pay, and the union is still striking! Why? Because the union isn’t happy until they get the reality writers to join up, and so the deal fell through. I do NOT support the politics that the writers strike has turned into at this point. I’m all for better pay and comprehensive royalties, but it’s just rediculous now. Others are being affected by selfishness on behalf of union politics, just unfair and continues to show us what Tinsletown is all about!
Comment by John — January 17, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Thanks for mentioning the Fans4Writers Auction.
I would like to clarify, in light of some of the above comments, that the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund was not created to help striking writers. Rather, it is designed to help those ‘below the line’ folks (crew, staff etc) who are facing financial hardship because of the strike.
We are all hoping for an end to the strike, but we are also supporting the writers who create the shows that we love. This strike is not about the ‘big players’ in the writing industry - it’s about securing a fair minimum rate for the little guys. While the main writers of Lost may be able to survive comfortably, the average writer is far less well off - usually earning less than $10,000 per annum - and they rely on industry minimums (negotiated by the Writers Guild) to stay afloat.
We encourage you to visit Fans4Writers.com and find out more about the wide range of issues, and about why this strike is still going.
Comment by Jen - Fans4Writers.com — January 18, 2008 @ 2:07 am
I have to say I don’t support the writer’s strike.
The writer’s are mad about getting gypped over the vhs thing and I see this as them trying to recoup from that.
Honestly no knows how the internet market will grow or what new media will come about in the near future. Of course a studio doesn’t want to give away that money because if the market bombs they are locked in. In addition the entertainment industry isn’t in its golden age anymore. You can’t tell me the writer’s don’t make decent money. They are not struggling working 9 to 5 at Burger King. They don’t work at dead end jobs without raises for years. They don’t have a kid they can’t feed. They don’t have to take the T to get to work because they can’t afford a car. They don’t live off food stamps and they can afford nice clothes to wear to work. If they can’t afford their half a million dollar house they need to reorganize their life not go on strike saying they need more money.
Not to mention Hollywood is all about precedent. If the studios give the WGA more money what about the SAG and the movie stars? Hopefully the SAG accepts a deal so the WGA is force into a corner and this strike ends.
Being in the creative business usually means selling yourself short in some way or another. Mostly because there is a huge pool of creative people all fighting for the same spot. At least they are doing something they can enjoy. Again they aren’t working in a factory.
Comment by Vesta — January 18, 2008 @ 7:19 am
The writers need money THAT desperately? I understand if they want an increase in their salaries or something, but payment each time their work is watched or bought? That’s ridiculous. Then sure, pay all the staff each time the shows they work on is watched/bought… actors, make-up artists, directors, cameramen….
Comment by HeartlessAngel — January 18, 2008 @ 11:46 am
I support the writers. Everything you hear and see is written by these guys. Sure they make more money than the underlings, but they don’t make more than the producers or actors (maybe some) or directors and they are EQUALLY important. I think the issue is an important one to figure out. It’s not fair that as new technology gets introduced that these things are not brought into their contracts. The executives look at the internet as one big cash cow where they get all of the proceeds. This does not just affect writers, it extends to many music artists as well who also don’t see a dime from internet content (see weird al) because it’s not in their contract. It’s not about more money, it’s about proper share and correct math.
IMO, this whole intellectual property stuff/internet distribution needs to figured out in general.
Comment by downthehatch — January 18, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
They should be getting paid more than anyone. Without them it would be no actors,directors,etc. I think it’s all about their need to get the credit & money they deserve.
They know what is in the future as far as the internet & they don’t want to end up like the tv stars from the 70 that get no pay at all for repeats and that is just wrong.
Comment by stella — January 19, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
John hit the nail on the head. This is about the writers trying to grab up more union dues from reality and animation writers. pure and simple.
I hope this strike busts the union wide open.
Comment by dan — January 21, 2008 @ 9:28 am
Support striking writers? Now that’s a joke!
Lets think about that. I am an orthopedic design engineer. I design hips and knees for people that need replacements. They cost only few bucks, but hospitals add on enormous mark up on them - just like pharmaceutical companies. Anyway, I don’t get paid every time someone has a hip or knee replacement. I only get paid once, for my ideas and designs. That’s how the real world works. Those writers are going overboard! No one having real job gets compansated every time something they worked on is being used! Get real guys!!!
Comment by Jasen — January 22, 2008 @ 9:37 am