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Discussion Thread for Field Trip: WGA Strike (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-30 23:13:04
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hello, my dears! This Field Trip episode went up on Thursday last week instead of Tuesday, because the quick 20-minute visit to the Writers' Guild of America strike ended up involving so much fascinating Hollywood history and impassioned stories from the people who make the stuff we watch, so I wanted to give it more context! 

Did you get a chance to listen? LET'S DISCUSS. Did you hear from any writers of shows you love? Did you know how many people work on sets? Any questions about how to set up a snack table and take out leaky garbage? 

We're cranking away on the new episode that's going up tonight so keep your ears open for that.

Also thank you all for the New Mexico suggestions! My big "get," a skunk scientist I've been after for years, kind of disappeared so we sadly weren't able to head out and interview him, but now we have a great list of New Mexico Ologists for when he does surface. I'm not giving up yet. 

Okay, let me know what you thought of the WGA episode and stay tuned for later tonight! This new one is going to have a really bonkers secret at the end of it. It's been quite a week, people. 

Tip of the hat,

Popsward

Files

FIELD TRIP: A Hollywood Visit to the Writers Guild Strike Line - alie ward

Jump in, we're going to the Valley to talk to cool, funny screenwriters about... Artificial intelligence-drafted scripts! Trillion-dollar companies pretending they're broke! Emmy-nominated writers with side hustles! Teamster bosses dropping mics! What an exciting time to gossip about Hollywood... labo

Comments

Anna Thompson

I loved learning about the solidarity of other unions, neutral gates and what people can can can't do during the strike. A lot of the coverage I've seen has assumed folks know the basics and I loved you breaking it down for us

Elta Sparks

I really loved this episode. The choreographer's union being a brand new thing really surprised me. I've been fascinated with movies and plays and shows for forever and I love learning about all the different people and jobs involved.

Will

That stinks about the skunk ologist!

Kelly King

I learned a lot that I didn't know about unions, which was very cool. Also, as an east coaster, I often feel pretty removed from Hollywood and it was a good reminder that we are all connected.

The Other Maya

I. Effink. Love. Field trip episodes. The old time-y reporter shoes fit you well. Put them on whenever they need walkin.

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

I feel like the person who made the "stream deep nuts" sign and the person who has it now should find each other then become BFFs. 😍

The Other Maya

Also, very much appreciate the details on unions. Love me some worker solidarity power stories and unions actually effecting change. Super also, if I run "AI scripts" to it's Sci Fi conclusion, my Sci Fi brain tells me that though being a Creative may never be a career in the same way again, sub cultures and art, especially guerilla art may enjoy greater diversity and saturation, leading to a healthier society in the very long term - provided things don't go too totalitarian and dark. I'm also looking at being AI'd out of a job within my lifetime or maybe as soon as the next 3 to 5 years, so I'm a very sympathetic audience. Also, friends in the data security and penetration testing field are not happy about AI automation at all. No ma'am.

bee

THANK YOU, Alie, for doing this episode, and for giving one of the best overviews about why this fight is SO important. We all need to support each other against the ruthlessness that is unchecked corporate greed today. #UNIONSTRONG

RoadLesTravelled

I’m very glad to see a resurgence of labor unions. While there were legitimate reasons for their decline in the 1970’s and 80’s, the renewed union(s) strength today appears ready to ensure better conditions for every person employed anywhere.

Julie Dupre

You are such a boss(dad) for this episode! I learned so much about the industry and the importance of unions that protect everyday folks is so eye opening. Kudos!

Julie Sparrow

Thank you so much for doing this episode!! People seem to think everyone, except themselves of course, should work for free or for very little. We all need to understand that everyone deserves to be paid a fair wage at the very least! Plus we all love these shows that are only possible w/ fabulous writers!!

Julie Sparrow

I grew up in a blue collar Union family and Unions have built this country and what used to be the middle class. We need to support them now more than ever.

Keri Overall

Thank you for this episode! In many ways, it relates to the issue that my field (teaching) is also struggling with regarding AI. What will happen when students no longer write their own papers for class is the big question for me because there's so much more that is learned from writing a paper than just how to put words into sentences and paragraphs! Anyway, I really enjoyed hearing from so many great writers and feeling even more strongly for them and what they're fighting for.

Alie Ward

The stopping on the sidewalk was so surprising to me!

Alie Ward

AAahaha, one day. A girl can dream.

Alie Ward

Yes! We just shoot the shows out here because it doesn't rain much or snow ever! But people watch those shows in underground bunkers in Siberia, in the space station, and even in far off places like Pittsburgh, and Ohio! Glad you liked it!

Alie Ward

Aaaah, thank you so much! It's been so fun to run around and sniff at things and describe them and talk to strangers. Patreon exclusive news: we'll be replacing Smologies with Field Trip episodes a few times a month and moving Smologies to it's own feed, with hopefully weekly releases on that new Smologies feed. You heard it here first, fam!

Alie Ward

I could not agree more, Skwurl! DESTINY.

Alie Ward

I think that's why this ep turned into a full length one: hearing how it's not just about the WGA fighting for regulations and ethics and standards for themselves, but for every industry and union out there. Tip of the spear, indeed.

Alie Ward

Glad you liked it! I was so nervous to put it out, like "will people get why this is a big deal... for the world??"

Alie Ward

I thought it was so fascinating to hear how the support is going up and up as more workers are paid less and are relegated to "gig work" with no benefits. I have worked on TV shows were the entire full time staff had to form their own individual corporations and get paid via 1099, just so the billion dollar media company boss could stiff them of health care. Just awful.

Alie Ward

Awww, thank you so much! I am so happy people are understanding why this one was important to me

Alie Ward

Exactly! It's so weird that Netflix, etc. will pay living wages to their HR departments, and IT departments, but pay so little to the folks who dream up all of the product they sell! Gah!

Alie Ward

Absolutely! I saw a small study where a teacher recently assigned students to write papers via AI and then fact check them. 100% of the students found factual errors -- and some fabricated quotes and attributions -- which exceeded even the teacher's grim expectations. Ooof.

The Project Project

And maybe the takeaway is, We need to fight like hell-- literally, if need be-- to bring unions up to ca. 1962 levels of membership and involvement, and then make sure we keep passing the lessons learned onward.

The Project Project

If there's one thing I've learned on my path to where I am today-- I suppose, technically, a syndicalist-minarchist communitarian Communist-- it's that effecting political change is like fighting a gorilla. We don't stop when we get tired; that's a path to failure. No. We stop when *the gorilla* gets tired.

Colin Maydahl

What do you think about canceling our streaming services and sending letters to Disney/Netflix/Amazon in support of the WGA?

ScienceInTheArt

Well done. I’m inspired by the support but thinking that IF artificial intelligence can truly generate high quality content, we’ll have to evolve.

Alie Ward

I think that may be effective -- I know people leaving Spotify a few years back really did make an impact. I think social media also puts pressure on them, and encouraging others to support the strike and hashtag and post and tag companies is great at amplifying!

Alie Ward

I saw a great post that said "why are humans still doing labor for below a living wage while computers get to make art and write poetry" and I wanted to cry with my whole face

ScienceInTheArt

Well, don’t get too down. The answer is our challenge and our saving grace. We suffer, we love and we die. We are alive. Can’t fake that because they happen in a fallible body.

Susan G

Really great episode. I'm in Australia but so much of our media comes from the US. I am in full solidarity with all the writers striking. I gave out little hurrahs each time you interviewed someone who works on a show I love, there were many. These people have brought me and others so much joy, they deserve to be paid appropriately.

Leila Laco

Being from the UK, I found it really interesting that the strikers risk arrest if they stand still while picketing. There have been a lot of (mostly public sector) strikes here over the last 18 months or so (nurses, 'junior' doctors, railway workers, teachers...), and the classic image of a picket line here is people standing/sitting in one place. Alie, if you fancy doing a whole episode on labour unions/strikes it would be very timely for ologites across the pond too! Unionology perhaps?

Ted Vician

If LLM-type AI in its current incarnation can generate high quality content, it will be based on stolen copyrighted material. Which means money should be going to the owners and makers of those works. Just like MC Hammer’s record company had to pay Rick James.

Spencer Parks

Obviously this was a different type of episode but a REALLY important one! I had a pretty good idea of what this strike is all about but hearing about more specifics from people on the front lines was really beneficial, especially to people who aren't in the biz or are keeping up on it. This is going to affect the majority of Americans (and humans) for a while, the longer this lasts and I'm not sure I'm looking forward to what's going to take the place of TV and Film in the meantime. The last writer's strike is why we got Celebrity Apprentice... I hope to ACTUALLY be in that biz someday (I'm working on it) so this is stuff I really should know more about. Thank you, Alie, for bringing us the important stuff and I cannot fully express your importance.

Dr. Lina Carpenter

Thank you so much for making the WGA picket line episode - so grateful that you could explain and provide examples why unions are protection for workers! Thank you thank you thank you. As someone who was heavily involved with the University of California strike, I'd love to hear how other unions feel about the movement in higher education to unionize! I think there were things we could have done better, but do other organizers have any advice for when we re-negotiate in 2 years?

choirqueer

::enthusiastic squeaking!!!!!!!!::

Alie Ward

Awww, thank you for your mouth equivalent of horn honks!

Alie Ward

I would love to do that some time! I didn't realize when I went to the strike to deliver ice and snacks how much I would learn about labor movements in history! I was so pleasantly surprised

Alie Ward

Thank you for listening!! and ugggh, about Celebrity Apprentice. That is a great tidbit I wish I'd thrown in. What part of the entertainment business are you drawn to? Writing? Performing? Both? Neither?

Alie Ward

That's a great question! Well done on that unionization, and hello fellow Californian!

Dr. Lina Carpenter

DadWard validating me for my union work has made my week. 🥹💖

Kevin Wilson

Preface: I loved this episode sooooo so much!!!!! And the fact you tied in the IATSE means so much (I’m a proud member of IATSE local 700/Editors Guild). I may not be a member of the WGA, but I stand in solidarity with them and do not plan on crossing the picket line! ✊🏻🪧🔥 — My partner and I have been talking about this strike for the past few weeks and it was so great listening to this together. (I kept pausing throughout to have my own asides lol… it was wonderful in a bitter sort of way lol). I am soooo worried about what AI is going to do, a certain company has released/announced things they are doing or planning on doing with their programs that I fear will put Post Workers to the test similarly to what’s happening now with the WGA. I don’t want to write a book in the discussion but it’s a scary time, and we HAVE to stand together. The fact that we/IATSE almost struck 2 years ago, the WGA is currently striking, the DGA and SAG following….. all against the AMPTP, truly says something about the industry. I sincerely hope something changes. Again, I’m not WGA but for my kin, I appreciate this episode so so much, thank you!

Kevin Wilson

(Holy moly, I didn’t mean to write so much hahaha. Sorry y’all! 😂🧡)

Alie Ward

Thank you for sharing this!! If IATSE ends up striking, let me know where to bring the ice and snacks. We gotta stick together in this.

Kevin Wilson

Willllll do, and if SAG does, let me know! Our possible strike was about 2 years ago during our negotiations- we had an overwhelming yes vote, but luckily they came to an agreement in the midnight hour to prevent the strike. but still! The writers need us now, and I’ll be there to support them tenfold!

Spencer Parks

There's a great line in the new movie "You Hurt My Feelings" where a character says she's an Executive Producer while she's working at a cannabis dispensary. It's the job she's aiming for. So to be real, I think that job really is my ultimate goal. Not because I'm greedy or want to be in total control, but I feel like it fits what my skills are (generally: coming up with basic premises and finding more talented people to make it happen). But in the meantime, I do corporate video shooting/editing and other techy things, but I'm working on getting more into being in front of the camera/mic (my podcasts help) and then directing too. That's always been a lifelong goal, but I'm finally starting to feel like I might possibly be able to do that. I'm not a good writer, but I've got a TON of concept ideas. :)

ava guihama !

It was great to see so much union love!!! I’ve worked in union organizing for a few years and it’s so lovely when I find out people I’m a fan of are in unions. This episode made me curious about whether or not Ologies would ever consider not working with Hello Fresh, as they’re a major union buster that managed to kill a unionizing effort that my colleague worked on in the Bay. I know the ethics are hard and funding has to come from somewhere, especially when they’re such a huge supporter for multiple podcasts, but it is a little heartbreaking whenever I hear an ad for them

ava guihama !

+ as a result of the union busting, there continues to be an inordinately large number of injuries that occur within Hello Fresh warehouses (I think about 300% of the average number of warehouse injuries), as well as a below-living wage for most warehouse workers. there’s a lot of info on it but I feel like most people don’t know, and it’s definitely less flashy than the Hollywood strike

ava guihama !

I was also involved the UC strike!! ✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

Dr. Lina Carpenter

Sending you solidarity vibes from SoCal! 😊 Together we rise!!! ✊🏻

Linda Mortenson

I really appreciated hearing from people on the picket line. I’m certainly pro-union, but have never been in one so it’s all conceptual. Don’t go completely changing your format, but please know that this episode tipped me over the line from lurking Mutual Admiration to commenting Pal.

Rachel Cannon

Amazing episode! I'm in the IBEW (electrical union) and this podcast made my little socialist heart so happy. Thanks for the background on labor unions and getting out there to talk to the folks on the front lines. Solidarity! ✊