I am 100% behind the writers in the strike, but also want the strike to end because tv is fun to watch. Except for reality tv; me no likey that. But regular tv? That I like a lot. The strike means no new tv. Boooo. If you’re wondering how to show support for the writers and put pressure on the other side to end this strike, well, I just happen to know:\
United Hollywood has organized a
Pencils2Moguls campaign a la the peanuts to the network for
Jericho.\
As stated by Joss Whedon on
Whedonesque:
The campaign itself is fairly simple. We’d like to start it right away, and it goes like this:\
Point the fans to http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/, where there will be a banner or button allowing them to click through to buy boxes of pencils. The pencils are plain wooden \#2’s, and the company uses sustainable farming for the wood (seriously. They do.) The pricing will be “a buck a box.” (Sustainably harvested wood pencils + PayPal cost per transaction puts us a little higher than the cost of a box if you buy at Office Depot, sorry.) If there’s any money left over, it will be donated to the Union Solidarity Fund, which is a nonprofit for non-WGA members affected by the strike.\
When fans click to buy the pencils, they can choose to identify the show they are supporting if they want. (This will generate a database of fans by show – among other things, allowing showrunners to thank fans by group if they want to.)\
The pencils will be delivered in bulk, by trucks, like the peanuts were. The deliveries will be to the 6 CEOs of the 6 congloms (Disney, News Corp, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, GE) one by one – we’ll probably start with GE. If we get enough to pencils to do all 6, then we will. If we don’t, we’ll concentrate on one or two.\
If the logistics can be worked out, showrunners who choose to can take part in a “load the pencils” photo op – unpacking the boxes of pencils and shoveling them into bins or boxes for transport to the CEO’s. The visual has the potential to be worth a thousand words – for the fans as well as the general public.\
We will suggest that the fans send a message similar to this: “We’re all on the same page. Make a fair deal.”\
This has the potential to be a historic moment in fan history – the first time that all fandoms band together to show that they are a force to be reckoned with to the corporate world. Given the passion and commitment the fans are already showing, this seems a good way to both show our appreciation and respect, as well as giving them the direction they’ve been requesting.\
We hope you’ll be willing to join us in this effort. It won’t be our last.\
Carol Barbee Jericho\
John Aboud\
United Hollywood\
Jane Espenson\
Buffy, Battlestar Galactica\
Jeffrey Berman\
United Hollywood\
Rob McElhenney\
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia\
Laeta Kalogridis\
United Hollywood\
Ron Moore\
Battlestar Galactica\
Marti Noxon\
Buffy, Private Practice\
Jaime Paglia\
Eureka\
Bill Prady\
Two and a Half Men\
Shonda Rhimes\
Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice\
Stephanie Savage\
Gossip Girl\
Joss Whedon\
Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse
Go ahead. It’s \$1.00 per box and it’s a way to be involved and show our support.\
Plus, I get to feel like the 12 year old fangirl I never was!! (Until I hit my 30s. Shhh, let’s keep that between you and me, ok?)
