By Ray Cardello for July 15, 2023, Season 20 / Post 42

The Hollywood writers have been on strike since May, and nobody noticed. This week, the actors and actresses joined the writers; again, nobody noticed. The actors and actresses in Hollywood are the most narcissistic people on earth and survive from self-aggrandizing under the watchful eyes of most Liberals. Some of the more fortunate land million dollars contracts while some hope to just squeeze by, from role to role. They claim this strike is about the impact of AI on the Hollywood community. It is about preserving their power and residuals.

Fran Drescher is the SAG-AFTRA President and is best known for her role in the sitcom, The Nanny. She is the equivalent of a one-hit wonder in the sitcom world. That one hit has parlayed her net worth to $25 Million. She has no conception of what it is like for Americans to work hard to develop a lifestyle that is also good for the future. We are to feel bad for her and her colleagues who have been rewarded with fortunes for portraying someone else. Since they live in a different world, reality is a difficult concept.

The writers have been on strike since May. Reruns have filled the prime time, and the nightly talk shows were rated so poorly that they fell behind Gutfeld on FOXNews. That is embarrassing enough. They should take some time off for reflection. It may not be the fault of the writers but a lack of talent. Or, could it be that WOKE thinking is not as popular as New York and Los Angeles.

These self-centered individuals have no consideration for the ancillary industries that support the TV and Film world. The stage crews, wardrobe, lighting, and camera crews are all out of work, and pay, until the egomaniacs resolve their contract disputes with management. How about limo drivers, restaurant owners, and shop owners? Will they recoup their losses as millionaires quibble. There is no union for these people who rely on their weekly pay to support themselves and their families.

The issue that is the primary concern of the actors and writers is AI. This is very shallow and a mask for the real reason. The concern is AI will replace either the writers or actors. AI has been around for years. Granted, it has become more sophisticated, but there is little chance that a computer and hologram will replace a leading man or woman in upcoming episodes of your favorite weekly shows. This argument is convenient because AI is a hot topic and a mask for the real concerns of money and power.

TV and films have lost their relevance. They are not producing any new content. Blockbuster shows are typically rehashes of old material, and the budgets are so large they cannot be profitable. Studios like Disney want to be part of the political narrative. Rather than staying neutral and entertaining the entire spectrum of audiences, they want to control the culture, and their stock prices and investors are the losers in this game.