Writers Guild Strike — Day 5 — Jesse Jackson Scabs as a Picketer
The biggest media whore, Jesse Jackson got his photo-op times two in Los Angeles in “support” of the Writers Guild strike. His first appearance was in front of the gates of Paramount Studios on Thursday. He marched in a very staged event for the press with WGA West President Patric Verrone. On Friday he attended a big rally in Century City, near 20th Century Fox Studios.
Jesse wasn’t marching with the writers to demand that the guild increase it’s membership with “people of color”, or to even call for more scripts with a positive view of African Americans. Jesse Jackson was there for himself and his money making machine.
On Friday — Jesse was in a throng of aging white upper class writers and actors. Jackson’s speech included his standard aphorisms as “Save the workers, share the wealth,” “Partners, not peons,” “Too few control too much,” “The American Dream is worth fighting for,” and “Let’s figure it out, not fight it out.”
Does the WGA really believe Jesse Jackson’s appearance will suddenly re-start the negotiations — of course not. This whole week has been a well orchestrated media event, disguised as a picket line. It’s a stand off as the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers dig in to starve the writers and the rest of us out.
Television production is drying up and many “green-lit” feature projects are now threatened as fear grips Hollywood.
Dave McNary of Variety said Friday’s event was an, energetic rally that drew an estimated 4,000 supporters in Century City. “We’re shutting down production and kicking corporate ass,” declared WGA West president Patric Verrone at the top of a 90-minute rally on Friday morning at Fox Plaza.
The event – which closed down Avenue of the Stars between Pico and Santa Monica boulevards – included speeches from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, SAG prexy Alan Rosenberg, “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane and producer Norman Lear. Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine performed a two-song set at the top of the rally.
The crowd chanted “We want a deal” repeatedly. And MacFarlane evoked perhaps the loudest response by recounting that all “Family Guy” assistants had been fired on the third day of the strike.
“Instead of negotiating, they lashed out at the little guy,” MacFarlane added. “What a classy move.”
Over 25 television shows have stopped production putting many thousands of technicians, office staff, drivers, actors and directors on an early hiatus.
Our show is still shooting, but the studio lot is gradually looking more and more like a ghost town. The weather has been unusually chilly for Los Angeles, sending us a cold reminder of what the weeks and perhaps months will be like ahead.
Posted: 0015PT 11/10/07
autone.wordpress.com
An Angeleno's View of the World 
I don’t see how he’s “scabbing” as a picketer. He’s picketing in support of the strike.
Also, you dismiss the picket as a well staged media event, but every picket line *hopes* to be a media event. It’s a form of communication, to discourage people from entering a specific workplace. (In this strike, it’s not being used for that purpose.)