Two hours into this, and I’m feeling much better. Thanks.
[readermail]
Hey Pamie.
I admire you for what you’re doing right now, I can’t imagine how hard it is. You are very strong and brave. I’m far away in Virginia, but sending you and the rest of the writers all the support in the world.
Keep standing up,
Ali
[/readermail]
[db]
[readermail]
Pamie,
I’m glad you and the people in the other car are all okay. The world wouldn’t be nearly as nice a place without you. Three cheers for Honda and the inventors of the various safety features.
Until this all started, I had no idea the writers weren’t being paid for web reruns, much less that they weren’t being paid at all for webisodes. I also had no idea how little writers were getting for DVD sales. I am shocked and disturbed by this, and I am not going to give the leeches my money or eyes until they pay you all properly. You’re employees, not volunteers.
Apparently, the vast majority of Doonesbury readers feel the same.
Good luck, and stay safe.
Victoria
[/readermail]
[db]
[readermail]
Pamie,
So sorry to hear about your accident–two years ago, I was also in an accident on the freeway I shouldn’t have walked away from. The other guy was driving drunk in a huge pick-up when he hit me and after the police and ambulance arrived, the two good samaritans who witnessed the whole debacle informed me in an effort to cheer me up (probably because my hysterical crying was frightening them) “Your car kicked his ass!” That car? A Honda Civic. So let me be the first to support you in your effort to always drive a damn Honda. That shit will save your life!
I’m a child of two public school teachers and my mom is now president of the teacher’s local. As she says (yes, my mom talks like Norma Rae) “A scab’s always a scab and there’s them that push up and them that push down.” For my part, I’m doing my best to correct misconceptions about the cause of the strike (i.e. the old “it’s just like pro athletes striking!”) Until you guys are getting your due, I won’t be downloading/streaming a damn thing or buying any DVDs for Christmas presents (though I hope for you guys that you get what you deserve long before then.) How could I? If my mom knew I crossed a picket line of ANY sort, she’d kill me herself.
Here’s to fairness, equity, and Hondas. Solidarity!
Meghan
[/readermail]
[db]
[readermail]
Pamie,
If I still lived in LA, I’d come walk the line…but since I don’t, I thought I’d send my support over email. I’m a longtime reader–found you through our beloved Girls of Stars Hollow and migrated to your blog, read through the archives over the course of a month…my mid-20s sucked (late 20s are a little better) and it was good to find someone who not only shared my experience, but articulated all the feelings that went along with it with such humor, sarcasm and honesty.
Your determination has taken you a long way from those days–I hope that this strike is resolved quickly and you can get back to work. You all deserve fair compensation–and you deserve to keep living the
dream.
March on,
Kris
[/readermail]
[db]
[readermail]
Pam–
Long time reader (I’ve been following your stuff on and off ever since you kept me laughing through the summer of ’01 with your recaps of “Young Americans,” to say nothing of the MTV awards recaps, which…heh…awesome), first time writer.
Judging by the number of responses you posted to your page this week, as well as the fact that 90% of what I wanted to say has already been said just in those posts, I don’t expect this to be anything more than adding my voice to the choir (and I think that phrase, or some semblance of it, has already been said as well…), but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to voice my support for you and your fellow writers, which include my cousin and his wife.
On a slight side note, I was sorry to hear about your car accident this week. I hope you’re doing alright, that you’re not in too much pain, and that you find yourself behind the wheel of a new car very soon.
As for the strike itself, I have to say that you and the rest of the WGA are nothing short of inspirational. I’m a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and of the 200 or so of us that received our Bachelor’s Degrees in 2000, perhaps 5-10%, myself included, did our concentration in Labor Law and Collective Bargaining, a fact that I always found strange, given that it’s one of the most liberal college campuses in the country. I suppose the other 90-95% did their concentrations in Human Reource Management (a/k/a “Screwing the Working Man while Putting a Positive PR Spin on the Debacle.”–I’ll never forget the day in my sophomore year HR class where I watched a videotape on cutting a company’s costs, wherein the video’s host spent 45 minutes discussing cutting expenses by limiting expenses on office supply purchases and excessive distribution of cafeteria tartar sauce, while relegating the reduction in labor force, which made up 80% of the money to be saved, to some of the final 10 minutes). because they figured the labor movement in America was dead or dying.
The actions that the members of the WGA have taken this week are proof positive that my classmates were wrong. There are people in this country willing to take a stand on behalf of working men and women and their families, which is something I want so desperately for people to know. I’ve been forwarding links to your page all day, hopefully with the end result that people realize that not all writers earn money that buys them houses on the beach in Malibu, and that what you’re asking is only fair. I tell them to think of my cousin and his wife, with their 1-year-old daughter, trying to get by while waiting and writing between running shows on MTV that last 6 episodes (and get web broadcast without writers’ compensation) and occasionally pitching jokes for Comedy Central’s celebrity roasts, with the hope that what they’ve earned is enough to cover their mortgage payments.
It’s the downtime and my cousin’s daughter that matter most in this. As you said, the residuals are your paycheck, and I would love nothing more than to see you, stee, my cousin, his wife, and all the other members of the WGA fairly compensated for all of the hard work that you do that entertains so many people and without which the companies that seem so unwilling to compromise with you would be nowhere.
My warmest regards to you and stee (and ab chao, and, well, all of you in the WGA). Drive safely, and keep fighting the good fight.
Your fan,
Drew
[/readermail]
[db]
[readermail]
Dear Pamie,
I’m sure you’ve gotten countless letters of support, but I wanted to join the chorus. I’m a writer so I understand the importance of residuals and royalties that make it possible for us to pursue the creative life. I’m also a TV junkie who believes that everyone involved in the creative process deserves to be compensated fairly. I think what you guys are doing is great, and lots of folks in Upper Michigan are 100% behind you and the members of the WGA. Also, let it be known that Samantha Who? is one of my favorite new shows. I hope you and the other members of the WGA can back to doing the work you love as soon as possible.
R. Gay
[/readermail]
[db]
Okay, I’m posting Part Four now, and getting immediately to work on Part Five. My coffee, and my feet are cold, and Oprah’s still on pause, and Taylor’s oddly both purring and cuddling at the same time, so I will take this as a sign to take a few minutes off to warm my coffee and my feet, and let the cat know I also appreciate his support.
More soon. I’m only up to November 9th on the inbox. I really can’t thank you guys enough.