About a week ago, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, demanding better pay and a more concrete payment structure, as well as better deals and contracts. A number of shows, like Saturday Night Live and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert have all shut down. Actors have been supporting the strike, and none other than Mandy Patinkin recently stood up for the scribes.
Decked out in a collared shirt covered by a “Support SAG-Aftra Support WGA” T-shirt and holding a sign that said “You killed residuals prepare to pay,” Patinkin gave an impassioned plea, caught on camera at the picket lines.
“Don’t be stupid. Make sure you take care of people. [There are] guys who make millions and millions of dollars, for God’s sake, without the writers we have nothing. They create the stories that make our heart’s speak. Help out now.”
Words don’t really do this little diatribe much justice. The passion in Patinkin’s voice is worth the price of admission alone, not to mention the gestures. When he pounds on his chest? What! I would follow this man into war.
“What a mensch,” one commenter said. “So iconic I want to memorize this as a monologue,” said another. Here’s another: “I love the invigorated passion. Kinda dude I wanna have a coffee with and sip it quietly while he blows my mind.”
The writers went on strike following a full six weeks of negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, comprised of companies like Netflix and Amazon. according to a recent WGA report, pay for writer-producers has fallen 23 percent when inflation is taken to account.
We’ll keep you posted.
Published: May 10, 2023 05:08 pm