Barbara Bystryk Weekender Editor Hollywood could be on the brink of becoming no more glamorous than stale goat cheese. Not only will this be overwhelmingly injurious to the industry, it will devastate most Americans who have an IV running from their orifices to their respective television sets. The novelty of reality TV and game shows will wilt away faster than fishnet pantyhose and JNCO jeans. But they can't hold the attention span of viewers for too long before people start turning their television sets off, and maybe even lodging a hammer through them.
Writers deserve to get paid more and get more credit for their efforts.
A major league baseball strike that kicked off during the middle of the 1995 season resulted in a large portion of baseball fans turning their backs on the sport the following season. A WGA strike in 1988 that lasted 22 weeks also hindered production and a loss of viewers was a result. After weeks of watching low-rate TV and skipping Sunday night movies, people are going to go elsewhere for entertainment. Internet chat rooms and eating more food also could bring some out of the bouts of depression caused by the lack of remote control maneuvering. Eventually, and maybe for the good of mankind, people won't look to the television as a necessary means for getting through the day.