Writers Stage Strike, Showcase Their Wit With 30 Ingeniously Funny Protest Signs

"Picket signs like that are a great way to raise awareness"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• May 28, 2023

Have you observed the individual with the magnificent hair holding aloft a sign that amusingly declares, "Yes, grandma, they're still single"? It's hard to believe that no one else has noticed this remarkable sight.

Picket signs of this nature serve as an effective method to raise awareness about the challenges people face, allowing them to express their frustrations in a witty and biting manner.

And who better to excel at this than individuals whose livelihoods revolve around the craft of writing? If, until recently, one had been as uninformed as they were, let us enlighten them about the ongoing strike. The participants are none other than the Hollywood writers, represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who are currently engaged in a strike to advocate for fair compensation, particularly with regard to streaming content.

On the opposing side of this divide stand the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing various media companies, who have outright rejected most of the requests put forth by the WGA. The strike was initiated only after negotiations failed, leaving the WGA union members no choice but to cast their vote in favor of the strike due to the feeble counter-offers presented to them.

Essentially, this means that during the strike, WGA members are refraining from providing their writing services to AMPTP companies, thereby demonstrating solidarity and aiming to deprive these companies of content until they are compelled to reopen negotiations with the guild. When the writers speak of "fair compensation," they genuinely mean it. For instance, Valentina Garza, a writer renowned for her contributions to popular shows such as The Simpsons and Wednesday, recently shared a residual check she received for two episodes of Jane the Virgin.

It is rather astonishing that she received a mere $0.01 for one episode and $0.02 for another, considering the extensive reruns of these episodes on streaming platforms. Moreover, according to the Associated Press, when accounting for inflation, the pay for writer-producers has actually declined by approximately 23%, with 14% of that decline occurring within the past five years.

In addition to improved pay, writers are advocating for better residuals, with individuals like Valentina highlighting the meager sums they currently receive. To clarify, residuals are similar to royalties, although the difference lies in the fact that royalties are paid directly by the publisher, while residuals are collectively negotiated by unions.

According to responses on Quora, while royalties tend to remain constant, residuals can decrease from 100% to as low as 10%. In terms of pay increases, the WGA is determined to establish a new minimum standard for writer-producers. As reported by Variety, the current minimum for individuals above the staff writer level is set at $7,412 per week.

Writing is work

1. Notting Hil

2. Ouch

3. Give up just one jacht

4. Gays just wanna have funds

5. Sure, I support 'AI'

6. Carol is the new Karen

7. Rent is too high, not our wages!

8. I told ChatGPT to write a picket sign and it sucked

9. This is not the way

10. You can't handle the truth

11. Pay your writers or we'll spoil succession

12. Hey Amazon free delivery is your job, not ours

13. ChatGPT doesn't have childhood trauma

14. My necck, my back, we need a fair contract

15. My edible just kicked in, I'll do this all night

16. 773 million?

17. Now you've done it. You pissed off the creator of The Wire

18. My diaper is less full of s..t than the amptp

19. AI cant write Tariq's raps

20. Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up

21. Netflix pass

22. What wolud Larry David do?

23. Lets talk about your day rate

24. Disney sign

25. AMPTPeepee

26. Gays need pay

27. You came up with quibi

28. We come to this place to strike

29. You're killing mendocino farms

30. AI doesn't have my kishkes

As the strike rages on, Hollywood's mighty writers brandish their pens like swords, fighting for fair compensation and refusing to be silenced. The picket signs may be humorous, but the message is crystal clear: these wordsmiths demand their due.

So, while the entertainment industry anxiously waits for the ink to dry, one thing is certain: the writers aren't backing down until their demands are met, and no plot twist can change that storyline. Stay tuned, for this battle of words is far from reaching "The End."

Damjan