The WGA writer’s aren’t demanding a lot of things. This strike is about respect for those with the gift of writing.

Hollywood has lost sight of what made it the entertainment capital of the world — great stories. Streaming opened the door for so many stories. But the powers that be couldn’t figure out how to use it. Lots of debt was run up throwing spaghetti at the wall. And now, they’re no longer comfortable living in the red.

So instead of looking at their business overall and making sure the pie was divided evenly. The first option was to cut away at the cost of writing — the lifeblood of any story we watch. Writers are asked to work by the day, on shorter shows and in smaller rooms. In essence, they are now gig workers. And companies are trying to have less of them to save costs.

Writers are being treated like someone you hire on Fiverr. Not like the craftsmen that we are. Anyone can write a sentence. Very few can write a compelling story. It’s a craft that takes years of practice and skills. It deserves to be compensated. And there’s a bit of irony that where new voices are being given an opportunity to speak. Suddenly there’s not enough money to pay them.

What happens here sets a precedent for what’s to come. And not just for the entertainment industry. This is about what happens to worker’s rights. Not to mention if we want a society where technology replaces instead of enhances.

If we lose sight of rewarding creativity. Then humanity itself is at stake.

And that’s a world we can all barely imagine.

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