Writers’ Guild Gives Grammys a Waiver

The political acumen of the Writers’ Guild of America is on display today, as it announced that its members would be allowed to write for the Grammy Awards show. It’s one thing to annoy management at every opportunity. It’s another to hurt one’s allies. Patrick M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America West, said, “Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media.” So, the show goes on with the writers.

Mr. Verrone added, “In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW Board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.”

Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, sighed in relief, “The Recording Academy is gratified by the WGA’s decision to grant the interim agreement we requested for our milestone 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year.”

Well, that might be pitching it a bit strong. The “witty banter” among the presenters is at best stilted, and for many in the more rebellious forms of rock, winning a Grammy marks the end of one’s career. Besides, the audience wants to watch the glitterati arrive in cars the cost more than they’ll ever earn, dressed in clothes that can’t be machine washed, and perhaps listen to a performance by someone who actually deserves an award for musical accomplishment (Amy Winehouse, if she can get clean in time).

This doesn’t mean the Oscars are a “go,” however. The Motion Picture Academy is the heart of the producers’ kingdom. Making them alter, or even cancel, the broadcast would cost millions, and the only people who might be harmed by it are the very people the WGA wants to hurt – management. The WGA has made it clear that it can decide what awards shows air and what awards shows don’t. It has yielded on organizing writers in animation and reality shows. It won’t give in on much more. So, it’s up to the producers now.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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