Rushfield: Day One of Hollywood Dystopia
Anyone in charge as the strike begins?
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Up to now it's been bravado and speculation, but now we're going to find out the truth. Who will stick together and who will fall apart; who is committed to winning this and who is going to crumble when the going gets tough. What is this new postmodern entertainment industry all about and who is in charge here.
Both sides think they know how this will play out. We'll find out who really understands the reality of this industry and who is just building castles in the air.
How will Wall Street respond? Will the studios stick together? Will the showrunners and the rank and file stick together?
When it's all said and done, will this have been about something important or a lot of sound and fury signifying not a whole lot?
I've aired my opinions about those questions over the past months. Some agreed with my assessments, others had their own. But all our armchair punditry is swept away now because we're about to find out the answers.
I had thought for a long time now that a strike was inevitable, largely because it seemed unlikely to me that the studios would offer concessions major enough to address the dislocation of recent years.
But still, when the official word came last night, I'll admit it took my breath away, for a couple of reasons: