Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Writer's Block

It's almost 2:30 a.m., and I totally can't sleep, which is sort of insane because really it's almost 3:30 a.m., in light of the recent time change. I have dire body clock issues. My brother is also a fellow night owl. Like our shared test-taking gene, perhaps this condition is hereditary.

As some of you may know, Brother Monkey is a young comedy writer who has written for a late-night talk show, an animated series, and a few awards shows. (Yeah, that's right. He uses his magna cum blah blah blah intellect to compose sophomoric quips. My parents are thrilled out of their minds, of course. That's sarcasm if you didn't catch it. Poor Mama and Papa Monkey. They thought Brother Monkey would cure cancer. Instead, he makes Paris Hilton jokes.)

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably well aware that the Writers Guild of America Minimum Basic Agreement expired on October 31, 2007, and contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down, mainly over the issue of residuals. If things aren't resolved soon, we shall all be wallowing in reruns and reality TV in a few months.
I got this e-mail from Brother Monkey earlier tonight:
i keep meaning to call you and then forgetting. today we went on strike. i picketed paramount studios, which is three blocks from my house. my strike group was almost entirely comprised of my friends who went to harvard and stanford. tomorrow more harvard people are going to join us at paramount. people i know were picketing fox, nbc, abc, rockefeller center, hollywood center studios. ugly betty picketed with us for like five minutes and then she left. one time we blocked a range rover from entering the studio and the driver turned out to be courteney cox.

i should've gone to europe to tour with torry. she is in london tonight and on her way to paris.

love you,
brother monkey
What different lives we lead. The most exciting thing about my day was toffee. Toffee! Meanwhile, he is Cox-blocking. I hope he takes pictures tomorrow.

19 comments:

  1. I hope your brother and the rest of the guild will be able to come to a fair solution...until then it sounds pretty exciting! I'm like you and a night owl. I go to bed at about 2 every morning...doesn't make for a very healthy lifestyle.

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  2. I am somehow on the e-mail list for the SAG and I keep getting updates on the strike. (I am not a member of SAG...I don't know how I got on this list.) It sounds like no fun. Good for Brother Monkey for striking. I hope they come to an agreement soon.

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  3. Sleep to Your Own Rhythm

    If you find yourself awake and energetic late at night, you may have a genetic mutation. The altered gene may explain why some people prefer late nights. This gene affects the body's circadian cycle-the clock that keeps our metabolism, digestion, and sleep patterns in sync. Researchers discovered abnormally long circadian rhythms in some mice-lasting about 27 hours instead of the normal cycle of 24 hours. These mice had the mutated gene. Also, night owls who compensate by staying in bed longer still experience more insomnia than the rest of us. Also, night owls report feeling less in control of their sleep, which may also fuel insomnia.

    From this website: http://health.msn.com/centers/sleep/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100172163&GT1=10611

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  4. my heart goes out to these writers, it really does. and i'm worried that this thing is going to drag on for a loooong time. i hope not, not only for the writers themselves but also for selfish old me who wants her shows to continue without interruption.

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  5. I am really hoping they can all come to a swift resolution to this strike, it would be so sad to see all of these people out of work for so long. My hubby works in the entertainment industry, and he said things are going to start to sloooooow way down. Tell brother monkey we support him!
    Boo for sleepless nights... i hate it when I can't fall asleep.

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  6. Selfishly I hope they'll come to an agreement soon so this strike doesn't affect my favorite tv shows too much.

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  7. I was just thinking about your bro this morning!

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  8. hmmm, i should check if my friend nate is on strike too, he is an assistant TO the writers on the office

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  9. Yup, this pretty much sucks. A lot of our friends are writers, and my friends from my old job are all gonna be affected. I hope it ends soon. :(

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  10. how could you have blogger's block? That post was awesome! An inside view that People.com can't give us.. Tell your brother he should write a screenplay called "More Fun Than a Barrel"..

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  11. My sister is in casting, and she is totally being affected. Her show has been canceled (or put on hold), as is her boyfriend's and all their coworkers/peers. It's really a shame for them all.

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  12. you are such a witty girl. Cox blocking LMAO.

    I'm rooting for brother monkey!

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  13. "cox-blocking" <-- i.love.you.

    Man, I saw them picketing the studio in Manhattan Beach yesterday when I was on my way to Pier 1.

    They should just pay those writers what they are entitled to.

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  14. It sucks about the strike, but your entire post had me laughing! Magna cum blah blah blah, Paris Hilton jokes, Cox-blocked. Love it! Thanks for the laugh!!

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  15. ugh. i hope the strike ends soon.

    and for the 47th time in these comments - cox-blocking. bwahahahahaha! genius.

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