On the way back to my car today, I had my first encounter with someone who didn't know what a writer did. "So you guys write the stuff that the actors say?" Hand to god, I always thought it was an urban myth that people believed the actors made it all up themselves.

The person, however, was very nice, asked me a few questions about why we were striking and wished me luck.

maybe you need a heavier sign.

Perhaps. That might have had the side benefit of not blowing apart from the sticks in the wind.

Wow. That's...frightening, Kristen. How could someone not know about...writers?

Hell, I used to think there were tiny people inside the radio who would sing and talk. But then again, I was three.

If I stop and think about it, it makes sense that Average Person never considers what goes into making the TV shows they watch. I mean, hey, when I eat a piece of chicken, I'm not thinking about the dude who slaughtered it or plucked its feathers or whatever.

True, but surely people have heard terms like "scripts" and the like? And maybe have glanced at a "written by" credit before? In both television and movies? Or perhaps seen an awards show that had a category for "Best Writing" or "Best Screenplay"? It seems like a fairly hard-to-miss idea. Did the person think the actors wrote all their own lines? Or made it up on the spot?

I didn't ask. He was very nice and genuinely curious about the strike so, instead, I told him about the internet and then hobbled my way back to my car.

How many pounds did you lose today?

Teacher weigh-in: I like to think that the comparison to teachers is used to get at the underpaid thing, and I do think that most people would probably agree with the polling statement "Teachers are underpaid" but I also understand the dislike of the phrasing. Frankly, I almost didn't become a teacher because of pressure I felt from society (not my parents, thankfully) to "do better." Teaching is a shamefully low-status profession, even here in NYC, where we're actually paid pretty decently, compared to nationwide averages. Yet my friends in finance, male and female, who are making about the same as me (right now - in three years they'll make a lot more, sadly) and working hours just as long with much less vacation, and HATE their jobs, still say "Really?" when they find out I'm a teacher. They very quickly add "That's awesome!" but the moment is there.

So when I read things comparing salaries to grade-school teaching, I see the derogatory implications. Honestly, it scans no different than a comparison to construction workers or fast-food cashiers would; it's by comparing it to a low-status position that the comparison is effective. Then again, I don't see anyway to make a comparison there that wouldn't be offensive or derogatory to some profession. My first thought was "less than most airport luggage attendants" but who am I to imply THEIR profession is inferior?

It really annoys me how society seems to consistently undervalue teachers, nurses, and secretaries, especially, and I can't help thinking it comes from the fact that 50 years ago, those were "female" jobs. Still are, to a large extent. And they don't get the same cachet as businessmen, computer programmers, actors, or writers, in my opinion, because of that continued prejudice.

I make more than my mom (by just a bit, we switch back and forth yearly-uh, she and Kat are now doing similar jobs now, and she had a regular assigned class until about 3 years ago) and she does a fuckload more work than I do. It's part of my imposter syndrome.

Oh, the Christian Science Monitor's cartoon today was a bunch of people striking with blank signs. I laughed ruefully.