I've been trying to explain the strike to various family members and co workers and sometimes I have to explain things that seem simple to me. I run into people who don't know what a residual is much less how it works and why there would be a fight over it. And these aren't stupid people, just people who watch tv but aren't interested in/don't know the mechanics of how it works.

I try to explain that, yeah, there are really rich people out there, but there are a lot of people who aren't. I try to talk about the writers of shows that get cancelled after 1 or 2 episodes and how it can be a long time before a writer can find another job and the residuals can make the difference between them getting a pay check or not (I realise this is probably a simplification).

I've been talking about the mean vs. median a lot. When I explain that bit, people tend to say "ohhhhhh!'

People have a hard time seeing past the big paychecks. They just see numbers like $20,000 to option a script. They don't understand that something like having an option bought on a script may only happen once or twice a year if someone is very lucky. Also that in LA making $40,000 a year really doesn't go very far. Not when buying a 1 bedroom condo can cost half a million.

Here's a question, and this is an actual question, not me snarking:

Should the WGA be worried about public opinion?

Of course, it's key to winning.

These are publicly traded companies. The public provides the almighty Nielsens.

Why do you think the writers are begging for pencils?

No no no. Not begging. They're "channeling positive fan energy."

Get with the lingo ... or do I have to email you to explain why they're doing this?

Please no. Not again.

The only way I can see the WGA using public opinion to influence the ratings though is to actually get people to switch off all programming. Which they might have been doing, but I've missed it if they have. I don't think that's gonna happen, though.

I don't understand.

Maybe I wasn't clear. Public opinion is important to the corporations. I mean they have to appear to be really super duper disgusting to the the public to reach the care threshhold.

But they don't. It's an incredibly easy spin to blame greedy writers. It's more complex to explain that it's ridciulousness on behalf of the corp.