Day 5

What a huge turnout on Friday for the strike rally at Fox. I had to park in the next area code. Are there any major studios across the street from Dodger Stadium?
Everyone was there. Including my buddy, Paul Haggis.
Avenue of the Stars became Avenue of the Scribes and a few Stars for about an hour. I understand Radiohead or Rage Against the Machine or Ronny & the Daytonas did a set. I didn’t hear them. I also understand there were speeches. Didn’t hear a word. Every so often people would cheer and I would too. I’m sure if I had heard what was being said I would’ve been enthusiastically supportive.

We were hardly what you would call an unruly mob. CAA assistants circulated with trays of churros. You hear stories of how assistants in talent agency mailrooms are forced to do the most humiliating degrading things but serving churros to writers? Oh the horror! The humanity!
I said hi to at least twenty-five former colleagues who had no idea who I was.

My policy was to not show pictures with celebrities but damn, Sharon Lawrence looks absolutely incredible! A couple of cast members from RENO 911 were there…in costume.

A street musician was playing the sax on Pico Blvd. I gave him a dollar. My agency took a dime out of the cup.

As we all moved towards Pico to begin the picketing portion of the day it looked like the start of a marathon with the most out of shape runners in history.
The rah-rah guys were given a weapon more dangerous than guns – airhorns. They tried to lead us in some inspirational chants. Of course no one went along. However, when the police announced they were closing Pico Blvd. for us a huge spontaneous cheer of “LAPD! LAPD!” arose. These are the same people that 40 years ago were yelling “PIGS! PIGS!”

What we really should be chanting is “SHOWRUNNERS! SHOWRUNNERS!” Their courage in standing up to the networks and studios is nothing short of heroic.

Thanks to Howard Hoffman and Tom Straw for the photos.

Now I must get out of the way before I’m trampled by a news camera crew trying to get to Kelsey Grammer.

Tomorrow: My SIMPSONS parody on the strike.