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Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
Amanda's Return Fails to Save Dying Melrose Place
'House Bunny' Writers Recall Weinstein Fart Directives and Other Hollywood Dues-Paying

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Seeräuber Jenny
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
This is just Precious.
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CBXweb
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
So does this mean I should consider a change of career aspirations being a 23 year old Black guy? I don't care about strife & Katt Williams comedy, I just want to write poop jokes & have Spontaneous human combustion during a love scene. So that would mean I would be able to write for House, Fringe, or The Hills. But due to the powers that be, I would have to write for tired shows like Brothers.
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badasscat
11/18/09

In reply to Amanda's Return Fails to Save Dying Melrose Place
Ok, I didn't watch last night and I don't know when that pic up there is from, but Jesus Christ. Why didn't I appreciate this woman when I was like 15? Has she actually gotten more attractive now that she's 48 or whatever?
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braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.
11/22/09

@badasscat: For real.
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Cynner
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
Sadly, white men know drama. Minorities know comedy from hard living. Women, eh... best of both worlds.
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MissNormaDesmond promoted this comment Cynner was starred Cynner was unstarred

MissNormaDesmond
11/21/09

@Cynner: No, apparently white men know trolling.
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OneViewHere
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
So is the problem that there's a lack of qualified minority writers out there or is this a classic example of the good old boy's network sticking with their own? Or maybe a little of both?
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hotpinklovesofa promoted this comment OneViewHere was starred OneViewHere was unstarred

hotpinklovesofa
11/18/09

@OneViewHere: I'm voting mostly boys network having experienced it myself in the studio system. As for the quality of the work, unfortunately, it's your tired romantic comedies that get the majority of the green lighting and not the edgier more original work. If we had more high profile female writers known for doing something outside of the romance world (comedy or dramatic,) perhaps there would be more of an inclination to green light more interesting subjects. Victim aka Lifetime Network stories don't help the cause either.

Some of it is also the women not taking risks themselves and going for what they know will most likely get them the paycheck. Paying the rent, especially these days, is far more important than making a loud splash by being different. It certainly doesn't help that if you're a female writer the automatic assumption is that whatever you write is going to be a chick flick and not something appealing to all demographics. Women need to learn to take larger risks and believe in themselves more and develop the more interesting out there stories and studios/producers need to take a risk on these women and trust that just b/c it's a female written project that it's not automatically only appealing to women and gay men.
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JeanneNarea
11/18/09

@OneViewHere: What exactly is a "qualified" minority writer? Why do we have serious discussions about this BS? And betcha bottom dollar that smart lady writers are forced to create dramedies because the big projects go to the boys. Boring.
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Beau Nerd
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
¡Sigue follando la gallina!
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MissNormaDesmond
11/21/09

@Beau Nerd: Te quiero con todo mi corazon.
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deardearfriend
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
Unless I'm mistaken, it's not like a corporation, who needs to champion diversity in order to attract clients and employees and keep competitive in the increasingly global market and diverse population. It's a guild, governed by a board of directors, and a union which I'm sure many many people would like to join. It sucks, but what's their incentive to address this?
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GingerVitis
11/18/09

@deardearfriend: In TV, the networks' diversity departments subsidize a portion of a minority (defined by race, disability and age, I believe -- no love for the ladies) writer's salary or pay the production a bonus for hiring a diverse staff.

One of my bosses once came into the writer's room and asked if any of us (on a staff of seven white dudes, one Asian dude, and two white women) "could plausibly claim to be Native American."
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manchops
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
so how's gawker's white boy masthead tally these days...
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iplaudius
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
White men can’t jump, but they sure as hell can write.
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BowlingForDollars
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
Duh.
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SarahHeartburn
11/18/09

In reply to Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys
Jeez gosh and golly. A group of high-earning professionals is composed mostly of white men? Get me my smelling salts.
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jimstoic
11/18/09

In reply to Amanda's Return Fails to Save Dying Melrose Place
MP needs to find some interesting characters immediately. We already know Augie and Lipsyncha are going, but the blond guy and the doctor/whore are boresville as well. The "normal" couple are boring, but they are supposed to be, so they should stay. The only interesting character, at least from a nighttime soap perspective, is the lesbian "bitch." A character like Christian Siriano would be a great addition. Someone with a mysterious quasi-military role would be interesting. Likewise, a Persian JAP. And make it more like David Lynch's Mullholland Drive.
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Trulymadlyme promoted this comment jimstoic was starred jimstoic was unstarred

Trulymadlyme
11/18/09

@jimstoic: They need gay people. I thought Ella was but they dropped that for a weak ass love triangle story line.
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terrible
11/18/09

@jimstoic: Is she actually a lesbian? Might have missed something, but I just figured from last night's girl/girl snog that she's just someone who knows which cards to play and when.
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DahlELama
11/18/09

@terrible: I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be bi; she obviously enjoys the males, as evidenced by her love for the boring man, but they also had her hooking up with a girl at a party in one of the earliest episodes.
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shle896
11/18/09

In reply to Amanda's Return Fails to Save Dying Melrose Place
So, which is it? Heather Locklear increases Melrose ratings by 15% last night and it's a dismal failure. Jay Leno is up 5% and Wow!

As I recall, she is credited with saving the show the first time round when ratings were low. I highly doubt she did it overnight - after but one appearance.
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DahlELama promoted this comment shle896 was starred shle896 was unstarred

DahlELama
11/18/09

@shle896: I guess it depends on the numbers you're starting out with, but fifteen percent seems like a decent percentage to me. Give Amanda a little more credit!
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Hollywood Writers: Yep, We're Still Mostly White Guys

Amanda's Return Fails to Save Dying Melrose Place

'House Bunny' Writers Recall Weinstein Fart Directives and Other Hollywood Dues-Paying

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