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Thursday, December 13, 2007

Red Letter Day at Paramount


As promised, the Wave-intrix took not one, not two but ten dozen mini-cupcakes to Paramount today as she again hoisted a sign joined the picketers. I cannot express often enough what an honor it is to join in alongside writers, famous and un, who walk the picket line at various locations daily. I felt like an imposter at first, not being a member of the WGA but as have other volunteers, I have been on the receiving end of nothing but gratitude and friendliness. Today I even got a WGA baseball cap and a pin that says My words matter. There was another pin that said Suck my pencil but I wisely opted out of that one.

About an hour after I arrived, Sarah Silverman joined the growing crowd and by noon there were over a hundred picketers in a slow-moving mob. Later, a podium and microphone was set up and a handful of luminary writers took a few moments to speak including one who instructed us all to look at the brick and mortar of the Paramount Building and reminded us that every brick was paid for by ideas that began in the heads of writers. Harlan Ellison issued same sage, profanity-filled advice about exactly how one should negotiate with the producers. It involved a baseball bat.

By the time the Wave-inatrix left, the cupcakes had long ago been devoured and the sun was getting low. All right, not low - like, it was maybe 1 when I left. Zagat's report: the Paramount gate is definitely more populous and fun than CBS Television City (though today was a special event and the numbers were higher) but I missed my friends at CBS today and that is where I shall return. We don't get no stinkin' Sarah Silverman, we get Danny Bonaduce on a bike. But that's my favorite spot and I'm stickin' to it!

My Photo Album:



Here's John Augustwho's written movies like GO, THE NINES, CHARLIE'S ANGELS, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BIG FISH, TITAN A.E. and tons more.



Here's Josh Olsonwho's written INFESTED, HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and a bunch of other projects.



See that grey-haired guy down low in the middle? That's Harlan Ellison. Sorry Wavers, I didn't have a good spot. Harlan has written tons and tons of sci-fi including Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Outer Limits. Sorry, I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool fan girl so I can't go on much more about him except to say his speech today bordered on creepy-violent. He looks a little bit like Roger Ebert.



And here's my god daughter Ella, who's 17 and works in a French bakery in Berkeley and who I apparently caught between blinks. Say hi Ella! Ella speaks English, French and German fluently is a laugh riot and is one of the Wave-inatrix's top five favorite people in the world. She has nothing to do with the strike. Bye Ella!

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6 comments:

Jake Hollywood said...

And you didn't even say hi to me, let alone give me a cupcake.*













































*Well, okay, you got me. I refused the cupcake offer because I don't actually eat cupcakes--something my wife calls "being on a diet and avoiding temptation." And I love my wife and wise enough to know that if I cheated she'd find out. She always does.

PS: I was slightly to Ellison's right in that picture.

Julie Gray said...

You! I looked for you at two gates, lol. But there were ever so *many* handsome men in red hats, how could I have possibly found you? Whereas - WHEREAS - how many nice ladies with curly red hair were juggling 3 huge white boxes of cupcakes? MMM?

Emily Blake said...

Well damn. I was in front of you and to the right, just in front of the podium. When Ellison turned to his left and told the group next to him he's sorry they'll be seeing his back, he was talking to me.

I think I was so distracted by the cute boy I was walking with I never realized you were there. But I did see the cupcakes. By the time I was hungry for one they were all gone.

AJG said...

Next time bring eleven dozen cupcakes. I'd say twelve dozen, but that would be gross.

feverblue said...

Don't feel like an impostor. I can't tell you how cool it is to have the support. Seriously.

Julie Gray said...

Emily! I can't believe we didn't see each other either! I know, there are a lot of cute, articulate, intelligent men walking those picket lines. And some are even single! Maybe there will be some love matches made on the picket line, lol.

Will - thank you, it's cool to be walking the line along with people who are so welcoming and grateful for the company. Someday I will be a member and when I am, it will be union even more worth joining thanks to you guys.