ALMOST everyone who watches television knows that the Writers Guild of America is on strike. What few realize are the enormous benefits of the strike, not only for the writers, but for viewers.
Few would argue that the strike is not good for the writers. The strike will almost certainly end with a contract that pays them fairly (or at least more fairly) for the productions of their work that earn money on the Internet and through DVD sales. And presumably, higher pay for writers will, over time, bring more and better people to the field, which will create more and better shows, which is good for viewers.
But the strike is more valuable to viewers than that. The strike deprives us of some of the best television shows like "30 Rock," "Desperate Housewives," "The Office," "Saturday Night Live" and "24." In a time when many are quick to deride television as reality, celebrity gossip and 24-hour fluff news, the strike reminds us of the complex and compelling programs currently being made.
The strike has the further benefit of improving the general viewing public's understanding of television. Viewers frequently take for granted the different people in different roles involved in making a show, or the hours and hours of work that go into it. When audiences know more than just the names of the lead actors on a show, it's normally just the executive producer, creator or head writer: Tim Kring from "Heroes," Dick Wolf from "Law and Order" or Tina Fey from "30 Rock." While these people often have a good deal of control over the final product of the show, many other valuable jobs must be filled to end up with that product.
By informing the public about the behind-the-scenes elements of television, the strike has taught us to find more pleasure in watching television. When we can appreciate each element of a program, we have more opportunities to enjoy those elements, as well as the whole they form. We gain access to more strategies of watching, which I believe makes it more fun.
If anyone doubted how much of a show's brilliance can come from its writing staff, the new work of the striking writers has given them excellent proof. The writers of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report," and others have posted videos to YouTube that both illuminate the issues at stake in the strike and entertain. Live performances of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York received heaps of media attention (as well as praise). The writers have made clear how valuable their work is, and according to the Huffington Post, New York magazine and other publications, public opinion is on the writers' side.
Finally, the WGA strike has given many people a renewed faith in television. It matters when excellent television cannot be made: That's part of what makes it excellent. Many have predicted that the Internet will kill television; the WGA strike shows that while some aspects of traditional television may change, television will not die. More viewers will watch shows on-demand, anywhere and anytime; this is not death, it's metamorphosis. Our hope for television comes from the knowledge of its resilience and worth.
Joshua Rachford is a fourth-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences.
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