Jan 18 2008
Beyonce Strikes a pose n Cannes at the Martinez Hotel

Beyonce to Step Past Writers Picket Line at the Grammys

Beyonce will perform at this year’s Grammys, despite the Writers Guild of America asking that all Screen Actors Guild members boycott the show as a sign of solidarity with the writer’s strike. What does Beyonce have to do with the writer’s concerns? She’s a SAG member. Beyonce added actress to her resume with Austin Powers, The Pink Panther, and Dreamgirls. Even though SAG isn’t on strike, many actors/actresses have sided with the writers in this fight.

Poppa Knowles says, the show will go on and his daughter will put on an incredible performance.

Beyonce and her pops, Matthew Knowles

“The work of The Recording Academy is vital to the music industry, and we have every intention of being with the entire music community to celebrate. Beyonce has been asked to participate and will do so. We have an incredible performance that will be announced soon. We wish the Grammys the best.”

Wish the Grammys the best? I had to read that again. Thought he might wish the writers the best. They’re the ones getting the ‘whateva’ waved in their faces.

Yes, that’s a frown you detect.

Beyonce is a SAG member, it would be nice if she supported the writers. These are the people that scribble the lines for actors/actresses in movies and TV. What happens the next time she’s looking for a better/any line? “Oh, aren’t you the one who dismissed us?”

It’d be sick to hold that kind of a grudge. The point is to help the people who help and supply you in their time of need.
Handicapping these big shows gives the writers some leverage to get negotiations in line.

Beyonce and her pops, Matthew Knowles

Click over to NBC, you can watch any show you’ve missed from the current season. Currently, writers get a percentage from shows on TV, but nothing from those online. The networks apparently want to keep it that way.

The net is the acknowledged future of TV distribution, but it isn’t clear how much the networks make from the ads in those shows. The writers are asking for a percentage of anything they’re making.

The networks offer? $0

How can you put ads in the shows, work to build awareness, and say, we’ll give you nothing? That’s the balls out move the networks are making. It seems their strategy is to starve the writers into submission.

If the writers give in, to negotiate later, where do they go from there?

Threaten to really strike next time? This is it.

The more writers can retaliate by handicapping or shutting down shows, the better chance they have to get a deal done. As an A-list artist and SAG member, you’d think Beyonce would stand down this time to help make the point. Imagine, “Beyonce won’t be performing at the Grammys in support of the writer’s strike!” - that would be huge. But as a recording artist first, she probably thinks the writers strike has nothing to do with her.

Even if it doesn’t affect her day job, today, here’s ‘media futurist’ Gerd Leonhard saying a strike could spread to songwriters in the near future.

Now that would be crippling.


☼ What's Your Opinion? ☼

1 supergirl Wed, Jan 23, 2008 - 12:10 am

but bouncy writes, produces and mixes her own songs, designs her own stuff. ain’t you know bouncy is wonder woman?

2 Lelo Wed, Jan 23, 2008 - 7:49 pm

Way to stomp on the little people B.

3 Milo Wed, Jan 23, 2008 - 11:11 pm

Way to step on the little people B.

4 Nuklehid Fri, Jan 25, 2008 - 10:14 am

Beyonce is exactly right.  The music industry is what made her and where her loyalties should be with first and foremost.
Its sad that the writers aren’t getting their money, but neither are a lot of starving artist that are provided affordable health care among many other perks and discounts from the National Academy of Recording Artist and Sciences.  Its been here forever servicing the music community, and will be doing so after these writers get paid.  The NARAS provides scholarships for young music students, makes music expenses cheaper for its members, provides wonderful networking opprotunities for its members, and is only $150.00 to join, and $40.00 for students.
Go Beyonce.  The writers need to beef with the Oscars and those shows.  The music industry has its own share of problems.  Keep us out of your drama.  Ya’ll forget that for every beyonce out there you have a 100,000 other musicians struggling to maintain.  The Grammys helps them maintain.

5 LIL MA SHAY SHAY Mon, Feb 18, 2008 - 7:22 pm

GIRL I WISH U WAS MY MAMA CAUSE U GOT IT BAD BUT I AM JUST GOING TO CALL U MY STEP COUSIN

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