Jezebel: wga

Anka Says The Writers Strike Is One Giant Orgy

Moe — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:40:00 EST

"SEX ON STRIKE: New York writers confess to passion on the picket lines," promises the cover of Page Six Magazine. Oh goody, I thought, a little vicarious action! Inside, the pull quote promised, "I'm outnumbered by guys on the picket line — most of them straight — at a ratio of 20 to 1. Where else in New York do you get that?" And who better to author such a piece thanAnka, the woman "often credited as the writer who defined the modern-day sex column" as Wikipedia puts it. (And such a refreshing angle to the old "dreariness of life on strike story" wherein writers inevitably say depressing things like, "For writers, the difference between being retired and unretired is so thin you'd never know the difference") (The only thing more depressing than this job is the thought of being left to read shit on the internet all day for sheer lack of will to do anything else.) Anyway, onto the juicy bits. Since we all feel like we're getting screwed, we might as well be getting laid, the story tantalizes. And luckily for us, Anka finds a cute screenwriter named Bob. "Bob was funny, Bob was sweet, and best of all Bob was heterosexual and he wanted to have sex with me." Gimme more!

Yeah, so Bob turned out to be a premature ejaculator. A wayyyyy premature ejaculator. He never calls again, he is so embarrassed. Or immature. Most likely both.

And that's the end of the story. It's sort of like I imagine my life would be, if I ever left my house.

Unscripted Lives Washington Post

Is The Writer's Strike Bad (Or Good!) For Fashion?

Jennifer — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST

We all know the writers strike is certainly affecting, well, the writers. And the studios. And us, since there's little to watch now, save The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But wouldn't you know? Those in the always narcissistic fashion industry is worried about how the strike impacts them. Says designer Phillip Lim on the absence of red-carpet creations: "It's about how it trickles down to retailers, how it trickles down to restaurants, how it trickles down to the community. They've got to work it out and get on with it. It's almost selfish to just keep on with the struggle." Uh, what does this have to do with restaurants? And seriously, who is Lim to call the writers "selfish"? Anyway, fashion writer Hadley Freeman is feeling pissy about the strike and fashion too, but for entirely different reasons.

Freeman, who writes for the Guardian, says that all the fuss about the awards shows getting canceled is supremely irritating, particularly because they have become such a huge part of the fashion industry. And she's even more irritated that fashion labels are up in arms about losing out on free advertising/potential revenue since they'll be denied the chance to dress, as Freeman puts it, some "Jessica RandomActress."

I have nothing but sympathy for all the makeup artists, fashion stylists and hairdressers (to say nothing of the nominees) who are missing their moments in the sun through the cancellation at the weekend of the Golden Globes - and possibly of next month's Oscars - due to the writers' strike... But this assumed importance of celebrity has been taken to such extremes in the fashion world......that the shows now seem to be more about the designer showing off which actresses and pop stars - and offspring thereof - they can get in the front row than the clothes on the runway...When designers start to value celebrities over actual customers, the clothes become more expensive, more impractical and seemingly more irrelevant than ever, as is increasingly the situation..... Now it often feels as if designers are tailoring their collections to pander to celebrity stylists and the paparazzi - which would at least explain the continuing popularity on the catwalks of crippling stilettos, minuscule dresses and other clothes designed for lifestyles based on maximum photo opportunities and minimal body fat....And surely it can only be to the good for the fashion world to be reminded, for at least one year, that celebrity endorsement is not the only happy ending.

Actually, we think that no celebrity endorsements is the happy ending. Less Kirsten Dunst for Miu Miu, more Miu Miu speaking for itself, please.

A Designer Explains the Effect of the Writer's Strike On Fashion [NYMag]

Dark Side of the Red Carpet [Guardian]

Golden Globes 2008: They Pick The Winners, We Pick The Fashions

Jennifer — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST

Last night's Golden Globe Awards garnered some minor surprises (Julie Christie for best actress, drama; Julian Schnabel for director); some major snoozes (the exceedingly-painful televised press conference made us want to do all sort of tortuous things to Billy Bush, especially when he called Cate Blanchett not such a great actress); and some boring fashion (see above). To amuse ourselves (and, as promised on Friday), we took the female Globes winners and outfitted them in the fashions we think they should have worn, had the show gone on as usual. The winners and their pretend awards-wear, after the jump.

Julie Christie - Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama (Away From Her)

English acting legend Julie Christie is a little bit quirky and a whole lotta classy. Which is why I thought the 66-year old actress would be perfectly suited in this Louis Vuitton dress — pinstripes paired with the coy purple sheath shows that there is sexy after 50, and Christie's face would be perfectly picture-framed in that portrait collar.

Marion Cotillard - Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (La Vie En Rose)

French actress Marion Cotillard won big last night for her star-making turn as legende Francaise, Edith Piaf, the chanteuse whose heart-breaking songs weren't half as heartbreaking as her own life story. And shouldn't a performer/role that scream Vive La France! be paired with one of the country's most iconographic fashion houses, Chanel? This Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel-designed dress looks as if it were custom-made for Cotillard's moon face and full lips, the marriage of sexuality and innocence. Also, how cool are the nautical-esque rope details?

Cate Blanchett - Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (I'm Not There)

I'm a little tired of seeing Cate Blanchett in Armani. Also, I imagine that Cate is a little tired herself, but not of Armani — just 'cause she now has an achin' pregnant woman's body. So I thought comfort should come first, which is easy enough in this Lanvin number, which, like Cate, seems simple but boasts an alluring complexity. (Also, I'm mad for orange!) Cate's a great beauty: She deserves to wear a dress that can match her, but allow her to shine.

Glenn Close - Best Lead Actress in a Television, Drama (Damages)

So Glenn Close gets the honors with this sexy yet sophisticated frock by Armani. She's 60-years and and still got a slammin' bod and she's damn proud of it. So why not show off a still toned chest in a diaphanous choice like this one? The shawl keeps it modest enough. Sorta. Kind of. And the cute and fabric will soften Close's appearance, which can sometimes veer towards the severe. Also, I'm all about white for formal wear. (And all against white for bridal wear. Ah, irony.)

Tina Fey - Lead Actress in a Television Comedy (30 Rock)

The idol of geek girls everywhere, I want to see Tina Fey in a dress that represents her wit and sophistication, without denying the fact that geek girls are never gonna compromise comfort for style. Also, geeks can be beauties too! Smarts, comfort, beauty? That's exactly what this strapless black gown by Israeli designer Sari Gueron offers. The attention to detail and flawless execution is like the sartorial equivalent to the perfect timing played out week after week on 30 Rock. (Or, um, whatever.) It's a dress that just screams, "Live every week like shark week."

Queen Latifah - Best Actress in a Television Miniseries Or Special (Life Support)

A longtime fan of butch suits and matronly gowns, Queen Latifah could have cut a shapely silhouette in this Catherine Malandrino ensemble. Malandrino, a designer with a bold color palette who understands that real women have curves, would be perfectly suited to Queen Latifah's personality. These wide-legged white trousers require a woman unafraid to be assertive and the delicate top, emblazoned with a faux flower, require a woman who also enjoys her feminine side.

Samantha Morton - Best Supporting Actress in a Television Show or Miniseries (Longford)

Samantha Morton is kooky, quirky, and quite the chameleon. Yet her acting work is undoubtedly some of the smartest and most complicated being done today. Which is why her fashion soul mate should be John Galliano. High drama + flawless execution + a guaranteed pinch of the unexpected = Perfect Morton-wear. This ruffled frock is sexy, not girly; fierce, not fainting. Also, have I mentioned lately how much I love orange? Morton would rock this like the oddball sexpot that she is.

Atonement, Sweeney Todd win Golden Globes [Reuters]

How Does the Screen Writers Guild Strike Affect You? Depends How Trashy You Like Your TV!

Jessica — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EDT

Many of you may be aware that a Writers Guild of America strike is basically a forgone conclusion at this point, but you might not realize how the lack of working screenwriters might affect the average couch potato like yourself. To recap: the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which includes writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries, had a contract which expired yesterday, because they're still haggling ove digital rights, DVD profits, and something darling Nikki Finke calls "jurisdictional issues." Not every writer in Hollywood is union, of course; especially those writers who don't actually write because their shows are — wink, wink — "unscripted." But the bottom line is that if a strike lasts a long enough time, scripted series will go the way of the dodo for the 2007-2008 TV season and networks, says Finke, will "rely on programming more cheap reality-TV and game shows," which is probably what the world needs now anyway. So where does this leave you?

I know many of you are lovers of scripted gems like 30 Rock, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, The Office and many more would be saddened to see them go on indefinite hiatus. But what are the Jezebels really watching? A quick poll to find out:

Do you really need more reality in your life? Would you explode because John Krasinski's face no longer visited you on Thursday nights? Do you agree with Nikki Finke, that this is just an ultimately meaningless fight between "the writers and producers who occupy the same pen known as Hollywood [and] act like monkeys flinging their feces against the walls. Both sides make menacing noises to indicate they're going to bite the hands that feed them"? We're curious, do tell.

Strike Happy [LA Weekly]