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Job alternatives for striking writers

Nov 26, 2007, 11:34 AM | by Vanessa Juarez

Categories: Writer's Strike

Dogbath_lAfter 21 days on the picket lines, talks are scheduled today between the Writer's Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The good news? Everybody could soon be back in business. The bad news?
During the last strike in 1988, it was Day 150 before both sides hashed out an agreement.

Since a cash-flow crunch can be especially hard during the holiday shopping season, we took it upon ourselves to do a little HotJobs.com search on behalf of all those unemployed writers on both coasts. Chin up, guys, here’s what we found:

Los Angeles
Company: Confidential
Title: Bather
Details: Bathe all-breed pets at a grooming shop. Upside: Little experience required. “Xnlt pay.” Downside: Smell of wet dogs. Risk of frequent scratching, biting, and yipping. Hairballs.

Company: The Hot Dog Shoppe
Title: Cook/Cashier
Details: Upside: $12/hour, and (presumably) free lunches. Also, doesn't that hot spy chick on Chuck work at a wiener restaurant as part of her CIA cover?  Downside: A death knell for your far-fetched dream of attaining washboard abs.

Company: CARQUEST
Title: Auto Parts Handler
Details: Er, handling auto parts. Upside: Manual labor will keep your hands from atrophying now that you're not frantically typing script rewrites. Plus, you'll be able to rest your brain in preparation for all those late-night writer's meetings when the strike finally ends. Downside: You have to lift things. Frequently. Things that can weigh up to 100 lbs. Oh, and there’s a drug test, so forget about numbing your body in order to lift said heavy things.

Company: Online Business Systems
Title: Salesperson
Details: Work from home in the world of unspecified Internet sales. Upside: All you need is a home computer and "a positive attitude," and you can make up to $120,000 a year! Downside: How's a Hollywood writer supposed to get anything done from home, what with all the Golden Girls and Law & Order reruns in constant rotation on cable? Seriously, that Blanche is too funny! And don't even get us started on Jerry Orbach's one-liners.

New York
Company: Frederic Fekkai
Title: Part-time File Clerk
Details: Maintain “confidential” filing system in the human-resources department. Upside: You’re still working with paper. Downside: Does that confidentiality clause mean you can't mine scandal-filled personnel files for future soap-opera plot-twists?

Company: Legal Creative Finance
Title: Lead Legal Word Processor
Details: “You must have worked as a Lead Operator in the Word Processing Center of a medium to large law firm, and be fully familiar with all advanced functions on Microsoft Word.” (Does writing for The Daily Show count?) Upside: Salary is $75k. It’s Legal Creative Finance, so you might be able to spice up that legalese with the occasional Mitt Romney joke. Downside: You’re a sell-out.

Company: The Waldorf Astoria
Title: Electrician
Details: Maintain, repair and install electrical equipment and system throughout the facility. Upside: This is probably the same place the Peter Chernins and Bob Igers of the world are staying, but in this case, you’re the one with the power! (Literally!) Downside: Ultimately, you're still relying on the Peter Chernins and Bob Igers of the world to pay your automobills.


Mike Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 07:55 PM EST

The good news is both sides are talking and the public sniping has stopped for now. Hopefully, there will be a willingness to negotiate and settle this thing. I want my Daily Show fix, NOW!!

brian Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 07:01 PM EST

Not seeing the humor here. Sometimes, snark is not the right response to serious issues.

dma69 Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 03:17 PM EST

I have two cats but that a cute doggie. Awwwwww.

Anna Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 03:01 PM EST

That dog is so cute.

misswhitemoth Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 01:55 PM EST

I'd be a doggy-bather even if I wasnt on strike :P

Stephanie T. Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 01:30 PM EST

Gee, Brit got herself a driver so the papers say. Now what she needs is a college degree and a J-O-B!

Anyway, so that explains why I saw a few writers behind the PetCo counters.

whoohoo Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 01:18 PM EST

They're welcome to my job. What it lacks in pay, it compensates with complete gray dismalness. Great comedy/tragedy goldmine.

GeeMoney Mon, Nov 26, 2007 at 01:02 PM EST

Someone could be Britney Spears' driver, because lord knows she needs one!


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