This is the greatest picket line story ever told. It appears horror writers have staged a mock exorcism on the possessed Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank! We get the scoop from Sci Fi Wire:
Chanting “Out, demons, out!” a group of more than 65 horror writers staged an exorcism outside of two gates at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank on Nov. 27, part of the ongoing writers’ strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Pickets wore T-shirts emblazoned with “Horror Writers on Strike: We Eat Scabs.” Other writers showed up in priest and nun getups and brought along holy water.
The goal was to “get rid of the evil infesting the studios,” the trade paper reported. The idea for the exorcism came from Scott Kosar, who wrote the remakes of 1970s horror classics The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror.
I want a “we eat scabs” shirt. Kids, if you are having a strike you might as well make the most of it, and this is as good a way as any. Regardless of your thoughts on the strike – you have to give props to these guys for mixing it up and celebrating their beloved genre. When the issue is finally resolved, this demonstration will be remembered by both sides for years to come.
I am wondering if this is the first of many theatrical protests, I certainly hope so. They should wear giant rat costumes next, with signs that say “If you do not give us what we want, these rats will eat all the genitals in the building.” Giant rats with a taste for genitals, are rats to be feared indeed!
Television fans are the first to feel the effects of the strike; and many are less than impressed. I think lighthearted events like this remind us that the writers are human, and not just a cog in the machine. Until this issue is resolved it is important to remember the human element; writers and other industry staff are going without because of the strike. This is a difficult time for them and I find it delightful that they are still able to buck up, and make the best of a bad situation.
