tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7048447316991818049..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: "No one earns! As much as Burns!"By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62647627846203903712008-04-14T21:27:00.000-07:002008-04-14T21:27:00.000-07:00Masterfully written I can see why they employed yo...Masterfully written I can see why they employed you to be a writter on The Simpsons.<BR/><BR/>Mr Burns is my faverite charicter<BR/>in the whole show.My idea for an episode would inlolve a three parter 60 minnet episode were Mr Burns becomes that powerfull and rich that he himself kills most of the polititions as well as the President.He banrupts all of the richhest people in the countery seises their assets and pulls off a hostil takeover of America and and eventually acheives world dommination.Homer gets a job working for Burns as his left hand man Smithers finally understands that he is working for a madman and tries to kill Burns.<BR/><BR/>Im still writting the whole story<BR/>but thats the basic jist of it.<BR/><BR/>To make it even more crazy I could put make Stewie from Family Guy join Burns because Stewie hates his Father and Mother amd Mr Burns<BR/>hates his Son.They both are two of a kind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9831330111600390482007-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:002007-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:00I was responding purely to the assertions of "a pr...I was responding purely to the assertions of "a producer" that writing a script does not confer any sense of ownership if you didn't create the characters by pointing out that it does according to copyright law.<BR/><BR/>I know copyright ends up being contractually relinquished in the course of the transaction and that's a sad situation. I suppose the studios prefer it that way as opposed to a licensing scenario whereby the license could be revoked in situations like the present strike to up the ante.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43820148407011789532007-11-12T21:40:00.000-08:002007-11-12T21:40:00.000-08:00Uh, Captain Obvious, film and television writers d...Uh, Captain Obvious, film and television writers don't hold the copyright on their work if it's done for hire, or once it's been sold to a studio. Do you think we'd be in this miserable state if we did?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72889783161127638692007-11-12T21:21:00.000-08:002007-11-12T21:21:00.000-08:00>bitter animator said...So only the people who cre...>bitter animator said...<BR/>So only the people who create the characters should be entitled to residuals, Mr.A.Producer? <BR/><BR/>I take it then that producers just get a one-off payment for their services and then that's it, right? You know, for that couple of phone calls they make.<<BR/><BR/>Well said, Bitter Animator! I hope you join the guild one day if you aren't covered yet.<BR/><BR/>As for Mr. A. Producer -- and I think I know what the A. stands for -- does Shakespeare not get credit for writing Julius Caesar because the character already existed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87473131450404548402007-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:002007-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:00Have to agree, the Selznick/ flapper reference cli...Have to agree, the Selznick/ flapper reference clinched it.<BR/><BR/>Ken, you're awesome; love your work and the writing samples you share. Your current day input is what makes your scripts and excerpts even better! You take everyone to the table and show us how you and your fellow staffers created magic, even with late hours and old take-out food.<BR/><BR/>The only thing I have to comment on (!) was the ending to that parody. It shows exactly why a writer isn't needed and what can be found on the internet. Google-search a scrabble question and with an intern on staff, ya got it.<BR/><BR/>The brilliance you gave shows and characters from your earliest work lives on. Sucks that the studios don't share the new distribution profits with you. If only the guild could go backwards and say, pull out the books -- now that we <I><B>do</B></I> know what classic DVDs have brought in, let's start to compensate the writers of those shows and movies.<BR/><BR/>The guild has been extremely fair in its negotiating points. The execs could still walk away with the lions share. Yet they play the public by using their media outlets as personal bullhorns. The internet's on the writers side. Stay strong, and let the numbers form an avalanche of headaches for the suits in control.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77399816920223082682007-11-12T14:28:00.000-08:002007-11-12T14:28:00.000-08:00OconomowocOconomowocMartin Bradyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10813878094418909220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10492738053281511372007-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:002007-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:00Loved it!power to the wga.Loved it!<BR/><BR/>power to the wga.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32147426100493918512007-11-12T07:28:00.000-08:002007-11-12T07:28:00.000-08:00Ahhhh.Thank you! This made my day!Ahhhh.<BR/>Thank you! This made my day!The GladGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137471426570032888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80130890602761895762007-11-12T07:13:00.000-08:002007-11-12T07:13:00.000-08:00Former MST3K writer/performer "TV's Frank" Coniff ...Former MST3K writer/performer "TV's Frank" Coniff has his own take on the strike now:<BR/><BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8qM3QNqT48Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56743984572863748012007-11-12T05:33:00.000-08:002007-11-12T05:33:00.000-08:00Genius.Genius.MaryAn Batchellorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02465966881051431143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13812279736094057982007-11-11T23:36:00.000-08:002007-11-11T23:36:00.000-08:00I thought about Burns as he relates to this situat...I thought about Burns as he relates to this situation days ago. Glad to see it was put into action by someone from Simpsons development. It's a very obvious situation for Burns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92038892939989240052007-11-11T23:30:00.000-08:002007-11-11T23:30:00.000-08:00I think Mr. A. Producer is related to Mr. A. Knife...I think Mr. A. Producer is related to Mr. A. Knife from the Office.<BR/><BR/>Ken, right now some studio head is looking into hiring Senor Levino, your non-union Mexican counterpart.Question Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00267485396018087075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88782366657223022212007-11-11T22:46:00.000-08:002007-11-11T22:46:00.000-08:00Kudos on the droll propaganda.Kudos on the droll propaganda.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83552987718707832192007-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:002007-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00a. producer said @ 6:57 am... [snip!]The script is...a. producer said @ 6:57 am... [snip!]<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>The script is their creation, regardless of whether the characters and situations are too.<BR/><BR/>That is what a writer is copyrighting under law when they file with the U.S. Copyright Office. The main basis of the copyright is that you placed these characters into unique situations or into a unique collaboration of sequences (as in a script).<BR/><BR/>So what you're actually arguing about is already established U.S. law. Is this what's going on at the table in contract negotiations with the Writer's Guild?<BR/><BR/>Nonsense...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77262004021139113782007-11-11T21:46:00.000-08:002007-11-11T21:46:00.000-08:00Hello Ken, even before the strike, The Simpsons we...Hello Ken, even before the strike, The Simpsons were in my thoughts and I thought of how would Homer and his family have fights about having no TV over these coming days/weeks of reruns and eventually he drove everyone crazy and goes to Mo and drink beer every night because TV left Homer bored with reruns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36768030102760201682007-11-11T21:27:00.000-08:002007-11-11T21:27:00.000-08:00When I was in college, a girl told me I looked lik...When I was in college, a girl told me I looked like Chip from "My Three Sons." I didn't see it (still don't) and was vaguely insulted (not that Stanley Livingston is heinous looking, but like Tallulah said, he's not hot either).<BR/><BR/>I was pleasantly surprised to see Stanley's little brother Barry (who played Ernie on "My Three Sons") pop up in small roles in two recent, excellent projects, the AMC series "Mad Men" and David Fincher's film "Zodiac."<BR/><BR/>Tim Considine was a very talented child. Prior to "My Three Sons" he gave a nicely understated performance opposite Red Skelton in "The Clown," a reworking of "The Champ" centered on a comedian instead of a boxer. <BR/><BR/>And oh yeah, Ken, your Simpsons scene was gold.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88254167446640158462007-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:002007-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00Sweet, a shout out to Wisconsin! I love my state,...Sweet, a shout out to Wisconsin! I love my state, but after moving out to LA a year ago, I don't wanna go back just yet. To much possability out here. Well, there will be again once the strikes over. And it WILL be over eventually.shaunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17686355100753230079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7113224233172931222007-11-11T19:15:00.000-08:002007-11-11T19:15:00.000-08:00Cheers Ken for that great parody.ps-what's a parod...Cheers Ken for that great parody.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>ps-what's a parody?Willy B. Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00227682391989010006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90758235628521990852007-11-11T17:49:00.000-08:002007-11-11T17:49:00.000-08:00todd mueller: a) Hey, Todd. Hope you're doing okay...todd mueller: a) Hey, Todd. Hope you're doing okay. I believe I <I>still</I> owe you my feedback on another Office spec. Sorry. It's been hectic.<BR/>b) What you're describing, a web-age equivalent to Chaplin and UA, is out there in several nascent forms. For example, Zwick and Herskovitz's <A HREF="http://quarterlife.com/" REL="nofollow">quarterlife</A>. That's long-form, as opposed to the short-form sites: <A HREF="http://www.funnyordie.com/" REL="nofollow">Funny or Die</A> and <A HREF="http://www.superdeluxe.com/" REL="nofollow">Super Deluxe</A>.<BR/>c) I hate to pimp my own blog <I>twice</I> in comments on Ken's home, but I had a few thoughts on the repercussions of producer fragmentation that I put up yesterday. They're questions that I think need to be examined, and I have no answers for them: <A HREF="http://coyotesqrl.blogspot.com/2007/11/is-net-neutrality-bad-for-wga.html" REL="nofollow">Is Net Neutrality Bad for the WGA?</A>R.A. Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851961356321735388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60506316059042999452007-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:002007-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:00What episode is this scene from? Is it out on DVD ...What episode is this scene from? Is it out on DVD yet?<BR/><BR/>"Oh, and is there anyway we could make this Smithers guy a little cuter? The whole gay angle won't play in flyover territory, especially when the guy is yellow, has four fingers, and looks like Chip from [M]y [T]hree [S]ons. And do we have to have [him] in love with a man that is clearly old enough to be his [great-great] grandfather? It might be plausible if the assistant was a beautiful young woman, but a gay man? Just creepy."<BR/><BR/>Yes, let's rewrite 17 years of Smithers.<BR/><BR/>Actually, Smithers looks like Mike (Tim Considine) on MY THREE SONS, not Chip (Stanley Livingston). (Mike on MY THREE SONS's full name was "Mike Douglas," but he was neither the dead talk show maven nor the former-movie star Burns's age married to the hot current-movie star Maggie's age. Now they ARE creepy!) And for the record, Little Douglas tells me that Tim Considine was always considered hot to gay men of his generation, so hot that, even if he'd been yellow and had too-few fingers, he'd STILL be hot. In fact, based on a recent meeting with him, in his mid-60s he's still hot, if still too young to attract Smithers, who likes daddies - sugar daddies. Sadly though, Tim is so very much the shortest distance between two points.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I met Stanley Livingston recently also. Smart, pleasant guy, but still not hot.<BR/><BR/>Cheers.Tallulah Moreheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416330735326405496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35585547614956842312007-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:002007-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:00Oh yes, you get notes in radio too. I will never f...Oh yes, you get notes in radio too. I will never forget Biggie Nivens telling me that "Puke my guts out" was disgusting, not funny, and to cut the joke from a comedy piece I wrote over which he had no place criticizing. Yet I never gave him a note to the effect that "Sha-Boom" hadn't been hip since 1960. (Extra Radio Trivia Points to whoever can come up with Biggie's connection to "Sha-Boom".)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1020503328332601892007-11-11T14:22:00.000-08:002007-11-11T14:22:00.000-08:00You know, this whole mess has set me to thinking. ...You know, this whole mess has set me to thinking. It seems this new fangled internets presents the perfect opportunity for a band of richy rich writers (and there are quite a few out there) to get together and create a writer centric Webwork/Interstudio/iChannel. Instead of throwing down your current oars in an effort to win more sea rations, why not jump ship altogether, build your own galleon and pull for the new waters? (How's that for squeezing every last salty drop out of a soggy metaphor?)<BR/><BR/>I'm not suggesting anything new. Shakespeare not only wrote some damn funny lines, he was a share holder in the theater that profitted from them.<BR/><BR/>Am I overlooking something here? Does anybody see a reason why this wouldn't work? And wouldn't we all frequent a website featuring the work of our favorite writers...especially if their work was not to be found on the old world boob tube? <BR/><BR/>And I'll throw in this headline from IAB.net, for good measure for measure:<BR/>"Historic Internet Advertising Revenues: First Half of '07 Hits $10 Billion, Q2 '07 Exceeds $5 Billion For First Time."<BR/><BR/>Build a ship, Ken. You'll make out like a pirate king. And I'll happily swab the deck.Todd Muellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04841213952526711599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23463873015760146022007-11-11T13:30:00.000-08:002007-11-11T13:30:00.000-08:00Oy.Ken, do they give you notes in radio?Oy.<BR/><BR/>Ken, do they give you notes in radio?Julie O'Horahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16580655656385169632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60955300921879819352007-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:002007-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:00Very funny, Ken. But I have to agree, "Flappers" ...Very funny, Ken. But I have to agree, "Flappers" is funnier. Isn't that kind of collaboration the whole point of your sitcom room?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76660232102162543622007-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:002007-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:00Oh, and is there anyway we could make this Smither...Oh, and is there anyway we could make this Smithers guy a little cuter? The whole gay angle won't play in flyover territory, especially when the guy is yellow, has four fingers, and looks like Chip from my three sons. And do we have to have in love with a man that is clearly old enough to be his grandfather? It might be plausible if the assistant was a beautiful young woman, but a gay man? Just creepy. <BR/><BR/>I have experience with the Simpsons too. I wrote a spec script in college back in 1992. And it was the funniest 78 pages you'd ever want to read. It was a crossover episode with Herman's Head. Want me to send you a copy. :-)Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923161793979910495noreply@blogger.com