Some Thoughts On The Writer’s Strike

…and how this connects to a wacky Japanese game show

As of writing, Hollywood has been brought to a standstill. Both the Writer’s and Actor’s guilds have marshaled their collective forces to combat the impending threat of artificial intelligence.

The studios have signaled their enthusiasm over its mechanical benefits — — the means in which AI will cast aside the creatives in power to further service the bottom line.

Writing about MXC: MOST EXTREME ELIMINATION, I feel a latch come undone the back of my mind. Things air out, and thoughts become clear. What was suppose to be a love letter to this wonderful, anachronistic text nestled in a former period of my life, has turned into something more therapeutic.

Just imagine it — the creativity involved in making this show. The forethought, and confidence of vision to not only deliver on laughs, but to execute time and again through the years. On a Japanese game show filmed decades ago, no less. If that doesn’t signal a win for the creative spirit then I don’t know what could.

And there I was, a twelve-year-old, transfixed on the television screen, others like me sitting criss-cross in their living rooms. All of us, benefiting from this collective effort brought to us by writers, performers, choreographers, technicians, and directors in this, a magnificent Frankenstein of a show!

And so, what then? Let’s come to our senses, corporate media. Let’s treasure the things we have, what we claim to be rightly American and pleasurable and important.

Let’s take the opportunity to reward the creative spirit and see past the sheer nakedness of fake power. You obviously know better, and people expect more.