I love these! Keep up the great work Sarah and Lori.

We want more lesbians on TV! Maybe we should go on a strike :-)

Forget about the TV shows that are gone, we need more Sarah and Lori :)

I don't live in the states, so I'm not sure what it's all about... And it's getting frustrating, because everyone seems to be talking about it. Maybe I should do some research... I wonder if the writers are going to listen to you two. Sure hope they will!

24... don't care. Cherry Jones, cool! Female president, absolutely awesome! But still. 24, don't care, so I'm not going to watch. You guys already make me watch way too many shows! Haha!

Never heard of Colbert Report, is that bad? Gosh, sometimes I wished I lived in the US, thank god that doesn't happen often, haha! Cashmere Maffia in january!!?! Darn, I've been waiting forever, and now I even have to wait longer... But I guess january isn't that far away. Well, I'm a lesbian, so I'm practiced at being patiened and waiting for lesbian tv shows and films.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kisshester

I've stuck with Women's Murder Club and Private Practice. While they are certainly not perfect, I have come to enjoy the shows

I hope that SON does not get delayed with the Writer's Strike. It's bad enough waiting for the next portion of the season.

I agree that the Writer's should get compensated for material that now appears on alternative sources. It's only fair that if the studios reap rewards, the ones who made it possible should as well.

I also hope that the stagehands settle their strike on Broadway and get what they too, deserve.  I hate to see the theaters dark. 

Sarah: Well, they might want to actually preserve the political process, and not make it into a joke.

Lori:  The political process is a joke.

HAHAHAHA!  This made me laugh so hard.

Finally, you're back! That was a long weekend, and I just now noticed how truly addicted I am to this site...

well, you're back now so I just wanted to say that I agree with you on Cashmere Maffia. I have been looking forward to the premiere and I am not a patient person either... oh well... great v-log!

I support your idea of encouraging the writers to include/create descent lesbian characters on network television. It's about time I'll say.

and all this is making me think, if you guys are getting behind on the seasons, the rest of the world is hopeless. I'm already complaining because we are usually way behind y'all when it comes to getting new seasons on the air. All this is just going to make the wait way way longer. But I'm still supporting the writers, they deserve to get some profit from the new media.

note: I think gameshows appeared way before the 70's, when TV was still black & white, with shows like The 64,000 dollar question and some others but they disappeared for a while because they were deceiving the audience....I think, I might be wrong.

great blog! I missed you guys! hope you had a nice thanksgiving break! :)

"i don't suffer from insanity...i enjoy every minute of it"

kudos to NBC for pissing off Lori!

I wouldn't have the guts to do that :P

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THE UNOFFICIAL JILL BENNETT FANCLUB WEBPAGE
http://www.freewebs.com/ujbfc
NOW WITH Jill & Jamie Q&A's!!!&

This is the first time I can remember ever being happy it's finally Monday! It's been a looooooooong weekend without any AE updates, especially since it's not a holiday where I live, so I get none of the perks.

When I first heard of this strike, I didn't even understand how that was possible. Then I saw that it was, but really didn't matter for the (very) few shows with lesbians in them, so I didn't care. It's just now starting to get to me. I was actually looking forward to Cashmere Mafia, so that sucks.

You guys are so cute! These vlogs just keep getting better and better! I just wish that was true for length too :P There's no such thing as too much WTTWAGI! Or other vlogs, for that matter :D

 

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"The opposite of church is sperm!" - Sarah P. - The Lo-Down

The worst effect of the writer's strike may be that the final 10 episodes of Battlestar Galactica never get made. Ron Moore himself (showrunner) mentioned there is a real possibility that the crew, actors etc may not regroup after being let go in the past week or so due to the writer's strike.

Apparently they finished shooting the first 10 eps of the final season and have left that on a mid season cliffhanger but there are no more episodes written, although Ron Moore has 'broken' the rest of the season and knows how it will end.

I should add that Ron Moore fully supports the strike (he is a writer afterall) and has been seen on the picket line. I also fully support the strike but I will be devastated if this show never gets finished. From what I can understand it's not a probability it will not regroup but if the showrunner himself says it is a possibility that is enough to instill the fear of the God/s into me. This is by far and away potentially the worst effect of the strike I have heard.

EDIT: To add a link to his blog entry:

http://www.rondmoore.com/Site/Blog/Entries/2007/11/17_Galactica_wraps.html

There has been further discussion on the possibility over at the scifi.com battlestar forums including input by Ron's wife (username MrsRon) who frequents that forum.

 

"Think Sideways"

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have AfterEllen to keep me updated. And you do it in the most awesome and amusing way. Thanks for another great installment!

On a side-note; I talked to my students about news around the world last week, and we talked about the school shooting in Finland, and the political problems in Pakistan, and it was all sad and horrible, and then we talked about the writers' strike, and I explained how it meant no new episodes of Heroes or Desperate Housewives were being written, and there was uproar, *uproar* I tell you! My kids were all right there and ready to start writing protest letters to the networks to support the writers so they could go back to work. Kids know how to put things in perspective. :P

And the worst effect of the writers's strike? The fact that it really isn't going to have that much effect on lesbians on television, because the writers don't actually put lesbians on television!

Hear, hear!

From TV Guide:

Will the strike negotiators be home for Christmas? A "very reliable source" tells Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily blog that there appears to be a deal in place between both sides. "It's already done, basically," says the insider, crediting weeks' worth of back channel note-sharing conducted by Hollywood agents. "I was told not to expect an agreement this week," says Finke, "but my source thought it was possible that the strike could be settled before Christmas."

In other words, maybe, just maybe, TV viewers won't be handed a big lump of coal as this holiday season — at which time the fresh scripted offerings will really start to dry up — rolls around. "I don't want to raise false hope," Finke adds. "But this source has been very accurate in the past."

Oh, and they're also reporting that Life and Chuck got picked up for full seasons. Woohoo.

Great vlog---thanks for supporting the writers, because ***NEWSFLASH*** writers barely make any money, especially compared to the actors.

Hopefully this will all be over soon!!

--Mari

Mari SanGiovanni

Author of: Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer...
www.GreetingsFromJamaica.com

I honestly don't think the writers are to blame for the lack of lesbians on TV. I think it's the studios with their fingers all in the creative process telling them what they can't do.

I think this article explains the problem pretty well: http://www.startribune.com/562/story/1538337.html

Before 1995, networks couldn't own the shows they broadcast. Virtually all the guilds, including the WGA, DGA, and SAG have spoken to congress and the FCC and warned about relaxing FCC regulations and the negative effect it has on diversity.

Here's a youtube clip of hollywood guild leaders testifying before the FCC on media ownership: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pWBPmSec5DE

As this commission has noted a diversity of contributers is essential our nation's vital marketplace of ideas. But, because control of the media is concentrated among a very few similar corporations, the common interests of these corporations further reduces the range of perspectives and life experiences reflected in this media. The palpable effect of consolidation on TV writers, like myself, has been to reduce them to only express those ideas acceptable to this corporate voice. Homogenization is good for milk but bad for ideas. -Patric Verrone WGA West President

As an example, even though Joss Whedon created Buffy, he still had to fight with the suits to write what he wanted. He wanted Willow and Tara to kiss at the end of "New Moon Rising". Lucky for us, he's creative and clever enough to write a scene that's still romantic without a kiss.

Another example, there was a Xena and Gabrielle kiss written in the "When Fates Collide" script. If you listen to the DVD commentary you'll hear Rob Tapert explaining that it kept getting written in and taken out.

We owe a lot to writers, directors and actors for the gay and lesbian subtext they do manage to slip in under the studios and networks radars. And I think if it weren't for the studios we would have a lot more content that's actually maintext instead of subtext.

When are you two going to get your own show already? You two are awesome together. Too bad you cannot make creative suggestions to some of these writers. Well, I guess then we have nothing to talk about then.

I really enjoy the both of your comments

 

You're overestimating the control writers have over their own content-- especially when it comes to TV, where you always have to answer to a network. These networks (hell, most of them are owned my Rupert Murdoch) are afraid of alienating a broad audience with "controversial" gay themes. There are writers out there trying to sell shows with gay characters or storylines, and getting shot down (I'm one of them).

Even though shows like Nip/Tuck introduce lesbian characters, they are still featured in completely misogynistic ways.  I gave the first few episodes of this season a chance because I was interested in the whole Portia/Joely relationship, but I quickly realized why I stopped watching last season.  They totally cater to the male fantasy and really have no interest in showing fully developed lesbian characters.  And for god's sake, throw Roma a bone and let Liz have a normal relationship, without losing a vital organ!      

5. 24 delayed till 2008 just what I needed to hear..no cherry jones a great actress who needs more screen time...and we have to suffer for it by the waiting game.

4. reality TV eats vital brain cells that many dumb Americans can not afford to lose.

3. no Colbert report: one of very few news outlets that not only makes us laugh at our selves but also made up a word that ended up in the dictionary...truthiness...hello...how many currently alive ex presidents...and bush could say they added something to the english language that has a viable definition that was good enough to be added to the Websters dictionary

2. cashmere mafia oh yeah push back yet another lesbian storyline that all of us here at afterellen have been waiting for.

1. no effect on lesbians and t.v. as we know it....I say once the writers do get back to there jobs...hopefully getting paid for it...they have to write shows people will watch without cringing cas lets face it not only are there very few lesbian shows and story lines...but also the regular shows suck...hopefully a pay raise will change that.

"And the studios aren't going to let it until they feel confident that the majority of TV viewers want it"

Agreed. Which is why I don't fully understand the reasons we seem to always and only blame the 'studios'. At the very least, shouldn't we also blame our parents, families, friends, co-workers etc because, you know, they're part of that 'majority of TV viewers'. And whenever there's a show that focuses a little bit too much on us, they somehow seem to disappear from the audience at large and the studios are left to do exactly what all execs seeking money and success would do, they bail out.

As a case in point, I wonder how many of that majority of TV viewers who have access to LOGO watch it? So...

Of course, my argument has nothing to do with why anyone would or wouldn't be with the strikers, and I'm not interested in debating the values of the strike :)

I dont think that Tv over here good old England will be effected all that much (i am not sur though) Most of the shows we get from the states are at least a couple of months behind. In the case of law and order svu we are 5 years behind which is ridiculous.

Anyway back to the point i support the writers but hope the strike doesnt go on for too long.

If I put the wrong words out there what I did mean to say was residuals...but I couldn't think of it...but I think you missed what the original point was....writers are the backbone of Hollywood...without it Hollywood itself wouldn't exist...but

QUOTE Writers can write scripts with gay and lesbian characters all they want, or all we want, but it's not going to get on TV until the studios let it. And the studios aren't going to let it until they feel confident that the majority of TV viewers want it.

I think they got a taste of it with will and grace...and the cable numbers with qaf and the l word....but lets face it...these are also the same writers who wrote....things like the crappy numbers episode of 2 weeks ago and a whole trove of movies like basic instinct....so its not just the studio's doing the dirty deeds after all....it had to start somewhere and the writers are the ones coming up with the crappy idea's.... yes they deserve what there asking for but would it be too much of us to ask once these writers do get what they deserve.....we get what we deserve...as viewers...for without us the system in general would fall...if we stopped watching period ...

will actually be taken as a real news source. Dayum! Yep networks are no different from publishing companies...the BIG Rigs always controlled writer's art and pocketbooks. If they're gong do some negotiating, Writers should plea to the 1st Amendment to the Networks while demanding more and better pay. My two cents!

maybe dailymotion has too much 'american' or 'outside' content? it could also be that the site is down. for two days? looks like i have to be back in Canada before i can see any of the videos on dailymotion.

You ladies rock!  I've been checking out the video blogs for a while now and they keep getting better.  It was fun in the beginning when everything was so new and raw, but now it's tight and professional.  Well done.  Now how do we get you all onto the actual Logo TV channel?  I think it's time to branch out.  I mean, I get the whole new media thing, but some folks still need their boob tube.  Funny, I never noticed the boob part in boob tube.  Heh.  Boob.  Good word.  Sorry, I got distracted.  Yeah - I want Sarah and Lori on my actual television!  How do I make it happen?  Do I write to Logo?   

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others.

"writers, could you just please write decent lesbian characters?" great sentence Sarah

"The political process is a joke". Lori, unfortunatelly you're so right on this point..the political process is a very big joke.

What book is facing forward behind Sarah and Lori?