If you're the one person who thought reality shows were real....

[reveal]

....you're in for a shock.

Writers sue over reality show conditions

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Hollywood writers have sued Fox Broadcasting and the producer of such reality shows as "Joe Millionaire," charging the companies with violating California's labor laws covering payment of wages, overtime and meal breaks.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, is the second filed with assistance from the Writers Guild of America, west, which is trying to pressure producers to agree to an industrywide contract with those who "write" the supposedly unscripted shows.

The latest suit was filed on behalf of 10 writers and editors and is seeking class-action status. It claims that Fox and Rocket Science Laboratories, the producer of seven reality shows on Fox, required employees to falsify time cards, failed to pay overtime and routinely required plaintiffs to work 12 hours a day or more.

Last month, a group of 12 writers sued ABC, CBS, WB and Turner Broadcasting System Inc., as well as several other producers, making similar claims.

"It's time for Fox and the other major broadcasting companies to step out in the light of day and end these injustices," WGA president Daniel Petrie Jr. said in a statement Wednesday.

Representatives of Fox and Rocket Science Laboratories reached Wednesday said they could not comment on pending litigation.

The WGA launched a public campaign in June for an industrywide contract with reality show producers after rejecting a show-by-show negotiating approach.

The union sent letters to producers demanding union recognition and threatened to strike if producers did not negotiate. The union also said it has received nearly 1,000 signed cards from reality TV workers requesting representation.

The union claims that workers with titles such as story editors, field producers, story assistants and editors actually "write" the shows by sifting through hundreds of hours of footage to craft story lines.

The WGA claims reality shows have become cash cows for the networks in large part because producers do not have to pay union wages and benefits.

The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages and overtime and interest as well as unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

 

[John Crichton]

There is nothing in there that says that "reality" shows don't have reality, spontaneity or somesuch to them. The third to last paragraph illustrates what I mean. Most of the better ones don't have to be written (as in have a script) as the characters are just so nutty/witty/entertaining.

I think stuff like this is funny. There are very few reality show personalities that can actually act, which is what it would take to pull off written material. The writing is all in the editing room to spice things up and make some moments more dramatic.

 

[griff_goodbeard]

They should really call reality television "unscripted" TV. That would probably be more accuate.

 

[Fast Learner]

This is a little complicated. Many see this as a move on the WGA's part (Writers' Guild of America) to get in on the "realiity" show's they're not allowed to write for, as part of a union-strengthening kind of thing (slippery slope and all that). Note that it's not "writers" of reality shows that are suing, it's writers of other, scripted shows.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

This is a little complicated. Many see this as a move on the WGA's part (Writers' Guild of America) to get in on the "realiity" show's they're not allowed to write for, as part of a union-strengthening kind of thing (slippery slope and all that). Note that it's not "writers" of reality shows that are suing, it's writers of other, scripted shows.

That's not entirely accurate. As the notice says, this particular lawsuit was filed on behalf of a particular group of writers and editors who were "required... to falsify time cards, failed to [be paid] overtime and routinely required... to work 12 hours a day or more" (and who are, presumably, a part of the WGA already, or else the WGA probably couldn't have filed suit).

It mentions that other lawsuits have been filed by other writers, and that the WGA has threatened to strike against studios if certain positions (story editors, producers, etc.) are not overhauled to be more in compliance with their actual functions (wherein they "write" the shows through editing, etc.).

It's not clear who the "12 writers" who sued last month are- whether they are involved in the "reality show" trade or scripted shows.

Otherwise, yes, this is largely about the WGA seeking to protect the interests of its laborers (and itself) by demanding stricter regulations on the reality genre.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The union claims that workers with titles such as story editors, field producers, story assistants and editors actually "write" the shows by sifting through hundreds of hours of footage to craft story lines.

This fits in with how I've always assumed it worked. The footage is live and unscripted, but it's edited, sometimes shown out of chronological order, out of context, etc. to create impressions in the viewers' minds which can be very far from the truth. The "storylines," such as one character hating another, can be entirely fabricated from a few arguments and judicious splicing. Likewise if a program shows nothing but snippets of a girl going out on dates, even if she only did so occasionally, the producers can paint her as promiscuous.

The footage is real. The people on such shows really did say such things at some point. But making any inferences about the people or situation as a whole from the footage shown is foolhardy.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I suppose next you are going to tell us that WWE matches are not real either.

 

[Renton]

And my DM never fudges die rolls.

 

[IronWolf]

This fits in with how I've always assumed it worked. The footage is live and unscripted, but it's edited, sometimes shown out of chronological order, out of context, etc. to create impressions in the viewers' minds which can be very far from the truth. The "storylines," such as one character hating another, can be entirely fabricated from a few arguments and judicious splicing. Likewise if a program shows nothing but snippets of a girl going out on dates, even if she only did so occasionally, the producers can paint her as promiscuous.

The footage is real. The people on such shows really did say such things at some point. But making any inferences about the people or situation as a whole from the footage shown is foolhardy.

I agree, this is how I always pictured it happening. These places get hundreds upon hundreds of hours of footage and then edit it together to help paint the picture they want to be painted. Enough things taken out of context and you can paint someone pretty much however you want.

 

[CarlZog]

I don't really care how reality shows work; I'm just looking forward to the whole phenomenon going away. If some angry union workers hold the key to these shows' demise, that fine with me.

Carl