I had planned to spend today shopping for some delicious morsels and cocktail ingredients to host a Golden Globes party. I sent an email around to a few people several weeks ago and my friend Dan replied “I’d love to watch the awards at your place, if they air them.” I have been watching the writers’ strike with intensity, mostly because there isn’t much else to watch these days. I may actually accomplish my goal of learning more about classic films because I will soon be forced to subscribe to Netflix.
And despite the threats of picketing the Golden Globes and actors refusing to cross the line, I thought they’d make an exception. I thought that some things would be kept sacred and writers and producers would call a truce just for a night to pay tribute to the incredible work that has been done in film this year. In an effort of full disclosure, I agree with the writers. If producers are making money off their work, regardless of medium, they should get a cut. Anything short of that, in my opinion, is stealing. And it’s just plain mean.
In spite of my political views on the strike, the ones I feel most for are the nominees this season. To make it in your career to a point that your entire industry recognizes your contribution is cause for extreme celebration. And instead of having their moment, they’ll get a press conference with their names read in a no-doubt glum tone of voice.
I think it’s time for a boxing match. Get those that represent the writers and those that represent the producers, lock them in a room, give them food, water, and regular bathroom breaks, and don’t let them out until there’s a green light to restore episodes of Brothers and Sisters, along with all of the other shows I have been missing these past few months.
I know negotiations are difficult; I know both sides are so sick of one another that the idea of being in a room with one another is enough to make them all sick to their stomachs. I don’t care – walking away from conversations just because they’re hard is immature and irresponsible. A lot of people are being hurt in this process and I am a firm believer that if it is within something’s power to mitigate the pain they are causing others, then the only reasonable and kind thing to do is relieve that suffering.
I am getting off my soapbox now and will be found watching movies like Casablanca and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner until the picket signs come down.
The photo above can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/16/us/16writers.html.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I had planned to spend today shopping for some delicious morsels and cocktail ingredients to host a Golden Globes party. I sent an email around to a few people several weeks ago and my friend Dan replied “I’d love to watch the awards at your place, if they air them.” I have been watching the writers’ strike with intensity, mostly because there isn’t much else to watch these days. I may actually accomplish my goal of learning more about classic films because I will soon be forced to subscribe to Netflix.
Christa Avampato 