Hollywood’s Graylist: Writers and Ageism : OTHER VIEWS : It’s Not Just Writers
T imes staff writer Nina J. Easton’s article on ageism and writers in film and television (“Hey, Babes! How Old Is Too Old for Hollywood?,” Nov. 17) has produced an usually large response from readers. A sampling of their views appears here and on the facing page: Easton stopped short of the overall problem. It isn’t just ageism, and it isn’t just happening to writers. Ageism, sexism and homophobia are running rampant in the film industry. We, as a technologically advanced nation in the last moments of the 20th Century, have a major industry--motion pictures--that is allowed to pay lip service to our civil rights laws.
If you are over the age of 40 in this business, you are given the impression that you’re about as useful as a milking pail to a bull.
The Writers Guild can afford to commission the Bielby reports to determine where and how discrimination against writers is happening in Hollywood. Crafts locals affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes can’t. Writers can, at least, collect residuals; we in the crafts can’t. Craftspersons have been getting the call at the unemployment office for a long time. Take a number and welcome to the line.
BARBARA WHITAKER
President, IATSE Local 705
Motion Picture Costumers
Los Angeles
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