Hollywood’s Graylist: Writers and Ageism : THE WRITERS : Writers vs. Producers
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: Bloated arrogance led the way through your article. Producers and agents alike were quoted espousing the doxy of Hollywood: If you’re too old, you can’t get it up. But the imagination is not a muscle.
Most of the writers I know keep adding to their vision, not subtracting from it. Maybe producers and agents are so used to counting numbers that they’ve forgotten how to count on talent.
A career in writing is not a destination, it is a journey. Some of us never get there--but no one standing on the sidelines can say we’re not moving.
An unnamed producer exclaimed, “Most writers only have one or two good ideas in their heads.” I think he opened the wrong door. Writers have lots of viable ideas. It simply takes time to embed them in a narrative. Most producers have but one idea, actually low concept: Get rich with a minimum of risk.
Writers reside on the edge. Producers sell the shavings.
STEWART LINDH
Santa Monica
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