The big talent agencies violate the civil rights laws

[tucsonray]

One could make the same claim regarding age or disability (the other protected classes - and we've all heard about age more consistently than all the others combined on this site).

Still, IMO the route chosen by NYNEX is not the legal remedy for any perceived disparities such as the ones noted in this post. No doubt though, I've been wrong many times before... I just don't think I am on this one.

[sc111]

I tried to find a more recent article but here are snips from one written 2007:

Hunt also said that 40% of all TV shows aired during the 2005-06 season didn't employ a minority writer.

Hunt pointed out that the gap between average earnings for white and minority screenwriters had widened by nearly $2,000 in 2005 to $77,577 for whites compared with $66,666 for minorities.

The report also found participation by women writers had remained virtually unchanged in both small-screen and features, staying at 27% in TV and creeping up to 19% from 18% in films.

But the gender gap nearly doubled in film, with men earning an average of $90,000 while women's wages slid from $65,966 in 2004 to $50,000 in 2006.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964522.html?categoryid=18&cs=1

[JackBNimble]

Oh come on SC111...if the the majority of people writing screenplays in the country are white and male, are you surprised that most of the working screenwriters are white and male?

Let me change a couple words in your vision and let me know if you're still troubled about the unfairness of the universe: "Oh come on. Of working professional basketball players, the group is disproportionately black & male. That's simply by accident?"

[Han Shot First]

Professional writing is perhaps one of the biggest meritocracies in the world. No one gives a **** whether you're black, white or a goddamn pointy-eared Vulcan.

Write great ***** and be a nice guy, gal or Vulcan in the room and you'll find yourself a steady flow of income.

Thankfully, I can count myself fortunate that I don't have the intelligence or education to work outside show business.





*The key to it all, of course, is this little phrase that is far too often discounted or forgotten.

[sc111]

Whoa - NYNEX may be onto something. Check this exerpt out:

UCLA Study: Minority Actors Can Sue
Title VII lawsuits could challenge the status quo.


Most minority actors in Hollywood realize that screenwriters don't create enough roles for their type. But a UCLA study released in December 2006 argues that, though 69 percent of roles were reserved for white actors, minority actors have an option to improve their job prospects by suing the entertainment industry for violating their rights under Title VII, the equal employment opportunity clause of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But whether actors will have the guts to sue for discrimination and risk damaging their careers remains to be determined.

Russell Robinson, professor of law at UCLA and the author of the study, titled "Hollywood's Race/Ethnicity and Gender-Based Casting: Prospects for a Title VII Lawsuit," studied casting breakdowns put out between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2006. The survey revealed that 94 percent of roles in character breakdowns specified gender. Twenty-two percent were designated for white actors. Additionally, Robinson found that 46.5 percent of roles did not specify race but were by default understood to be for white actors — making the total percentage of roles reserved for white actors almost 69 percent.

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_re..._id=1003529253

Makes sense that if the majority of working writers and white and male, the majprity of roles they write are for white and male characters.

[sc111]

Originally Posted by JackBNimble

Oh come on SC111...if the the majority of people writing screenplays in the country are white and male, are you surprised that most of the working screenwriters are white and male?

Let me change a couple words in your vision and let me know if you're still troubled about the unfairness of the universe: "Oh come on. Of working professional basketball players, the group is disproportionately black & male. That's simply by accident?"

Jeeze - this is ridiculous. And your last sentence makes no sense at all.

[tucsonray]

Originally Posted by sc111

Whoa - NYNEX may be onto something. Check this exerpt out:

UCLA Study: Minority Actors Can Sue
Title VII lawsuits could challenge the status quo.


Most minority actors in Hollywood realize that screenwriters don't create enough roles for their type. But a UCLA study released in December 2006 argues that, though 69 percent of roles were reserved for white actors, minority actors have an option to improve their job prospects by suing the entertainment industry for violating their rights under Title VII, the equal employment opportunity clause of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But whether actors will have the guts to sue for discrimination and risk damaging their careers remains to be determined.

Russell Robinson, professor of law at UCLA and the author of the study, titled "Hollywood's Race/Ethnicity and Gender-Based Casting: Prospects for a Title VII Lawsuit," studied casting breakdowns put out between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2006. The survey revealed that 94 percent of roles in character breakdowns specified gender. Twenty-two percent were designated for white actors. Additionally, Robinson found that 46.5 percent of roles did not specify race but were by default understood to be for white actors — making the total percentage of roles reserved for white actors almost 69 percent.

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_re..._id=1003529253

Makes sense that if the majority of working writers and white and male, the majprity of roles they write are for white and male characters.

Interesting point, but I am not sure what professor Robinson means when he says roles were 'by default understood to be for white actors'. That sounds mighty subjective.

I still think the agencies have a perfect argument if someone sends a query and the agency has no idea as to the person's age, race or disability... yes, gender would be a tougher call.

Still, I think it's different at the actor level than at the writer level (as agents rep writers, writers don't work for agents).

[NYNEX]

If I call up an agent that reps novelists, and ask if I can send in a query, the agent who reps novelists will say okay, send it in.

If I call CAA, ICM, or WMA, they are going to tell me that I need an industry referral. The problem is, in order to get such a referral, I'd have to be connected to people who are disproportionately white and male, if not outright related to them.

That's the reason why working screenwriters are disproportionately white and male, because of a network that pretty much excludes NEWCOMERS.

And everyone on here knows very well if you call CAA, WMA, or ICM, that they will tell you on the phone that they do not accept unsolicted communications, PERIOD.

[sc111]

In terms of gender, from Wiki: The male-female ratio at USC film school is nearly 1:1.

This tells the number of women who aspire to have a career in film is nearly equal to men. Yet the industry is dispropotionately male. Just an accident?

Granted - when we look at minorities there are fewer registered. However, check out the graduate program for film at USC:

White: 31.9%
International students:24.7%
Asian: 20.2%
Hispanic: 8.1%
Black: 4.2%

Judging by the top 3, if it was a level playing field, we'd at least see more people of Asian descent in the film industry, no?

[umo]

I've spent way too much of my precious writing time working on EEOC compliance of Employee Welfare plans. I think they call that a job.

Dude!

EEOC = Equal Employment Opportunity Commision
KEY WORD = EMPLOYMENT

MUST HAVE: Employer/Employee Relationship. How to test...

Definition of Employee:
Screenwriter on Agency payroll? :NO
Screenwriter works a minimum of "X" hours per week for the Agency?: NO
Screenwriter works exclusively for Agent: NO
Screenwriter participates in Welfare plans .e.g., medical, dental, pension:NO
Screenwriter covered under Agency's Worker's compensation: NO

You get the picture, right?

The relationship is not one of Employer/Employee; therefore you're barking up the wrong tree and pissing the agencies we want to query. They'll just toss the rest of us another hoop we'll have to jump through.

If you have a beef about discrimination, go talk to the ACLU. They'll sue anybody.