Published on 11.15.07

All For One

"None but the brave deserve the fair."

-John Dryden

In 1899, the newsboys of New York City went on strike. They didn’t have a union, but when the newspaper barons of the age, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst decided to charge the newsboys more for their “papes” (10 cents more per 100 papers), rather than increase the customer price, the strike was set in motion. The newsies were poor child laborers – many orphans – barely getting by as it was. Outraged at the greed of millionaires looking for ways to make even more money, no matter what the cost, the newsies organized a strike.

Led by a newsboy named Kid Blink, the newsies were on strike for two weeks. Over 5,000 strikers appeared at several rallies and demonstrated across the Brooklyn Bridge, bringing New York traffic to a standstill. The circulation of Pulitzer’s paper plummeted by two-thirds and eventually the newsboys won the strike. The most inspirational and motivating element in the newsies strike is the fact that the boys (and a few girls) banded together and organized a strike on their own. They had no help from adults, no parental figure to guide or advise them—they just knew that they were being cheated, decided not to stand for it, stuck together, and won.

As the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) heads toward the end of its second week on strike they seem to face the same overwhelming opposition from powerful adversaries as the newsboys did so long ago. As is the case with most strikes, this one is getting nasty. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is trying to spread dissension among the ranks by circulating false rumors and attempting to divide the union. Will the Guild be able remain united? Will the writers be able to outlast the AMPTP? If the strike drags on, what will the lasting effects be on the industry and the individuals involved? With all the controversy surrounding the strike, public opinion could end up being the deciding factor on who will eventually win. The WGA has started to generate a groundswell of support on the Internet as fans get caught up in the struggle and more and more people become outraged by the overwhelming greed of the media conglomerates. It has truly become a David vs. Goliath tale.

At the rally held this past Tuesday, a huge number of celebrities came out and marched with the writers in a show of solidarity and support. Their presence is a message to the AMPTP that all of Hollywood is determined to unite over this issue (unitedhollywood.com). This is not a case of rich actors and writers whining about making more money so that they can buy another jet. This is a case of the creators of a product simply asking for their fair share of the profits when that product generates billions of dollars in revenue – revenue which the corporations seem determined to keep all to themselves.

This is more than a watershed moment for the writers; it’s a watershed moment for America. This is not just a strike about the writers, Hollywood, or the rich getting richer, but as Harold Meyerson of the Washington Post so eloquently put it, “their struggle is a deadly serious test of whether any American workers retain the clout to strike a deal with the unchecked greed that is the modern American corporation.”

However, even with all the highly recognizable faces that support the WGA in the media, the addition of one particular face might make a crucial difference. The writers need a leader on the picket lines, a natural leader, someone who is an old hand at rallying people together to protest injustice. Someone whose, charisma, charm and striking good looks have proven themselves to be vital tools in the battle against corporate greed. And someone whose singing and dancing abilities are the ultimate weapons when it comes to winning a strike and breaking the will of corporate giants.

So where is Christian Bale? Not Christian Bale portraying Batman. Christian Bale in his Oscar-worthy portrayal of newsboy, Jack Kelly, in the classic 1992 musical Newsies. Bale could provide the strikers with the inspiration, focus and dance moves needed to lead the WGA to ultimate victory against the AMPTP.

Newsies, is, of course, the Disney movie loosely based on the events of the newsboys’ strike against Pulitzer and Hearst. In uncertain times like these, it is the perfect inspirational movie for the striking writers to watch. Norma Rae’s got nothing on Newsies. Not only is it a (highly underrated) movie about a strike, the parallels between the newsboys’ strike and the WGA strike don’t end there. They are both strikes that involve the little guy going up against the giant. Stories about the behemoth corporation trying to gouge the unacknowledged worker (who is in fact a key figure in the financial success of that corporation), whether it be poor, unappreciated newsboys or poor, unappreciated writers. In both cases, the strikers are just trying to get a “fair shake,” and in both cases the strikers are asking for a price adjustment of mere pennies. A price difference that is a question of profit margins to the corporations but is vital to the survival of writers and newsboys alike.

It is not only a great pump-you-up-and-get-you-ready-to-strike movie, it could also serve as the model for the most original and effective strike the world has ever seen. This is Hollywood after all, why not go for it and incorporate songs and dances into the picket line chants. All the WGA really needs is a choreographer to teach the picketers some basic moves and of course, the key element, Christian Bale, to lead the dancing. They could reprise such classic numbers as “The World Will Know” and “Seize the Day.”

So as the stars continue to align and show their support for the WGA (and kudos to them for doing so), the icing on the cake, that might guarantee success to the writers and cement public support, could very well be the addition of Christian Bale to the front lines; because nothing unites the people and gains the attention of the press like a rousing song and dance routine. I think he’s off somewhere (perhaps Santa Fe?) filming the next Batman movie, but his time might be better spent reinventing his role as Jack Kelly and leading the charge in a real-life battle against the media Titans of our time.

All jokes aside and regardless of Christian Bale’s actual whereabouts, the writers should be inspired by the young newsboys of 1899 who accomplished the seemingly impossible task of forcing the two most powerful men in the country to bend to their will; men who controlled the media, put presidents in the White House, shaped public opinion, and ultimately thought they were untouchable. Hmmm, sound familiar? However, they were proven wrong when they were forced to concede to the demands of a ragged bunch of street urchins. The newsboys rallied together, stayed united, and despite all odds “broke the will of mighty Bill and Joe.”

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just cause.
-Plutarch