Can the Hollywood writers be outsourced to China…08 Nov 2007 10:10 am
Work-Life 
TV isn’t as fun as it used to be.
At least when it comes to the late night talk shows because the writers have checked out. Well, they’re actually on the picket line trying to get more money out of their employers.
I recently wrote a piece for MSNBC.com on the power that knowledge-based workers still have when it comes to negotiating with their employers.
By knowledge workers I mean those that have skills not easily replaced by cheap labor in third world nations.
I’ve gotten quite a few emails from readers who say, even these types of workers can be replaced. That it’s not just auto workers.
Here’s a sample of what readers are saying:
In my opinion, the screenwriters themselves really don't possess any special "knowledge" and, if successful, can only tout the previous approval of their work by certain producers. One producer may like their work, the next one may shun it. For instance, a screenwriter in a country such as China could produce a script that will be enjoyed. It is simply too difficult to say that it wouldn't be successful. As a result, I see the potential for these screenwriters to be outsourced if the studios wanted to take that route.
Is there any job that’s safe?
November 8th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I can’t help but chuckle when thinking about the possibility of Chinese screenwriters. It makes me think of so many instruction manuals I’ve read that were produced in other lands–full of broken syntax and interesting word choices. I suddenly could imagine Leno or Letterman (or future episodes of Lost or Heroes) using dialog with such constructs. Imagine if everyone in all the Star Wars films spoke with Yoda’s grammatical constructs. I needed a laugh today. Thanks!
[I intend no offense to any of your readers who are Chinese, or other speakers/writers of English as a second language. I do not mean to suggest any lack of intelligence. As someone who loves to dabble with languages, I’ve heard time and again that English is one of the most difficult to master, especially since it often seems to be a language with more idioms and exceptions than rules. I’m quick to notice non-standard English usage, and enjoy some of the gems that I find.]
November 8th, 2007 at 11:17 am
i dont think that american humor can be outsourced. too many things, too many slangs, too many hidden stories behind the words.
could my job be outsourced? i doubt the government would want to put china in charge of the triplicate process to claim foster care payments……….
November 8th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
oh man, i suppose someone from another country can write a career column. yikes!
might be more interesting. talk about different approaches to a person’s career mishaps. remember the head of the product safety agency of china..they executed the guy when the lead-tainted toy scandal first emerged.
that’s far more interesting than women in the U.S. taking more sick time than men. no one’s getting executed for that, at least not that blatantly.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Theoretically, most jobs can be outsourced. Doctors and lawyers are already being outsourced to an extent(i.e. radiologists who read X-rays and educators who instruct via distance learning). As far as Chinese screenwriters, it is possible that an individual in China could be a master of the English language just as much as an American. Furthermore, many third-world countries that used to be part of the British Empire have English as the official language. The individuals in these nations speak perfect Queen Anne’s English and usually speak and write it just as well if not better than many people in the US. India, for example, is receiving many outsourced jobs because of the dominance of the English language. American humor does have its distinctions, but the nuances are not all that different and, for the most part, can be learned. As far as the government outsourcing the job with foster care payments, I personally don’t think so because it is a unique American government process and the public sector has been hesitant to outsource jobs. However, some former government jobs have been outsourced to contractors. Like most people, I don’t like outsourcing, but I think that any job has the potential to be outsourced with the emergence of new ideas and technology. However, I see the screenwriters as much more likely to be outsourced. Some of the jobs that are being outsourced today nobody thought would ever be outsourced 40 years ago.
November 8th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
you make a good point ian. in this global economy almost any job can or will be some day outsourced.
maybe not a chambermaid though.
November 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
I find the notion that writing can be outsourced to be somewhat ridiculous, tantamount to saying that Jay-Z can start paying Chinese writers to come up with new hip hop lyrics for his next production.
Everybody considers themselves a writer (”They’re only words on paper!”). What drives people crazy is that they aren’t writers; they do not write every day, they do not spend their lives honing their skills and pouring out jokes, crimes, and romance. If they were, they would have careers as writers. It drives many producers and execs nuts that all this creativity is coming from a void that they cannot own or control. I fully support the WGA in their strike and wish them luck.
November 11th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I definitely think you’re onto something Jonah. As a writer, I would hope that what I do can’t just be outsourced to anyone. Is quality important in today’s day and age? I wonder about that.
I was shopping in the mall today looking for a coat for my daughter. All I could find was poorly made coats from China. It was quite disheartening. Even the so-called American brands, Lands End, LLBean, all made in China. Yes, the manufacture of these products can be outsourced…but what do we get in return?
December 18th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I agree Ian. Nearly any job, including writing can be outsourced in the age of the Internet and advanced telecommunications. Moreover, why assume that China needs to supply the writers ? Why not a few dozen hungry grad students at Harvard, Princeton, or Yale ? What about writers from Canada ? You think they don’t watch enough U.S. television and movies to mimic a US writing style ?? In fact since US entertainment is the most ubiquitous of all - I don’t understand why people think it would be so hard to emulate, embellish, or recycle plot/movie ideas from the US after a steady lifetime diet of US movies and television.