Bad Writing in Hollywood

I think Hollywood (TV and movies) has a distorted view of women and their relationships with men. And I think it is because a lot of the writers are taking a lazy, cookie cutter approach to writing. So many of the plots and story lines are virtually interchangeable between TV shows that the viewer has to wonder if they are watching a first run show or a re-run.

I understand the need for form and structure and having to deliver a 44 minute script on time, but it seems like they all rigidly follow the same Screen Writers Handbook for plot devices. These are some common elements in most TV dramas and Movies:

• A wife MUST oppose her husband's career.
• Even if she approved of it before they were married.
• Any personal crisis is the husband's fault or his career's.
• Every wife must issue an ultimatum, forcing the husband to choose between his career and the wife / family.
• Any time a wife cheats it is the husband's fault.
  
• Other women MUST be ball busters
• Female bosses, girlfriends, co-workers
• They must have a different approach /view of the job
• They must have different agendas
• The women will always make choices because they are caring.
• The men will always make choices because they are insensitive.
• The man MUST always give in or:
• He will lose his wife
• He will get fired /transferred / demoted
• He will lose his partner / face.

I understand why these elements are present. A necessary story element is conflict. And one of the ways to introduce conflict into a character's life and present a 3-dimensional, fully realized character is to show his home life and personal pressures. The idea is to layer on the personal pressure with the major conflict of the story to show everything he has to deal with. Personal conflicts can take many forms - but seldom do.

I think there are several possible reasons why the writers are delivering a uniform product:

• It is highly possible they are using writing software that includes a conflict generator. They probably missed an upgrade.
  
• Maybe they all have a ridged To Do list.
• Maybe they all took the same correspondence course.
  
• Maybe they all hate women.
• Maybe creativity has been bred out of southern California.
• Maybe plagiarism is the sincerest form of literary flatter
• Maybe fear of being replaced by a reality show saps your creativity.

Regardless of why this is happening, I think America is getting tired of recycled stories and ideas. I know I am.

There are a few other things that are really getting old on TV and in the movies so I put together a short wish list to improve screen writing:

• Supportive wives who face external conflict with their husbands.
• An end to cookie cutter story telling. If there is a fill-in-the-variable story line generator, throw it away. Watching House M.D. is like watching an episode of Mad Libs.
  
• Stop doing what ever allows the same stories, themes, dangers, cliffhangers on several shows in the same week. It's like a memo goes out from the Writers Union.
• Quit pushing the writer's gay agenda. There is no way the percentage of gay characters and references is equal to the percentage of gay population in America. It is way out of proportion.
• Quit pushing the writer's liberal, anti-conservative agendas. 50% of this country are red staters. Why alienate half of your audience?

I think it is time for the writers to quit taking the easy way out creatively. And it is time for them to quit using what is supposed to be an entertainment medium as their bully pulpit.