Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron035.txt

- Subj: Answers Date: 6/20/97 19:48:48 From: RonDMoore

<< Is that Willie Mays card [in "In the Cards"] an actual baseball card? or was it something the art dept. made up?>>

It was a replica.

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It was Brannon and Brannon is new to the ways of cyberspace. He is now well on his way to being a true hep cat.

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Today. Happy now? May the blood of Michael Dorn be on your head!

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I asked Michael Piller about rare cards (Michael is a big collector) he suggested the Mays rookie card as a classic.

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It's cool with me. Always wanted to see Mets vs. Yankees and have it count.

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Heartening to see that people are aware of and involved in the issues of the day. Disheartening to see the level of personal animosity involved. Lighten up, people.

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I have read "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" but I'd rather not tell you what I think of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" since some people would take offense at my opinion, whether supporting the idea that Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot or if I don't think that Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. So in order to spare us all a long series of exchanges over my views of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" I'll refrain from giving my opinion on either the book "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" or on the concept itself of Rush Limbaugh being a Big Fat Idiot as I can see only endless trouble from both the people who believe Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot as well as from the people who disagree with the notion that Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. So that's it: no commentary from me on the book "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" or on the ideas contained within "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot." I promise.

(Step away from the keyboard and keep your hands where I can see them, it's only a joke.)

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It was an interesting idea but had too many problems. The time period is very expensive to realize on screen, the audience knowledge of and indentification with the period is very low, and we decided that putting everyone in tights wasn't such a great idea.

- Subj: Answers Date: 6/20/97 20:11:07 From: RonDMoore

<<I am a typical healthy young white heterosexual Methodist male who grew up in Texas. I can't even apply for one of those internships [with the writing staff] simply because of my sex and race. To me, this seems like discrimination. I might be one of the best Trek writers of all time, you never know. But we'll also never know. Is there any valid reason why this prog ram is open to everyone except someone like me? I realize this is probably an affirmative action program, but I believe it is unfair to exclude *anyone* on the basis of age, sex, or ethnicity. Why can I not have a fair chance to at least apply for an internship, and risk being turned down, rather than not being able to apply at all?>>

First of all, I should make it clear that the internship program is run through the Writers Guild of America and the guidelines for admission are determined by them, not us. Therefore, my opinions on the policy and the reasoning behind it are just that -- opinions.

I do sympathize with your position and understand where you're coming from. I'm a hetero, white guy too and if I was out there in Texas trying to break in and found out that I couldn't apply for the program I'd be put out as well. However, I think that if you consider the fact that the overwhelming number of working writers in this town are hetero white guys like us, and that it will probably continue to be that way for the forseeable future, I think you can see that it might not be such a bad idea to have a program to help the people who aren't as well represented in the writing community and who could use a little extra help.

If we're honest with ourselves, you and I both know that being HWGs has given us a leg-up in this country in a lot of ways. Through no effort of our own, we won the genetic sweepstakes in being born in America in the first place, then got a bonus prize in being white, a doorprize for being male and then said the magic word and saw the duck come down when we turned out hetero.

Now, maybe it shouldn't be that way, maybe everyone should be equal in the eyes of both the law and society, but what it should be and what it is are two different things. Life ain't equal. The WHGs are way out in front and everyone else is trying to catch up. So I don't think it's wrong to slow the WHG's on ocassion and let some of the others try to catch up. To me, it seems only fair.

Ultimately, if you're talented and dedicated, I firmly believe you'll make it anyway and not getting the internship won't stop you. After all, you can still submit spec material to the show like everyone else, and even if that ends, you can still work on your craft, try to get an agent and make it as a professional writer at Trek or elsewhere. That may not provide you with much comfort, I know it wouldn't comfort me that much, but maybe this will: as a WHG you are about twice as likely to get a job as a writer than anyone eligible to apply for the internship in the first place.