It’s a different world out there in the middle of nowhere. While my past columns have been harsh criticisms of our campus’s fashion problems, we are not close to the blatant shoddy taste of our ex-friends living in the farmland.

In Pullman, Neutrogena Tanning Foam and Crest Whitestrips are fully taken advantage of by the girls we left behind in high school. Every summer you notice their obvious growth in certain areas that’ll usually do the two-for-one deals on Franzia and Busch beer.

In a circus town where tackiness and alcoholic calories are easy to come by, what happens when the shenanigans jump in their suped up Hondas and travel to the city? At the Apple Cup their show must go on.Americans, be prepared. Your addiction to scripted television is about to stop cold turkey.

At midnight Nov. 5, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began its strike, thus effectively preventing any new scripts from being written for existing television programs and films. It’s been about two weeks, and the strike rages on with no end in sight.

At this time of year, the television landscape is active and filled with numerous scripted programs, competing for ratings through outlandish and attention-grabbing storylines. However, the landscape could potentially become a barren, reality programming-dominated wasteland if the strike does not come to an end.

The WGA board voted to strike against the executives of the entertainment industry after the writers’ talks with their employers broke down over discrepancies of residuals from DVDs and programs aired over the Internet. The core of this strike is the same as all others: The writers want more respect and more money.

This seemingly insignificant issue has turned Hollywood into a virtual war zone, where actors, directors and other entertainment personalities have been forced to publically choose sides in this debate. Many actors and showrunners have chosen to picket with the writers. If they did not, on-set tensions would surely be high once the strike concluded.

Ellen DeGeneres, for example, after vocalizing her support for the WGA, has continued to film new episodes of her syndicated talk show. She has received considerable flak from her contemporaries for her decision to cross the picket lines. One of her own staff workers reportedly said, “Ellen, you’re no friend of mine; you danced across the picket line.”

On top of all of this, should the strike loom, the economy of southern California would be in jeopardy. Numerous entertainment industry workers such as crewmembers, actors and directors could be without jobs and pay over the next several months. Not all entertainment industry workers are paid as well as the few elite actors.

The strike has already begun to affect numerous scripted programs, many of which were forced to shut down production completely once available scripts to film ran out.

According to MSNBC, Fox pulled 24 completely from its schedule because it does not want to air any episodes unless it can present the entire season uninterrupted. Because of its serialized structure, 24 tends to perform best with minimal interruptions to its momentum. Production has also begun to shut down on shows like Desperate Housewives, The Office and Grey’s Anatomy.

What is so difficult to understand is how something like DVD and digital distribution has managed to so deeply polarize and politicize Hollywood. While these writers may feel that they have a right to these residuals, they are effectively jeopardizing the jobs of the numerous other people who are a part of the production of television shows and films.

It’s hard to believe that Hollywood writers are so undervalued that they would need to strike in the middle of the television season. These selfish and seemingly myopic actions could permanently affect the ratings of numerous shows. It’s difficult to sympathize with a group of individuals who have stopped the productions of one of America’s favorite addictions.

Once these shows have finished filming available scripts, networks will be forced to air repeats. Nothing kills a show and its ratings more quickly than too many repeats. Should numerous shows get canceled, an even greater insurgence of unemployed entertainment industry workers would exist.

With that said, these writers do have a right to receive comparable payments for their work. This problem is akin to musicians not receiving enough residuals for their music. Residuals can mean the difference between paying one’s bills or not. Many writers rely on residual checks to survive in the ever-fickle entertainment industry.

Unfortunately, the television landscape is determined to remain bruised, scarred and filled with trashy reality programs and repeats for a while longer. Negotiations are at a stalemate, and network executives have been told to not expect a possible end to the strike until at least the New Year.

Perhaps this strike will serve as a poignant allegory for numerous corporate executives across the country that they have to treat their employees fairly and give them just compensation. All employees must be valued, or dire consequences should be expected.

[Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]