Shady Glen is a magnet for moderately successful Hollywood people you've never heard of before.
I've enjoyed getting to know some of them and, through them, obtaining a deeper understanding of the whole Hollywood thing.
Last week, for instance, while watching the kids at Shady Glen's park I met Steve, a TV writer.
Steve's been employed in TV for over a decade, so he must be good at what he does.
How many people wish they had Steve's job? A lot, I'm sure. How many realize what a hellish job it is? Very few.
You see, Steve's current show is one of those edgy comedies aimed squarely below the belt at the loud urban hipster teen crowd. He has to write stuff that's funny to them. The catch is, what's funny to them usually isn't funny to him. In fact, he finds much of it distasteful. I have no idea how Steve manages to churn out the best crap week after week while holding his nose. He must have one of the most difficult jobs around.
A neighbor of ours, Carl, is also a TV writer. Carl was lucky enough to begin his career as a junior writer on what turned out to be a very successful show. By the time the successful show wrapped, Carl had his own production deal. Eventually he got the green light for his own sit-com.
Carl's sit-com reflects Carl's own comedic sensibilities. So Carl fills his show with stuff he finds funny.
The problem is, Carl's show isn't doing well. No one I know, other than Carl, thinks it's funny.
I wonder who's worse off -- the writer who's miserable but successful writing stuff only others think is funny, or the writer who's happy but unsuccessful writing stuff only he thinks is funny.
Or maybe it's the writer who writes stuff no one -- himself included -- thinks is funny. And does it for free. That, of course, would be the genius behind this blog.
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