The Life and Death of Hollywood with Daniel Bessner

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick and Djene speak to Dr. Daniel Bessner about the history of Hollywood.

In 2023, the Writers Guild of America, which represents over 11,000 screenwriters, went on strike.  One of the central areas of their dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was residuals from streaming services. The work stoppage culminated, after 148 days of industrial action and an estimated $6.5 billion loss to the Californian economy, in a new agreement ratified by the WGA members. However, in a recent piece published in Harper’s Magazine entitled “The Life and Death of Hollywood” historian Daniel Bessner, argues that film and television writers continue to face an existential threat.

Daniel Bessner is an associate professor of history at the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. You can read his piece in Harper’s Magazine.