Tayari's Blog: Writing For THE MAN

Posted by TayariJones on December 2, 2005 10:25 AM
Filed under The Writing Life

I was listening to the daily podcast from Slate.com, one of my favorite poscasts. (Try it, Ladylee, try it!) Anyway, there was on in particular that caught my attention. It seems that the pharmaceutical lobby commissioned two writers to produce a novel that would scare people so badly that no one would want to buy cheaper imported drugs from Canada. This is true, here is the link. Anyway, this got me to thinking.

I am not really a religious person. Not a-religious, but not really that organized in my spiritual beliefs. A lot of that has to do with my rather quirky upbringing.

Anyway, one thing I really believe in that creativity is a gift from God. A direct gift. And I believe that it is immoral to use your gift for evil. I know this sounds really fundamentalist. I'm sorry. I don't have that many hard, line-in-the-sand moral views, but this is one of them.

So here is a summary of the podcast. The Pharms wanted the writers to make a book in which terrorists were tainting Canadian drugs and shipping them to American citizens who are trying to save a buck by ordering meds over the internet. The writers produced the book, but the Pharms weren't pleased. The writers said it wasn't thier fault that the book sucked, afterall the Pharms wanted the characters to give long speeches about how dangerous it is to buy drugs from Canada and how American drug companies may be over priced, but it's worth it! (In other words: when old people have to choose between medicine or food, it's for thier own good.)

Well, the Pharms decided to squelch the project and wouldn't pay the writers. So, they got revenge. They have A) gone to the press with the whole story and B) they have written another novel. The plot: The Pharms, in an attempt to scare people from Canadian drugs, taint the Canadian drugs themselves and try to blame it on terrorists.

There is a joke in here. I just can't find it.

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There are 2 comments on "Writing For THE MAN". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

Comment #1, by Papatya Bucak

Hi Tayari--we've met once or twice via common ASU friends and I've been meaning to write and say I enjoy your blog. Then just recently I saw your story in the new Natural Bridge and meant to write and say I enjoyed that. But this news item has finally prompted me to write--as disturbing as the story is, I plan to use it in my undergraduate workshop next semester as a means of discussing the power of fiction and how we can use our power for good... thanks for the link. Best wishes, Papatya

December 3, 2005 06:12 AM

Comment #2, by Ladylee

That was an interesting story. I'm glad this type of info is coming out. I use to be involved in a little pharmaceutical drug research in grad school, and the behind the scenes business is cuththroat. This doesn't surprise me, because Pharm drugs is a big multi billion dollar business... Shady, shady, shady. Plus, as you know, I work for a drug regulating agency... (Let me shut up before the feds come pull me from my desk and I disappear forever). LOL!

Okay... Tayari, are you secretly working in the Apple public affairs department? Because you pushed me ONE STEP CLOSER to buying an IPOD. LOL :)

December 5, 2005 10:07 AM

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