Dead Aim

I found out that something I wrote and produced is a finalist for an award of some sort. Hooray for me.

The season has pretty much wrapped for the dating show, so there won’t be much to post about that in particular. In the meantime, I’ll be put on other projects. One of these projects is a new show, which premieres in the Fall. Many of my co-workers are in a similar situation.

One of these colleagues has an office next to mine. I’ve known this person for quite some time, but our creative paths don’t cross very often since we write for different shows. Right now though, we’re both part of a stable of writers pulled in to work on this new show.

Today, I walk by my neighbor’s office and I hear them (loudly and clearly) on the speakerphone talking to another person about ideas for the project all three of us are working on. There is a meeting in a couple of hours and we’ve all been busy writing and conceptualizing.

I figure, “Hey, brainstorm session!” So I step one foot in this person’s office. This is not unusual. I occasionally stop by and say hello, and they sometimes do the same to me. This time though, the phone is quickly picked up as if the conversation is top secret. I get a verbal “What do you want?” and a visual “get the hell outta here.”

I know when I’m not wanted, so I do not reply. I just walk out and go next door to my office. I slam my door shut to express my displeasure and then sit down to spew out some of the best damn writing I’ve ever done.

This kind of competitive bullshit really pisses me off. There is no reason to be working against each other. This isn’t a race. There’s no trophy.

I’m not surprised. I’ve known for a long time that this person is always looking out for number one and will throw you directly under the bus if necessary.

I guess I’m not surprised at my reaction either. As my wife once said, “All you people who work in Hollywood suffer from narcissism.”

Let’s see… Excessive love or admiration of oneself. Check. A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem. Check.

I think my wife may be on to something.