Moonlight Renewal Tips: Don't Send Gimicky Items To TPTB

[John T. Folden]

Every time a show is deemed to be "in trouble" fans band together, as they should, to try and let TPTB know how much they love their favorite series. I have always believed that a well placed snail mail letter or postcard is the best thing that can be sent to make your feelings known.

TV Writer, journalist, and blogger Denis McGrath has put together a great list of suggestions that fans should heed, and #1 on the list is DON'T SEND CRAP!

Here's an except
(and go here for the complete list:
http://heywriterboy.blogspot.com/2007/0 ... -show.html)

"1) Don't Send Crap.

It seems like a good idea, and kind of hooky -- find something that's associated with the show and send it on in in droves to "show your support." Jericho fans sent nuts, and yup, every news story about the show mentioned the damn nuts. But the nuts are beside the point. It's a bauble.

The problem is that now everybody wants to send some tchochke. And man, that's a big mistake.

So, Blood Ties fans, please, don't send pints of blood or fake fangs or anything. What you say in a letter is way more important and powerful than any hunk of junk you push through the postal system.

I have less of an opinion on other "organizing cries" like raising money for a charity or an ad or something -- though really, my humanist side says that it's always better to give to charity than try to buy an ad in Variety -- but when it comes to the crap through the mail stuff, I'm firm. It's a bad idea.

Because I've seen who it goes to.

The people who have the power to greenlight or un-cancel a show are never the people that have to deal with the cases of nuts or steel rods or Mars bars or fake vomit or whatever else gets sent by the skidload. It never gets anywhere near them. Instead, the likely outcome is that you're going to make some personal assistant or mailroom person's day absolute hell. For weeks. They get paid crap, and now they have to deal with your crap. It's not fair. They can't do anything about the show. And they're the ones who suffer.

But there's also an extra-special reason not to send crap. See, those powerless people? Even though they're powerless, they have something you don't. In whatever, small way -- they have access. The personal assistant to Susanne Daniels, President of Lifetime Networks, talks to her all day, every day. The mail gets delivered in the company each and every day.

Now when I worked at a network, occasionally, very impulsively -- someone very big would ask the "little people" what they thought of something. You know, to be populist.

What do you think they're going to say if they've spent weeks dealing with your crap?

That's right. It's only natural. It's only human. They are going to HATE YOUR SHOW. And they are going to be GLAD IT WAS CANCELED. They will not defend the show, because you have MADE THEIR LIVES HELL.

I have seen this happen with my own eyes. It's even happened to me."

So, please, if you really enjoy Moonlight and would like to see another season. Send them a nice snail mail letter or postcard. The little people will thank you for it.
http://moonlight-archive.com/Renewal/Renewal.html

...and if common sense weren't enough, take a moment to look at the outcome of the Jericho campaign. CBS received 50,000 lbs of nuts, reversed their cancelation decision and produced a second season that people quickly tuned out. I don't think CBS is going to be swayed by food items, again, any time soon.

[bloodlinnk]

This protest or campaign, is not a well thinkedthrough idea. This will hurt us more then gain anything. We fans are always talking about staying positive, this it not that.

[LadyAyla]

THANK YOU JOHN WE GOT TO KEEP OUR WITS ABOUT US AND NOT DO ANYTHING TO HAVE TPTB THINK WE ARE DANGEROUS FANS AND CANCEL THE WHOLE SHOW TO GET RID OF US.

[foofa5]

Thanks for the reminder, John. I'm not planning to send garlic, but since I'm sure there will be a BUNCH of people to do, I thought maybe I'd send some recipes for that garlic instead. There's nothing I can do about the garlic being sent, but maybe whoever gets those packages will at least see the humor in the recipes. Along with a postcard expressing my appreciating of Moonlight!!

[wondergirl9847]

I thought I was the only one who thought it was a horrible idea. Glad to see I'm not. I will not be participating in this. I printed out flyers today and went to Wal-Mart and stuck them in various magazines like People, some teen magazines, TV Guide, etc. We need to spread the word to the TV watching people out in the world since CBS doesn't seem to wanna let the cast do any d*mn talk shows.

[vampout]

OMG what were they thinking? I am all for sending nice polite letters and postcards on a daily basis but oh my GARLIC!! No way. I fear this may put an end to our little show. Be pretty sad in my book for Moonlight to go through all the adversity that it went through behind the scenes and yet the fans that care about the show put an end to it. I am all for the blood drive donation.

[vampout]

P.S. John thank you for post.

[John T. Folden]

I thought I was the only one who thought it was a horrible idea. Glad to see I'm not. I will not be participating in this.

Yeah, I was quite befuddled to hear about it. It's a VERY bad idea, imo. I'm wondering if anyone involved has ever been in a fan campaign before.

[wondergirl9847]

From what I'm reading over at MLL.com....it was someone on the inside's idea. I am not sure who that is, but I don't care if it was Trevor, Alex, Joel Silver, Jesus (LOL)....regardless....bad idea.

BTW, I DID print out that "recipe" page and wrote my little fan letter and attached a picture of some garlic. Of course, CBS has been getting tons of mail and emails from us since last September, so......

I think it's VERY important to spread the word about the show to everyone and their brother. We need more viewers or no amount of garlic will do any good. Print out flyers, tell your friends/family/neighbors, etc. about the show. I'm even thinking of printing out flyers to stick in people's mailboxes in my neighborhood.

[John T. Folden]

From what I'm reading over at MLL.com....it was someone on the inside's idea. I am not sure who that is, but I don't care if it was Trevor, Alex, Joel Silver, Jesus (LOL)....regardless....bad idea.

I'm betting it wasn't Nina!!!

It was silly enough when Angel fans wanted to send hair gel but this is nuts... no wait, it's garlic.

[vampout]

I just read that Alex is going to be a Spokesman for the Red Cross. Doing a Red Cross donation/drive to me is a GREAT way to show we love ML. Now that is something I would do.

[Lillie44]

Thanks John, I'd hate to see our show cancelled by a flood of garlic. I'm all for the blood drive, or sending a post card with my thoughts on it to CBS, but I really wish some of the fans would stop and think about what they are doing!

You are a very wise man, and I am sooooo glad I finally found this web site! It's much more thoughtful, and well organized than any other fan site. I've never before participated in posting thoughts!! Yet this site makes it quite a joy to read what others think, and to post my thoughts as well.

Thanks you so much for ALL you do for us!

[John T. Folden]

You are a very wise man, and I am sooooo glad I finally found this web site! It's much more thoughtful, and well organized than any other fan site. I've never before participated in posting thoughts!! Yet this site makes it quite a joy to read what others think, and to post my thoughts as well.

Thanks you so much for ALL you do for us!

Thanks Lillie! I'm very glad you feel comfortable enough to share your thoughts here. I do aim to keep the place drama-free, friendly and useful.

I really think, as far as specifically supporting a renewal, that professionally written snail mail letters and postcards are certainly the way to go. Anyone that goes out of their way for blood or food drives is, also, doing something worthy - whether it's in support of the show or not!

Luckily, the majority of Moonlight fandom seems to be sensibly against sending garlic. It's the type of thing that a select few should not have been planning, alone, 'behind a curtain'.

[paranormalfan]

Thank you for posting that John. I do appreciate it

As for the campaign..I could not believe what I was hearing yesterday. I was hoping that it was a bad April Fools Joke! Whoever came up with that idea should be muzzled lol. It was incredibly unthoughtful of them. I don't care how many bags you wrap the garlic in, it's going to stink to high heaven! The stuff is potent. Chances are it's going to get crushed in the mail and think of the mess that will make? Why not write a nice little letter? I'm sure they will appreciate that more than stinky garlic. So sorry but I won't be sending garlic anytime soon. I pity those in the mail room...what a stink! And furthermore, garlic doesn't even repel Moonlight vampires!

Please everyone just write letters lol.

[wondergirl9847]

I think I need to change my avatar, Amy. You were here first. LOL

The Red Cross blood drive (with Alex as a spokesperson!!!!!!) is the most amazing idea and I'm so glad to see the press running the article announcing it. I've never given blood before, but I will probably do so at the Con in May. My dad's life was saved a long time ago due to my uncle giving blood, and he had to have a blood transfusion last May after he had chemo for hairy-cell leukemia.

When the fans are asked about their opinions...the most amazing things can happen. I don't get all the secretive stuff.