I remember taking a break from college before starting the first job of my career. I worked for Kelly services part time just to make some cash and not have to have a permanant job. We worked for this plastic factory and this old guy told us to slow down because they wanted to set lower work standards for a Union they wanted to start. I remember thinking this guy was a loser.

Since then all I have seen of Unions is to make people less productive. I just don't get it. Do they not see that it is "productivity" that drives the economy. This is a perfect example. If you get just 1000 people to pay $10 a month that is 10,000 a month. Not to mention the advertizing possibilities from hits on the website alone from people checking it out. Seems like a no brainer to me.

Union rules have the effect of losing the Union work,

This is off topic a bit, but you know how they have best revival play/musical as separate categories, but the actors/directors et al of revival and original are all lumped in together? I'd like to see entire separate categories for actor/director/lighting/choreog et al for revival and original. I know some years they would need to scrap to fill the categories, but in a year like this, it sure would've been nice. Who do I see about that;)

And would it kill em to add a category for best chorus. I think the dancers and singers in the chorus are some of the hardest working, MOST talented on stage.

Also, I'm hoping that Liza gets the Tony and not Ferrell. I'm hoping that the politicalness of b'way outweighs the politicalness of politics. Hmmm politicalness, not sure that's a word. HA!

But getting back to the original debate, if you want the Tonys to start throwing their hardware at Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt for marketing purposes, then fine. I'll at least enjoy the moment of impact when the awards hit them in their heads, and the subsequent hollow rattling noise.

But to even bring medals for valor and bravery into a discussion about acting awards takes this thread into territory that I'm not comfortable pursuing. I think we have both explained our positions, we just don't agree.

Tonya Pinkins? She won in a weak year..

Every Uncle Jesse that gets a Tony nod is a spot taken away from some unknown who is barely scraping 20 weeks of work per year to keep their AEA health insurance. Your proposal seems to ignore those mathematics. If it "isn't about earning something through hard work" and it's "part self-congratulation and part marketing," then all the more reason to fight harder towards integrity and the recognition of those stage actors who would be ignored at any other awards show.

Oh, and the "true conservative" believing that "succeeding and earning his job" is the reward in itself? If that's true, then should we stop handing out "shiny" medals to our soldiers who risk their lives in combat overseas? You know, since doing well at their job is it's own reward?