Every fortnightly issue takes a founder communication situation β submitted by a reader β and breaks it down through three lenses: the social script, the inner script, and what to actually say. Plus a pop culture parallel you probably didn't see coming.
βοΈπΈπ Justice for Justin & Blake Lively's Communication Style
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Hello Friends, Justice for Baldoni has been on my mind since early April. The lawsuit that started in December 2024 is finally getting some meaningful action this April 2026. Back in mid-2025, I remember going hard on the assault bike in an exercise class fueled by the injustice I felt for Justin Baldoni. The good news for Baldoni is that 10 out of 13 claims have been dismissed and they'll meet in court to settle the rest. Blake Lively's extremely wordy PGA tag request letter was the catalyst that sabotaged her lawsuit. Instead of the usual script format, in this newsletter, I shall pick out 3 key statements from her PGA Tag request letter to dissect her communication style and its derived tone. Some Notable Points before we dive in:What is a PGA tag? It is known in the industry as a Producers Mark (p.g.a) and it is a no-cost certification mark which the Producers Guild of America (PGA) licenses to a producer. (Source: Producer Guild Org) Why is it important? It identifies which producers performed a major portion of the producing functions on a specific motion picture in a decision-making capacity. The tag was introduced to help audiences and the industry distinguish between individuals who actually produced a film and those who received a credit for other reasons. (Source: Hollywood Reporter) Why do we think Blake Lively covets it?
Statement #1 As much as this tag means to me, it means EVERYTHING, what I'm in fight of most is the film being as great as it can possibly be, so ultimately that's taken all my most eloquent energy. I think you get the idea though. - Blake Lively The Scripting Life take: Incredibly effusive and informal. She tries to be tongue-in-cheek which may or may not come through from her written word. She attempts to build rapport through informality, directness and false familiarity. If the person who reads it likes her enough, this statement can be taken in good faith and humor. However, as this is a formal request / plea to a trade industry organization, this might not be the best approach to take. Statement #2 To be clear, while asking to be granted the PGA mark myself, I do believe that both Alex Saks and Jamey Heath should keep the PGA mark they received.
- Blake Lively
The Scripting Life take: "To be clear" is an assertive starting point of a sentence, it can be taken as overly authoritative and demanding. I wonder why Blake Lively deemed it necessary to talk about the PGA marks of the other two producers. Did she think that there was a quota for PGA marks given on a movie? (FACT: There is no quota or limit) OR was she to trying to imply that the PGA marks given to Alex Saks and Jamey Heath should be reconsidered? Her statement does make that implication. Statement #3 At this time, you will not find a letter from the director Justin Baldoni, or the other PGA producer Jamey Heath. Jamey and Justin will not be contesting my mark, they just, as of this moment, won't be writing a letter to you like the rest of the department heads did.
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I imagine if you reached out to them, they would confirm the extent of my involvement. Please don't take my word for it though, please take the rest of the department heads below, who you are more than welcome to reach out to at any time. Please do. Their contact info is included in their letters
- Blake Lively
The Scripting Life take: She takes a preemptive approach here in noting the missing prominent letters from the Director and Producer of the movie. Blake attempts to use the power of numbers (i.e. the number of recommendations) to fill the void of the significant absence of those 2 key recommendations. "I imagine if you reached out to them..." - reads as sarcastic "Please don't take my word for it though... Please do." - reads as patronizing Bonus Statement: So I implore you at the Producers Guild of America to look into all the facts here. Please don't take my word for it. Please do the work. I'm sorry to ask this of you this late in the game, but as you see, I wasn't able to sooner. I promise you, you will be granting a tag to someone who gave everything of herself to this film, to earn this honor. And it's something I will cherish for life.
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I hope you will join me in standing for what's right and true with regard to who has earned the PGA mark for the film, IT ENDS WITH US, while we still have time.
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It's in your hands now. I can sleep well knowing I did all I can do.
- Blake Lively
The Scripting Life take: "Please don't take my word for it though... Please do the work." - Reads as repetitively patronizing I understand that she wants to come across as earnest and sincere. However, phrases such as those below come across as "So high school" "I promise you..." | "I gave everything of "myself" | "I will cherish for life" Blake Lively emphasizes that she is deserving by pulling out the truth and righteous card. "standing for what's right and true" It is quite a lofty statement for saying "I did the work, so give me the credit." Continuing in her dramatic style, she talks about how she can "sleep well" knowing that she has done what she can to claim that credit. This comes across as self-centered and not relevant to the recipients of the letter. She then adds more pressure on the recipients by saying "It's in your hands now." which implies "You better not drop the ball" CONCLUSION: The language seems informal and warm but comes with arrogant undertones and a big serving of self importance. "The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk."
β Cicero
"Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, "What else could this mean?β β Shannon L. Alder |
Script your Life
Every fortnightly issue takes a founder communication situation β submitted by a reader β and breaks it down through three lenses: the social script, the inner script, and what to actually say. Plus a pop culture parallel you probably didn't see coming.
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